How To Make The Perfect Cold Brew With Your Nespresso Machine

These days, cold coffee drinks are more than just a summer fling; in fact, they're at the center of a coffee revolution. According to Coffee Intelligence, the UK's Caffè Nero saw a 49% surge in iced beverage sales during the chilly first quarter of 2025. CNBC reported that chilled drink sales at coffee shops more than doubled between 2016 and 2023, with annual sales jumping from $8.5 billion to $17.7 billion. Now, Nespresso wants in on the action, offering Cold Brew Style pods.

Nespresso is no stranger to innovation, with its watermelon coffee pods and limited edition seasonal releases like almond and hibiscus, as well as cinnamon and candied tamarind as part of its playful Vertuo range. It's no surprise that these DIY cold brew pods are also Vertuo, and designed to work in Vertuo Pop+, Next, Lattissima, and Creatista machines.

Like the company's Pour-Over Style pods, the cold brew capsules have a flavor profile designed to mimic traditional hot bloom coffee preparation, while working similarly to any other VertuoLine pod. Nespresso describes Cold Brew Style as, "A smooth and silky-textured coffee, with roasted caramel notes, low bitterness, and a pleasant acidity that is typical of cold brew extractions." For Nespresso enthusiasts who own a VertuoLine compatible machine, this could be a real breakthrough.  Even at the somewhat premium price point of roughly $1.50 per pod, these multi-serve capsules work out to be a much better value than a daily nitro cold brew at your local coffee shop.

VertuoLine Cold Brew Style Intense pods are designed to be made with cold water in your Nespresso machine tank. This ensures that the coffee doesn't change flavor or burn during extraction. It should also be served over ice, and, as each pod contains up to two servings, it makes sense to pull it into a carafe. This sounds like a lot of extra steps, but it's still faster than steeping cold brew in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours; that's a big job even if you brew huge batches of cold brew to save some cash.

This brings me to another point. Although they do a pretty good job of imitating the smooth flavor of cold brew, Nespresso Cold Brew Style pods won't give you the next-level buzz offered by other concentrated cold brew drinks. Possibly exceeding 245 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce cup, standard cold brew has more caffeine than hot coffee due to that long, concentrated brewing process. But each VertuoLine pod contains a modest 115 milligrams of caffeine for the same amount of coffee. Split into two servings, as the manufacturer suggests, it's roughly the level of caffeine in an average espresso shot.

Lower caffeine could be a plus, or a minus, for VertuoLine lovers. I've certainly ruined my day by finishing a large cold brew and entering a new dimension; but I've also fallen asleep at my desk because I didn't have time to stop at a coffee shop. If you usually order cold brew, and have a few of these pods and a Nespresso machine handy, you could save yourself from both fates!

In addition to Cold Brew Style Vertuo capsules, Nespresso offers several other capsules that come iced coffee recipes. These include Vertuo pods like Ice Forte, and Nespresso Originals like Freddo Intenso, so there are plenty of options for all Nespresso owners.

And these aren't the only pods that will work! If you're into cold coffee, you can simply pour your favorite espresso-style Nespresso drinks over ice. Try this with hot espresso, or stick your coffee in the fridge or freezer briefly before adding ice and enjoying. Other tricks for making the best possible cold coffee in your Nespresso machine include the bartending trick of using one big ice cube like you would in a cocktail, in order to minimize melt. There's also the genius suggestion from Reddit to make ice cubes out of coffee so that when they melt, you just end up with more coffee in your coffee.

None of this will result in a "cold brew," as that really refers to the brewing method. Arguably, though, this also means the Cold Brew Style Nespresso VertuoLine isn't cold brew either — which is probably why "style" is in the name. But does that really matter? If it tastes good and does the job of your favorite cold coffee, it's still pretty much perfect.