Coffee pods, a new invention finding their way into coffee enthusiast’s collections, are gaining popularity in recent years. Made with a design that can be used once and thrown away, these tasty treats make a perfect cup of Joe. Special machines that can take coffee pods push hot water through the pod, in a process not unlike a hasty version of making hot tea with teabags.

Different Pods For Different Tastes And Needs

There are several different varieties of coffee pods and pod coffee makers. You are likely familiar with at least two of them: a flattened pod that looks like a UFO made out of a tea bag, and a short plastic cup about the size of a one time use coffee creamer.

How Different Styles of Pod Coffees Brew

Your pod coffee brewer is based on a simple design: place the pod inside the machine and press a button - but how does it make that great cup of coffee? A circular pod style works just like a teabag, counting on the hot water pushing through the small grains inside to make a delicious brew. Cup styles, sometimes called K-cups, work by having the machine pierce the top foil cover and bottom with a needle, delivering hot water through grinds and a mini filter inside before flowing out the bottom opening.

A Coffeehouse At Home : Coffee Pods Save You Money

For people who enjoy coffee, their daily routine likely entails getting a cup (or several) from a local coffee house or chain coffee store. No matter where it is purchased, it all adds up to one thing: having people make your coffee for you can cost a lot of money, especially if it is a habit. Coffee pods, which cost less than a dollar each, can give you your favorite drink for much less than what you’d pay at a store.

Pod Coffee: Add It To Your Shopping List

Your money and time are both valuable, so when a product gives you a little of both in return, and tastes amazing, wouldn’t you want to give it a trial? If you want flavored coffee pods, hot tea varieties, and even creamy hot chocolate, they’re all available too - so get these easy-to-make time savers for your own home.

Want more information on coffee pods? Caroline suggests checking out these other Great Coffee Pods resources.

At first blush, going by the title, you’re probably assuming that I’m going to dissuade folks from buying the Tassimo Brewer in favor of a normal coffee pod brewer. Nothing could be further from the truth. The concept of a bar-coded single serve coffee system that makes fairly complicated concoctions all on its own is, to be honest, amazing, and standard coffee pods can’t hope to compare to that level of sophistication. However, Tassimo Brewers do have one huge short-coming, and that is that you cannot use anything other than T-Discs with them.

Isn’t This A Typical Coffee Pod Issue?

Although it seems like this would be a universal problem with all single serve coffee makers, there are ways of dealing with it in most cases. No, it’s not as easy as simply using the correct coffee pods, but there are all sorts of adapters that will convert one format into something that can be used in just about any device. It’s not perfect, largely due to a lack of standardization, even though many products are advertised as “universal”. Usually, though, you can either check the Internet for the solution, or figure it out on your own. If a brand of coffee pod doesn’t do what you think it should, for instance, you can just try another brand.

What Makes Tassimo’s System Different?

The Tassimo’s biggest problem is the shape of its discs. Simply look at regular coffee pods and it becomes obvious exactly why they’re not interchangeable with T-Discs. The bar-code system takes it a step further, leaving the user with no way to tell the Tassimo what to do with any format that lacks a bar-code. Some have attempted to refill T-Discs, but no one has figured out how to re-seal them, which means the machine can’t build up enough pressure to brew.

Why Wouldn’t One Always Use T-Discs?

Although the idea behind buying the Tassimo brewer obviously includes using T-Discs, there are a few reasons why this might not work out quite like expected. Many times folks simply cannot afford T-Discs. They’re not cheap, and are a bit overkill if all you want is a cup of coffee. Availability can also be an issue. Small town grocery stores, for example, typically do not stock things like this. Some simply object to the idea. Buying a Tassimo forces the consumer to continue buying from that company in the form of the T-Discs. Some people don’t like how that looks. Although there are a few other brand names making T-Discs, it’s pretty obvious that it’s all licensed.

What If I Already Have A Tassimo Brewer?

