(120 ct) Starbucks by Nespresso Original Line Blonde Roast

Update: I’ve been ordering these pods for over a year. They still have smashed pods in ever batch regardless who it’s sold and shipped by so it definitely has to be the manufacturer. But why I’m updating my review to 1 star is because lately I’ve been getting batches that expire within a week of when they’re delivered. Although they’re “best buy” dates, the closer you get to those dates, this coffee gets a weird bitter taste and the after taste makes me gag. Worst of all, todays batch came expired. I ordered 5 boxes and all 5 are expired. Yes, there’s manufacturers and Best Buy dates on the box. These expired last year. In January. Came to warn you guys because these are non-returnable/non-refundable items!! Original review: To me, of course nothing will compare to actually going to Starbucks and having your coffee made by one of their baristas; it's just not the same as making it at home, especially with a pod-type coffee compared to espresso brewed the traditional way. Because of this, I would give this product 5 stars but I've bought probably about 10 of these 50-count pods and every single batch has a couple pods that are not usable. They somehow get smashed even though the box that the pods come in don't seem damaged and the shipping box is not damaged either. So although it is cheaper per shot than going to Starbucks to buy my coffee, it's still a bit upsetting that it seems to be a guarantee to get a couple smashed pods in every order. As for the taste, it's quite comparable but I do believe the flavor is not as strong. I drink coffee basically to avoid caffeine headaches and help me power through the days since I get very minimal sleep. I love the flavor of Starbucks' Blonde Espresso, and this taste very close to the real thing. For some reason I also feel like the caffeine is not as strong in these home brewed pods. But because with a newborn and a 2-year old, if I don't have to leave the house, it's much more convenient to just brew my own coffee at home when I need one so I will continue to purchase these pods.