Chicory capsules compatible with Nespresso®: how to choose the right one
By the Mush n Go editorial team - 01 October 2026
By the Mush n Go editorial teamPublished on 1 October 202610 min read
Chicory in a capsule
A Nespresso® compatible chicory capsule replaces all or part of the ground coffee with roasted chicory root: a round, slightly bitter taste, close to coffee, with little or no caffeine. Before you buy, check three things: your machine's format (Original, not Vertuo), the actual share of chicory, and what else the capsule contains. Mush Caps is a capsule based on roasted chicory, with three mushrooms, maca, ashwagandha and 17 mg of caffeine.
Mush Caps
A roasted chicory base, three mushrooms, maca and 17 mg of microencapsulated caffeine. Coffee flavour, with its crema. Available from 2 October.
Reserve my Mush Caps →
Brainstoorm
The same chicory base and the same mushrooms, as a powder: one spoonful in hot water or milk, hot or iced.
Discover Brainstoorm →
What chicory is
A roasted root, coffee's French cousin.
Coffee chicory, Cichorium intybus, is a plant in the Asteraceae family, like Belgian endive, which is a close relative. It is grown for its root: washed, chopped, dried and then roasted, it turns brown and takes on a bitter, toasted taste reminiscent of coffee.
It became a lasting fixture in French cups at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the Continental Blockade made coffee scarce and expensive. Northern France has remained the main producer, and the chicory-coffee blend has been part of breakfast for several generations. The essential difference from the coffee bean comes down to one figure: chicory root contains no caffeine.
The taste
Round, bitter and toasted, with a hint of caramel. Less acidic than coffee, softer on the palate.
Caffeine
None in the root. A 100% chicory capsule therefore provides none; a blended capsule contains some, depending on its share of coffee.
Fibre
The raw root is rich in inulin, a fibre. Roasting transforms part of it, so chicory for drinking retains less.
Why in a capsule
The taste of chicory, the convenience of the machine.
Chicory is traditionally drunk instant, as a powder to dissolve. The capsule changes the routine, not the principle: you keep your machine, your cup and your thirty seconds in the morning, and you replace all or part of the caffeine in coffee with the roundness of chicory.
This is often the step people are looking for when they want to cut down on coffee without giving up the ritual. If that is you, our guide on what to replace coffee with compares the options, and the one on quitting coffee explains how to cut down without headaches.
Three kinds of capsule
Not all chicory capsules are alike.
The same word covers very different products. The first thing to do is look at the ingredients list to see which family you are dealing with.
| Type of capsule | What it contains | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| 100% chicory | Roasted chicory on its own, sometimes with a flavouring. | None |
| Chicory and coffee | A blend of chicory and ground coffee, in varying proportions. | Depends on the share of coffee |
| Enriched chicory | A chicory base with other ingredients added: mushrooms, plants, vitamins. | Depends on the recipe |
| Mush Caps | Roasted chicory, three mushrooms, maca, ashwagandha, acacia fibre and vitamin B5. | 17 mg, microencapsulated |
Chicory is also sold in capsules to swallow, as a food supplement. That is a different use: you do not drink it.
What the studies say
Three reference points, and what they are worth.
Chicory is studied mainly as a food ingredient, and for the inulin in its root. Here is what can be taken from that for a cup, without reading too much into it.
Perović et al., 2021 · Review
An overview of chicory as an ingredient: a root rich in inulin and phenolic compounds, long used as a coffee substitute once roasted, and a good food safety record. Roasting reduces the inulin content.
EFSA, 2015 · Europe
Native chicory inulin contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency, from 12 g a day. That is a far higher dose than a cup of roasted chicory provides.
EFSA, 2015 · Europe
An espresso provides around 80 mg of caffeine. Up to 400 mg a day raises no safety concerns for a healthy adult. Replacing part of your coffee with chicory brings that total down without changing the routine.
In other words: you choose a chicory capsule for its taste and to drink less caffeine, not for the fibre in the root, which reaches the cup in too small a quantity.
Original, Vertuo, Dolce Gusto
Check the format before anything else.
“Nespresso® compatible” does not mean compatible with every machine from the brand. There are two systems that do not take the same capsules, and other chicory capsule formats exist for other machines.
Nespresso® Original
The original format: Essenza, Pixie, CitiZ, Inissia, U, Lattissima, Creatista, Expert, Prodigio, and the Krups, Magimix, De'Longhi or Sage machines in this format. This is the Mush Caps format.
Nespresso® Vertuo
Wider capsules, read by a barcode on the rim. An Original format capsule does not work in them.
