Ristretto Capsules, Dark Roast, Compatible with Original Brewers, Pack of 1x50 Capsule (50 count)

This is my first experience with Solimo Ristretto espresso pods and I am happy with the taste and crema. The coffee is relatively bold and not bitter. The capsules are unique in that they are shaped like original pods, but have a tin foil top and bottom instead of being fully aluminum. These pods seem plastic, but they work surprisingly well. In my tests, there were a few finely ground coffee grounds that were pushed through, but they were not present in every cup and these provide good quality to value. Expiration date was one year away. I initially ordered one hundred and then a few days later ordered another hundred as these are great for a double espresso. No over-caffeinated jitters, nice rich dark color and no strange scent or after-taste. It's not the *best* coffee, but it's quick, convenient and good tasting with a nice crema layer (this could vary by machine - mine is authentic). I'd like to rate these 4.5 stars and rounded up to 5 stars. Hope this helps! :-)

I am a strong coffee drinker, I have an espresso coffee machine that I grind my own beans, Lavazza Italian roast whole bean…a tiny espresso every morning! I also have a Nespresso mini Essenza unit for the occasion when I want a quick coffee. The Nespresso brand pods are pricey, and I actually get tired of the flavors; when I was given a whole Nespresso variety box I did not finish the entire box content. Nespresso pods are good, but in my opinion they have a proprietary flavor, like they are enhanced. I also have tried several other less expensive pod alternatives, but although cheaper they also lack the quality and taste to replace the Nespresso pods. This Amazon Solimo Risttreto brand does not taste like Nespresso pod but at the price point, good enough quality to replace Nespresso. And good enough to drink as a faster brew, when I don’t have time to make my fresh ground Italian espresso. I am pleased with Solimo Ristretto’s quality and price & will try Solimo Espresso pods next time; Solimo Lungo likely will be too weak for me.

It didn’t load perfectly like the metal nespresso brand but it mechanically brewed fine. I have a DeLonghi Lattissma Plus. Now the taste was not up to par. I did the short 40ml espresso draw and the output seemed to go pale before the end of the draw. The caffeine content seemed fine. When you shake the capsule, there seems to be a similar air gap. I would guess that the plastic walls allow slightly less coffee than the aluminum type. Also the coffee is a probably not as good to start with. The capsules do not puff up like nespresso. Not sure that should matter but lower quality coffee, plastic casing, and shorter draw result in a less positive espresso experience. If you are just making lattes or sweet drinks, then these will work. I got these at 24c/piece. I usually get the real ones for 35-40c for nespressso/peets/Starbucks so at that slight cost savings, I’ll be buying the real thing. If your pods are costing you retail, or you can find these Solimo pods at a discount, then go for it because they are not bad, just not as good. Picture: left side is peets, right side is solimo.

I agree with others who awarded this a one star. I was drawn in by the thousands of good reviews and gave these a try. I mean $18 for 50 - wow that seems great. They are going in the garbage and I will re-order from a known brand and swallow this spending. As for taste I found these bitter and not smooth. I am not a coffee connoisseur; I don't know or pretend to be - but I do know what tastes good to me. Example I did not know Ristretto vs Espresso, apparently they are different. But a quick search and says Ristretto is a sweeter version of Espresso. I'd say this box is just the opposite. Then again maybe I just prefer espresso in which case disregard this review. My first brew I saw some grinds come out as well. For me this is a case of "if it seems to good to be true, it probably is."

Solid product, bold, full flavor. Great way to start the day!

I am fairly new to the Nespresso pod scene, only starting my journey 3 months ago. I have a background in fine dining, and have a fairly experienced palette when it comes to coffee. Of the brands I have tried, Solimo is by far the least favorite. I found the ristretto thin and watery compared to other brands, the flavor tastes of stale coffee that has sat in an urn for a bit..not burned, that bitterness would probably provide some body at least. It does not have the intensity one would expect from a dark roast at all, and the capsules are plastic, vs recyclable aluminum. I ordered it for budget reasons, and for that I give it 3 stars. The price is right, for sure. The quality reflects slightly less than what you wanted to get for the price.

I was looking for an alternative to Nespresso brand pods as they are so expensive, and these are pretty close in flavor. I have tried many alternative pods and so many of them leak water around the pod during brewing, these have not done that. In my opinion they are a great option and so much cheaper.

Wow! This espresso for "original Nespresso" makers and other compatible makers pleasantly surprised me. It came out smooth and creamy with a nice full-bodied taste. I am always skeptical about trying something new regarding espresso or regular coffee. My pallet is changing and I want something more than coffee and just a bit less than espresso I don't like finding I purchased something bitter and this was perfect. I only wish it would come with a recycle bag to send back to the maker the pods. They are of good quality plastic which does make me nervous to place in trash, so at the moment I am collecting them in a container and holding them. Finally, the price was excellent for 50 pods in the package!