With all the money and interest that has been “poured” into the coffee industry over the past decade (see Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts), there have been some great innovations. Chief among these are coffee pods. They allow for a much easier, simpler, and cleaner cup of joe, which is probably why they have become so popular. So who are the pod makers and what do they have on offer?
Melitta
Few companies have established themselves in this sector as well as Melitta. They are the first name that comes to many people’s minds when they hear the term “coffee pods”. They are a bit of a lower-cost option, though. I would not count them as quite a gourmet producer. Typically, you can get a pack of 18 pods for around $5
Senseo
Senseo serves up a wide variety of coffee flavors, partnering with Douwe Egberts among others to provide a different taste for everyone out there. They are also a big player in the pod industry and may offer more choices than anyone else. Prices run the same, more or less, as Melitta, and are often sold in 4-packs of 18.
Green Mountain
Green Mountain Coffee has not only be a terrific investment of late, but it is also very well known for its fair trade ethic and environmental and social conscience. This is truly a nice company to get behind. But how are their coffee pods? Are they just another eco-friendly company producing cardboard tasting garbage? According to most consumers the answer is a resounding no, which is probably why they are doing so well. Now, Green Mountain’s “pods” are actually called K-cups. They may not have quite as much variety as our previous examples but you can be quite sure they will make up for that by putting much attention and quality into each flavor they do decide to produce. And of course you’re going to end up spending a bit more here. I would say a pack of 24 will probably cost somewhere around $12, or $0.50 per cup.
Maxwell House
Everybody knows Maxwell House! I am more of a Folgers guy but since Maxwell has made more inroads into the coffee pod consumer market, let’s give them a fair shot here.
Although they “got into the game” a bit later than some other coffee producers, you know that this long-standing stand out is not going to come lightly. Their basic blends are the House Blend, House Decaf, French Roast, and Hazelnut. The general verdict here seems to be that if you like Maxwell House’s “regular” coffee, you will like their pods as well. The only asterisk is that you may have to use two pods to get all the flavor you really want. This isn’t the worst thing in the world, in my opinion. Lord knows how much extra coffee is thrown out when brewing with pots.
More Varieties of Pods
So there are many other makers who are in on this fast growing and convenient new way to take your coffee, but the above give a pretty decent overview of the spectrum of what’s out there. Of course you can find Starbucks, Juan Valdez, etc. but they will all fall somewhere in the range of coffee pods we have illustrated already. Know what you like: this is the first rule. From there it is just a matter of experimentation and hopefully finding what works for you sooner rather than later. In the end there is nothing better than a cup of joe done just right. And who can’t love how simplified the process has become with the emergence of coffee pods!
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