Great Coffee Pods (and Tassimo T-Discs, too!)

Yet another installment of coffee pods by the brand, as opposed to type, as was the last post.  Anyway.  Millstone Coffee Pods are the subject today.  Currently the gourmet coffee pods in the J.M. Smucker Family, you can expect these to be at least superior to Folgers Coffee Pods.  This is because Folgers is also owned by the J.M. Smucker Company.  Of course, it wasn’t always this way…

Before Millstone Coffee Pods, the Millstone Coffee Company made their business shipping whole coffee beans to supermarkets.  This was a fairly new idea, one that Millstone pioneered in 1981 when it was first started in Everett, Washington.  The Millstone name has seen quite a number of owners, though, considering its relative youth.  Proctor and Gamble purchased the majority of the company in 1996.  In 2008, they spun both the Millstone and the Folgers name off into its own company, named The Folgers Coffee Company.  Later that same year, The J.M. Smucker Company merged with The Folgers Coffee Company.  One can assume that there was probably some sort of tax manipulation there since companies of this size rarely move that quickly for much of anything.

Luckily for the Millstone label, The J.M. Smucker Company sees Millstone Coffee Pods as their premier coffee, so quality has not suffered.

When shopping for Millstone Coffee Pods, be aware that there is relatively little variety within the label.  There are only 32 different flavors, including decaf coffee pods, so, if you’re looking for something unique, you might need to look elsewhere.  They do not make teas or ESE coffee pods.  However, if you’re looking for the best version of the tried and true blends, then Millstone Coffee Pods just might be what you’re looking for.

Since they sport the Home Cafe Coffee Pods name, you can bet that they’ll fit just about any pod coffee maker that takes regular coffee pods.  They’re often compared, quite favorably, to Senseo coffee pods as they apparently fit quite well in those machines, too.  Even the Keurig crowd uses Millstone Coffee Pods with pod adapters.  You’d be hard pressed to find a significant number of people that don’t like the flavor of Millstone Coffee Pods, too.

Can’t find Millstone Coffee Pods in your local grocery store?  That’s not surprising.  Since the same company owns Folgers, they’re pretty selective about where they place Millstone.  After all, what’s the point in competing with yourself?  Still, it’s fairly easy to find Millstone Coffee Pods online, and the coffee pod was practically made for shipping.

If you’ve stumbled up on ESE coffee pods without knowing what they are, chances are pretty good you were looking for espresso coffee pods.  They’re one in the same.  The only way to make espresso using a pod coffee maker is using ESE coffee pods.  They can also be used in espresso machines with special adapters.

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.

I’m sure you’re asking, as would many; exactly what are coffee pods? Are they little spaceships in which coffee travels? Obviously not, but the term coffee pods doesn’t exactly jump out at you with an explanation, does it?

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.