Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, Box of 10, 53g
Most people who say they do not like espresso are not describing espresso. They are describing burnt, and there is none of that in here, because the beans leave the roaster before the sugars are taken that far. What survives instead is the fruit and the brightness a longer roast would have burned off. Worth knowing before you buy: these are Nespresso Original capsules, so a Vertuo is no use to you.
Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, in brief.
Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, Box of 10, 53g is the lightest capsule in the Starbucks range, and it exists to answer a complaint. Picked into the Teas.co.uk selection as the capsule to hand anyone who has decided they dislike espresso.
Machine check: these are Nespresso Original capsules. They are not Vertuo capsules and will not work in a Vertuo, which takes only its own barcoded capsule.
Taken out of the roaster earlier, so there is no smoke and barely any bitterness, and far more of the beans' own sweetness and bright fruit survives. Light is not the same as weak: roast depth is not a caffeine rating. Best black or with a splash rather than in a full mug of milk. The shelf price moves about between retailers, so the price in your basket is the price.
A blonde roast is taken out of the roaster earlier. Less of the bean's sugar is caramelised, so there is less cocoa and no smoke, and far more of the origin's own sweetness and acidity survives into the cup. The result is bright, clean and easy to drink black. What it is not is weak. A light roast is a lighter-tasting coffee, not a smaller dose of one, and roast depth is not a caffeine rating however the shelf implies otherwise.
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 before 2pm Monday to Friday.
Curator’s notes
Read the full write-up
The Story Behind Starbucks by Nespresso
Starbucks by Nespresso is the Starbucks range made for the Nespresso Original system rather than a third-party capsule that happens to fit it, which is why the box carries both names. The practical difference for a customer is that there is no compatibility question to weigh: the capsule is made for the machine, and the roast names on the front are the same ones used on the high street, so you can pick by the drink you already order rather than by a number on a scale.
About compatibility: these are Nespresso Original capsules. They are not Vertuo capsules and will not work in a Vertuo machine, which reads a barcode on the rim of its own capsule and takes nothing else. The two systems share a brand name and almost nothing else, and it catches people out regularly, so check which machine you own before ordering.
The price in your basket at checkout is the price you pay, and it is the only figure we will stand behind.
Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and your local-authority guidance. Aluminium capsules are widely recyclable, but almost never through the ordinary kerbside bin with the coffee grounds still inside them, and the carton and the capsules usually take different routes.
Light Is Not The Same As Weak
The confusion comes from the fact that a dark roast tastes heavier, and heaviness reads as strength. But the weight in a dark cup is roast product, not coffee content: caramelised and partly carbonised sugars giving cocoa, smoke and a bitterness that sits on the tongue. Take the roast out earlier and those compounds are simply not created, which is why a blonde cup tastes lighter even though nothing has been taken out of it.
The practical consequence is that a blonde roast is the more honest coffee of the two. There is no roast character to hide behind, so a dull capsule, a scaled machine or stale tank water all show up immediately. That is a fair trade if you want to taste what is actually in the cup, and a nuisance if you want something that forgives a neglected machine. It also means this is the capsule to hand somebody who has decided they dislike coffee, because the thing they dislike is probably absent from it.
Getting A Consistent Cup
- Descale on schedule: scale lowers the water temperature at the group more than it restricts the flow, so a scaled machine under-extracts quietly rather than failing loudly.
- Keep the capsules sealed: leave them in the carton until the moment of use; the individual seal is the entire preservation system.
- Empty the capsule bin: a full bin is the most common reason a capsule fails to seat and pierce cleanly.
- Filtered water: in a hard-water area a filter jug does more for the cup than changing capsules will.
- Do not re-run a used capsule: the second pass gives you the bitter tail of the first extraction and nothing else.
- Caffeine note: a regular caffeinated coffee. Light does not mean weak, and roast depth is not a caffeine rating.
- Nothing to hide behind: a blonde roast shows a neglected machine faster than any other capsule in the range.
- Best with: a croissant, fresh fruit, or on its own first thing.
Ingredients And Suitability
What is in it:roasted ground coffee in a sealed aluminium capsule, and nothing else. No added flavourings, no sweeteners, no preservatives.
Ingredients and dietary suitability: Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations, certification marks and allergen advice can change.
Caffeine:contains caffeine. Not one for late in the evening if you are sensitive, and worth moderating during pregnancy in line with current NHS guidance.
Child Safety:Keep hot drinks, capsules and the machine out of reach of children.
Source: Teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, Box of 10, 53g, please cite teas.co.uk.
The story behind Starbucks
Starbucks needs no introduction. Their at-home retail range covers the cafe-style favourites: Toffee Nut Latte sachets, instant coffee, and the wider iced and hot drink format. Particularly strong on flavoured latte sachets.
Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and your local-authority guidance. Aluminium capsules are widely recyclable, but almost never through the ordinary kerbside bin with the coffee grounds still inside them, and the carton and the capsules usually take different routes.
Our commitment to the planet
Sourcing and packaging details are printed on the current UK pack; the brand page carries the fuller story.
