Senseo and other Coffee Pod Systems

[Jason Perlow]

I have given several as gifts, however I search for the stores that have the ones with the large water resevoir

On Amazon, they they just got in the "holiday" Senseo, which is bright red, and has a shorter spout so that you can use bigger mugs for doing double shots for 8oz coffees. In addition to two packs of coffee It also comes with pod holder cans and a special travel mug designed for the shorter spout setup.

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[rancho_gordo]

If you want small amounts of perfect, hot, dark strong coffee, you can always get an Italian moka for about $18. They last forever, look cool and there's less packaging waste as it takes real coffee.

I'm a gadget lover and have tried to justify buying one of these Senseo or Melita things but in the end the coffee is too important and I hate the idea of yet another toy crowding my counter top, despite my wanting new toys.

[Jason Perlow]

I have a small Bialetti pot. Still takes at least like 5 minutes to make one, though, not counting grinding fresh beans

[Jason Perlow]

Just got in my Podhead.com pods -- I'm really impressed with them so far, just had cups of their Kona blend and their Roasted Almond flavor. I ordered the mixed batch of 130 pods for Melitta.

The Podhead Melitta pods are very densely packed compared to regular Melitta or Senseo pods, and produce a very strong coffee, even at the 8oz setting. With the coffee, Podhead supplies a teflon O-ring adapter that you lay on top of the Melitta pod holder so that it creates a tighter seal and allows it to extract the coffee better.

[Jason Perlow]

An interesting Chicago Tribune article on the state of single serve coffee brewers and pods:

Pods, packets taking Joe in new direction

[tryska]

does anyone know where i can find a cost analysis comparing traditional coffee by the pound versus these pods?

better yet - how many ground tbsps does 1 lb of whole beans make?

Edited December 1, 2005 by tryska (log)

[melkor]

better yet - how many ground tbsps does 1 lb of whole beans make?

←

I get about two dozen double espresso shots out of a pound of coffee, I've got no idea how many tablespoons that is.

[phaelon56]

One pound (16 oz - not the 12 oz bags so common in grocery stores) yields about 64 doses of 7 grams each, each dose being approximately the right amount for a 6 oz "cup of coffee". If you use a vac pot, french press or like your coffee stronger you may choose to use a bit more than 7 grams.

Like pod prcies, coffee prices vary widely. At $5 - $10 per full pound we have coffee coming in at about 7.5 cents to 15 cents per six ounce "cup. I think the really cheap pods are about 25 to 30 cents each and the better ones are as much as 50 cents - even when purchased in quantity.

IIRC the typical "cup" from a pod machine is eight ounces rather than six but that still has pod coffee at a substantially higher unit cost relative to ground and brewed coffee. But people love the convenience.

[tryska]

thanks pahelon - i knew you'd ahve the answer! so let's say my preferred coffee is Allegro French Roast - which let's say I can get cheaply for 10 bucks. A 12 oz cup of drip coffee would be at least 30 cents per mug.

for good pods that produce 10oz of coffee, it's about 40 cents per.

Which isn't that bad. For me it's not just the convenience - it's a matter of scale too - I drink 1 cup per day. I do have to say I find the ability to have variety in the brews i try on a daily basis without committing to several different pounds in the freezer is compelling.

[andiesenji]

For some situations, it is not just the convenience. For instance I have gifted some college students with the Senseo because their dorm rules say they cannot have any appliance with an exposed heat source so a regular coffee maker is not allowed.

The Senseo and others of that type have no exposed heat surface so are okay, this is also true in some retirement homes where individuals like to have something like this of their own, rather than having to go to a kitchen area or get something from a vending machine. There are lots of cons, but in my opinion, there are far more pros, for people who just want a cup of coffee. it is not a substitute for high end machines producing espresso, etc.

I bought a bunch of the dark roast senseo pods at Target that were marked $3.84, however because I bought 3 boxes and used my Target Visa, I got an additional discount that brought the price down to $3.26 which makes each pod cost .18 cents.

[andiesenji]

Here is an update on availability of pods for the Senseo.

