Starbucks by Nespresso House Blend Lungo: Built for the Mug

Lungo is a measure of water, not of strength or roast: it names how much the machine pushes through the capsule. Buying the capsule built for your cup size is the simplest fix for a thin, papery mug of capsule coffee.

A volume, not a strength

Lungo is simply Italian for long. The cup it names holds around 110ml, where an espresso is closer to 40ml, and it tells you nothing about roast, bean or caffeine. People tend to fold three ideas into the word strength: roast colour, concentration and caffeine. A lungo is meant to be less concentrated than an espresso, since the same coffee meets more water, and that makes it a different drink rather than a weak one.

That difference suits how most British households drink coffee: from a mug, slowly, rather than in two quick mouthfuls. The lungo is where the capsule machine and the mug meet. Expect a medium house roast, acidity that is present but not pushed, a body lighter than an espresso's and low bitterness, with a thinner crema because the early foam is diluted by the rest of the pour.

Why not just press the big button on an espresso capsule?

You can, and that habit explains most thin, papery mugs of capsule coffee. Extraction happens in order: the sweet, pleasant flavours dissolve early and the dry, bitter ones come out at the end. An espresso capsule has given its best by about 40ml, so stretching it drags that bitter tail into the cup. A capsule made for the long pour is dosed and ground so the sweetness lasts all the way to the top.

The coffee inside matters as much as the capsule design. Stretch a bright, light roast to a mug and its acidity starts to show as sourness towards the end. House Blend is a middle-of-the-range medium roast without sharp or fruity notes, which means the longer pour exposes nothing awkward. It keeps a round shape, finishes cleanly and is still pleasant as it cools, which matters in a cup meant for sipping.

Serving the long cup

Use the lungo button and nothing longer, and warm the mug with a little hot water first. Drink it black or with a splash, in the morning or mid-afternoon, when you want something to sit with for ten minutes rather than knock back. The published ingredient list gives roasted and ground coffee and nothing else, and names none of the 14 major allergens.

Within the Starbucks capsules we stock, this is the one designed for a mug. If you mostly drink short coffee, an espresso capsule such as the Dark Espresso Roast is the better fit, and the thirty-six capsule House Blend carton, which is not labelled lungo, suits anyone who wants the blend in a bigger box and drinks it both short and long. All of these are Nespresso original-line capsules; a Vertuo will not take them, and Dolce Gusto and Tassimo run on different capsules entirely.

The packs we stock

• Starbucks by Nespresso House Blend Lungo Coffee, 10 Pods (barcode 7613036957120)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for Starbucks by Nespresso House Blend Lungo Coffee, 10 Pods (barcode 7613036957120) names none of the 14 major allergens. Read the House Blend Lungo carton first; its recipe and allergen notes can change.

Ingredients, as published: roasted and ground coffee.

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. Your carton of Lungo capsules has the last word.

What to eat with it

• McVitie's Original Hobnobs Biscuits - The Oaty One, 255g: An oaty biscuit and a mug of coffee is a natural pairing, and a long cup leaves room for a quick dunk.
• Lotus Biscoff Caramelised Biscuits, 250g: Caramelised biscuit notes sit comfortably with a rounded medium roast in a longer cup.
• Border Butterscotch Crunch Organic Biscuits, 135g: Butterscotch sweetness is a good match for a clean, sippable coffee in the middle of the afternoon.

Elsewhere in the Starbucks range

• Starbucks Americano House Blend By Nescafe Dolce Gusto, Coffee (12 Servings), 12 Pods
• Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast by NESPRESSO Coffee, Blonde Roast, Box of 10, 53g
• Starbucks Breakfast Blend by Nespresso Medium Roast Coffee, 10 Capsules 56g
• Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto 12 x Madagascar Vanilla Macchiato Coffee (6 Servings)
• Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto 12 x White Mocha Coffee (6 Servings)
• Starbucks by Nespresso Blonde Espresso Roast Coffee, 10 Pods

The full range is on the Starbucks brand page.

FAQ

Is a lungo stronger than an espresso? No, it is less concentrated, because the same coffee meets more water. It is a longer drink, not a stronger or weaker coffee.

How big is a lungo? About 110ml in the cup, compared with roughly 40ml for an espresso.

What is in a House Blend Lungo capsule? The published ingredient list gives roasted and ground coffee only, and it names none of the 14 major allergens. Check the current pack before purchase.

Is House Blend Lungo best taken black? Black or with a splash, either suits it. It is a medium roast built for a mug, for the morning or mid-afternoon.

Why does my long capsule coffee taste papery? Most often because an espresso capsule has been run long, which drags the bitter end of the extraction into the cup. A capsule built for the lungo volume avoids it.

Curator's note: This is the one for people who grew up with a mug of coffee rather than a thimble. Press lungo, sit down, and let it cool a little before the second sip. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Starbucks by Nespresso House Blend Lungo: Built for the Mug

More from the tea wiki

• Starbucks Tea: Café Range and the Teavana Story
• Tea vs Coffee: Taste, Caffeine and Switching
• Caffeine in Tea
• Tea vs Coffee
• Tea for Coffee Drinkers: Where to Start
• Chai vs Coffee

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