The taste profile
How does it compare
The machine does the extraction, so the variables left to you are the button, the cup and the state of the machine. A blonde roast rewards care more than any other capsule in the range, because there is nothing covering the mistakes.
The Straight Espresso
The Milk Build
Made with this tea
The Straight Espresso
How to make The Straight Espresso with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast.
- 1 Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast capsule
- Fresh water in the machine tank
- A Nespresso Original machine
- A warmed demitasse
- Rinse a blank shot of hot water into the cup to warm it, and tip it out.
- Refill the tank with fresh water rather than topping it up.
- Pull the capsule on the espresso setting, about 40ml.
- Drink it promptly, while the fruit is still at the front.
What you'll end up with: The cleanest espresso in the range. If it reads sour, suspect the machine before the capsule: an under-extracted light roast always does.
Cortado
How to make a Cortado with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast.
- 1 Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast capsule
- 60ml whole or oat milk
- A thermometer, or a steady hand
- A 90ml glass
- Pull the capsule on the espresso setting straight into the glass.
- Steam 60ml of milk to about 60°C, keeping the texture fine rather than foamy.
- Pour the milk through the crema in one steady motion.
- Serve straight away.
What you'll end up with: About the largest milk drink this roast survives. Past 60°C the milk loses the sweetness that was meant to meet the fruit.
Iced Blonde Black
How to make an Iced Blonde Black with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast.
- 1 Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast capsule
- A tall glass of ice
- 120ml cold water
- A slice of orange, optional
- Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in 120ml of cold water.
- Pull the capsule on the espresso setting straight over the top.
- Stir once, gently.
- Add a slice of orange if you want the fruit pushed forward.
What you'll end up with: Cold exaggerates bitterness, and there is barely any here to exaggerate.
The Americano
How to make an Americano with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast.
- 1 Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast capsule
- 100ml hot water from the kettle
- A warmed mug
- A twist of lemon peel, optional
- Pour 100ml of hot water into the warmed mug first.
- Pull the capsule on the espresso setting directly on top of the water.
- Leave the crema undisturbed rather than stirring it in.
- Add a twist of lemon peel if you want the aroma lifted.
What you'll end up with: Coffee onto water rather than water onto coffee, and far better than stretching the capsule on the lungo button, which turns it sour.
Cold Milk Over Ice
How to make Cold Milk Over Ice with Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast.
- 2 Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast capsules
- A tall glass of ice
- 150ml cold milk
- A long spoon
- Fill a tall glass with ice and pour in 150ml of cold milk.
- Pull two capsules short, straight over the ice and milk.
- Stir once and drink before the ice thins it.
- Skip the syrup; the sweetness is already in the beans.
What you'll end up with: Two shots rather than one, because a light roast is outnumbered by 150ml of milk and a glass of melting ice on its own.
Brewing the perfect cup
Inside the pack
| Component | Proportion | What it brings |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted ground coffee | the entire contents | The whole product. Nothing is added: no flavouring, no sweetener, no preservative. At this roast level most of what you taste is the beans rather than the roaster. |
| Roast level | Taken out of the roaster earlier, so less sugar is caramelised. No smoke, very little cocoa, and much more of the origin's own sweetness and acidity left in the cup. | |
| Grind and dose | set for an espresso | Chosen for an extraction of roughly 40ml. Stretched long, the brightness turns thin and sour rather than becoming a pleasant long black. |
| Aluminium capsule | 10 per carton | An absolute barrier to oxygen and light, which matters more on a light roast because origin aromatics are the first thing to be lost. |
| Pack contents | 10 capsules, 53g net | Ten short shots, about 5.3 grams of coffee in each. |
Pack: Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, Box of 10, 53g; caffeinated coffee capsules for Nespresso Original machines. Go by the best before date printed on the pack.
Characterising components shown; the coffee is the entire contents and the capsule is the packaging. The 53g figure is the net weight of the coffee across the ten capsules, about 5.3 grams each, rather than the weight of a single capsule. The capsule count is taken from the pack name, which states a box of 10.
Sourcing & blend. Starbucks by Nespresso is the Starbucks range made for the Nespresso Original system rather than a third-party capsule that happens to fit it, which is why the box carries both names. A blonde roast is the lightest of the three roast names Starbucks uses, and it exists to answer a specific complaint: that espresso tastes burnt. Taking the beans out earlier removes the compounds responsible for that, and leaves the coffee with nowhere to hide. The bean composition and origin breakdown are printed on the current UK pack and are not restated here.
What's in Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast, and what isn't:
- In: roasted ground coffee in a sealed aluminium capsule, and nothing else.
- No artificial colours, flavourings, sweeteners or preservatives: the sweetness in the cup comes from the beans rather than an addition.
- Not weak: a lighter-tasting coffee, not a smaller dose of one. Roast depth is not a caffeine rating.
- Not a Vertuo capsule: Nespresso Original only. A Vertuo machine reads a barcode on the rim and will not take these.
- Not decaffeinated: there is a decaffeinated blonde capsule in the range if you want the same shape for the evening.
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Source: Teas.co.uk, the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. If you reference Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, Box of 10, 53g, please cite teas.co.uk.
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