Nespresso Decaffeinato Apreggio (Original)

Nespresso’s intensity-9 decaf in OriginalLine

Nespresso Decaffeinato Apreggio is the brand’s stronger decaf option in the OriginalLine range, sold on Amazon UK as a 50-capsule pack at £23.03. That works out to 46.1p per cup. Subscribe and Save runs at about the same headline price.

The Apreggio decaffeinated profile sits at intensity 9 on the Nespresso scale, making it the strongest decaf in their permanent OriginalLine range. The decaf process is Swiss Water Process, the more expensive method that preserves more aromatic compounds than CO2 extraction would.

How it brews

On a Nespresso Pixie at the espresso button, Apreggio produces a thick crema (better than most compatibles can manage) and a balanced cup with notes of bittersweet chocolate, roasted almond, and a long clean finish.

The body is medium-heavy, comparable to caffeinated Nespresso Arpeggio at intensity 9. In milk drinks, Apreggio holds character through frothed milk in a way that lighter decaf compatibles can’t quite match.

Caffeine content is published at under 0.1%, around 3-4mg per cup, the same range as Lavazza Dek and the L’OR decaf options.

Box-to-box consistency

The other Nespresso advantage that shows up consistently is box-to-box flavour consistency. Five boxes of Apreggio bought over the past two years tasted essentially identical. The same can’t always be said of compatibles, where occasional batches taste slightly off.

For decaf drinkers who care about predictability (which is most of them, because decaf is usually a medical or sleep-related choice), this consistency matters more than it would for a casual caffeinated coffee.

The Swiss Water Process premium

The headline cost difference vs cheaper compatible decafs is the decaffeination method. Swiss Water Process uses pressurised hot water plus a charcoal filter to extract caffeine, with no chemical solvents involved. The method preserves more of the original coffee’s aromatic compounds, resulting in a more nuanced cup.

In blind taste tests, most drinkers can detect a small flavour difference between Swiss Water and CO2 decaf at the same intensity rating. It’s a real difference, not a marketing fabrication, but it’s small.

Bottom line

Buy Decaffeinato Apreggio if you actively want the Nespresso brand consistency and the Swiss Water Process at the higher price tier, and the 46.1p per cup is acceptable for the consistency upside.

If you’re indifferent to brand and processing method, Lavazza Dek Espresso 10-pack at 26.3p per cup delivers a fair cup for less money. The L’OR decaf options on smaller sleeves run more expensive per pod than Apreggio at the current Amazon UK pricing.

Subscribe and Save on Amazon UK runs at small percentages here, and Nespresso’s own subscription via nespresso.com sometimes runs better deals than Amazon. Worth checking both before subscribing.