For many of us, coffee is the only way to get through the day, and with the advent of coffee pods, brewing a single cup has never been easier or more convenient. From the innovative Keurig machines, we now have a multitude of instant coffee and espresso options.
Aldi supermarkets are known for selling food and beverage essentials at steeply discounted prices, and they rightly include coffee pods in that assortment. Let’s take a look at what you can expect from Aldi’s coffee pod selection.
Aldi Coffee Pods
Aldi sells coffee pods under their Barissimo label, which includes other higher-end coffee products. The pods come in decaf and regular, lighter roasts, flavored and cappuccino styles, and a Fair Trade option. All pods sell for $3.55 for a box of 12.
To go more in-depth into what kind of pods Aldi carries, how their price compares to others if they’re any good taste-wise, and with which machines they are compatible, keep reading!
What Kind Of Coffee Pods Does Aldi Sell?
Aldi sells six coffee cups as part of their Everyday line, all labeled as part of the Barissimo coffee collection. Note that Aldi calls their pods “cups”; I will use the two terms interchangeably.
The flavors you can find at any time of the year, all year round, include:
- Barissimo Breakfast Blend or Donut Store Coffee Cups, 12 ct.
- Barissimo Caramel or French Vanilla Cappuccino Cups, 12 ct.
- Barissimo Decaf Breakfast Blend or Donut Store Coffee Cups, 12 ct.
- Barissimo Fair Trade Colombian Coffee Cups, 12 ct.
- Barissimo French or Blonde Roast Coffee Cups, 12 ct.
- Barissimo French Vanilla or Hazelnut Coffee Cups, 12 ct.
Additionally, I have seen Aldi release specialty flavors throughout the year as part of their Aldi Finds selection. For example, in winter, you might see a Peppermint Mocha.
Around Valentine’s Day one year, they released a set of 12 romantic-themed chocolate flavors in a gift set.
Fall is always about Pumpkin Spice, so you will likely find Aldi’s takes on that flavor in the autumnal months.
The best way to know what’s coming to your store as an Aldi Find is to keep an eye out for their print ad, which comes in the mail, check out their digital ad via their website, or look at the Upcoming Aldi Finds tab on their mobile app.
Are Aldi Coffee Pods Cheap?
One of the things I appreciate about Aldi is how consistent they are with their pricing. When it comes to items like their coffee cups, all of which come boxed in packs of 12, no matter the flavor or coffee type, the Everyday cups remain $3.55.
Walmart sells its own coffee pods under the store label Great Value. Their 12-packs sell for $3.92, and it must be said that their variety is much greater, with more like 15-20 different kinds.
Wegmans also sells their own store-label coffee pods, for just a few cents more than Walmart, at $3.99 per 12-count. Wegmans also has a terrific variety, over 20 different types of Wegman’s pods alone, including multiple flavors and roasts, and even an organic option (for $5.99).
Aldi coffee pods are cheap, cheaper than their competition by at least 37 cents.
However, other grocery stores very likely have many more options, as I didn’t even include the name brands like Starbucks ($8.49 for 10), Dunkin’ ($7.99 for 10), and McDonald’s ($7.49 for 10).
And to really drive home how cheap Aldi’s pods are, consider your typical coffee order from Starbucks – $4? $5? More? For one coffee. The pods come out to 30 cents each!
How Do Aldi Coffee Pods Taste?
Aldi coffee has earned some rave reviews from critics around the Internet, but unfortunately, no one has mentioned any of their Everyday coffee cups.
I don’t want to draw an unfair conclusion, but it’s likely safe to say that the taste is nothing to write home about.
You are probably buying them for convenience and the price. And that’s okay! Sometimes you need a cheap coffee fix for work or hectic mornings.
I have tried some of the seasonal coffee pods, however. The peppermint mocha was absolutely delicious, one of my favorite coffees I have ever tried.
I’m not even much of a fan of hot coffee, but the bold peppermint and not-to-sweet chocolate flavors were divine and luxurious.
(Interestingly, Aldi had their peppermint mocha cups sitting right next to Starbucks K-cups in the same flavor; the price difference between them was about $3!)
