illy Espresso Classico — 10 Nespresso compatible capsules

illy Blend has been blending Arabica coffees from nine carefully selected origins since 1933 to create a unique and consistent flavor profile season after season —a rare feat in the world of coffee (most blends vary slightly from year to year depending on the harvest). Each origin contributes its own distinctive flavor profile :

• Brazil Santos — roundness, milk chocolate notes, sweetness
• Ethiopia — fine acidity, floral notes (jasmine)
• Guatemala — balanced body, notes of dried fruit
• Costa Rica — notes of honey, natural sweetness
• Salvador — soft structure, caramel notes
• Colombia — fruity acidity, light red fruit notes
• India — spicy body, cocoa notes
• Indonesia — earthy, woody notes
• Rwanda — delicate, citrus notes

illy has a Coffee Lab in Trieste which continuously tests and adjusts the proportions according to the harvests to maintain a constant profile.

The illy range compatible with Nespresso Original at Cafemalin offers 4 blends — the same blend of 9 Arabica origins, but with different roasts and extraction methods:

• Espresso Classico (this ref.) — intensity 6/10, medium roast, for 40 mL espresso. The all-rounder.
• Espresso Forte — intensity 8/10, dark roast, for a full-bodied espresso. Notes of dark chocolate.
• Classico Lungo — intensity 6/10, medium roast, calibrated for 100-120 mL lungo. Caramel notes.
• Lungo Intenso — intensity 8/10, dark roast, calibrated for a full-bodied lungo. Notes of toasted dark chocolate.

Recommendation: Classico for all-terrain use, Forte for strong espresso, Lungo for long extraction.

No — only Nespresso® Original. illy compatible capsules adhere to the standard round geometry of Nespresso Original — compatible with Essenza Mini, Pixie, CitiZ, Inissia, Lattissima, Creatista, and Prodigio. Vertuo (Next, Plus, Pop) uses a different, incompatible system. Note: illy offers its own Iperespresso (see illy Iperespresso Classico capsules) with dedicated illy X1, Y3.3, and Y5 machines.

Discovery/tasting format — illy offers its Nespresso-compatible capsules in a box of 10, a compact format positioned at an accessible price point for discovering the brand or supplementing regular consumption with a few boxes of illy alongside a less expensive main blend. Another interpretation: illy prioritizes exceptional taste over volume — the 10-capsule box reflects this premium positioning.

10 espressos per box. 2 cups/day = ~5 days, intensive use of 4 cups/day = ~2-3 days. Compact size — for regular use on a Nespresso machine, have several boxes on hand to rotate, or use illy as an coffee treat in addition to a less expensive daily blend.

Best before date 12-18 months, store at room temperature away from light. Aluminum capsules 100% recyclable via selective sorting of metal packaging, Nespresso Recycling program, or Terracycle.