If you purchased a Tassimo brewer, and are now finding yourself in a bit of a spot, your options are sadly limited. Hopefully most people will think twice before they purchase a product that is so proprietary. To be honest, your cheapest solution will be to just buy a cheap pod coffee brewer, eating the cost of the Tassimo and using it when you want something special and can afford it. Standard coffee pods are not expensive, and you can purchase them in bulk both online and at popular retail outlets.

Want more information on coffee pods? Trish suggests checking out these other coffee pod resources.

I bet you’re probably wondering what exactly coffee pods are. Maybe they’re submarines that have lots of coffee in them for the trip down? The term isn’t exactly self-explanatory, is it? Well, let’s take care of that.

Are Coffee Pod Brewers Different?

A coffee pod is a small, single serving of coffee that comes wrapped in it’s own little package with a filter. They’re only used with coffee pod brewers; they cannot be used with regular coffee brewers, but you really wouldn’t want to. When it comes to single cups of coffee, though, coffee pods are much more convenient. You don’t have to worry about buying coffee grounds and filters separately, or pouring enough grinds for four cups of coffee when you just want one. Unfortunately, these conveniences will make your price per cup a bit higher, but only if you regularly want more than one cup. Coffee pods brewers, though still budget friendly, aren’t as cheap as the old standard just yet. There are also many different manufacturers of coffee pods brewers, and not all of them are compatible with all pods, sometimes leading to confusion as to which brewers use which pods.

Anyone Can Make Coffee Pods

Coffee pods are, however, fortunately kind of an open format. They do require special pieces of equipment to brew, but pretty much any company can make and sell both the pods and brewers, which means that once you obtain your coffee pods brewer, there are plenty of options as to where to get the coffee pods themselves. Although there are plenty of coffee pods available for as little as $5 per package, the more premium pods can easily cost in excess of $30 per set. Of course, if you sample both, and they each taste just the same to you, then there’s no reason to spend the excess money on the more expensive pods. Also, there are ways to make your own coffee pods, and it’s not too terribly difficult, though the time involved probably negates any convenience gained from using coffee pods in the first place.

Coffee Pod Brewers Can Be Pricey

Brewers for coffee pods vary wildly in price, ranging from $10 to well over $400 for personal one cup brewers, and upwards of $1100 for those brewers intended for an office or commercial environment. Although they can be purchased both online, and likely in your regular department store, the best deals will likely be found from online distributors, if you can afford and are patient enough to wait.

Are They Worth It?

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now; yes, coffee pods are quite a bit more expensive than your normal, every day coffee makers. Not only is the brewer itself pretty pricey, but the pods aren’t exactly cheap, and they don’t last nearly as long as your typical coffee grounds in a filter type setup. What you get in return, though, is the convenience of having it all in one package, and the ability to brew coffee that’s much closer to what the retail places have to offer.

Corky likes to write articles about pod coffee makers and gourmet coffee pods.

ESE coffee pods, or “easy serving espresso” coffee pods, are manufactured for use in both a generic coffee pod brewer and espresso machines. The entire reason they were created was to make an easy, fast way to have espresso at home or work, without having to spend the time and money on a coffee shop. Do you live for your morning or afternoon espresso, but can’t stand the sap on your wallet? If so, ESE coffee pods may be just what you’re looking for.

Will ESE Coffee Pods Work In My Coffee Pod Machine?

Those who make them intend ESE coffee pods to be used in coffee pod makers as well as espresso machines. When utilizing your espresso machine, a special adapter is needed to use an ESE coffee pod. However, with a coffee pod maker, it’s possible that it could be as simple as tossing the ESE coffee pod in the machine. Unfortunately, there are many pod coffee makers that do not work with ESE coffee pods. To further complicate matters, the manufacturers of both coffee pod machines as well as ESE coffee pods are pretty bad about not labeling which ones work with each, often leaving their customers with pods that don’t work with their pod coffee maker. There is not currently an ESE t-disc, or an ESE k-cup, although there are stronger coffees that are labeled espresso for those machines.

