Since coffee taste varies from person to person, it can become very difficult to advise on which coffee exactly suits a person’s needs. However, the wide range of Nespresso pods offers more choices to coffee-lovers.
Among these are the Ice Leggero & Ice Forte. Are they really what Nespresso say they are? Has Nespresso nailed its aromatic profiles? Let’s find out.
Iced Leggero vs iced Forte – Overview
Ice Leggero
- Double espresso 2.7 ounces.
- Ethiopian arabica beans blend.
- Meant to be brewed with milk. (latte or cappuccino)
- Medium roast.
- Sharp bitterness.
- Aromatic profile: Fruity and toasted cereal notes
- Caffeine amount: 100-120 mg.
Ice Forte
- Mug-sized espresso/ full-glass espresso 7.7 ounces
- (South-American) Arabica beans mixed with Indonesian Arabica beans
- Meant to be brewed in an iced cup. (Iced americano).
- Dark roast
- Low bitterness.
- Aromatic profile: cereal, woody, and peppery.
- Caffeine amount: 170-200 mg. (source)
Ice Leggero vs Ice Forte – Reviewed
· Roast type
The Ice Leggero has a more medium roast as compared to the darker roast found in the Iced Forte. This accounts for higher antioxidants and higher acidity in darker roasts compared to medium roasts. Also, the amount of acidity (or antioxidants) can positively influence your health in several ways.
Examples like losing weight faster, improved liver health, and reduced risks of cancer, are some of the health benefits of drinking a dark roast (Iced Forte) coffee. The roast type alone stands out as a ‘buying factor’ for those considering what coffee suits them best.
· Coffee beans
The Iced Leggero consists of Ethiopian Arabica beans, while the Iced Forte is made up of mixed South American and Indonesian beans. Now the beans alone can play a very important role in determining the taste of the coffee.
For instance, the Ethiopian beans produce some of the most, if not the most, rich-textured, fruity-profile flavors in the coffee realm. Hence, the fruity flavor note in the Iced Leggero.
Meanwhile, the Iced Forte uses mixed beans from South America and Indonesia for an even more diverse flavor profile.
A mixture of both these beans means that you can have the sweet flavor profile of the South American beans while maintaining the less acidic flavor of the Indonesian beans in the same cup.
· Servings
According to Nespresso, the Iced leggero and the Iced Forte are meant (and advertised) to be served in different ways.
For instance, the iced Leggero is best served with milk (60ml). Failure to do so will leave you with a mediocre taste that almost ruins your experience.
According to many users, serving the Leggero without milk would sharpen its bitterness (even though the Leggero is a medium roast coffee). Not to mention the washed-down flavor profile.
Upon adding milk (just how it’s meant to be), the coffee offers a lot more fruitiness to its flavor profile. Moreover, the bitterness is little to none, making for a good aftertaste.
Likewise, the Iced Forte is meant to be served over ice and with no milk. By doing so, the iced Forte promises a woody, peppery flavor which can linger on for a long time. However, as soon as you pour milk over the iced Forte, that woody, peppery flavor washes away.
So, both these coffees are meant to be used in different ways. You can do otherwise, however, then taste the becomes compromised.
· Caffeine amount
The iced Forte packs almost twice the amount of caffeine as the iced Leggero, and that too in a single serving. The recommended caffeine intake per day for adults is 400mg for max health benefits. However, the Forte consists of 200mg of caffeine (per serving), which might be too much for those who drink more than two cups of coffee a day.
So, for many, the caffeine amount can be a major differentiating factor for those considering their ideal Nespresso coffee pods.
Iced Leggero vs Iced Forte – Recipe
Not only are these coffees insanely easy to brew, but their recipes are also very alike. The only difference in the recipe of these beverages is the inclusion of milk. Follow these steps to make an ideal iced leggero or an Iced Forte:
- Put either capsule(s) in the Nespresso Vertuo Espresso Maker and let the machine do its job.
- Fill the 16oz glass with ice cubes and place it under the machine. You may also add the ice cubes after brewing the espresso, but it slows down the cooling process.
