If you have a Nespresso machine, you may not know that there are several great ways to use your machine to make tea. Nespresso doesn’t make their own tea capsules, but several third-party companies make Nespresso-compatible tea pods.
The problem? Many of the third-party tea pods aren’t that great. They’re convenient, but the tea they brew isn’t that tasty. I’ve tested several, and I’ve found that Origen is a great brand for Nespresso-compatible herbal tea pods.
Using Origen Tea Pods for Nespresso
These herbal tea capsules come from a company called Origen. They also seem to go by the brand name Cuida. The capsules are made in Spain, but you can get them on Amazon.
They’re the best capsules you can use for making herbal tea in your Nespresso machine. The capsules are made from see-through plastic so that you can see the leaves and other ingredients inside. I really like that because it gives you a sense of what you’re actually drinking.
The only downside is that they don’t feel as premium as the Nespresso pods that are made from aluminum.
How to Brew Herbal Tea With Origen Nespresso Pods
For my testing, I used the Forest Fruits flavor of tea pods, but Origen makes a bunch of different flavors. This flavor has no caffeine–it’s made with things like hibiscus and rose petals, so it has a complex, tannic flavor and a beautiful red color.
To brew a cup of tea, simply switch on your Nespresso machine and wait for it to warm up. Then, open the Origen Tea capsule and put it in the machine just like you would with any other Nespresso capsule.
Close the lever and brew on the lungo setting. You’ll see that the tea comes out a beautiful red color. I usually like to brew a second cup on the regular setting to get a full teacup size amount of tea.
The great thing about these capsules is that there’s no steeping time or boiling time required. The tea is ready in just a few minutes. The flavor of the tea is really fantastic. It’s got a complex, fruity flavor with notes of flowers and red berries. It’s soothing and works great sweetened or unsweetened.
Pros of the Origen Tea Pods
Here are the things I like about the tea pods.
- Works in your Nespresso machine!
- Use exactly the same way as a coffee capsule; super easy to brew
- Concentrated enough that you can press ‘Lungo’ twice to produce a full mug
- Works great as iced tea too
- This flavor is caffeine free, so I can drink it in the evening to wind down
Cons of the Origen Tea Capsules
That said, there are some downsides to the pods.
- The plastic construction doesn’t feel as premium as normal Nespresso coffee pods
- You don’t get as many options as you would with traditional tea bags
- Pricier than brewing tea the standard way
- Not great for groups–if you’re serving multiple people, use a kettle instead
Alternatives to Origen Tea Pods
There are several good alternatives to the Origen tea pods that you can consider as well.
If you want something caffeinated–or you like green tea–I love the Nespresso-compatible tea pods from UMatcha. They produce a stronger, more bitter green tea, but they’re great for making a matcha latte or when you want a caffeinated brew.
Another alternative is to brew hot water with your Nespresso machine, and then use that to steep a traditional tea bag.
Of course, you can also use a traditional kettle or microwave some water instead of using a Nespresso machine to brew tea. It’s not as convenient, but it’s probably cheaper than using pods.
Conclusions
Overall, I really love using Origen’s Nespresso tea pods. Yes, they’re a little pricier and harder to find than traditional tea bags. But the convenience factor of brewing tea by popping in a pod–combined with the speed of brewing and the tea’s deep, complex flavor–make these a great choice for brewing tea in your Nespresso machine.
Where to Buy
I’ve never seen these pods in stores–again, they’re a Spanish brand, so they can be hard to find in the US.
Your best bet is to get the Origen tea pods on Amazon.
If you make a purchase there, I may receive a commission that supports my writing–thanks!