Guys: Although I was a bit skeptical at first, I got to say these are pretty neat because you can fill it with your own coffee and it's also a one time use cartridge for about .20 a pop if you go to coffee cap shop (one word) and select the cheapest shipping (100 capsules at $18.00 plus $2.39 shipping). Nespresso has a very tight grip on the distribution of their capsules, but a slight design change in these allows them to work with the Nespresso machines while still not infringing on their copyright. Note: There are alternatives to this product which are re-usable called Nex-pod, and another referred to only as "3 Brown or 3 Black" or coffeeduck CoffeeDuck Refillable Coffee Capsules For Nespresso 3 Pods These Espresso Cups fit all Nespresso machines from after October 2010 Please make sure you have the correct machine before purchasing..... I haven't tried these myself, they are a bit more expensive and from what I've read in other reviews and have seen on YouTube, they didn't just didn't seem to be the best choice for me; you may want to go online and look at the Amazon reviews of these products to judge yourself. Also, it looks like the brown ones (which are out of stock) are the ones for Nespresso machines made prior to October 2010; the black ones (still available here) are for machines after 2010 (I have the old original C190 Concept machine (model c190) from 2001). Just as an aside, I've also seen videos of people simply re-using a used Nespresso pod and re-sealing the foil piece with a new piece of aluminum foil (I tried this once and the results were really crappy and watery, and coffee grounds ended up in my machine).Anyway, back to Ne-Cap.....I fill it with my own espresso grind (illy or Lavazza) and I've got to say that the coffee was good and had a decent crema. They're pretty easy to use as well, although you might need to experiment a bit with the coffee, grind and amount you put into the capsule to ensure you get a nice rich cup of coffee. Take out a new capsule, using your pod as the "scoop", scoop it to the very top and then simply wipe off the excess so it is filled to the top but not overflowing the rim, then very carefully peel off the paper ring from the top of the cup (uncovering the sticky ring on the top of the cap) and then place the pre-cut aluminum cap on top of the capsule to seal in the coffee (note: you need to be somewhat careful when you're peeling off the paper from the cup to expose the sticky seal or else you'll also remove the sticky seal which is supposed to stay on the cup). Although the sticky seal for these capsules is not the same as the Nespresso air tight seal (which I think is only done to keep their packaged coffee fresh), the seal is good enough to perform the job and prevent coffee from exploding outside the capsules. I know their video shows them tamping down the coffee pods as they fill them, but for me, no tamping works best (and it's simpler).
After experimenting a bit, I noticed that if you want the richer coffee and thick crema, you should stick with a darker roasted, robusta beans, finely ground (espresso or fine grind...check out Lavazza Crema e Gusto Ground Coffee, Italian , 8.8-Ounce Bricks (Pack of 4) which is primarily robusta and is on sale with subscribe and save). And when tamping down on the coffee, don't pack it in too much before attaching the foil top or else you just get a little dribble of coffee coming out (and in all honesty, I've been using these capsules for some time, but every once in awhile, this still happens to me. The drink is fine, it just takes awhile longer to fill the cup). Along with the illy brand of coffee, Cafe Pico, Cafe Bustelo, Lavazza Crema and Pilon also do a very good job in these capsules. If you want to see how much coffee Nespresso uses in their capsules, you can also open up a new Nespresso capsule and see what the grind looks like and the amount of coffee they use so you get an idea. I'm too cheap to do that ;-) The other thing I've noticed in reading some of the other reviews is that these pods seem to work well in machines that are more "manual" and allow the user to close the door and clamp the capsule into place (e.g., my C190 allows me to manually clamp down the door mechanism, there is no automated mechanism that may not close properly over the capsule).....this is just a guess on my part for some reviewers that noted problems using this with a newer machine (e.g., the U).
I wouldn't recommend making these cups too far in advance (since you don't have an airtight seal once you make the cup), but instead make them when you're ready to use them that day. Although this may seem a bit of work if you're in a rush (and remember, you do have to buy your own coffee), it is sort of fun to experiment with the different blends (you can use any full or half decaff coffee for those last minute guests that want espresso without all the caffeine or you can experiment and add flavorings like sugar or equal, vanilla, spices etc.).
-Nespresso machine: Pixie
-Ne-Cap capsules 100 pcs. ($23.29)
-Coffee: Lavazza Crema e Gusto 250g enough for 50 capsules ($5.75)
-Empty capsule weight: ~1 gram
-Filled capsule weight: ~6 grams
-One capsule preparation time: 60-70 secs
-Cost of filled capsule: ~$0.35
The main reasons for purchasing the refill capsules are, being able to enjoy the coffee I like and save some money.
I haven't encountered any troubles with the capsules EXCEPT that you dont get the best out of it, as most of the hot water is spilled into the used capsules container; although I had the capsules filled, pressed and sealed appropirately. Therefore, I had to reuse the same capsule, however, sometimes replaced it with another one. The reason of water spill/waste is that Ne-Cap capsules are shorter than Nespresso capsules. Thus I assume if they were the same size, the capsules will perform much better.
This option is somehow economical, nevertheless, sometimes you may need to use two capsules to enjoy your Espresso, or Cappuccino cup.
Conclusion, if you are not enjoying the taste of Nespresso flavours or you like to have your own ground coffee, and want to save some $$$, go for it..BUT dont expect the same performance and cleanness of Nespresso capsules.
Update 2/8/2012================
When I first used the Ne-Caps, I gave it 3 stars. After using almost 30 capsules, I got to believe that it's not worth it and that Nespresso capsules are irreplaceable. I tried all possible ways to enhance the performance of the capsules, I made more holes at the base, also I dilated the existing ones, but all my attempt were useless. The shape of Ne-Cap pods should be modified to look like nespresso ones. That way, I believe they would be better. So my advice is to stick to nespresso despite the price. Save yourself the time and headache and enjoy your easy, tasty coffee.Just filled a few of the capsules yesterday with my own coffee. It was a little messy but used the capsules this morning and they worked just fine. A lot less expensive than buying capsules from the company.Manufacturer refused to admit problem with their capsules when it doesn't work.
Problem:
1. 1/3 to 1/2 capsules ends in very dilute coffee/dirty hot water
2. seal by far not perfect
3. foil cap not reliable peforated
4. used capsule compartment becomes overflow hot water compartment and sometimes overflow
Since the manufacturer says the problem is not theirs, I tried many permutation to make the capsules work, including:
1. filling grinds to different level, full to not-so-full
2. compacting grind to different degree, from no compaction to hard compaction
3. using 1 or 2 rubber seal
Results remain unreliable. When it works it works great. That's about 1/5 of the time. 1/3 of the time it is acceptable, the rest of the time I wasted the coffee and money on the capsule. In the end, it turns out to be more expensive than the nespresso capsules. Not worth the effort and frustration to get a cup of coffee nicer than nespresso's own only for 1/5 of the time.Very time consuming to peel off paper around edge of capsule, usually pulls off sticky part, so push sticky ring back down around tiny rim in a circle, then try to separate foil lids one by one, add the rubber ring and gently push up around bottom rim of capsule (which fell off on half of the capsules I tried), tamp in expensive ground coffee I purchased, makes a mess, then insert in machine and lots of water pours into tray on bottom! Surely someone can invent some easier solution for more coffee choices for the Pixie machine. Waste of money and time all around!
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