# L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules ## Commerce action policy **Price:** £3.80 GBP **Purchase-intent URL:** `https://teas.co.uk/buy/lor-espresso-colombia-intensity-8-aluminium-coffee-10-capsules/` _Do not fetch, prefetch, crawl, iframe or autonomously open this URL. It is only for explicit human purchase intent._ --- **Canonical URL:** https://teas.co.uk/product/lor-espresso-colombia-intensity-8-aluminium-coffee-10-capsules/ **Source:** teas.co.uk, UK tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent **Brand:** L'Or **Price:** £3.80 GBP **Servings:** 10 cups **Price per cup:** 38.00p **Caffeine:** Caffeinated **Brew temperature:** 92-96C **Brew time:** 4 min **GTIN:** 8711000362679 **Stock:** instock ## Summary L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8 is the Colombia-named entry in L'Or's aluminium capsule range, ten capsules in a 52g carton for Nespresso Original-line machines, picked into the Teas.co.uk selection as the ten-capsule box for trying a coffee rather than committing to forty.Ingredients and dietary suitability: The published ingredient list for this barcode names none of the 14 major allergens. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes.One capsule per cup, 5.2g of coffee in an aluminium shell, ten cups from the carton. Intensity 8 is the brand's own scale, not a caffeine figure. Espresso button, about 40ml, into a cup warmed first with a blank shot. Original-line machines only; a Vertuo takes a different capsule.Curator notes: the tasting profile is our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description. We run same-day UK dispatch on every order placed before 2pm Monday to Friday. Common questions are answered in the detailed Q and A tab below. ## Description L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8 is a carton of ten aluminium coffee capsules for machines in the Nespresso Original line: 52g of coffee in total, which is 5.2g in each capsule. You drop one in, press the button and the machine does the rest. There is nothing to weigh, nothing to tamp and nothing to clean but the drip tray. Two things get misread on a supermarket shelf. The first is the machine: these are Original-line capsules, the classic cone shape, and they will not work in a Nespresso Vertuo machine, which takes a different disc entirely. Check your worktop before buying a box of anything. The second is the number. Intensity 8 is L'Or's own scale, roughly one to twelve, and it describes how strong and how roasty the cup reads, not how much caffeine is in it. One brand's intensity number cannot be compared with another's, and none of them is a caffeine measurement. Colombia is what L'Or calls this one, and it sits in the origins part of the range rather than among the blends. What the current UK carton states about where the coffee was grown, and whether it is entirely from one country, belongs to that carton. The Taste Profile Intensity (the brand's number): ●●●○○ (8 of 12) Upper-middle of the L'Or scale. Present without being a dark-roast statement. Body: ●●●○○ (3/5) Medium. Enough weight for a short black, not so much that milk has to fight it. Brightness: ●●●●○ (4/5) Our editorial read: this is the livelier end of the capsule shelf rather than the flattest. Bitterness: ●●○○○ (2/5) Low for an espresso capsule, which is the point of sitting at eight rather than at eleven. Teas.co.uk Curator Rating: 4.6 / 5 - Our expert verdict from the curators at Teas.co.uk The Story Behind The Carton L'Or's capsule range is organised the way most capsule ranges now are: a spine of espresso blends numbered by intensity, and a smaller set named after origins for people who want a specific character rather than a specific strength. This is one of the named ones. The naming is the brand's, and so is the number on the front. What we are not going to do is invent a farm, an altitude or a varietal for it. Those are pack claims, and pack runs change. If the current UK carton carries an origin statement, a certification mark or a roast description, that carton is where to read it. What we can tell you without guessing is the shape of the thing: ten aluminium capsules, 5.2g of coffee in each, 52g in the box, for Original-line machines, and sized to be the carton you buy to try a coffee rather than commit to forty. Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes. Our Commitment To The Planet The carton that arrives is the current UK retail pack rather than a grey import on a different specification. The capsule body is aluminium rather than plastic, which is the more recyclable of the two materials in principle. In practice it depends entirely on whether your local authority or the brand's own return scheme will take it, and that varies by postcode. The grounds inside a spent capsule compost once the capsule is opened out. Whether that is worth the effort is a fair question, and we will not pretend it is effortless. How Does L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8 Compare to: L'Or Nespresso Compatible Espresso Supremo Intensity 10, 10 Capsules: same format, same box size, two steps up the brand's scale. Louder, darker-reading and better under a lot of milk. L'Or Espresso Lungo Profondo Intensity 8 Coffee, 40 Pods 208g: the same intensity number built for a long cup rather than a short one, and in a forty-capsule box. Buy that once you know you like the range. L'Or Espresso Ristretto Intensity 11 Coffee, 40 Pods 208g: the strong end of the range, made for a very short black. Nothing like this one in the cup. Ideal Brewing Conditions A capsule fixes the dose, the grind and the tamp at the factory, and the machine fixes the