Finding ESE Coffee Pods

Purchasing ESE coffee pods might be a bit confusing since they’re not all always clearly labeled. Also, many coffee pods that carry the espresso label aren’t ESE, and won’t give you a real espresso, or anywhere close. Illy is who started ESE coffee pods in the first place, and any time you see an espresso coffee pod with their name on it, it should be ESE. In other cases, be sure to look very closely, and don’t buy them as ESE unless they explicitly say that’s what they are. Also, if they’re coffee pods that have directions for use in espresso machines, they pretty much have to be ESE.

Do ESE Coffee Pods Make Real Espresso?

ESE coffee pods do produce real espresso, but you have to be careful which ESE coffee pods you purchase. The coffee pod itself will have a lot to do with everything from the consistency of the espresso to the thickness of the crema. Personal taste, of course, is also important. Will it make the exact espresso that you’re thinking of? Possibly, but coffee is a bit different everywhere you go. Even though coffee pods last for quite a while before expiring or going stale, you would be wise to buy small amounts at first, until you know what you like.

Why Use ESE Coffee Pods In My Espresso Machine?

There are a few reasons why you might want to use ESE coffee pods in your espresso machine instead of traditional espresso grounds. Cleanup is much simpler with espresso coffee pods since everything is contained in the filter. Your coffee will stay fresh longer since you’ll only be opening what you will use. On the flip side, ESE coffee pods do produce more plastic waste than traditional grounds since each one is individually sealed.

Want to learn more about coffee pods? Check out Great Coffee Pods.

One of the more popular brands of coffee pods available, Green Mountain Coffee Pods aren’t really coffee pods at all. They are, in fact, K-Cups. This is to say they only work in Keurig’s K-Cup brewers. So, if you are looking for regular coffee pods, stop right there, because you won’t find any such offerings from Green Mountain. However, if you’re interested in a new brand of K-Cup to try in your Keurig brewer, than read on.

Who Is Green Mountain Coffee?

Considering their name is Green Mountain, one would assume they were an old Irish company or something. Green Mountain was actually founded 1981, in Vermont of all places. So not only are they new, but they’re also all American. The company got its start with a small cafe located in Waitsfield Vermont, a rural town, where they roasted then served their coffee on the premises. Local restaurants wasted no time jumping on that bandwagon, buying Green Mountain Coffees for their own restaurants, which is what started Green Mountain in the distribution business.

How Green Mountain Differs

In such a competitive industry, that Green Mountain Coffees grew so fast is nothing short of amazing. So, how did they manage to make such an impact? It probably had a lot to do with their strange mixture of selections and flavors. Since the big guys pretty much have your average decaf and house blend type offerings locked up, Green Mountain Coffees went a completely different direction. Some of their blends are fairly mundane, with breakfast blend, French roast, and “Our Blend”, which is their version of original, mixed in with their greater than 100 various coffees.

Green Mountain Coffees And Your Pod Coffee Maker

Since Green Mountain Coffee makes only Keurig K-Cups, they’re not going to fit in the standard coffee pod brewer. Green Mountain likely won’t ever make a normal coffee pod, as you would find in the Home Cafe system, so the standard coffee pod machine will probably remain out of luck. This is because, a few years ago, Green Mountain Coffees actually bought Keurig. It’s quite likely that this is the whole reason that K-Cups have been such a hit, even though they’re different from normal pod coffee makers. If you’re really bent on making it work, or if you just enjoy making your own coffee pods, you could always purchase Green Mountain’s loose coffee and do it that way.

Green Mountain Stuff That’s Not Coffee

Green Mountain produces some items that aren’t coffee, though generally under different labels. They use the name Celestial Seasonings with their teas, and make some hot chocolates under the name Cafe Escapes. Unfortunately, these are strictly available as K-Cups, so unless you own one of Keurig’s machines, or plan to buy one, you’re still out of luck.

Need more help choosing coffee pods? Check out Great Coffee Pods.

There’s no doubt that coffee pods are a legitimate product that’s here to stay for a while when Folgers starts making them. If you know anything about coffee, you recognize the name Folgers, even if they’re not exactly your favorite brand. Let’s take a look at Folgers Coffee Pods and see how they compare to some of the more popular brands. We’ll also see what other single cup solutions Folgers offers.