Dolce Gusto and others
Chicory capsules exist for these machines too, but their shape is different. They do not fit a Nespresso® machine.
The taste
What to expect in the cup.
A chicory capsule does not taste exactly like an espresso, and that is often what people like about it. Here is what changes depending on the recipe:
- 100% chicory: a round, toasted drink, milder than coffee, with bitterness but no acidity.
- With coffee: a taste closer to espresso, and a caffeine content that depends on the share of coffee.
- With a coffee flavouring, like Mush Caps: the flavour of a short coffee with its crema, no mushroom taste, for 17 mg of caffeine.
A stomach that is sensitive to coffee often gets on well with chicory, which is less acidic. We cover this in detail in coffee and bloating.
What to read on the box
Four lines for choosing well.
The format
“Nespresso® Original compatible” or “Vertuo”: this is the first line to check, depending on your machine.
The share of chicory
It should appear at the top of the list, with a percentage or a weight. Chicory listed last is merely a flavouring.
Caffeine
None for pure chicory. Otherwise, an amount written in milligrams, not just “low content”.
The rest of the list
Sugar, flavourings, thickeners: the shorter and more readable the list, the better you know what you are drinking.
Mush Caps in detail
A chicory base, and what we have added to it.
Mush Caps is not a 100% chicory capsule: it is a capsule based on roasted chicory, enriched with mushrooms and adaptogenic plants, with a small dose of caffeine. It is the recipe of Brainstoorm, our mushroom coffee powder, measured out for one cup in the Nespresso® Original format.
*dry equivalent. Other ingredients: xylitol, coffee flavouring. Contains caffeine (17 mg per capsule).
Mush Caps is available from 2 October, from €20 for the box of 10 down to €1.25 per capsule in the bundles, never on subscription and with a 60-day money-back guarantee. To see our selection of chicory for drinking, head to the chicory collection.
Good to know: chicory belongs to the Asteraceae family. If you have a known allergy to this family (ragweed, mugwort, chamomile), seek advice before drinking it. Mush Caps contains caffeine and plants: it is not recommended for children or for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
How to make it
Short, long or as a latte.
Short
The espresso button: an intense cup, with its crema. This is the version closest to coffee.
Long
The lungo button: a milder, rounder drink, where the chicory comes through more.
As a latte
A short capsule, then frothed milk. Chicory and milk go very well together.
At the time that suits you
With 17 mg of caffeine, Mush Caps stays light. If you are sensitive, keep it for the morning and early afternoon, as we explain in coffee and cortisol.
Your questions
All about Nespresso® compatible chicory capsules.
Are there Nespresso® compatible chicory capsules?
Yes. You can find 100% chicory capsules, chicory and coffee blends, and enriched chicory-based capsules. Mush Caps is one of them: a roasted chicory base in the Nespresso® Original format, with three mushrooms, maca and 17 mg of caffeine.
Does chicory contain caffeine?
No, chicory root contains no caffeine. A 100% chicory capsule therefore provides none. If the capsule also contains coffee or added caffeine, the amount must be stated on the box.
Does a chicory capsule taste like coffee?
It comes close: a round, bitter, toasted taste, generally milder and less acidic. Capsules that add a coffee flavouring, like Mush Caps, give the flavour of a short coffee with its crema.
Can you put chicory in a refillable capsule?
It is possible with ground roasted chicory, not with instant chicory, which clogs the filter. The result depends a great deal on the grind and the tamping: a ready-to-use capsule gives a more consistent result.
Chicory or decaf coffee: which should you choose?
Decaf keeps the taste and acidity of coffee, with very little caffeine. Chicory has no caffeine at all and a rounder, less acidic taste. For a sensitive stomach, chicory is often better tolerated.
Does Mush Caps work in a Vertuo machine?
No. Mush Caps is made for Nespresso® Original and compatible machines: Essenza, Pixie, CitiZ, Inissia, U, Lattissima, Creatista, Expert, Prodigio. Vertuo machines use a wider capsule, read by a barcode.
Sources
- Perović J., Tumbas Šaponjac V., Kojić J. et al. (2021). Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) as a food ingredient – Nutritional composition, bioactivity, safety, and health claims: A review. Food Chemistry, 336.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2015). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to "native chicory inulin" and maintenance of normal defecation by increasing stool frequency. EFSA Journal, 13(1):3951.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2015). Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal, 13(5):4102.
Keep reading
More on the subject.
Chicory is just one way of drinking less caffeine. Explore our guides to cutting down on coffee, or our full mushroom coffee range.
Nespresso® is a registered trademark of a third party, with no connection to Mush n Go.
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