See why Starbucks Blonde Espresso is the most popular Starbucks pod, and get ideas on the best drinks you can make at home with this capsule!
Want to save this article?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week!
Nespresso Starbucks Blonde Espresso
Starbucks Blonde is the most popular Starbucks pods for Nespresso Vertuo machines.
Size: Espresso (1.35 ounces)
Bean type: Arabica
Bean source: Blend from East Africa and Latin America
Roast: Light (Starbucks Blonde Roast)
Nespresso intensity: 6 (medium intensity)
Aromatic notes: Soft and balanced without a roasty edge
Caffeine: 85mg
Starbucks Blonde Roast is their own name for a light roast, so you won’t see a blonde roast available as Vertuo or Original Nespresso pods. Nespresso will just call them light roast.
Blonde Roast is roasted for less time, which gives it per shot (or pod) more caffeine (85mg) than Starbucks Espresso Roast (75mg).
What is an Espresso Pod?
An espresso pod has a single shot of espresso.
At Starbucks, in most espresso-based drinks, there are 2 shots of espresso in a Grande (16 ounces) drink, and 1 shot in a Tall (12 ounces).
An espresso capsule from Nespresso (including Starbucks branded capsules) has 1 shot in a single capsule. To make a drink with 2 espresso shots, you’ll need to use 2 capsules.
At about $1.15 per pod, Starbucks Nespresso single espresso capsules cost a little more than Nespresso brand capsules, which is around $1.
Nespresso makes the Starbucks capsules and there are only 2 single espresso capsules available for Vertuo machines:
Starbucks Blonde Espresso Taste
Starbucks Blonde has a smoother, less intense taste than the Starbucks Espresso Roast capsules.
Blonde Roast is considered balanced, smooth, and slightly sweet.
Balanced is the description to look for if you like a medium intensity coffee for taste, aroma, and body.
If you think regular Espresso Roast is too bitter or roasty, try Blonde Espresso for its more mellow taste.
It’s also great for anyone that wants a caffeinated drink but doesn’t enjoy an intense coffee flavor.
5 Drinks to Make with Blonde Espresso
1. Blonde Vanilla Latte
This is by far the most popular latte that uses Starbucks Blonde Espresso.
You’ll need 2 Starbucks Blonde Espresso capsules for a Grande sized drink.
The smoother Blonde Roast flavor will complement the creamy milk.
2. Iced Caramel Macchiato
If you want to like Caramel Macchiato but it’s too bitter for you, try it with Blonde Espresso. The caramel comes across a little stronger.
3. Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
Made with 3 Blonde Espresso capsules, this drink is for those that want a huge caffeine boost.
The brown sugar syrup and oatmilk gives the drink a perfectly sweet and creamy taste.
4. Starbucks Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso
Blonde Espresso, chocolate malt powder, almond milk, and ice are shaken together in a cocktail shaker.
If you love chocolate, give this drink at try!
5. Iced Americano
If you love the simple flavor of iced Americanos, you must try it using Blonde Espresso instead of the regular, dark roast.
The smooth, mellow flavor will shine through the iced drink, giving it a more elevated taste.
Nespresso Capsules Similar to Starbucks Blonde Espresso
Espresso capsules that are similar to Starbucks Blonde Espresso will have medium intensity, light roast, medium acidity, and medium body.
Look for descriptions like balanced, sweet, and mild. Also look for arabica only beans from Latin America and East Africa, preferably a blend of the two.
1. Voltesso
Size: Espresso (1.35 ounces)
Beans: Arabica
Roast: Light
Intensity Rating: 4
Aromatic Profile: Light, sweet
Caffeine: 85 mg
The Voltesso is a light roast Nespresso capsule that has a slightly lower intensity rating than the Starbucks Blonde Espresso.
2. Bianco Doppio
Size: Double Espresso (2.7 ounces)
Beans: Arabica
Roast: Light
Intensity Rating: Not rated by Nespresso
Aromatic Profile: Nutty, balanced, biscuity, and cereal notes
Caffeine: 105 mg
This capsule is a double espresso, instead of single, with low bitterness and medium body.
Recommended by Starbucks Blonde Espresso fans who make lattes at home with their Nespresso machines.
3. Colombia
Size: Mug (7.77 ounces)
Beans: Arabica
Roast: Light
Intensity Rating: 5
Aromatic Profile: Fruity, juicy
Caffeine: 165 mg
This may be a little too acidic for true Blonde Espresso drinkers, but this is a very popular Nespresso capsule if you prefer low bitterness and low roastiness.
Note that it makes a mug of coffee, not espresso sized.
4. Starbucks Veranda Blend
Size: Mug (7.77 ounces)
Beans: Arabica
Roast: Light
Intensity Rating: 6
Aromatic Profile: Toasted malt, baking chocolate
Caffeine: 110-150 mg
Starbucks Veranda Blend capsules also use Starbucks Blonde Roast but only with Latin American arabica beans and is not an espresso capsule.
The Veranda Blend has a different aroma and flavor than the Starbucks Blonde Roast capsule.
Questions You May Have
All Nespresso capsules have an Intensity rating from 1 to 11. The rating is based on certain criteria like body, roastiness, acidity and bitterness. The higher the rating, the more intense (bitter, roasty, full bodied) the coffee.
Arabica and Robusta are different coffee tree species. Arabica beans are said to make a “smoother” cup of coffee while the robusta beans generally have a stronger taste and contain more caffeine. Blends are a combination of arabica beans, variety of robusta beans, or a mix of both species of coffee beans.
No, the Starbucks Blonde Espresso capsule is a single shot of espresso which is 1.33 ounces or about 1/4 of a cup.
Starbucks Blonde Roast is made of lightly roast coffee beans that are roasted for less time. Starbucks Espresso Roast is the usual dark roast espresso that Starbucks uses in almost all their handcrafted espresso drinks. Starbucks Blonde Espresso has more caffeine and is considered to be “smoother” and a little “sweeter” than Espresso Roast.