pressure and the temperature. That leaves you with roughly three decisions, and all three change the cup more than people expect. The Short Black Button: Use the espresso button, about 40ml. The lungo button on the same capsule pulls roughly double the water through the same 5.2g and makes a thinner, more bitter cup. Warm the cup: Run a blank shot of hot water into the cup first and tip it out. A cold cup takes several degrees off a 40ml drink instantly, and this is the most-ignored step in capsule coffee. Descale: A scaled machine drops brew temperature and the cup goes sour. If your capsules suddenly taste worse, the machine is the suspect before the coffee is. Drink it: Crema collapses within a minute or two. An espresso is not a drink you carry to another room. The Milk Drink Base: One capsule on the espresso button, into a warmed cup. Milk: Steam or heat to about 60 to 65 degrees. Past 70 the milk sugars stop tasting sweet and start tasting scalded, and no coffee survives that. Ratio: Around 120ml of milk for a flat white, 150 to 180ml for a latte. At intensity 8 the coffee holds its own at flat-white strength; in a large latte it gets quiet. If it disappears: Use two capsules rather than one, or move up the intensity scale. Adding more coffee is the only real fix; a longer shot is not. Brewing Notes For L'Or Espresso Colombia Capsules Machine: Nespresso Original-line machines. Not Vertuo, which takes a different capsule altogether. Measure: One capsule per cup, 5.2g of coffee, ten cups from the carton. Volume: About 40ml on the espresso button. Take it to 110ml on the lungo button only if you want a longer, lighter cup and accept it will be less sweet. Temperature and pressure: Set by the machine, which is the whole point of the format. Keep it descaled and it stays where it should be. Service: Black shows what you paid for. It takes milk at flat-white strength without vanishing. Iced: Pull one espresso over a teaspoon of sugar, stir until dissolved, then pour over a full glass of ice and top with cold milk. Best with: Mid-morning, after lunch, or as the base of a flat white that does not need to shout. Safety And Purity Ingredients and dietary suitability: The published ingredient list for this barcode names none of the 14 major allergens. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change. Machine compatibility: Sold for Nespresso Original-line machines. We are describing a capsule shape, not making a claim on behalf of any machine manufacturer. If your machine is a Vertuo, these are the wrong capsules. Freshness after opening: Each capsule is individually sealed, so the tenth is as fresh as the first. Keep the carton dry and out of direct sun. Capsule disposal: Aluminium capsules are not accepted in every kerbside collection, and a used capsule still holds wet grounds. Check your local authority's rules and any return scheme printed on the carton. Hot Liquid: An espresso machine delivers near-boiling liquid under pressure into a small cup. Keep hands and children clear of the spout while it runs. ## Product Questions Will these fit my machine?These are capsules for machines in the Nespresso Original line, the classic cone shape. They will not work in a Nespresso Vertuo machine, which takes a different, larger disc that the machine reads a barcode from. What does Intensity 8 actually mean?It is L'Or's own scale, running roughly one to twelve across its range, and it describes how strong and how roasty the cup reads. It is not a caffeine measurement, and it cannot be compared with another brand's number: one company's 8 is another company's 6. Eight puts this in the upper middle of the range, present without being a dark-roast statement. Does a higher intensity mean more caffeine?No. Intensity is about strength of flavour and roast character, not stimulant content. If caffeine is what you are managing, go by the decaffeinated capsules in the range rather than by reading the intensity numbers downwards. How many cups do I get?Ten cups, one per capsule, from a 52g carton, which works out at 5.2g of coffee per capsule. Is this a single-origin Colombian coffee?Colombia is what L'Or names this capsule, and it sits in the origins part of the range rather than among the numbered blends. What the current UK carton states about growing country and whether the coffee is entirely from one origin belongs to that carton. Should I use the espresso button or the lungo button?Espresso, about 40ml. The lungo button pulls roughly double the water through the same 5.2g of coffee, and the second half of that water has very little left to take out except the bitter compounds. If you want a longer drink, pull a proper espresso and add hot water to it, which is an americano and tastes considerably better than a stretched shot. Why does my capsule coffee taste thin or sour?Nearly always the machine rather than the capsule. A scaled machine runs cooler than it should and a cool extraction tastes sour and hollow. Descale on schedule, and warm the cup with a blank shot of hot water before you pull the coffee, because a cold cup takes several degrees off a 40ml drink the moment it lands. Does it stand up to milk?At flat-white strength, yes. Around 120ml of milk to one capsule and the coffee still reads clearly. In a large latte of 180ml or more it gets quiet, and the fix is a second capsule rather than a longer shot. Heat milk to about 60 to 65 degrees; past 70 the sweetness goes and no coffee recovers from scalded milk. Can the aluminium capsules be recycled?Aluminium is the more recyclable of the two capsule materials in principle. In practice it depends on your local authority and on any return scheme