Whether you’re relaxing on a Sunday morning or need to get out of the house quickly on a Wednesday, coffee is part of the experience. Every coffee lover has their own preference for what they drink and how they make it. Experimenting to make the perfect cup is part of the fun, but with so many options, it can be hard to figure out what to do.
Should you get an espresso machine or go for the ease of capsules? Before answering those questions, it’s worth looking at coffee pods, which are often hailed as delivering the best of both worlds.
Why Choose Coffee Pods?
As the most-consumed hot beverage in the UK, we like our coffee to be consistently tasty, hassle-free and convenient. Coffee pods are pre-portioned single servings of coffee sealed in a filter paper that is biodegradable.
You can put them in pod and hybrid machines, as long as the pressure and the basket size are right, or the basket has an adaptor if necessary. Pods are popular because you get consistent quality, there’s no mess of grinding and tamping, and the coffee stays fresh. There are also some advantages compared to capsules.
Capsules vs Pods
Having a single serving of fresh coffee is not a new thing, of course. Capsules offer a similar experience. The terms capsule and pod are sometimes used interchangeably, but they refer to different casings. Let’s look at the main similarities and differences so that you can choose the type that works for you.
Compatibility
When you choose a capsule machine, you’re tied to buying capsules of that particular shape and size. Sometimes that means buying from one manufacturer, but most capsules are available from different brands. There is a choice, but it can be limited by compatibility.
On the other hand, many coffee machine manufacturers have adopted the ESE standard. That means it’s pretty easy to pick a machine and then buy your pods. Often, those machines are hybrid, which means if you feel like doing your own dosing and tamping, you can.
Convenience
Capsules and pods are both convenient options. They remove the mess of grinding beans, measuring out a dose and tamping the grounds into the basket. In both cases, you pop them into the machine, and in next to no time, you have a delicious cup of coffee.
They both have a single dose of espresso. Plus, you get consistent quality that you can repeat every time. However, with a hybrid pod machine, you can choose convenience sometimes and get involved in the process when you feel like it.
Espresso The Way You Like It
the UK, 98 million cups of coffee are consumed every day. With that in mind, it’s best to choose the option that fits your personal needs. While the flavour of the espresso is key, the convenience and overall process of making your morning cup are key factors to consider when deciding between capsules and pods.