Coffee pods

Coffee pods are a new product in the coffee industry. New technologies make it possible to prepare aromatic drinks in literally a matter of minutes, without affecting the taste of coffee. Recently, there has been a trend among offices to install pod coffee machines.

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What are coffee machine pods?

What are coffee machine pods?

The pod is a filter bag containing coffee. Its weight is about 7-9 grams. The package uses exclusively perforated two-layer paper. The pod shape is round.

Historical reference

The idea of producing pods appeared in Italy, and the name came from the Italian word “cialda”, which translates as “wafer”. The first coffee machines working with this product began to be produced by the famous Swiss company Nespresso.

The idea quickly began to develop and producers did not limit themselves to one type of coffee. Today the range includes about 20 types. In Russia, the Kupo company began producing the new product.

Production

The process of making pods is quite complex and includes several stages:

Preparing coffee beans. Often, manufacturers use several varieties at once.
Roasting coffee.
Environmental impact on the product. This is quite an important stage.Over the course of several days, the necessary chemical reactions occur that contribute to the full disclosure of all the qualities of the grains.
Making ground coffee.
Hermetic packaging, which is completed in just a few seconds. Thanks to this packaging, coffee is able to retain its taste characteristics for a long time.

Attention! The pods retain their taste for a long time due to the hermetically sealed packaging.

Pods are usually produced in two sizes:

diameter 44 mm;
diameter 55 mm.

The type depends directly on the model of the coffee machine. Coffee bags are sold in boxes or metal cans from 18 to 100 pieces. In this case, the pods can be pressed or powdered.

Manufacturers can also use paper of different densities to create filter bags. This is largely determined by the strength of the coffee and the water pressure in the coffee machine. The lower the pressure, the thicker the paper should be.

Types of coffee

Coffee pods can have various flavorings, such as caramel, chocolate, nuts, cream or vanilla. A combination of several flavors is possible. Also on store shelves you can see coffee pods of varying degrees of roasting, which significantly affects the taste of the drink.

Many manufacturers have begun to produce sets of pods containing tablets from different types of coffee with different flavoring additives. This is very convenient, as it gives you the opportunity to try a new type of drink each time, thereby determining the most suitable one for yourself.

Attention! When choosing pods with flavoring additives, be sure to carefully study the composition. A high-quality product has a minimum amount of “extra” ingredients.

For people with certain health problems, manufacturers offer caffeine-free products.These varieties often have light fruity aromas.

The following types of coffee are considered the most common:

For cappuccino lovers, Italco Concerto is suitable, with a subtle, pleasant hazelnut aroma.
Buscaglione Long has a slight bitterness and is popular among people who prefer Americano.
But those who prefer espresso should pay attention to Italko Assolo.
San Giusto has chocolate tones in its taste.
ILLY Espresso is one of the strongest types of coffee; a beautiful foam forms when brewed.
Lavazza is a strong drink with a persistent chocolate aroma and aftertaste.

In general, there are up to 20 varieties of coffee for each type of pod coffee machine, but consumers want more and more variety. This forces manufacturers to work on creating new types of coffee tablets.

How to choose the right pods

To make the right choice of product and not be disappointed with your purchase, you should pay attention to several important tips from experts:

Much depends on where the coffee beans are grown. The best varieties are brought from Ethiopia. The grains brought from Costa Rica and Colombia are not inferior to them in terms of taste. But coffee in Haiti has a slightly unusual sweet taste.
Pay attention to the degree of grinding. It is better to choose a medium degree.
You can't skimp on quality. The composition usually includes robusta. And the lower its content, the higher the quality of the drink, and, accordingly, the price. Coffee in which it is present in an amount of 20% is considered ideal.
Pods must be purchased in accordance with the technical requirements of the coffee maker and the manufacturer's recommendations. Deviation from them can lead to tasteless and low-quality coffee, as well as equipment breakdown.

Coffee pod machines

The following companies are engaged in the production of coffee machines operating using pods:

WMF AG.
Severin.
Philips.

This technique is characterized by noiselessness and high quality of the finished drink. However, many are unhappy that there is no way to regulate the strength of coffee.

Manufacturers believe that such a remark should apply not to the coffee machine, but to the pods. The consumer must buy coffee tablets of the required strength. But experts believe that the strength also depends on the speed of passage of water (this applies to compressed pods).

The slower the water passes through the tablet, the stronger the drink. Also, the higher the density of the compressed coffee, the higher the strength, since the liquid has time to “take” much more flavor from the ground beans. Pod coffee makers are very easy to use. All you have to do is add a filter bag and within half a minute the aromatic drink is ready. Almost immediately you can load the next pod, no dirt remains after making coffee.

Advantages and disadvantages

Any technique has pros and cons of use. The main advantages of pod coffee machines include:

Always fresh and rich taste of coffee, even if the filter bags have been stored in packaging for a long time (the manufacturing method retains all the qualities for a long time).
Economical consumption of pods. They are often sold in large packages that last a long time.
Absolute absence of chemical additives. The composition includes only natural products.
Filter bag paper is considered environmentally friendly and safe for human health.
Easy to brew coffee.
Quickly obtain a flavorful drink.

But, of course, there are several disadvantages:

Little-known manufacturers may not use the highest quality raw materials.
The selection of coffee types is somewhat limited.
There is no way to independently regulate the strength of the drink.
Pods are not considered a common product in stores; finding them is quite problematic. It is even more difficult to find a variety of filter bags with additives.
The price is considered high compared to common coffee machines.

When choosing a coffee machine, each consumer decides for himself which qualities of the equipment are his priority and what he should pay attention to. In any case, a pod coffee machine is fast and high-quality.

Technological process for making coffee in pods

Using pod coffee machines is not difficult even for small children. The filter bag is taken out of the package, placed in a special compartment in the coffee machine and after 30 seconds you get a cup of aromatic coffee. The technique works as follows: water heated to a certain temperature under high pressure passes through a pod, drawing out all the aromas and tastes from the coffee.

The drink then simply flows into the cups. Some models (more expensive) provide for changing operating modes, which is also very simple and does not require much effort. Or a technique has been developed that allows you to prepare two cups of coffee at the same time, which is very convenient. There are no problems with cleaning the coffee machine: you just need to remove and throw away the used pod along with the remaining contents.

Attention! Reuse of the pod is not permitted.

Experts believe that the taste and quality of coffee brewed in a pod coffee machine is no worse than a drink prepared in a Turk according to all the rules.