5 Best Starbucks pods for latte (Starbucks Nespresso Capsules for Latte and Cappuccino + More info)

You love Starbucks lattes, so you got yourself a coffee machine to make your own at home and want to know what are the best Starbucks pods for latte?

I recently invested in a Nespresso coffee machine to make my Starbucks Latte right at home to save time and money, especially now that I am working from home. If you have or are considering cutting down on the morning trips to Starbucks, you are in the right place, because in this post I’ll be sharing my experience with Starbucks coffee pods for lattes, which one I consider the best, and why, so read on.

Are Starbucks pods good?

Starbucks pods are a great way to make coffee at home. They are easy to use and are a good option if you want to save money. Some people say the Starbucks pods don’t taste as good as the coffee from a professional barista, but I have not noticed much of a difference. Starbucks pods are delicious and are more convenient than going out for coffee every day.

Which Starbucks Nespresso pod is best for Latte?

The “Lungo” pods are the best for making lattes at home. There is no such thing as a Latte pod in the Starbucks Nespresso range, so you need to use either the espresso or lungo pods to make one.

Lungo pods will use the lungo setting in your Nespresso coffee machine and have the water press through the ground coffee for a longer time than an espresso setting would. This means you get a larger coffee shot with more taste and aroma. You’ll not need to draw two shots for the Latte if you use a lungo pod, as you may with an espresso or ristretto alternative. The Lungo shot will be more bitter, but that’s not a problem if you are making a Latte, as the milk will compensate for the taste.

How good are Starbucks Nespresso pods?

Nespresso pods are a convenient way to make coffee. They are easy to use, come in many different flavors, and can be purchased in bulk. Starbucks Nespresso pods provide a quick and easy way to make coffee that tastes great.

Nespresso pods are made by the Nestle company, which has been around for over 150 years and is well known for its quality products. Most customers who have compared the Nespresso pods say the coffee tastes closest to that made by a barista in the store compared to other kinds of Starbucks pods.

How we choose the Best Starbucks pods for latte

We took time to find out what customers said about these pods to make our selection and ranking. We considered how many pods you need to get a good cup of latte and which ones most people rave about. You can trust the ranking in this post as it considers if the pod will save you some money and whether it tastes good to most latte lovers.

5 Best Starbucks pods for Latte

Here are some of the best Starbucks pods for lattes:

Rank	Item	Flavor
1	House Blend	Medium roast. Has notes of toffee and cocoa.
2	Pike Place	Medium roast. Toasted nut & chocolate
3	Starbucks Espresso Roast	Dark roast. Molasses with caramelized sugar notes
4	Blonde Espresso Roast	Blonde Roast. A smooth & sweet flavor.
5	Colombia	Medium Roast. Herbs & toasted walnut.

House Blend

The House Blend is the go-to Starbucks Nespresso Original Line pod for beginners, and with good reason. The aroma, body, and flavor are all in balance. It is a medium roast that is described as having notes of toffee and cocoa, with an intensity of 8. We made it lungo as it says on the pack, which means the machine pulled the espresso shot longer and added it to 110ml of water.

The sweet smell was apparent from the start, had a persistent and thick crema, and you will be hard-pressed not to taste it even before you get to the second stage of making the Latte, which is to add the milk. We did, and it was rather bitter, with a touch of sweetness from the roast. We added the milk, and the drink tasted as good as one made by a barista at Starbucks—a flavorful latte loaded with balanced tastes of nut and cocoa, sweet and nice smelling, with no lingering aftertastes.

It is no wonder that customers rave about its goodness, and for that reason, we ranked it first on this list. 

Pike Place Roast

Pike Place Roast is the Starbucks customers’ favorite coffee, so it is no surprise that its Nespresso pod features on this list and is a contender for first place. The only reason it is second to the House Blend on our list is because some customers find it very roasty and intense, lacking the sweetness that balances the House Blend, which has similar qualities. It is one of those coffees that you either really like, or do not like at all. It is a medium roast, with an intensity of 7, right in the middle of the range, as clearly shown on the packaging. The coffee is made from a blend of Latin American coffees.

The pod makes for a good latte as it is also lungo, meaning the shot is pulled longer to extract as much of the coffee as possible. The result is a smooth drink with subtly notes of toasted nuts and cocoa. This is one of the select few pods that are now part of my home stash. 

Starbucks Espresso Roast

The words “rich and bold” are never far when describing this dark roast that has flavor notes of molasses and caramelly sugar sweetness. On the Starbucks Nespresso pods, you will see it has an intensity of 11, which is consistent with a dark roast. The coffee is 100% Arabica beans from Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

To make a latte, you will need to pull an espresso shot. It’s not ideal, but it still works. As a result, we found that we needed to pull two shots to bring the coffee’s rich, sweet caramel tastes to the surface, and when we did that, the Espresso Roast did not disappoint-ever so rich and delicious, every cup as aromatic as it is alluring-just like you’d get at Starbucks.

