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Providing a clever way to reuse coffee and recycle the original Nespresso (and compatible) aluminium pods, the Dualit EcoPress is cheap and simple to use. It works brilliantly, with just the occasional bit of aluminium to fish out of the coffee bin. The official Nespresso recycling scheme may be easier for some; but for those who want an easy way to dispose of pods at home, or be able to use non-official pods, this is a great product.

Stating that something is recyclable and the ease with which it’s actually recycled are two different things. The coffee capsule is a case in point. Technically, aluminium pods can be recycled; but only if the coffee grounds are removed first, which can be a pain.

This is where the Dualit EcoPress comes in: it squeezes the coffee out of Nespresso and Nespresso-compatible pods so the aluminium containers can be added to your recycle bin, while the coffee grounds can be used elsewhere, such as for compost.

Looking like a large coffee pod, the Dualit EcoPress is a big lump of plastic. It comes in two main parts: the lid lifts off to reveal a capsule holder and a bin beneath where the used coffee is collected.

To use it, you place the coffee pod face down on the top section, place the lid on top and push down to turn the capsule inside out; the action pushes the coffee grounds into the bin below. It’s really as simple as that.

The Dualit EcoPress will only work with original Nespresso (or compatibles) aluminium pods; it doesn’t accept pods designed to be biodegradable or that are made of plastic. It isn’t compatible with Nespresso Vertuo capsules or capsules for rival pod systems, either.

I’d have thought that the Dualit EcoPress would require a degree of pressure to perform the action, but this wasn’t the case. A hard push is all that’s required to force the capsule inside out.

At this point, most of the coffee grounds will have been driven into the container below, although there can be a fair bit that sticks to the inside.

Still, what’s remaining can easily be rinsed off, leaving a clean aluminium case that can be dropped into a recycling bin. Dualit recommends putting the capsules in a colander and then rinsing in washing up water.

In the main bin you’ll find the coffee grounds. On inspection, I found a few bits of aluminium from the base of the test capsules had dropped on occasion, but these are easy to fish out, with the coffee grounds emptied into a regular bin, food bin, or compost bin.

The Dualit EcoPress itself can be cleaned in the top shelf of a dishwasher, although only at cycles under 40ºC –which is a temperature cycle that most models don’t offer. I found it easier just to wash it out by hand once.

For those wanting to reuse coffee grounds and recycle pods at home, the Dualit EcoPress offers a cheap and elegant solution.

If you buy Nespresso pods only, you can recycle them for free in a variety of ways that may prove more convenient.

Nespresso will recycle all of its pods without any cleaning required, but there’s still a degree of effort required – you need to arrange to get the pods picked up – and you can’t recycle non-compatible pods. For just £9.99, the Dualit EcoPress provides an elegant way of recycling pods, leaving the coffee grounds to be reused in the way you choose.

It will work with pods for the original Nespresso machines only.

No, this machine is only for use with aluminium capsules.

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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.

Products tested and reviewed since 2003