A Quick History Of Folgers

Folgers is in no way new. You can’t get any more American than a company founded in San Francisco way back in 1850. From the very beginning, the whole point was shipping out ground, roasted, and labeled tins of coffee, ready for the pot. It stands to reason that Folgers coffee would show up in coffee pods. Two other very American companies, Proctor and Gamble and The J M Smucker Company have owned Folgers at different times.

Folgers In Your Pod Coffee Maker

Your own personal coffee pod machine will probably take Folgers coffee pods just fine. Folgers labels their pods as being part of the Home Cafe system. The Home Cafe system is really just a trademarked version of a generic coffee pod, owned by the company that made some of the first pod coffee makers, Bunn. Make sure when you order, though, that you’re ordering the right product. There can be some confusion with a few of Folgers products. Double check that any product you plan to use with a coffee pod maker is labeled Home Cafe, and called Folgers Pods.

Folgers And Other Single Cup Coffees

The only other single cup coffees from Folgers are Folgers Singles. These are not designed for coffee pod makers. They are actually more like tea bags than pods, and certainly will not fit in anything designed to accommodate a coffee pod. They are, however, a great choice for those who either don’t want, or can’t afford a coffee pod brewer. Folgers does not currently make T-Discs or K-Cups and since they seem to have invested in the Home Cafe name, they probably won’t, either. There are some folks out there who say that they have had exceptionally good luck forcing these particular coffee pods to work with the Keurig machines, but that’s another story entirely, and not at all what they are intended for.

Folgers Compared To Other Coffee Pods

Going by the reviews, Folgers Coffee Pods are probably some of the best around, even if they’re definitely not the least expensive. It makes sense that their coffee pods would turn out pretty well Folgers had made a habit of making fairly strong coffee. Don’t even consider Folgers if you’re looking for espresso or cappuccino coffee pods as they only currently make decaffeinated or regular pods.

Looking for more information on coffee pods? Check out Great Coffee Pods!

Melitta coffee pods, like all other pods, are basically a measured amount of coffee that is wrapped up in a small filter, and designed specifically to fit inside coffee pod brewers. There are many companies that make coffee pods; Melitta is just one of them. Also, instead of the more normal coffee pod name, Melitta calls theirs “javapods”.

Are Melitta Coffee Pods Popular At All?

From my researching, Melitta coffee pods are second only to the Senseo coffee pod. However, that is second place by a rather large margin, with Senseo coffee pods being searched for around six times as often as Melitta. Just behind Melitta would be Tassimo coffee pods, although most of Tassimo’s products aren’t really coffee pods, but T-Discs which are made for, and only for Tassimo brewers. Anyway, it’s safe to say that Melitta coffee pods hold a firm number two.

Can Melitta Coffee Pods Be Used In Just Any Pod Coffee Brewer?

The answer to that question is a most definitive “probably.” Most pods do fit most pod coffee makers but, that being said, there are some exceptions. Melitta labels their pods as “Universal”, so unless your coffee pod machine is an oddball, then they should probably fit with no problem. If you’ve ever had problems with any other pods not fitting, though, then you might want to stick with whatever works for you and your pod coffee maker. As far as fitting goes, pay no attention to the javapods name, it’s just for marketing purposes. Melitta does have their name on some coffee pod machines, but it’s just a licensing thing. There’s no reason that Melitta’s pods would work better with a Melitta branded brewer.

Is There Any Reason Why I Should Choose Melitta Coffee Pods?

There are a few benefits to using Melitta’s pods over others. Although their pods fit just about every coffee pod brewer out there, they contain over a quarter more coffee in each pod. More coffee means richer flavor and a stronger brew, which is preferable to most people, although some people might want to avoid stronger coffee if whatever they’re drinking makes them twitchy. So, remember, if you’re looking to try new things, and wanting to cut down on your caffeine intake, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. Melitta coffee pods are also separately foil wrapped, which seems like a no brainer since freshness is one of the main draws of the coffee pod, but is not necessarily normal.

