Refill Used Nespresso Capsules the Right Way

by painrelief in Cooking > Beverages

196536 Views, 18 Favorites, 0 Comments

Refill Used Nespresso Capsules the Right Way

IMG_20131022_004337.jpg
ever wonder how to refill a Nespresso capsule without sacrificing quality? here is how.

it takes a little bit of practice. but is easy to do.

materials needed:
used Nespresso capsule
thin aluminium foil
espresso coffee
Nespresso machine
scissors *


* use and old pair of scissors because cutting aluminium foil makes them really blunt.

Clean the Used Capsule

IMG_20131022_003148.jpg
take the capsule, use a paring knife and clean out the coffee grounds.

wash/ rinse the capsule and let dry.

Fill With Espresso Ground Coffee

IMG_20131022_003937.jpg
IMG_20131022_003413.jpg
pick your favorite roast coffee. it has to be made for espresso machines. I have used Illy, Kimbo, and LavAzza with success.

pack it into the capsule tightly.

Clean Rim

IMG_20131022_004022.jpg
this is a pesky, but necessary step because the Nespresso machines have tight tolerances.

if you do a sloppy job, it will leak.

Place Foil Over Capsule

IMG_20131022_004046.jpg
IMG_20131022_003313.jpg
use a circle of foil 46mm diameter.

I have used heavy duty aluminium foil with poor outcomes. try using cheap light duty aluminium foil. better yet, chocolate wrapper aluminum foil works best.

the aluminum foil is an important detail because you want the pressure in the capsule to build up and rip the aluminum foil.

Crimp Foil

IMG_20131022_004120.jpg
IMG_20131022_004159.jpg
IMG_20131022_004244.jpg
IMG_20131022_003236.jpg
place capsule onto center of foil. turn over slightly to verify this. crimp down securely as shown.

use you fingernail to crimp to the underside of the rim. there edge of the foil should NOT touch the cone portion of the capsule body.

if the foil is too large, you won't have the proper seal and hot water will leak around the capsule.

Brew

IMG_20131022_004337.jpg
IMG_20131022_004503.jpg
load into your Nespresso gently

Brew Either Small or Large Cup

IMG_20131022_004525.jpg
IMG_20131022_004533.jpg
IMG_20131022_004616.jpg
note the dark espresso followed by a good amount of crema.

the refilled capsule makes a full shot.

Post Brewing Analysis

IMG_20131022_004650.jpg
IMG_20131022_004719.jpg
IMG_20131022_004736.jpg
note that the aluminum perforated nicely. this foil slipped a bit on the insertion.

the foil size is crucial.

the coffee is packed very tightly with very little give when pressed.

the back gets punctured by 3 pins in my machine. this capsule has been used several times already.

clean out the capsule and reuse.

Cost Analysis

IMG_20131022_003220.jpg
I use about 8 grams of coffee.

a can of espresso ground cost average of $10 for 250 grams.

that's 31 capsules of coffee per can. cost of 30 cents per capsule.

this is a savings of 30 cents per capsule compared yo the nespresso capsule.

experiment with different brands.


enjoy