This product can be used in a number of ways to help you re-use your capsules.  It is designed to help you reuse both the Caffitaly style capsules (this includes Verismo and CBTL) and Lavazza Blue style capsules (this includes Keurig Rivo and A Modo Mio). These two style capsules are different so we will handle them separately.

Caffitaly, Starbucks Verismo, CBTL Style Capsules

The Caffitaly system is a world renowned coffee brewing system that has been licensed out to many other companies who use their system under their brand names. 

Caffitaly, Starbucks Verismo, CBTL Instruction Video

Caffitaly Various Capsule Types and Comments

There are literally 100's of different capsules types on the market throughout the world.  Some work better at being re-used than others.  In this section we will review a few of them and show you our results. 

Notes:

1. It is important to note that not all capsules produce crema. Some of the capsules are designed to just produce a good cup of coffee and others are designed to produce crema (and a good cup of coffee).
2. In all cases the the coffee is finely ground and packed pretty tight all of the way to the top.  You need to look at the coffee in an unused capsule and that is what you are trying to emulate.
3. It is possible to pack the capsule so tight that no water flows. There is a balance to it. Also, it is possible to not wash the capsule out enough to clear the little filter at the bottom which can build up particulates and clog the flow of water.  I have not seen that much, but it does happen.

Starbucks Verismo House Blend

This capsule is interesting.  It is not designed to produce crema but if you leave the little tab on the bottom of the capsule it will produce crema.

We repacked and re-used the capsule for this example. It worked very well, produced great crema, and the taste was full.  We used a very fine espresso grind and packed it tight all of the way to the top of the capsule.

Starbucks Versismo Espresso Grind

This capsule is designed for a small espresso cup of coffee.  We ran it both using the full cup button and the espresso button. It is interesting that it produced less crema with the full cup button and the brew came out very slowly (which may have been the reason so little creme was produced, it dissipated). When we reused the capsule using the full cup button it produced more crema.  We think this was because it was not packed the same because the brew came out easier.  So even though it was packed tight, it probably could have been packed even tighter.

Italian Coffee Brand on Amazon

This coffee capsule is a low cost knock off of the Caffitaly capsules.  It is a good example of a capsule that will not hold up very well to repeated use.  It is not made as well (it works fine for one or two uses) and so it will tend to crush as you use it more.

CBTL 10% Kona Brand

Lavazza Blue (Keurig Rivo and A Modo Mio)

The Lavazza Blue system is another world renouned system that is licensed out to many other companies.  Most notably this is the system incorporated into the Keurig Rivo system.

It is important to emphasize that holes are made in the bottom of the capsule.  In order to reuse this capsule for a long time you must realign the holes each time.  

Lavazza Blue/Keurig Rivo Instruction Video

Lavazza Blue/Keurig Rivo Various Capsule Types and Comments

Notes:

1. In all cases the the coffee is finely ground (almost Turkish) and packed medium tight (if it does not flow, you packed to tight) all of the way to the top.  You need to look at the coffee in an unused capsule and that is what you are trying to emulate.
2. When putting the capsule in the brewer make sure to turn it until you can feel the holes align.  It usually does not take much turning.
3. Keurig Rivo/Lavazza A Modo Mio capsules are smaller than the Lavazza Blue capsules.  They are not interchangeable in the brewers.

Lavazza Intenso

The next tests were done using the Lavazza Intenso capsule.  We varied the type of coffee being used and you can see that the results varied quite a bit depending on the coffee used.

Disclaimer: The logos and brands mentioned in this article are registered by their respective companies.  Brand names and references of machine models are made solely to indicate our products compatibility. My-Cap and its products are not associated in any way with the above companies.