The 5 Best Nespresso Capsules For Long Blacks and Americanos (Answered!)

As coffee enthusiasts, we are always on the lookout for new trends. And while the humble black coffee has been around forever, it’s safe to say it’s made a comeback in recent years.

Whether you’re drinking it to cut some calories, avoid milk intolerances, or you just like to really like to taste the coffee you’re drinking, the long black or americano is a coffee for everybody.

But what makes a good long black? How is it different to an Americano? And, what Nespresso pods make the best long blacks possible?

What is a Long Black?

A long black is a type of coffee that consists of hot water and one or two shots of espresso on top. Long black coffee, as the words indicate, is strong coffee, and typically only around 90-150ml of water is used. A long black is usually a double shot.

What is an Americano?

Americano is coffee that also consists of hot water and espresso, however, the key difference is the espresso is poured first and the hot water is added on top, effectively destroying the creama. An American also usually has more water, between 6oz and 10oz but there is no official rule

What’s the Difference Between a Long Black and an Americano? 

Now that we see that long black and Americano are similar, it’s normal to wonder what the difference between the two is. And so, the following table breaks down the differences between the two types of coffee: 

	Long Black	Americano
Ingredient Portions	1/2 espresso and 1/2 water	1/3 espresso and 2/3+ water
Method	Water first topped with an espresso shot or shots	An espresso shot or shots topped with water
Strength level distinctions	Stronger flavor of espresso	Medium/Strong flavor of espresso
Crema	Full crema	Some crema
Origin	New Zealand & Australia	USA

What Sort of Coffee Makes the Best Long Blacks and Americanos?

100% Arabica, which is what the best Nespresso capsules contain, is always the best coffee bean to make long blacks and Americanos. When it comes to roasting, you must use fresh, roasted coffee to obtain a good crema. Crema indicates freshness when it comes to coffee beans. 

The Best Nespresso OriginalLine Capsules for Making Long Blacks and Americanos

So, what Nespresso pods best lend themselves to this famed drink? Here’s our top 5, including both genuine Nespresso flavors and 3rd party manufacturers.

Nespresso OriginalLine – Ristretto Intenso- $37.50

Containing a total of 50 coffee pods, the Nespresso Capsules Ristretto Intenso has a contrasting and powerful combination. It contains many of the best coffee beans,  including those from Brazil, Colombia, a touch of East African Arabicas and Robusta, and more. With these capsules, you will have an intensified coffee blend with a light and subtle contrast between fruity and acidic notations and bitterness and strength.  

Nespresso OriginalLine – Linizio Lungo- $40.00

With 50 coffee pods, you can enjoy this mild roasted coffee time and time again. This coffee is a balanced blend of silky and smooth South American Arabica, perfectly paired with viennoiserie. It is at intensity 4, so it’s remarkably smooth and rounded with aromatic and malty notes.

Nespresso OriginalLine – Kazaar Intenso- $37.50

The Kazaar Intenso includes 50 coffee pods. It’s a dark roasted coffee that blends two Robustas from Guatemala and Brazil. It also consists of a separately roasted South American Arabica to create exceptionally intensified coffee. With the intensity of 12, this blend creates notes of pepper and powerful bitterness balanced by a creamy and dense texture. 

Nespresso VertuoLine – Diavolitto- $47.50

Nespresso Capsules Vertuoline Diavolitto is another dark roasted espresso, containing 50 coffee pods. These capsules consist of a Brazilian coffee blend. At intensity 11, you will have a powerful espresso with a fine and smooth texture from a coffee blend from South and Central America. 

Nespresso VertuoLine – Voltesso- $47.50

And last but not least, the best Nespresso capsules are the Nespresso Capsules VertuoLine, Voltesso. There are also 50 pods in this container as well. It’s a mild roasted coffee that is sweet, light, and at intensity 4. This traditional espresso coffee drink is lightly roasted, and you will discover that it has a distinctly sweet aroma and biscuity notes. All of this distinctiveness is made possible by its South American Arabica coffee beans. Being at intensity 4, the light roast of this coffee blend delivers a biscuit fragrance, and a light and sweet taste, thus being a balanced rounded coffee.  

Please note that OriginalLine capsules can’t be used in VertuoLine machines and vice versa. VertuoLine captures can’t be used in OriginalLine capsules. Both are incompatible with each other’s Nespresso machines. 

Please also note all these Nespresso OriginalLine and VertuoLine capsules brew 1.35oz of espresso. Also, you can recycle these aluminum capsules- these aluminum capsules that ensure freshness. 

Summary

A long black is a type of coffee that consists of water and two shots of espresso on top. Long black coffee, as the words indicate, is strong coffee.

Also, long black is similar to Americano, but it is strong. It is  stronger than Americano.

100% Arabica, which is what the best Nespresso capsules contain, is always the best coffee bean to make long blacks and Americanos. The best Nespresso OriginalLine Capsules for making long blacks and Americanos are the Ristretto Intenso, Linizio Lungo, and the Kazaar Intenso. The best Nespresso Vertuoline capsules for making long blacks and Americanos are Diavolitto and Voltesso. 

And whether you want to dark roast, mild, or medium, you will find the right Nespresso capsule for you for the Nespresso capsules.