FAQ

A pod is a measured portion of ground coffee or espresso, compressed between two biodegradable filter paper sheets. Depending on your machine the pod diameter will measure 60/62mm (Senseo size) or 44mm ESE (Easy Serving Espresso). By using a coffee or espresso maker specifically designed for use with pods or with the appropriate adapter the pod allows anyone to make an excellent cup of coffee or espresso in no time. Pods are easy to use, convenient and mess free providing a consistently delicious freshly brewed cup of coffee. A breakthrough in quality single-cup coffee. The solution to your single-cup coffee needs combining quality taste with the ease and convenience of a single-cup.

ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) is the worldwide industry standard for coffee pods, and has a size of 44mm. Any pod that meets the ESE standard can be used in any espresso machine that is ESE compatible. The ESE pod contains between 6.7-7.5 grams of coffee, with the normal weight being about 7 grams, but this all depends on the flavour profile of the coffee beans used. The ESE pod is placed in a special pod holder that fits inside the portafilter, on some machines this is the same one that is used for ground coffee, but with other manufactures the filter basket needs to be changed, this is to ensure that the ESE pod fits correctly, and that the water runs through the pod, and not around it. The extensive use of espresso pod machines in the home only really become popular during the 1990’s, when Illy cofounded the ESE Consortium and created the ESE standard. With the launch of this ESE standard, Illy made a concerted effort to mass market these machines as a convenient way to enjoy espresso in the home. In addition, as the ESE is open standard, other coffee roasters could adopt the design and produce their own brand of ESE 44mm pods and this then encouraged other coffee machine manufacturers, such as Gaggia, Dualit, Delonghi etc.to produce ESE friendly coffee machines.

This type pod is a measured portion of ground coffee or espresso, compressed between two biodegradable filter paper sheets. Each pod measures 62mm. diameter. By using a coffee or espresso maker specifically designed for use with pods, the pod allows anyone to make an excellent cup of coffee or espresso in no time. Pods are easy to use, convenient and mess free, providing a consistently delicious freshly brewed cup of coffee. A breakthrough in quality single-cup coffee. The solution to your single-cup coffee needs - combining quality taste with the ease and convenience of a single-cup! Our pods work with a variety of single-cup brewers for maximum flexibility: Aquabrew Caféjo, Black and Decker Home Café, Bunn My Coffee, Grindmaster Precision Brew, Mr. Coffee Home Café, Newco Freshcup, Phillips Senseo, and RefyneBrew.

The key selling point of ESE pods is convenience. The handcrafted preparation of espresso requires skill and is somewhat messy. Grinders have to be calibrated the coffee needs to be dosed and tamped correctly and afterwards all the equipment and the surrounding workspace needs to be cleaned. With an ESE pod there is none of this. The pods are already pre-dosed and pre-tamped and the coffee grounds stay contained in the paper filter. Once finished with, the pod can simply be discarded like a teabag. However, the convenience of ESE pods comes at a price the taste of a carefully handcrafted espresso is by far superior to that of an ESE espresso. In fact, an ESE pod isn’t even in the same ballpark. In comparison to handcrafted espresso, ESE pods lack depth of flavour and liveliness in the mouth. There are two main factors for this:- 1. The coffee in ESE pods is not as fresh as that used for handcrafted espresso. When making espresso by hand, the coffee is ground immediately before use, to preserve all the flavours. This is because the actual grinding process releases aromatics from the coffee which are lost from the end cup if not used quickly. Ground coffee also has a much larger surface area than that of a whole bean, leaving it more vulnerable to the elements. ESE pods are pre-ground at the factory so can’t compete for freshness. However fast we are! But the coffee in our pods is far from stale. We seal the pods in individual foil packages and these are flushed with nitrogen to remove oxygen, further preserving their flavour. Using ESE pods does offer a saving in the short term. The fact that they’re pre-ground means you don’t need a coffee grinder, which is a substantial saving. A good grinder for espresso making will cost well over £100. However, the cost of ESE pods is considerably more than coffee beans. But you need to balance this with the positive side, unlike with beans no coffee is wasted with ESE pods. 2. ESE pods brew too quick to extract the fullest flavour from the coffee. The flow rate of an ESE espresso is quicker than that recommended for a handcrafted espresso. When brewing by hand the aim is to produce an espresso of around 35ml (1.25 fl oz) in volume within 20-35 seconds, as this is thought to be the optimum time to extract as much flavour as possible from the grounds before releasing bitter compounds and excessive caffeine into the drink. With an ESE pod it can take less than half that time to produce the equivalent volume. ESE pods are intentionally designed to have a quicker flow rate to improve consistency from shot to shot. However, the quicker flow rate is caused by less resistance to the water during the brewing process and this in turn leads to a lower brewing pressure, resulting in a lesser extraction. Also as there is no way to control the flow-rate with an ESE pod, it would be impossible to make espresso variations such as a ristretto or lungo. This is our honest report at the end of the day it's a matter of personal choice and the situation you find yourself in. We drink both hand brewing and pods dependent on so many factures time, mood, what we fancy!