Does Melitta, Like Other Companies, Make Pods Other Than Coffee Pods?

As coffee pod machines, like traditional coffee brewers, are capable of making things aside from coffee, most pod makers also make things that are not coffee. Melitta does as well, making a few different tea blends. As with their coffee, the tea pods they make should fit with no problem in anything that brews coffee pods.

Visit Great Coffee Pods for more information on Melitta coffee pods.

If you want to make coffee using a coffee pod, then you will need to use a coffee pod machine. Although the idea is new, the pieces are not, and coffee pods are actually just a small filter wrapped around just the right amount of coffee to make one cup.

Why Use A Coffee Pod Machine At Home?

There are a lot of people nowadays that live alone. Those people have no need whatsoever of coffee makers that make four cups of coffee every single time it’s turned on. Not only does this end up being wasteful but, with gourmet coffee, it can be very expensive. This is even more true for those who work at home and may brew multiple batches every day, at different parts of the day, trying to keep their supply of caffeine fresh. No one likes stale coffee, after all. Even families can benefit from utilizing a coffee pod machine as opposed to your traditional coffee maker if there are multiple people that like coffee, but at various times, in the same house. If you make yourself a cup before leaving for your night shift, it’ll hardly be good when your spouse gets up in the morning to take the kids to school.

Would A Coffee Pod Machine Make Sense In The Office?

Most people assume that making a single cup wouldn’t be useful at all in the office. When coffee is made there, people tend to want it when they smell it, so it just makes sense to make a lot, right? Therefore, most figure that the only efficient method to making coffee in the office is using a normal coffee maker. That’s not necessarily true, though. What if the entire office doesn’t want to drink coffee at once, for instance? Ever wonder how much gets tossed into the sink at the office in order to brew a fresh pot? Although a lot depends on the office’s size, single servings might actually be far more efficient.

A Coffee Pod Machine Gives Provides Flavor Options

Every coffee drinker knows what they like. Even if there is a pot of coffee two cubes over, people will still be going up three floors for the machine that has what they want, whatever that may be. A coffee pod machine can give everyone exactly what they want, saving both people and the company valuable time.

Coffee Pod Machines Are Probably Not Nearly As Expensive As You Might Think

Most assume that, because they’re considered a more gourmet type option, that coffee pod machines are extremely expensive. This is not necessarily the case. For the most part, a coffee pod machine will cost around as much as a typical coffee maker, in some cases paying for themselves by saving waste. Besides, even if you don’t save money, you’ll always have a fresh cup of coffee.

Visit Great Coffee Pods for more information on your next coffee pod machine

Are bread machine mixes any good? Yes, some of them are, but the problem with all bread machine mixes is that they limit your choice and discourage your creative talents. That may sound a little harsh, but think about it for a minute. If you rely on bread machine mixes you can only make the bread for which you can find a bread machine mix and you can only put the bread machine mix in the bowl and switch the bread making machine on. You are not encouraged to alter the bread machine mix for fear that it won’t work.

OK, what is the alternative? Well, the old-fashioned recipe book, of course! Not just any old recipe book, but a special bread making machine recipe book. Bread making is a very easy, but very tiresome process. The ingredients are ubiquitous, everyday, household items: water, flour, yeast, salt, sugar and oil. You most certainly have those items in your kitchen with the possible exception of yeast, which can be bought in any super store for very little money and it keeps for ages.

And I’m sure you already know what happens when you follow a recipe, don’t you? You have read the recipe through and you know you have everything in the cupboard, but when the recipe requires, say, sultanas, you open the cupboard door and see that you don’t have any sultanas - they were currants! Oh, well you think, they’ll do. You make do. You try things out. And that means that you are developing your skills and creativity. Bread making mixes cannot and will not do that for you.