If you love a dark roast, this is the Starbucks Nespresso pod for you. Just know that because you’d be using 2 pods, it will cost you double as you will be going through your supply in half the time. 

Blonde Espresso Roast

As the name suggests, these pods make excellent espresso, but will they do for a latte? We tried it and liked the thick crema we saw when we made the espresso part of the drink, so we made a latte, which was so good that it made it onto the list of the best Starbucks pods for a latte.

 The pod will give you an extra smooth latte, without a roasty edge, and make a perfect, sweet classic espresso drink. This blend is made of beans from Latin America and East Africa that are cautiously roasted to give up their sweet, vibrant notes. It has an intensity of 6, which is on the low side.

 Because this pod is designed to make ristretto or espresso, we recommend pulling double shots for your latte; otherwise, you will get a coffee that tastes more like milk than coffee.Once you do that, you’ll be rewarded with a smooth and light latte, which has mellow flavors that you are likely to enjoy if you are not interested in the morning energy kick from your cuppa. A good option for those who prefer a friendlier cup of coffee.

Colombia

Starbucks Nespresso Colombia pods are made from a single-origin source from farms sitting at 6,500 feet above sea level on hills in the beautiful Colombian countryside, which produce the best of this delightful coffee. It is a medium-roasted coffee with an intensity of 7.

This pod can be pulled as an espresso or lungo, so it lends itself to making a latte. Right from the beginning, when making the espresso part of the Latte, fruity aromas and pleasantly sweet flavors dominate, promising a tasty cup. We could see why so many people spoke highly of it, as it has juicy tastes, a round body, and a nutty finish.

If you like herbal flavors, I recommend you give the Starbucks Colombian Nespresso pod a try. The herbal taste is subdued enough even for people who don’t love tea; some say they find this Colombian coffee surprisingly pleasant.

For the inconsistent crema and the acidity, we ranked this last of the five best. I also did not like that it is on the weak side and has an aftertaste that I couldn’t quite place. I did enjoy the aroma, and I plan to make another Latte with it in the future and review it since I still have some pods left over from the variety pack I purchased.

Informative Section 

Which Starbucks K-Cups are the strongest?

The dark roast is the strongest Starbucks K-cup pod. This is because they contain double the caffeine and have bold flavors.

How do you make K-cups taste like Starbucks?

You can make K-cups taste like Starbucks by adding more milk and sweetener to your latte. This will help mask the bitterness and result in a drink that closely resembles Starbucks.  

Which Nespresso machine can use Starbucks pods?

For Starbucks Nespresso original line pods, you can use any home Nespresso machine. This includes machines in the following ranges: Nespresso Pixie Coffee Machines, Nespresso Creatista Coffee Machines, Nespresso Expert Coffee Machines, Nespresso KitchenAid Coffee Machines, Nespresso Inissia Coffee Machines, Nespresso Prodigio Coffee Machines, Nespresso CitiZ Coffee Machines, Nespresso Essenza Coffee Machines, Nespresso Lattissima Coffee Machines, Nespresso U Coffee Machines, and Nespresso Maestria Coffee Machines.

For Starbucks Vertuoline pods, you can use the Nespresso Vertuo coffee machines.

What coffee machine is compatible with Starbucks pods?

The Creatista Uno Nespresso, Breville Nespresso Expert, Breville Vertuo Coffee & Espresso Machine, Nespresso Lattissima Pro, and the Breville Essenza Mini Original Espresso Nespresso Machine are all compatible with Starbucks original line pods.

The Dolce Gusto Infinissima and Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus are compatible with Starbucks Dolce Gusto pods, while the Delonghi Lattisima Pro, Dualit Café Plus, Sage Creatista, and any home-use Nespresso machines are compatible with Starbucks Nespresso original line pods.

What Coffee Machine Fits Starbucks Pods?

Nespresso Lattissima pro, Breville Essenza mini, all home-use Nespresso machines, Breville Nespresso expert, and Breville Vertuo machine, all fit Starbucks pods.

Do Starbucks coffee pods fit Nespresso?

Yes, Starbucks Nespresso coffee pods will fit in all home-use Nespresso machines. Original Line pods work with Original Line machines; Vertuo pods work with Vertuo coffee machines.

Can I use Starbucks pods in Nespresso Vertuo?

Yes, but you have to make sure the Starbucks pods you intend to use are marked “Nespresso Vertuo.” The Starbucks Nespresso Original line pods are not compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo coffee machines.