Pablo Luna
There was a time when coffee brewed at home was a substandard option. Coffee connoisseurs would turn their noses up at anything that didn’t come from a barista at their local gourmet coffee establishment. Now coffee capsules and pods have become caffeine’s version of fast food.
Coffee addicts can produce Michelin star quality coffee from their own kitchen in a matter of seconds, including the frothy milk.
Coffee machines can be found in every household store – more than 40 percent of US households now own one and a third of British homes have invested in their coffee habits. And, the coffee capsules and pods couldn’t be easier to get hold of. They can be found on Amazon, eBay, other food sites, boutiques, or major high street retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond, Bloomingdale’s, Costco, Macy’s, and Target.
Coffee pod and capsule machines are easy to use and a drink can be ready in a matter of seconds. There is no need to grind beans and go through a rigorous process You just pop your coffee capsule in the machine and press a button. Hey, presto! In seconds coffee addicts have their fix ready for breakfast or for the daily commute.
How much coffee is there in a pod?
It will depend from pod to pod, but there are about nine to 12 grams of coffee in a pod that should be mixed with around six ounces of water. There is between 60 and 150mg of caffeine in a capsule, depending upon the brand and type of coffee you use.
Our coffee capsules just standard coffee?
Coffee connoisseurs can be as creative as they would going into their local gourmet coffee house with capsules and pods available for lattes, macchiato, Americanos, cappuccinos, mocha, decaf – you name it and you can create a coffee with a coffee capsule or coffee pod machine.
The great thing about coffee pods, a bit like when vegetables are frozen at source and lock in the nutrients, is that they are sealed airtight where the coffee is roasted, so the coffee is as fresh as if it had just been ground and roasted.
In the past, there has been concern about the environmental impact of coffee capsules and pods when they are disposed of – particularly considering the demand for coffee and these new convenience machines and the numbers that are being bought. But many brands have now introduced compostable pods to ease the fears of environmentalists and to cater for environmentally conscious coffee drinkers.
When buying a new coffee capsule or pod machines, it is really important to do your research on taste. Some machines will only use certain brand capsules and pods, so you have to make sure you like the coffee you can get from those particular brands or it could be a pricey mistake.
The great thing about coffee capsules is the consistent taste and not just for espresso. If you are a coffee fiend then you know you will want a certain quality. Using coffee capsules will guarantee you the right taste, consistency, and quality every time.
Can you use a pod without a machine?
Using a coffee pod or capsule without a machine is possible, but the quality and strength of the coffee are not guaranteed and it is a bit of a faff. You can remove the pod from its packaging, add hot water, and let the pod sleep in the water for a few minutes. Two to three minutes in the water will give you a weak coffee, four to five minutes will give you a normal cup and five to six minutes will give you a strong coffee. If the pod floats to the top, use a spoon to keep it under the water.
How much do coffee machines and capsules cost?
The machines can cost anything from around $50 to $250, depending on what you want to do, the brand you choose, and the quality of the coffee you want to produce. It is key to do your research first and make sure it fits your requirements.
Special capsule holders can be as cheap as $10 and look good sitting on the kitchen workspace.
Capsules and pods cost between 27 and 70 cents, depending on the brand and the type of coffee. It is cheaper the more you buy. You can also buy bio and fair-trade coffee from some of the best coffee regions in the world.
The popularity of coffee drinking
The COVID-19 pandemic might have slowed the production of coffee down very slightly, but the industry has been growing and growing. World coffee exports in April 2020 totaled 10.82 million bags, compared with 11.17 million bags at the same time last year.
From April 2019 to April 2020 the total amount of Arabica exported was 81.3 million bags, compared to 80.75 million the previous year. Robusta beans, these are the more bitter beans that are usually used for instant coffee, saw a drop in exports from 47.65 million to 45.63 million April 2019 to April 2020. Coffee experts say that this is a result of the explosion of gourmet coffee outlets that has encouraged people to demand barista style coffee everywhere they go, including in their homes.
