# Nespresso Original Capsules Source: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/nespresso-original/ Last updated: 2026-10-19 > A Nespresso Original machine pushes hot water under pressure through a sealed capsule of ground coffee, making an espresso-style coffee in under a minute. You put a capsule in the head, close the lever and press the button for an espresso or a lungo. The system was invented by Nestlé engineer Éric Favre and the first capsules went on sale in 1986. ## At a glance - Category: Machines, Pods & Commercial (Pressure) - Difficulty: Beginner - Origin: Switzerland, 1986 - Also known as: Nespresso, Nespresso OriginalLine, coffee capsules, espresso pods, Nespresso pods ## Steps 1. **Fill the water tank**: Fill the tank with fresh, cold water, and switch the machine on to heat up. 2. **Preheat the cup**: While it heats, warm your cup with hot water, or run a little water through the machine without a capsule. 3. **Insert a capsule**: Lift the lever, drop a capsule into the head and close it. The machine pierces the capsule. 4. **Choose the size**: Press the button for an espresso or a lungo, as the capsule recommends. 5. **Drink and eject**: Drink it fresh. Lift the lever to drop the used capsule into the container. **Nespresso** made espresso a one-button job. A **sealed capsule** holds a single dose of ground coffee; the machine **pierces** it and forces **hot water through it under pressure**, and an espresso-style coffee runs into the cup in under a minute. The **Original** system is the first Nespresso format, invented by Nestlé engineer **Éric Favre** and launched in **1986**. Here's how it works and how to get the most from it. ## The short version - **A sealed capsule** of ground coffee, pierced by the machine. - **Hot water under pressure**, like a small espresso machine. - **Espresso or lungo** at the press of a button. - **Invented by Éric Favre**; the first capsules went on sale in 1986. - **Better coffee**: fresh water, a warm cup, the right cup size and regular descaling. ## How does a Nespresso Original machine work? 1. **The capsule** is sealed, so the coffee is protected from air, with air trapped inside. 2. **The machine pierces it** when you close the lever. 3. **Hot water is forced through** the coffee under pressure. 4. **It comes out frothy**, like a small [espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/). The capsule does the dosing and the "tamping"; the machine controls the water. That's why it's so **consistent**. Nespresso gives **three cup sizes**, from **25 ml to 110 ml**, and extraction at **up to 19 bar**. ## How do you use a Nespresso machine, step by step? 1. **Fill the tank** with fresh, cold water and switch it on. 2. **Warm your cup**, or run a little water through without a capsule. 3. **Insert a capsule** and close the lever. 4. **Press the button** for an **espresso** or a **lungo**, as the capsule suggests. 5. **Drink it fresh**, and lift the lever to eject the capsule. ## How do I get better coffee from a Nespresso? - **Fresh water**: empty and refill the tank rather than letting water sit for days. - **A warm cup**: a cold cup cools a small coffee fast. - **The right size**: each capsule is designed for a particular cup size, so use it at that size. - **Descale regularly**, as the machine's instructions say, especially in a hard-water area. - **For milk drinks**, use a capsule designed for milk, and froth the milk separately. ## A short history of Nespresso - **1975:** **Éric Favre**, a Nestlé engineer, visits a busy espresso bar near the Pantheon in Rome and notices the barista pumping the lever several times before releasing the coffee, which works more air into it. - **1976:** sources date Favre's first patent for the capsule system to this year. - **1984:** Nestlé tests two machine models in **Switzerland, Italy and Japan**, according to House of Switzerland. - **1986:** after years of resistance from Nestlé's management, who expected people to stick with instant, the **first Nespresso capsules** go on sale, aimed at first at **bars, hotels and offices**. Wikipedia lists Switzerland, France, Italy and Japan as the first markets. - **1988:** Nespresso repositions itself for the high-end home market. - **1991:** Favre leaves Nestlé and launches his own capsule system without aluminium. - **2014:** Nespresso adds the **[Vertuo](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/nespresso-vertuo/)** system, with spinning, barcoded capsules. ## Nespresso vs other single-serve coffee | | Nespresso Original | [Nespresso Vertuo](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/nespresso-vertuo/) | [K-Cup](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/k-cup/) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | How it brews | Pressure through a sealed capsule | Spins the capsule, reads a barcode | Water through a filter pod | | Typical coffee | Espresso and lungo, 25–110 ml | Espresso to large mugs | Filter-style mugs | | Capsule | Aluminium, small | Aluminium, dome-shaped | Plastic cup with a filter | *General guidance only. Follow the maker's instructions for use, cleaning and descaling, and check local rules for recycling used capsules.* ## Nespresso vs other methods - **[Nespresso Vertuo](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/nespresso-vertuo/):** Nespresso's spinning, barcoded system. - **[Espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/):** the café shot Nespresso imitates. - **[ESE pods](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/pod-espresso-ese/):** paper espresso pods for compatible machines. - **[K-Cup](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/k-cup/):** single-serve filter coffee pods. Explore every machine method in the [machine chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/machine/). ## Words used in this guide - [Tamping](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/tamping/): Tamping is pressing ground coffee down into a firm, flat, even layer with a tool called a tamper. - [Extraction](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/extraction/): Extraction is the process of water dissolving flavour compounds out of ground coffee. ## FAQs ### Who invented Nespresso? Éric Favre, an engineer at Nestlé, developed the system after watching baristas in a busy Italian espresso bar in 1975. Sources date his first patent to 1976, and the first capsules went on sale in 1986, aimed at first at bars, hotels and offices. ### How does a Nespresso capsule work? The capsule is sealed, with air trapped inside. The machine pierces it and forces hot water through the coffee under pressure, so the coffee comes out frothy, like an espresso. ### Is Nespresso real espresso? It's espresso-style coffee made under pressure from a single dose of ground coffee. It's not the same as a café espresso made from freshly ground coffee in a portafilter, but it's close and very consistent. ### What's the difference between Original and Vertuo? Original machines push water through the capsule under pressure. Vertuo machines spin the capsule and read a barcode on it to set each brew, and use their own, differently shaped capsules. The two capsule types aren't interchangeable. ### How do I get better coffee from a Nespresso machine? Use fresh water, preheat the cup, use the cup size each capsule is designed for, and clean and descale the machine as its instructions say. ## Sources - [Nespresso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nespresso) - [Eric Favre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Favre) - [Éric Favre: the Swiss inventor who put coffee into capsules](https://houseofswitzerland.org/swissstories/economics/eric-favre-swiss-inventor-who-put-coffee-capsules) - [A brief history of coffee pods](https://perfectdailygrind.com/2020/08/a-brief-history-of-coffee-pods-nespresso-keurig-capsules/)