A good bread making machine cookbook will have well over 100 recipes originating from several countries and you will get really enthusiastic about trying the different ones out. Have you eaten Welsh bread - Bara Brith? Or Amish bread? Cajun bread or onion bread? Banana bread is lovely too, but one of my favourites is Brazil Nut Bread - absolutely scrumptious.

The fact is that you may not find recipes for all these breads in one recipe book, but if you have a safe starting point, like a bread recipe cookbook, you can begin by using previously tried and tested gourmet bread recipes and gradually develop your own - oftentimes because you have to.

I once made a fantastic loaf by adding all the left-over vegetables from my Sunday lunch. It was lovely, but I could never quite reproduce it, because I did not write down the weights and measures. I could only remember that it had green beans, potatoes and sweet corn in it!

Bread machine mixes will never ever provide that, will they? Furthermore, bread machine mixes are fairly expensive compared to the cost of 10 pounds of flour. I usually vary the ingredients too: honey instead of sugar, milk instead of water, olive oil or butter instead of just corn oil. Rock salt instead of sea salt or visa versa. I’m sure you see what I mean.

Bread machine mixes are limited and limiting. Furthermore a bread making machine is a great way to use up leftovers. I have even put meat and fruit in my gourmet bread. My principle is: if it’ll go in a sandwich it’ll go in the dough - like an Indian stuffed paratha or stuffed naan bread.

Stop buying bread machine mixes - they are a waste of money. Instead be creative with a bread machine recipes cookbook.

Do I think that bread machine mixes are useful? Yes, some of them are, but the snag with all bread machine mixes is that they place limitations on your choice and do not encourage your creative talents. That may sound odd, but think about it for a while. If you depend on bread machine mixes you can only make the bread for which you can buy a bread machine mix and you can only tip the bread machine mix into the bowl and switch on the bread making machine. You are definitely not likely to alter the bread machine mix for fear that it won’t work.

OK, what is the alternative? Well, the old-fashioned cookbook, of course! Not just any old recipe book, but a special bread making machine cookbook. Bread making is a very simple, but rather tiresome process. The ingredients are everyday, household items: water, flour, yeast, salt, sugar and oil. You certainly have those items in your kitchen|cupboard| with the possible exception of the yeast, which can be bought almost anywhere at minimal cost.

And you know what happens when you follow a recipe, don’t you? You’ve read the recipe through and you know you have everything in the kitchen, but when the recipe calls for, say, currants, you open the cupboard door and see that you don’t have any currants - they were sultanas! Oh, well you think, they’ll do. You make do. You experiment. You are developing your skills and creativity. Bread making mixes cannot do that for you.

A good bread making machine recipe book will have something over 100 recipes coming from a number of different countries and you will become really enthusiastic about experimenting with the various ones. Have you ever tasted Welsh bread - Bara Brith? Or English muffin bread? Jalapeno bread or banana bread? Onion bread is lovely too, but one of my all time favourites is Brazil Nut Bread - absolutely delicious.

The fact is that you may not find recipes for all these breads in one recipe book, but if you have a safe starting point, like a bread recipe cookbook, you can begin by using previously tried and tested gourmet bread recipes and gradually develop your own - oftentimes because you have to.

I once made a fantastic loaf by adding all the left-over vegetables from my Sunday lunch. It was lovely, but I could never quite reproduce it, because I did not write down the weights and measures. I could only remember that it had green beans, potatoes and sweet corn in it!

Bread machine mixes will never ever provide that, will they? Furthermore, bread machine mixes are fairly expensive compared to the cost of 10 pounds of flour. I usually vary the ingredients too: honey instead of sugar, milk instead of water, olive oil or butter instead of just corn oil. Rock salt instead of sea salt or visa versa. I’m sure you see what I mean.

Bread machine mixes are limited and limiting. Furthermore a bread making machine is a great way to use up leftovers. I have even added meat and fruit in my gourmet bread. My principle is: if it’ll go in a sandwich it’ll go in the dough - like an Indian stuffed paratha or stuffed naan bread.

Stop buying bread machine mixes - they are a waste of money. Instead be creative with a bread machine recipes cookbook.