I have ordered several varietals and flavors from Baronet Coffee

Their selection is staggering. I sent a couple of boxes to a friend to whom I gave a Senseo machine for Christmas '04.

I am extremely pleased with these coffees. The flavored ones are quite strong. I use one flavored pod and one regular dark roast Senseo for a double cup.

The chocolate raspberry is amazing!

[Jason Perlow]

The Baronets are excellent. I ordered a whole bunch of pods during the holiday season and got cinnamon and eggnog flavors. They also have Kenya AA and Kona pods that are excellent.

[andiesenji]

The Baronets are excellent. I ordered a whole bunch of pods during the holiday season and got cinnamon and eggnog flavors. They also have Kenya AA and Kona pods that are excellent.

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I didn't order any Kona, because I still have some from another vendor. However I am most impressed with the Dark Guatemalan. In addition to the individua sleeves ofl flavored pods(7) , I also ordered the regular pod sampler and am going to order the Sumatra dark roast and the Kenya French roast in the Mega pod boxes to take to the office.

[tryska]

hey y'all - it's been awhile, but I actually did wind up buying a senseo, and I absolutely adore it. The coffee is certainly a different animal from other brewing methods. But it's incredibly convenient and i'm enjoying the variety it affords me.

For awhile i was strictly getting archer's farms pods from Target - I dug their french roast, and tierra del sol, and I also liked Maxwell house hazelnut pods.

I've tried a few online places too - I have to say i'm not a big fan of Baronet's. I find most of their pod offerings to thin and lackluster. With the exception of the Guatemala. I like the Dark Guatemala quite a bit, altho it's quite acidic. My roommate addores their 100% Kona tho. She's going to give me a couple of those pods to try.

My personal favorite right now is Timothy's Italian Blend. I adore that coffee, it's nice and thick with a sweet dark-ish taste. Reunion Island and 52nd Street have some compelling pods too.

[shelly59]

Just received my first batch of pods from Baronet. Will post my 2 pence once I get a chance to try them for a few days.

[tryska]

may i just say that this was an absolutely delicious flavored coffee?

I wrote a review for it too:

http://www.betterpods.com/miva/merchant.mv...ode=ALOHAISLAND

[andiesenji]

I am bumping this thread up because I have been playing with a new toy, a pod maker which produces excellent results.

I have tried the various pod filters and was completely dissatisfied with all of them. Not a single one of these, (in my opinion) overpriced gadgets, produced anything near a drinkable cup of coffee.

The Perfect Pod Coffee Pod Maker has worked exactly as advertised and I am very impressed.

I have used commerical espresso, French roast and Italian roast beans, freshly ground as well as flavored beans, also fresh ground.

I have upgraded as the newer models of the Senseo were introduced and currently have a "Supreme" which can be set to dispense a triple serving.

Pod filled for double+ serving.

When light stops blinking, press down for 3 seconds.

Sealed completely.

Equal to two regular pods:

After brewing, no breach of seal.

[Tangelo]

I recently added a pod maker to my wish list as well. How exciting to stumble over this thread and find that I am not the only one using this amazing little machine? And getting wonderful cups of coffee from it every day. I want the pod maker to experiment with some fresh ground stuff that has been tugging at my interest. Thanks for posting the review, AndieSenji, you cleared up the last of my doubts. Do you fine it pretty easy to use then? Are you making your pods fresh for brewing or making them in batches and storing?

[andiesenji]

I sometimes will make a few at a time, after roasting and grinding green beans.

I use a tamper to get the grounds firmly packed, and a small brush to clean the edges of the pod before sealing.

I also crease the base of the flap prior to filling, so it is easier to close it before sealing.

I have even tried flavoring the grounds, prior to sealing, using one of the Lorann flavoring oils, I did have to buy one of the precision droppers that dispenses half a regular drop.

These flavored pods go into a tightly sealed container - one with a gasket and a wire snap latch, to "mature" for a day prior to use.

The choices of the type of coffee are endless. A little powdered vanilla (the black stuff, not the sweetened vanilla powder) can be placed in the pod with the coffee., etc.

