Coffee Pods

coffee_head

Has anyone had any experience with coffee pods? If so, what is the quality like?  And who is selling their coffee in pods?

tommy

ive had a taste of a segafreddo coffee pod, which are in these little plastic containers that look alot like uht milk you get in motels. They are easy to use and really really clean, no mess at all but of course the taste is no substitute for espresso

coffee_head

Coffex are pushing them hard. http://www.coffex.com.au/pods2.php They make them out to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. Really, if you can't dose correctly, learn or make instant coffee down at the truck stop cafe.

tommy

"Coffex pods are a universal size that fit most espresso machines." hardly universal if it only fits most :D

DoubleRistretto

the trouble with pods is by definition they're stale!!! You can't make great espresso if you use STALE COFFEE!!!!! dR

Lovey

I've tried a Nespresso pod espresso and it wasn't very good. Not much crema (what did I expect from stale coffee

FreshCoffee2

Various industry sources have been trying to foist *pods* onto us for some years, the idea being a) portion control (ie costings), b) the "cleanliness" factor and c) that they are apparently really going for the idea in Italy. Problem (for them) is, we are not "Italy" and our market has headed in a different direction. Regardz, FC.

askthecoffeeguy

Also, from memory, they are more expensive to use than freshly ground coffee! Why would you want to sacrifice fresh grind at the expense of and expensive and stale product! My understanding is that all pre-ground coffee is stale before it even goes in the packet! Pat

FreshCoffee2

Actually Pat in order to better understand the scenario (of people trying to push pods into the market) you also have to just look closely at some of those that are doing the pushing. If you go to the shows (International Catering Trade Fair, ir Fine Food or whatever) and come across someone peddling pods, listen to them & and taste what they offer. In most cases I think (and ofcourse this is only a personal opinion) you will find (after you have listened and tasted) that these are people probably dont know what they're talking about (if actual coffee quality per se is an issue). On the one hand you listen to the spiel about cleanliness, quality & portion control (and therefore money) and on the other hand the coffee they hand you to taste is 'orrible, showing they either dont know how to make coffee, or their pods are...??? I dunno. I hate it when stand holders *push* you to try something you didint necessarily need or want at the time of offering, then try and tell you how good it is while you're choking on it. Are these people actual coffee people or salesmen? There is an easy test for pods. All you have to do is send someone out to by buy a certain brand of N***spresso pods, get a group of Crema Forum people together and do a taste test on the pod coffee. Draw a line on the floor, one side is for those that reckon the coffee was good and or on par with a brew made with good fresh and freshly ground coffee, and the other side is for those that reckon the coffee was not up to a comparison with good fresh, freshly ground coffee. Ah I love the smell ( aroma?) that wafts from a vacuum sealed pack of pods..."freshly opened"......that is if you like the smell of stale grinds. Regardz, FC.

askthecoffeeguy

There is an easy test for pods. All you have to do is send someone out to by buy a certain brand of N***spresso pods, get a group of Crema Forum people together and do a taste test on the pod coffee. Draw a line on the floor, one side is for those that reckon the coffee was good and or on par with a brew made with good fresh and freshly ground coffee, and the other side is for those that reckon the coffee was not up to a comparison with good fresh, freshly ground coffee.

That would be a no-brainer, wouldn't it? I ran some single origin beans through my Bezzera BZ99 this morning, and damn, if it didn't taste better than the espresso at my work! Maybe coz I spend more time tweaking the grind for espresso @ home? Cheers, Pat

avitephen

some close relatives of mine started using pod coffee and swear by it.. they used to make coffee from pre ground (harris i think) S**T that they stored in the freezer so anything would be a step up for them.. ive tasted it and thought there wasnt much right about it. though it could have been the skill of the people making it.. im with FC on this.. i dont see why you would want to sacrifice freshness and pay more for the sake of an easy clean up, i mean i knew about the mess involved when i bought my set up (and i assume every one else here does to) its the price we pay for a good cup at home. Even if a group of us got together and decided it didn

avitephen

NEWBIE??? ahhh rubbish! i was only inactive for a a few weeks.. maybe?? hehe

Unknown

.. i dont see why you would want to sacrifice freshness and pay more for the sake of an easy clean up,

Is staleness of coffee the result of oxidization?

Unknown

the trouble with pods is by definition they're stale!!! You can't make great espresso if you use STALE COFFEE!!!!! dR

I certainly agree with your second statement.... .....But your first statement makes you sound very narrow minded

askthecoffeeguy

My understanding is that pre-ground coffee has already had its CO2 content removed prior to packaging, and that CO2 is an essential component in releasing the oils of the bean to build aroma and a significant crema - so, by definition, pods and pre-ground are already stale prior to packaging. I'm a bit iffy on the details, though, FC is probably in a better posn to fill in the blanks here... Pat

DoubleRistretto

i guess i'm working off some commonly accepted facts - firstly, that roasted coffee is stale after around 10 days to max 2 weeks. And we all know that ground coffee keeps for an even shorter time than whole roasted beans. Coffee pod manufacturers don't generally stamp roasted & packed dates on their pods, but i would be guessing that pods that arrive in Australia would have been roasted, ground & packed anywhere from 3 months to 3 years ago. They claim all sorts of techniques for keeping the freshness in, but to my mind they don't work.

askthecoffeeguy

I wouldn't mind knowing a little more about the science behind it, but my understanding is that all pre-ground coffee, pods included, is stale before it even hits the packaging. Perhaps someone else with a bit more knowledge can fill in the details here... ACG