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10 best eco-friendly coffee pods for an instant caffeine hit
Because we love the planet and we love coffee
While we love grabbing a coffee on the way into the office to kickstart our day, we can also make a pretty good brew ourselves at a fraction of the price (especially with pod machines being as cheap as £69) when working from home.
And while there are some deals to be had to keep us spending in store (thanks Starbucks), ultimately, we’re quite into the idea of being our own at-home barista.
Which are the best-tasting coffee pods?
- Best compostable coffee pod: Kiss the Hippo Nespresso Compatible Compostable Pods
- Best recyclable coffee pod: Co-op Irresistible Single Origin Espresso Fairtrade Coffee Pods
- Best recyclable eco coffee pod on subscription: Pact Sertao Pods
- Best coffee shop replacement: Grind Coffee House Blend Coffee Pods
- Best barista blend: Nespresso Oatly Barista Edition
- Best for caramel notes: CRU Kafe Organic Espresso Coffee Capsules
- Best lungo: Lavazza Lungo Intenso
- Best for a strong coffee: Volcano Coffee Works Balanced All Day Coffee Pods
- Best budget eco-friendly coffee pod: Aldi Columbian Coffee Pods Bundle
- Best ristretto: Tesco Finest Ristretto Espresso Capsules
Pods are without a doubt the simplest way to make coffee, whether that’s a long black or an oat milk macchiato. However, some pods are less than kind on the planet, taking an age to break down (quite literally 500 years in some cases).
So, we’ve found the best-tasting coffee pods that can be recycled (just rinse, squeeze and stack), or put on the compost heap or food waste bin along with your apple core. Easy peasy.
There are a couple of things to note — sadly you can’t just chuck these pods away without a second thought. Aluminium pods need to be separated and cleaned properly before adding to your recycling bin — we found Dualit's aluminium capsule recycler (£9.99) makes life easier.
And with compostables, you’ll need to check whether they can be disposed of at home or via your council-collected food waste bin.
How we test
Can a pod ever compare to a coffee shop brew? We asked 10 willing volunteers to lend us their taste buds, for a deep dive into 15 eco-friendly capsules. Looking for full-bodied cups, bursting with notes of chocolate, nuts and berries, these were the ones they recommend…
Note: All of the pods featured are designed to work with original-style Nespresso-compatible coffee machines.
Kiss the Hippo Nespresso Compatible Compostable Pods, £5.50 for 10
In the morning, we just want to press a button and be rewarded with great-tasting coffee. Kiss the Hippo does all that with these deliciously complex pods - think jam, toast and woodsmoke, all rolled into one - but the brand will also plant a tree for every subscription taken out, and it pays farmers 50% above the Fairtrade price. So yeah, all in all, this is a really good cup of coffee, in more ways than one.
Key specs
Type: Compostable (home and industrially)
Price per pod: 55p
Subscription available: Yes
Certified-organic: Yes
Co-op Irresistible Single Origin Espresso Fairtrade Coffee Pods, £3.50 for 10
No compost heap? No problem. Co-op’s cheap and cheerful capsules can be recycled (just make sure you rinse them out properly first). The coffee shop-worthy crema impressed our testers, as did the chocolatey notes and full-bodied roast.
Key specs
Type: Recyclable aluminium
Price per pod: 35p
Subscription available: No
Certified-organic: No
Nespresso Oatly Barista Edition, £7.90 for 10
Oat milk obsessives, rejoice! Nespresso has teamed up with Oatly to launch a light body, biscuity-flavoured limited edition Barista Edition Coffee. Pair it with Oatly milk for the ideal WFH brew. Nespresso offer a free recycling bag with every order you make via their website. You simply then need to fill the bag (they hold up to 65 Vertuo capsules or 150 Original capsules) and organise a home collection via Royal Mail or drop it off at a nearby Nespresso boutique.
Key specs
Type: Recyclable aluminium
Price per pod: 79p
Subscription available: Yes via the Nespresso website
Certified-organic: No
Pact Sertao Pods, £19.95 for 40
We’ve already got a beauty subscription on the go, and now our coffee looks set to go the same way. Pact’s pack of 40 pods (try saying that after a few), can be delivered regularly so that there’s no chance of running out — phew. Our favourite is this nutty, creamy Brazilian brew, which can also be ordered as a one-off if you want to try before committing.
Key specs
Type: Recyclable aluminium
Price per pod: 50p
Subscription available: Yes
Certified-organic: No
Grind Coffee House Blend Coffee Pods, £15.95 for 21
If you’ve ever popped into one of Grind’s cafes, you’ll know its espresso martinis are nothing short of legendary. These pods use the exact same coffee but in a handy compostable capsule. Ok, so it’s not the cheapest, but the reusable pink tin lasts forever, so we’ll let it slide.
Key specs
Type: Compostable (Industrially)
Price per pod: 76p
Subscription available: Yes via the Grind website
Certified-organic: Yes
With change from £20, this 60-pack should hopefully keep you going for a while. The recyclable pods contain organic, Fairtrade coffee, which our testers thought tasted of caramel and toffee - dreamy!
Key specs
Type: Recyclable aluminium
Price per pod: 33p
Subscription available: Yes
Certified-organic: Yes
Designed for lungos (that’s a long black to you and me), these clever little eco caps keep the coffee super fresh until you’re ready for them. Despite the simple serve, there’s tons going on, with sweet notes of roasted hazelnut chocolate, finished with a creamy top.
Key specs
Type: Compostable (Industrially)
Price per pod: 30p
Subscription available: No
Certified-organic: No
Balanced All Day (Nespresso Compatible Eco Coffee Pods)
For when you have the mother of all hangovers (or just really need to power through and get some work done), we’d recommend this super-strong coffee with fragrant notes of chocolate and nuts. Extra kudos for recently becoming a carbon neutral brand too.
Key specs
Type: Compostable (Industrially)
Price per pod: 65p
Subscription available: No
Certified-organic: No
Aldi Columbian Coffee Pods Bundle, £11.94 for 60 pods
This budget-friendly bundle produced an incredibly thick layer of frothy caramel crema — which was a total hit with our latte lovers. Despite the reasonable price tag, it was a surprisingly smooth brew, with a deep roasted flavour, even if some thought it was a touch unbalanced.
Key specs
Type: Recyclable aluminium
Price per pod: 19p
Subscription available: No
Certified-organic: No
If you’re new to pods and still unsure what flavour you want to stock up on, this cheap-as-chips pack, with notes of caramel and nuts, is well worth picking up next time you’re doing your weekly shop. They’re designed to make a ristretto, which is a good base for most serves.
Key specs
Type: Recyclable aluminium
Price per pod: 25p
Subscription available: No
Certified-organic: No
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
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