[Tangelo]

Wow! That's so much more intriguing and impressive than what I plan to do with mine. I was just happy to find that I would be able to put really great coffee in pod-form. You are creating really great coffee to put IN your pods. And crafting some nice flavored stuff at the same time, I see.

Something occurred to me while I was reading your post. Coffee hits so many of the same notes as chocolate, it's surprising to me that no one has started an edgy boutique line of coffees similar to the really high-end chocolates. I would think some of the more unusual pairings that are being made by Vosges et al could be made with coffee as well. Or even a mocha line based on those sorts of pairings. Like imagine if you could get pods in Sumatra dark roast with Indian green cardamom, organic California walnut, and dried plum a la Vosges Calindia chocolate bar?

I think we are on to something, AndieSenji! Wanna start a coffee company with me? You can roast the beans and come up with the flavor extraction processes necessary and I will steal flavors from all the really great chocolate makers? Deal?

[andiesenji]

Ah. If only I was thirty or even twenty years younger.

My chocolate experience is limited - I am allergic to the stuff but love the aroma and have used the artificial flavor extracts. I do cook with it for other people but have to rely on others to taste the results.

There is such a huge competition in coffee and coffee products, that anything "new" is difficult to promote. In just the past year two, seemingly popular coffee shops here in my area, went bust for no apparent reason. One week they were "trendy" and a month later the customers had dried up. And there was no competition anywhere close by. Very strange.

I think your imagination will prompt you to come up with many flavor adventures.

[racheld]

I just finished my third cup with a "little sprink a cinnimin" (according to my fave coffee companion, DGD#1, who actually favors a little coffee-nilla in hers).

I've been using my Senseo for three years now---a Christmas gift from DD, and I got in the habit of retiring it for Summer, going with the lighter drip or perk methods, but this year, I just let it sit in its counter-place, and had the good thick foamy stuff almost every morning, with just a few days of presspot-under-a-tea-caddy at the table.

I'm intrigued by the press-it pods, and will be off this p.m. in search of one of my own (Winter's a-comin'!). I did use the Excedrin-bottle method for a while, making up pods with the teensy filters, but this looks perfect, and I've got a LOT of lovely flavored coffees from gift bags from the children to use up.

Andie, you just know the BEST STUFF!!!

[GlorifiedRice]

Bought a Tassimo.

LOVE it! It has milk and 1 inch foam.

Tea, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Lattes, Foam, Crema.

ONE machine.

[Stefferdoos]

Bought a Tassimo.

LOVE it! It has milk and 1 inch foam.

Tea, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Lattes, Foam, Crema.

ONE machine.

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I had a Senseo that I bought back in 2005 but last year switched to the Tassimo. Bed Bath and Beyond stocks the Gevalia pods for coffee, espresso, lattes & cappucinos along with the Sucard Hot Chocolate. I haven't gone back to check to see if they've added Tassimo to their subscription programs yet. Last year about this time they had just added the Senseo pods to a subscription program. I'm not a big fan of the lattes & cappucinos as the milk pods are shelf stable milk and its got a bit of a sticky mouthfeel to it. But I run through about one package of the Gevalia Crema coffee each week.

I'm not a fan at all of that other system the Keurig (or however its spelled). One of my clients has it at their office and I just find no matter what roast I use it all comes out watery and they use the Green Mountain pods for theirs. And I've never found Green Mountain to be a bad product so I think its just the machine that's at issue here.

Edited December 20, 2007 by Stefferdoos (log)

[andiesenji]

I've worked my way through several Senseo machines, buying the newer models as they became available. Currently have the "Supreme"

I have tried the other pod machines and have not been happy with the results. The Tassimo I tried sputtered and spit and never delivered a full measure of coffee into the cup. I may have had a defective unit but simply returned it for credit.

I tried the Keurig and did not find it any better.

I have yet to try the Bunn "My Café" brewer but read one review that said it was very good and another that said it was okay but too expensive at $270. but the place I found it, had it priced at $359.95, which is much higher.

I bought a Simple Human pod brewer for a friend who expressed a desire for that particular brewer and it is quite satisfactory but has a much larger "footprint" than the Senseo and for people who have limited space, not that handy.