Lavazza Espresso Maestro Intenso Aluminum Capsules Compatible with Nespresso* Original Machines, Medium-Dark Espresso Roast, Arabica and Robusta (60 Capsules)

**Aroma and Taste: 4.7/5Great aroma, with smooth, mellow, and lightly fruity notes. It is a perfect middle of the road espresso, not too strong, not too lite.**Quality and Compatibility: 4.9/5The capsules are consistent, well packaged, and out of dozens of orders, only a single pod was damaged. Compatible with every Nespresso machine I have used.**Value for Money: 4.5/5The capsules are usually competitively priced, and every few months, they are must-buys for the price. On average, I'm getting them for about 50 cents a capsule, very well priced for good coffee. These will give you a good cup through a Gran Lungo ~5oz. anything above, will just lose too much flavor.**Overall: 4.8/5These capsules are great to keep in stock for anyone who wants a for those who enjoy light, fruity coffee and value sustainability. However, they may not meet the expectations of those seeking a more robust coffee experience.

I used Nespresso capsules for years with satisfaction. I also used refilled Nespresso capsules using Jamaica blue mountain with freshly grind coffee beans and recap seals with satisfying results. I bought to the first time Lavazza Nespresso. I tried 2 of them and so far I found out they equal or better than the 2 choices mentioned with a faction of the price of Nespresso capsules. I decided to switch definitely to Lavazza. It gives me thick crema with nice flavor. Now there is no need to pay higher price or a lot of work to make my refilled capsules. Lavazza exceeded my expectation indeed.

I checked my Lavazza order history: 17 orders thus far, but alas, it's time to part ways.It's not that I've changed, but Lavazza has, and NOT in a good way.It may be that they actually believe all the hype on their item page; and maybe at one time in the past it was at least partially true.So let's just say that if you don't mind watery tasteless espresso, with Lavazza, your ship has come in.In Amazon terms, it's plummeted from 5 Stars to 1 Star, and the Star of Oblivion appears all but inevitable.Time to abandon ship.The cherry on top: now I understand why it sounds like the pump on my espresso maker is groaning like it's trying to extrude mud through a straw. My poor pump.I doubt that for the price anyone expects Lavazza to be Nespresso or Peats.But have you simply stopped trying to make a respectable (or drinkable) product? (Rhetorical)It used to be that the coffee was okay, but the pods were iffy. Now they both suck.Anyway, I ordered two of the Starbucks Original variety packs and so far (about eight pods) NOT A SINGLE DROP OF WATER in my catch tray, plus it's quite robust, concentrated, and flavorful.Kind of the way espresso is supposed to be, right?I like to think of myself as a loyal customer, but not when you mess with my ESPRESSO!*Brief Update* Nearly a dozen Starbucks capsules used so far, and still, not one drip in the catch tray.My provisional opinion is that the Starbucks capsules are very comparable to the Nespresso brand,if not equivalent in quality.

UPDATE: Lavazza and Amazon moved with great speed to fix the labeling error. Amazon quickly issued a refund for the incorrect box (with no necessity to return, which I thought was classy.) Lavazza also fulfilled the original order with the correct variety pack.As everyone knows, it's a challenge to find an affordable substitute for Nespresso Original Line capsules. Poor coffee quality, capsules that fail, "aluminum" capsules with a paper around the seal that clog the machine. Lavazza's new aluminum capsules perform like original Nespresso. The only variety I didn't like with the light roast Lungo, but I'm not a fan of light roasts. I don't care for citrusy aftertaste, which was very low or non-existent in the Lavazza varieties.I have found my Nespresso substitute, and kudos to Amazon and Lavazza for an excellent shopping experience.ORIGINAL REVIEW:I received a six-pack of all decaf and not the variety pack I ordered. Return or replacement requires going through Customer Service for this non-returnable item, because I was sent the wrong product. I decided to keep it because I like Lavazza decaf the best, and reorder the variety pack. I assumed Amazon just pulled the wrong item.Here is the reason for the Beware! warning: I noticed that the label on the box from the manufacturer clearly states that it's decaf, but the label on the item generated by Amazon IS for the variety pack. If you order around the same time as I did, you'll likely get all decaf and not the variety pack. A review seemed to be the only way to alert shoppers.Two stars because I like the quality of the coffee, and the error was not the fault of the manufacturer. I like that the capsules are now aluminum (I actually opened one - it is aluminum.) Not plastic, which I hate. I like that the capsules don't have that cheap paper ring like some other Nespresso off-brands, that break off and clog the machine. These seem to work as well as Nespresso capsules, but it's too early to tell if they all will work. And the price is great.I will go through the hassle of contacting Customer Service and alert them to the error. Hopefully they'll correct the wrong label. I already reordered before I discovered the error, but the Prime Day Price was just too good to pass up.