Aldi has also sold milk and dark chocolate hot cocoa cups. The dark chocolate pods were good, but nothing spectacular.
I think overall, then, the regular Everyday pods could be considered serviceable, while the flavored, seasonal Aldi Finds pods are quite good and worth a try!
What Coffee Machines Are Aldi Coffee Pods Compatible With?
Let’s take a closer look at some of the popular “instant” or pod-ready coffee machines on the market and whether or not Aldi’s coffee cups are compatible.
Are Aldi Coffee Pods Compatible With Keurig Machines?
Aldi coffee pods are compatible with Keurig machines. These are the machines that Aldi’s pods are designed to fit into, and they work with all the models, including the new K-Duos and the Minis.
Are Aldi Coffee Pods Compatible With Nespresso Machines?
Aldi’s Everyday coffee pods are incompatible with Nespresso machines, which brew espresso at home. Nespresso is owned by the Nestle company, and while their machines are popular in Europe, they haven’t quite caught on as much Stateside.
Aside from fit issues, Aldi’s Everyday coffee pods have the wrong type of grounds for use in a Nespresso machine.
While the Everyday pods don’t fit in Nespresso machines, Aldi did release coffee capsules in the U.S. that were made for them as part of their Specially Selected label. These Aldi Finds were available in a few different flavors and cost $3.49 per box.
However, commenters on Reddit noted that they were having a difficult time finding them; I’ve never seen them in stores, so perhaps it was a Find that didn’t catch on.
Finally, because Nespresso machines are more popular abroad, the European Aldi stores carry espresso pods as part of their Everyday lines. These sell under the label Alcafe.
Are Aldi Coffee Pods Compatible With Dolce Gusto Machines?
Aldi coffee pods are incompatible with the Nescafe Dolce Gusto machines, which take the at-home espresso experience to a whole other level (including touchscreens that allow you to customize your beverage and make all kinds of specialty drinks).
Unfortunately, while Aldi’s coffee pods come loaded with coffee grounds, they do not have the milk pods needed to create drinks like cappuccinos and lattés.
Again, because of espresso’s popularity in Europe, Aldi stores abroad do sell Dolce Gusto-compatible cups with some tasty-sounding flavors like Twix bar. These are sold under the label Alcafe Barista Moments.
Are Aldi Coffee Pods Compatible With K-Fee Machines?
Aldi coffee pods are not compatible with K-fee machines. If you have a K-fee machine and are looking for a compatible cup that you can find in a grocery store, the Starbucks Verismo pods will work with K-fee.
Are Aldi Coffee Pods Compatible With Tassimo Machines?
Aldi coffee pods are incompatible with Tassimo machines, which require a special barcode on the cup to tell the machine how much water to dispense, how long to brew for, and what temperature to brew at.
As you can see, the Keurig coffee makers are the only machines with which Aldi’s Everyday coffee cups are compatible. This makes sense, as Keurigs are the most popular and common single-cup machines in the U.S.
The American public hasn’t developed nearly enough of a taste for at-home espresso machines to warrant all the different compatible pods.
Now that you know about Aldi’s coffee pods, you can also see our related articles on Aldi bread, Aldi almond milk, and Aldi chocolate.
Conclusion
Aldi coffee pods comes in six inexpensive Everyday varieties, with specialty flavors seasonally as part of the Aldi Finds line. While they are not nearly as acclaimed as some of Aldi’s other coffee products, the pods are serviceable and affordable.
Aldi coffee pods might not fit into any machine other than a Keurig, but since that is the most common in the U.S., they’re a good buy if you want to save money on quick, hot caffeinated beverages.
Hello Mr. Thomas,
Very helpful article – thanks for posting it. You were very specific and thorough in your analysis of brewers compatible (or not) with K-cups (pods).
I’m sure you already know that Keurig has a number of competitors who design their machines to use the very same pods as Keurig’s. I wonder, though – might at least some readers think that the comments about Keurig’s compatibility would apply strictly to that brand (as opposed to any Keurig- TYPE of machine) ?
Thanks again for the research that went into publishing your article.
– Dan D.