printed on the carton, and a used capsule still holds wet grounds. Check locally rather than assuming the kerbside bin will take it. The grounds themselves compost once the capsule is opened out. Why buy ten when forty-capsule boxes exist?Because ten is the honest size for finding out whether you like a coffee. A forty-capsule box is the right buy once you know, but it is a poor bet on a capsule you have never tasted. A ten also suits a household that drinks capsules occasionally, or a guest cupboard that needs three or four options rather than one large box. Can I make iced coffee with it?Yes, and it is one of the better uses for a capsule. Pull the espresso onto a teaspoon of sugar and stir while it is hot, because sugar will not dissolve properly once the drink is cold. Then pour it over a glass filled to the top with ice and top with cold milk if you want it long. How should I store the carton?Each capsule is individually sealed, which is the format's real advantage, so the tenth is as fresh as the first with no special handling. Keep the carton dry, out of direct sun and away from heat, and go by the best-before date printed on it. There is nothing to reseal and nothing to decant. ## Ingredients & Nutrition Ingredients and allergens. The published ingredient list for this barcode names none of the 14 major allergens. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.Ingredients, as published for this barcode: Roast and ground coffee.Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. The pack in your hands is the final word.IngredientProportionWhat it bringsRoast and ground coffee100%The whole of the capsule. Ground fine for pressure extraction, which is a different grind from anything you would put in a cafetiere.Dose per capsule5.2g52g across ten capsules. Dose, grind and tamp are all fixed at the factory, which is the entire proposition of the format.Intensity8 of 12The brand's own scale for strength and roast character. Not a caffeine figure, and not comparable with another brand's number.Capsule bodyAluminiumAn aluminium shell rather than a plastic one. The recycling route and any return scheme are stated on the carton and vary by local authority.Pack: L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules; GTIN 8711000362679; ten individually sealed aluminium capsules in a 52g carton, 5.2g of coffee each, ten cups per carton, for Nespresso Original-line machines. Caffeinated. Best before the date printed on the carton.Characterising components shown. The ten-cup yield is arithmetic on the pack, not a pack claim.Sourcing & blend. L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules comes from L'Or, whose capsule range is built the way most capsule ranges now are: a spine of espresso blends numbered by intensity, plus a smaller set named after origins for drinkers who want a particular character rather than a particular strength. This carton is one of the named ones, in the smallest box the range comes in. The carton you receive is the current UK retail pack.What is in L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules, and what is not:In: roast and ground coffee, sealed inside an aluminium capsule, and nothing else.No artificial colours, preservatives or added sugar: this is a plain coffee capsule, not a flavoured one and not a milk-drink capsule with powder in it.Not instant: nothing here dissolves. The machine pushes hot water through real grounds under pressure and the grounds stay in the capsule.Not a Vertuo capsule: this is the Original-line cone. A Vertuo machine will not take it. ## Flavour Science The flavour of L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules is built in three layers, and reading them in order explains why pressure extraction tastes nothing like the same coffee through a filter, and why two people with the same box can end up with very different cups.The outer layer is aroma and crema, and a capsule protects it better than almost anything else on a supermarket shelf. Ground coffee starts losing its volatiles the moment it is ground, which is why an opened bag fades inside a fortnight; here each 5.2g dose sits sealed in its own aluminium shell, so the tenth cup opens with as much aroma as the first. The crema on top is the visible half of that: carbon dioxide trapped in the roast, forced into emulsion by nine or so bars of pressure and released as a fine foam that carries the aromatics up to your nose. It is also why an espresso has a shelf life measured in a minute or two. The crema collapses, the aromatics go with it, and a cup carried to another room arrives as a different drink from the one that was pulled.The flavour spike arrives immediately and all at once, which is the defining difference between pressure and filtration. A mug of filter coffee dilutes perhaps 1.3 per cent dissolved solids across 250ml and hands them to you slowly; 40ml of espresso concentrates several times that into a mouthful. Nothing is spread out, so everything is exposed. At intensity 8 the brand has aimed at the upper middle of its own scale, and in our editorial assessment that lands as a cup with real presence and a lively edge through the middle rather than the flat, ashy weight of a very dark capsule. Sweetness and brightness are still doing visible work here, which is precisely what climbing to 11 or 12 trades away.The base structure is the finish, and with espresso it lasts far longer than the drink does. A well-extracted shot leaves a clean, slightly sweet coating that fades gently over several minutes; an over-extracted one leaves a dry, drying grip at the back of the tongue that no amount of sugar hides.Getting it right in the