Some purists may argue that espresso made using ESE coffee pods is not real espresso, but that’s just not the case.  Espresso is really a way of brewing the coffee.  It has precious little to do with the coffee grinds themselves.  In fact, there are products out there, intended for use in coffee pod machines, that are not ESE but are still labeled espresso.  Those are the ones to watch out for because they are basically nothing more than a slightly stronger brew of coffee.

Be aware that your particular coffee pod machine may or may not be able to use ESE coffee pods.  Some of the espresso coffee pods will tell you on their packaging which machines they do and don’t work with but, past that, you’re sort of on your own in figuring that out.  You might want to do some research on your particular pod coffee maker to be sure that it will work with whichever ESE coffee pods you’re considering.  If you find any espresso coffee pods that do not work with any pod coffee makers, but are not labeled as such, feel free to comment back here so that others know to not bother.

In a cruel twist of irony, those who have espresso machines can almost universally use ESE coffee pods.  All they need is an adapter.  The problem with your average coffee pod brewer is that, regardless of the coffee pod or how it’s mounted, there simply isn’t enough water pressure, which is vital in the making of espresso.

There is currently no way to make espresso with Tassimo T-Discs or a K-Cup brewer.  There are some brews that are labeled as espresso, but they won’t give you the thick consistency, although I’m sure the Tassimo T-Discs will do a pretty good job with the crema.  The crema, if you didn’t know, is the frothy stuff that sits on top of espresso.

Of the various coffee pod producers I have reviewed so far, few of them produce ESE coffee pods.  For instance, there are no ESE Melitta Coffee Pods, nor are there ESE Green Mountain Coffee Pods.  In fact, the vast majority of ESE Coffee Pods are produced by companies that seem to focus solely on single-serve espresso.

Senseo Coffee Pods

Senseo coffee pods are made exclusively for the Senseo coffee pod machine.  This gives Senseo the ability to make their pods, as well as their machines, to work extremely well with each other by not having to worry about other brands of makers and pods.  They seem to be the most popular coffee pods by a rather large margin.

Melitta Coffee Pods (Often misspelled as Melita Coffee Pods)

Melitta coffee pods come in right behind Senseo in popularity, and also have the distinction of not tripping my spell check.  Apparently Melitta is an English word, but Senseo is not.  Anyway, Melitta coffee pods are like Senseo in that they make their own coffee pod brewers and pods, but they don’t claim to be exclusive to one another.

Coffee pods are basically packages of coffee that are pre-packaged with their own filter. Although coffee pods are very convenient, they can only be used with certain types of coffee makers. To use coffee pods, one has to own a coffee maker that is designed specifically for coffee pods. Unfortunately this convenience is unavailable to those of us with normal, cheapo coffee makers. To use coffee pods, you’ll need to obtain a type of coffee maker known as a coffee pod brewer. There are quite a few to chose from, and not all are compatible with all types of pods, so there is some confusion as to which pods and which brewers to use.

All coffee pods are single serve, single cup, and are only intended to be used in a coffee pod machine.

Fortunately, however, coffee pods are sort of an open format. Although they require special pieces of equipment to brew, pretty much any company can make and sell coffee pods, which means there is a very wide variety of coffee pods available to purchase once you have obtained your coffee pod brewer. Coffee pods are available for as little as $5, though some of the more premium pods sell for over $30. As with everything, it’s really up to you how much you want to spend and if you taste a flavor difference between them. If you, personally, don’t notice a difference between the cheapest and the most expensive, then there’s obviously no reason to waste the extra money.

Coffee pod brewers range from $10 to well over $400 for personal one cup brewers, and upwards of $1100 for commercial grade brewers. They can be purchased from most regular department stores, as well as online. As with most things, if you have the patience to wait for it, it’s probably better and cheaper to order it online.

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.

Most coffee pods brewers can hold pods between four and nine grams, though there are many that can hold pods that contain up to twelve grams of coffee. In some cases, it is required to pre-infuse the larger coffee pods. Although pre-infusing sounds very technical, it’s really nothing more than wetting the pod before placing it in the brewer.

It is generally impossible to tell just by looking whether your pod will fit your coffee pod machine. This is because all coffee pods currently on the market are between 55 and 61 mm, which is not easily discerned by the human eye.

Also available are T-Discs and K-Cups. Unlike coffee pods, these are not an “open format” type of coffee. You would need permission and a license to make either T-Discs or K-Cups, which means the selection is far more limited for them. Also, oddly, T-Discs are not Kosher.

T-Discs only work in the Tassimo Hot Beverage Machines, and the Tassimo Hot Beverage Machines only use T-Discs. There are some marked advantage to T-Discs over coffee pods or K-Cups, however.

When one buys T-Discs to make cappuccino, for instance, they’ll receive a package with separate groups of discs; some discs for milk, and containing coffee. While this may seem like a less convenient method, it does give the Tassimo system the flexibility to offer not only coffee, but latte, cappuccino, and even hot chocolate, complete with a frothy topping.

Before deciding between coffee pods, T-Discs, and K-Cups, you should do some thought and some research on exactly what it is you plan to brew. Remember, K-Cups can only be used in a very select few machines, and T-Discs are available only from Tassimo. Also, it’s either impossible, or not nearly as easy to make your own when it comes to T-Discs and K-Cups as opposed to coffee pods.  Making your own coffee pods really isn’t that difficult at all, actually.

You probably already have what you will need to make your own coffee pods. The first thing you will need is a measuring scoop that fits neatly into the holder on your coffee pods brewer. Many find that a 1/3 cup is a perfect fit, but use what fits best for your particular coffee pod machine.

Then, look for a glass or jar that fits just barely into the measuring scoop. Vitamin jars are often used for this particular step. Lastly, look around for any Mr. Coffee style filters that are made for the really small 4 to 5 cup machine. If you don’t have any of these, they are very cheap at your local grocery store, and absolutely necessary for creating your own coffee pods.

Now, take one of your filters and shape it evenly over the end of your glass or jar, or whatever it is you found to use in the place of a glass or jar. Try your best to center the filter, but perfection is not necessary for creating your own coffee pods. Then, flip the jar and filter and press it into the measuring scoop. Spinning and pressing the jar around a bit will get you a nice tight edge in the filter paper in the bottom of the measuring cup.

Take off the jar, and you’ll be left with a cup-shaped filter still in your measuring scoop. Add a scoop, or about two teaspoons of whatever ground coffee you’d like to use into this paper-filter-cup-thing. Your typical coffee scoop that comes with the maker will hold about 7 grams of coffee which is a good amount for making coffee pods. Shake the cup a bit to spread the ground evenly across the bottom of the filter, then gently fold over the extra filter material with your finger to completely cover the ground coffee.

If you want really well formed coffee pods, simply place the jar into the scoop again and put a lot of pressure on it with your hand.

Flip the scoop, and out pops your own home-made coffee pods!

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