Stiftung Warentest: Nespresso & Aldi capsule machine in the test

Stiftung Warentest took a closer look at capsule machines from Nespresso, Aldi and Co. in the November 2015 issue: Does the coffee from the 200-euro machine really taste better or does the 40-euro bargain taste for the testers? In the test summary, we show which coffee capsule machines are worthwhile and where you can even save.

Stiftung Warentest does the capsule machine test: brand vs. discounter

The four best capsule machines according to Stiftung Warentest are Nespresso machines. Krups and DeLonghi share first place:

• The capsule winner Krups XN 250A, with which you can brew a really good coffee, costs around 100 euros. The experts also praised the espresso.
• The capsules are inserted and removed in an exemplary manner and there were no problems with cleaning and descaling either. That sounds like a worthy first place.

Capsule machine winner: Nespresso tops them all

• Also 1st place: The slightly cheaper DELonghi U EN 110. It is already available for around 90 euros.
• Coffee and espresso taste about as good as that of Krupps. The two capsule machines are also roughly the same for daily cleaning.
• The special feature: The water tank can be swiveled and the capsule machine can also be cleverly accommodated in a smaller kitchen.

Aldi capsule machine at goods test only mediocre

Aldi's Expressi also had to undergo the test:

• At 70 euros, the Aldi machine is not much cheaper than the test winner. But you save a lot with the capsules: Compared to the Nespresso machines, an Aldi capsule only costs half (Nespresso approx. 37 cents, Aldi approx. 17 cents).
• The discounter goods are not particularly good: Stiftung Warentest awarded a "satisfactory". The espresso is "too weak, too mild and watery".
• But if you don't like espresso anyway, the Aldi machine could be interesting: The coffee crema is quite good, Stiftung Warentest praised.
• All details can be found at test.de.

For frequent drinkers: capsule machines vs. Fully automatic coffee machine vs. Pad machines

Even the inexpensive Aldi capsules in the Expressi machine are not worthwhile for frequent drinkers: In the long run, capsule machines are simply too expensive.

• Therefore, you should definitely take a look at the fully automatic coffee machines tested. They are not much more expensive to buy and only have low running costs.
• If you don't want to do without the luxury of individually portioned coffee, pad machines are an inexpensive interim solution: The initial costs are comparable to those of capsule machines, but the pads are much cheaper (approx. 13 cents).
• You can find more tips and tricks for choosing the right coffee machine in our buying guide.