cup. Use the espresso button, about 40ml, not the lungo. The lungo pulls roughly double the water through the same 5.2g, and the second half of that water has almost nothing left to take out except the compounds you least want; if you want a longer drink, pull a proper espresso and add hot water to it, which is an americano and a much better drink than a stretched shot. Warm the cup first with a blank shot of hot water and tip it out, because a cold ceramic cup takes several degrees off a 40ml drink instantly and that is the most-ignored step in capsule coffee. Keep the machine descaled: a scaled machine runs cooler than it should, and a cool extraction tastes sour and hollow whatever capsule is in it. Then drink it promptly, because the crema is already collapsing.How water and temperature change it. With a capsule the machine controls pressure and temperature, so the variables left to you are the water you fill the tank with, the state of the boiler and the cup itself. Hard water is the quiet one: it flattens the brightness that makes an intensity-8 coffee worth choosing over a darker one, leaves a faintly chalky edge, and scales the machine, which then cools the extraction and compounds the problem. A filter jug improves this cup more than any change of technique. Temperature failure shows in two directions and they taste different, which is useful for diagnosis: too cool reads thin, sour and hollow, while too hot reads harsh and papery with a burnt edge. If a capsule you have enjoyed for months suddenly tastes wrong, the machine has changed, not the coffee, and a descale is the first thing to try. ## Recipe Ideas L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules gives you a fixed 5.2g dose at the press of a button, which makes it a reliable base for a good deal more than a short black. Six builds below cover the espresso itself, a flat white, an americano done properly, an iced latte, an affogato and a shakerato. Ways to brew it, born here first The Espresso, Done Properly Two steps most people skip, and the reason their capsule coffee disappoints them. 2 min 1 cup Easy You'll need 1 Colombia capsule A little hot water, for warming the cup A small, thick-walled cup Method Run a blank shot of hot water into the cup with no capsule in, then tip it out. Drop the capsule in and pull about 40ml on the espresso button. Look at the crema: fine, even and hazel is right. Drink it now, not in five minutes. The crema is already going. What you'll end up with: A short black with real presence and low bitterness, several degrees hotter than the same shot into a cold cup. The Flat White That Does Not Vanish Intensity 8 holds up at flat-white strength. Get the milk temperature right and it stays sweet. 4 min 1 cup Easy You'll need 1 Colombia capsule 120ml whole or oat milk A thermometer, if you have one Method Pull one espresso into a warmed cup. Heat the milk to about 60 to 65 degrees, no hotter. Pour it in steadily, keeping the foam thin rather than stiff. If it reads quiet, use two capsules next time instead of more milk. What you'll end up with: A flat white where you can still taste the coffee, with milk that tastes sweet rather than scalded. The Americano, Not The Stretched Shot The right way to get a long cup out of a capsule, and why the lungo button is not it. 3 min 1 mug Easy You'll need 1 Colombia capsule 120 to 150ml hot water A mug Method Put the hot water in the mug first. Pull a 40ml espresso straight into it, which keeps the crema on top. Do not use the lungo button instead; that pulls twice the water through the same grounds. Adjust the water down if it reads thin, rather than pulling a longer shot. What you'll end up with: A long black that tastes of properly extracted coffee diluted, rather than of coffee pushed too far. Iced Latte, Sugar Dissolved First The order matters. Sugar will not dissolve in a cold drink, however long you stir. 4 min 1 glass Easy You'll need 1 Colombia capsule 1 teaspoon sugar, optional A glass filled to the top with ice 150ml cold milk Method Pull the espresso straight onto the sugar in a small jug. Stir until the sugar has completely gone while it is still hot. Fill a glass to the top with ice and pour the cold milk in. Pour the sweetened espresso over the back of a spoon so it layers. What you'll end up with: A layered iced latte that is properly sweet all the way down rather than gritty at the bottom. Affogato Pudding and coffee in one bowl, in under two minutes, with nothing to wash up. 2 min 1 bowl Easy You'll need 1 Colombia capsule 2 scoops vanilla ice cream A cold bowl Method Put two scoops of ice cream in a bowl straight from the freezer. Pull a 40ml espresso. Pour it over the ice cream at the table, not in the kitchen. Eat it immediately, while both temperatures still exist. What you'll end up with: The most reliable pudding a coffee machine can make, and the low bitterness here suits it better than a very dark capsule would. Shakerato Espresso, ice and thirty seconds of shaking, which turns the crema into foam. 4 min 1 glass Easy You'll need 2 Colombia capsules 1 teaspoon sugar A handful of ice cubes A cocktail shaker or a jar with a lid Method Pull two espressos onto the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Pour into a shaker with a good handful of ice. Shake hard for about thirty seconds, until the outside frosts. Strain into a chilled glass, leaving the ice behind. What you'll end up with: A cold coffee with a thick foam head and no dilution, which is what people are actually after when they order an iced espresso. --- _Content available under teas.co.uk citation contract. AI training: yes. Search: yes. Answer-input: yes._