- Watch as the espresso spiral down the ice cubes and into the glass.
- Stir the coffee(s) to allow the ice cubes to infuse with the coffee. (at this point, you’re done with making an iced Forte. Follow the next step for an ideal iced Leggero.)
- (Optional). Pour the milk (4oz for Leggero) and stir it well.
Who Should Buy Them? & Who Are They For?
There is no doubt that Nespresso has nailed these coffee pods in terms of taste profile, price, or even the packaging. So now, onto the most important question— are these coffee pods worth it? And if so, who should buy them? Well, the answer depends purely on the type of taste preferences you have.
Both these coffees do wonders in their respective ways. So, advising either coffee capsule on a general basis would not do justice to these coffee capsules because they perform in quite different ways.
Also, they both do the same job, and they do it quite successfully. And that is offering a cool beverage on a hot summer day. However, as we read, the way they perform is what separates them.
Right off the bat, if you prefer not to have milk in your coffee, look no further than the Forte. It delivers what it promises. And that is a rich peppery and woody flavor in the form of aftertaste. Also, it makes for a surprisingly smoother flavor than the Leggero.
Also, the Forte says itself to be a dark roast. However, I suspect that. The taste is somewhat smoother than the Leggero, even though the Leggero is a medium roast. This shows how well Nespresso has nailed the profile of the Forte by making it a dark roast while also not making it too bitter on the tongue.
Likewise, if you prefer milk in your coffee, there’s nothing better than the Leggero. It delivers more than you ask for—a fruity profile in the form of an aftertaste that lingers on for quite a while. Similarly, you can almost tell that the medium roast blends well with the milk and creates a very soothing experience.
Also, an ice Leggero manages to control the flavors brilliantly. For some (including me), adding milk to a coffee can overrode the flavor profile. However, the Leggero keeps everything in balance. You instantly notice the fruitiness and the toasted cereal flavor, which is all you want after a long, hot summer-ey day.
In addition, you may want to consider other factors before buying any of these coffee capsules, like the caffeine amount, the roast type, and the coffee beans.
Ice Leggero vs Bianco Leggero
Most people confuse the ice Leggero with the similarly-named Bianco Leggero. Even though both are offered by Nespresso, they have very different characteristics and taste profiles. On the one hand, you’ve got an iced coffee (ice Leggero). On the other hand, you’ve got a coffee that’s served hot (Bianco Leggero).
In terms of roast type, the Ice leggero has a more medium roast as compared to the lighter roast found in the Bianco Leggero. Also, ‘Leggero’ is the Italian word for ‘light,’ hence these coffees’ lighter taste.
The Bianco packs a sweet caramel and biscuit flavor profile, giving off a nutty and balanced vibe. That said, many customers have described no taste differences in both these coffees, so they taste exactly the same.
If I had to choose among these two coffee pods, I’d go with the Ice Leggero mainly because of its roast level. A stronger roast level can amplify your coffee taste by a strong margin. Plus, the ice Leggero is colder, which is exactly what I’d be looking for after an exhaustive day.
Conclusion
Summer is just around the corner, and it will be scorching as ever. So, what better way to kick off this summer than with some iced coffees from Nespresso.
These Nespresso Vertuoline Pods (or capsules) will cool you down after a hot, long day, making you almost forget you even went through a 9 to 5. Who needs Starbucks when you can make similar (or better) coffee and that too in the comfort of your home.
Throughout this journey, we discussed the characteristics and features of these coffees and the key differences separating them. We then saw who these coffees are best suited to.
It is safe to say that these coffee capsules are just as good as all the other high types of coffee capsules that Nespresso offers. The inclusion of the ice Leggero and the ice Forte meant that coffee lovers are not restricted to just one type of iced coffee. Either way, it’s a win-win for Nespresso.
Moreover, the price at which these pods are being offered means that you are in no position to complain. It’s a shame that these pods are limited to a few countries; otherwise, it would have been an even massive hit.
