Best-Rated Coffee Pods

See Our Ratings Methodology.

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Most Satisfied Customers | ALDI Expressi & Nescafé

Aussies have rated ALDI Expressi and Nescafé as joint top in Canstar Blue’s latest coffee pod ratings, with both brands scoring five stars for packaging convenience and overall satisfaction, alongside each scoring multiple five stars in other categories.

ALDI Expressi

Nescafe Logo

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How we rate coffee pods

Our review compares coffee pods on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which coffee pods they think is best!


Canstar Blue surveyed 434 Australians for their feedback on the coffee pod(s) they’ve purchased and brewed in the last three months.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.


Respondents rate their satisfaction with their coffee pod brand(s) from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
  • Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with a coffee pod brand as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Taste: the coffee pods taste authentic and match the flavour description on the packaging.
  • Value for money: the cost is reasonable for the quality and quantity of the coffee pods.
  • Texture & consistency: the coffee pods had the expected texture and consistency for the type of coffee (i.e. wasn’t grainy, etc.).
  • Packaging convenience: the coffee pod packaging was easy to open and store, and provided sufficient instructions and information.
  • Variety & range: the coffee pod brand offered a wide variety of flavours and quantity sizes.

The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

  • ALDI Expressi & Nescafé
  • Nespresso
  • Starbucks by Nespresso

Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.


1. ALDI Expressi


ALDI Expressi

Ratings result

ALDI Expressi was rated five stars for value for money, packaging convenience, variety & range and overall satisfaction, with four stars for texture & consistency and taste.

Editor’s notes

ALDI Expressi gives Aussies the opportunity to create a café experience at home with its extensive range of award-winning coffee capsules that serve a mix of spicy, sweet, creamy and intense flavours. Each capsule type has a varying gradient of roast, which can be identified by the number on the package − this gives you a good idea of the intensity of each flavour. There are also decaf options for those who enjoy the flavour of coffee but can do without the ‘kick’, with most flavours and options available in a pack of 16.

1. Nescafé


Nescafe Coffee Pods

Ratings result

Nescafé was rated five stars for taste, texture & consistency, packaging convenience and overall satisfaction, with four stars for variety & range and value for money.

Editor’s notes

Operating under the Nestlé brand, Nescafé was founded in 1938, with the brand today offering a wide variety of options for those after a cuppa. Its range of coffee pods includes flavours such as Brazil, Colombia Decaffeinato, India, Africas, 3 Americas and Colombia, each catering to different roasts and preferences. Each are available in packs of 10 capsules.

3. Nespresso


Nespresso Coffee Pods

Ratings result

Nespresso was rated four stars for taste, texture & consistency, packaging convenience, variety & range and overall satisfaction, with three stars for value for money.

Editor’s notes

Another brand that operates under the Nestlé Group, Nespresso began operations in the 1980s, with the brand today almost synonymous with coffee. Its range of coffee pods is split into its Original range which, along with its Vertuo range, includes a wide variety of coffee types and flavours to cater to virtually all coffee drinkers. And if you can’t choose what type of coffee you want, or just want to try multiple, Nespresso also offers an assorted pack, with boxes of 100 and 160 capsules available to purchase, along with packets of 10 capsules per individual flavour.

4. Starbucks by Nespresso


Starbucks by Nespresso Coffee Pods

Ratings result

Starbucks by Nespresso was rated four stars for packaging convenience, with three stars for variety & range, texture & consistency, value for money, taste and overall satisfaction.

Editor’s notes

With Starbucks being a global name, it’s no surprise that many want to take it home with them. Thankfully, via a partnership with Nespresso, now you can! Starbucks by Nespresso is available in packs of 10, 18 or 36 capsules, with flavours including Starbucks Home Blend, Breakfast Blend, Blonde Espresso Roast, Single-Origin Colombia, Single-Origin Sumatra, Espresso Roast, Caffe Verona, Pike Place and Decaf, helping you to get your morning fix.

5. Other coffee pod brands

Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.

  • Coles
  • Espressotoria
  • Lavazza

  • L’Or
  • Moccona
  • Vittoria

Compare more products featured in our Most Satisfied Customers Awards

Do coffee pods fit in all machines?

While there’s plenty to consider when it comes to picking a brand of coffee pod, one area that’s more important than the rest is whether your coffee pod of choice can actually fit in your machine. And with so many options of pods and coffee machines out there, are they all compatible? The short answer is no.

While most brands of coffee machines are compatible with the majority of coffee pods available, not every coffee pod will fit in every machine, as some coffee pods have different dimensions and sizes, meaning not all will slot into your machine properly. To avoid any issues, always read the packaging on the pods, or visit the website of your coffee machine brand to see which pods are compatible with your model.

How much caffeine is in a coffee pod?

How much caffeine is in a coffee pod will depend on the brand, flavour and type of pod that you choose, with some pods designed to pack more of a caffeine punch than others. Some coffee pods contain between 50mg and 90mg of caffeine, while some of the more-caffeine intense coffee pods can have over 150mg. If you’re looking to cut back on your caffeine intake, or you’re just looking to get the biggest caffeine hit possible, it’s best to read the nutritional information of your coffee pods to see how much caffeine is in each pod.

Where can you recycle coffee pods?

Where you can recycle coffee pods will depend on what brand of coffee pod you use, and your location, as you can’t simply throw coffee pods in the recycling bin. Some brands like Nespresso allow you to drop off your used coffee pods at their stores to be properly disposed of, while third-party initiatives like Terracycle have drop-off locations around Australia. However, with most brands looking to limit their environmental impact, it’s best to check with the brand’s website as to whether they have drop-off or collections points for your used coffee pods.

About our consumer experts


Dean Heckscher: Site Editor

This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.

 

Meet the Editorial Team

 

Samantha Howse: Consumer Research Specialist

Sam Howse Research Specialist

Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.

 

Meet the Research Team

Past ratings

Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s coffee pod ratings:

  • 2022: ALDI Expressi
  • 2021: L’OR
  • 2020: ALDI Expressi
  • 2019: L’OR

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