Coffee pod
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It has been proposed that Coffee pod be renamed and moved to Coffee pods, bags and capsules (Discuss). |
- "Coffee-pod" is also a name for the Chinese Senna, Senna obtusifolia.
Coffee pods (also called coffee pads) are pre-packaged ground coffee beans in their own filter. In certain non-English speaking countries, such as Germany and The Netherlands, the word "pad" is used instead of "pod", for semantic reasons.[1]
A variation, coffee bags, were developed to provide the convenience of instant coffee but maintain the flavor of brewed coffee. Modeled after tea bags, they consist of a gauze bag containing a mixture of instant coffee and finely ground roast coffee, which is to be steeped in hot water for approximately five minutes.
A coffee capsule differs from a coffee pod in that the coffee is packed in a plastic or aluminum package instead of a paper filter, and it is usually designed for use with a single brand or system and is therefore not interchangeable with other systems.[2]
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[edit] Comparison of usage and function
Coffee pods, bags, and capsules can both reduce the time needed to brew coffee and can simplify the brewing process by eliminating the need to measure out portions, flavorings, and additives from large bulk containers. They can also help to keep the unused product fresher by individually packaging portions separately without exposing the entire supply batch to air and light. Paper coffee pods can be functionally identical to plastic and metal coffee capsules, if the paper pods are individually sealed in separate bags.
The plastic and metal coffee capsules typically are used in a non-removable receptacle on the brewing device. The capsules have an outer ring or rim that stays dry during use, allowing for removal and disposal after use without getting the user's hands wet or sticky. Handling of a used moist coffee pod is not necessary if the brewing device has a removable filter tray. This tray is removed after brewing and inverted to eject the used coffee pod.
Coffee pods, bags, and capsules can be sized for individual or multi-serving portions. In food service businesses, pods and capsules used with automatic brewing can help to provide consistency of product strength and flavor for customers.
Paper coffee pods have the benefit of being a fully biodegradable product that can decompose naturally, while plastic and metal capsules either aren't recyclable, or require additional processing to separate the plastic/metal container from the organic waste products.
Due to the high temperature water used for brewing, all types of coffee machines usually don't need to be disassembled and cleaned with soap after every use. Many capsule machines specifically admonish the user to not disassemble the machine or put their fingers inside the capsule receptacle, as the devices commonly use sharp razor-edge tubes or prongs for piercing the coffee capsule during use.
[edit] Comparison of single-cup systems
Different single-cup systems are not interchangeable; some systems force machine owners to buy capsules from a single company (usually the patent owner), locking the machine owner into a single source of coffee. Coffee pods are made by a variety of manufacturers and are interchangeable between brand of pod and model of pod brewer most of the time. Last updated: 25 September 2010.
| System | Owned by | Vintage | Machine manufacturers | Capsule/Pod manufacturers | Markets | Notes of interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Modo Mio | Lavazza | 2007 | Saeco (Philips) branded as Lavazza/Gaggia | Lavazza | Italy, Europe | Lavazza vertical |
| Caffitaly (Caffita) | Caffita System SPA | ??? | Various inc. Princess of Netherlands, Tchibo, Gaggia until recently | Various, inc. Gaggia, Ecaffe | Italy | Widespread Italian user base |
| Dolce Gusto | Nestle | 2008 | Krups, branded Nescafe | Nescafe (Nestle) | UK, US | Nestle vertical |
| Easy Serving Espresso Pod (ESE) | Italian ESE Consortium for Development | 1998 (standard) and previous | Various (Delonghi, FrancisFrancis, Handpresso, Kitchenaid, Krups, Saeco...) | Various | Worldwide | Open, generic standard not tied to particular vendors, pods fit most traditional espresso machines. Not all pods are 45mm (the standard diameter). |
| Flavia | Mars, Inc. | 1984 | Flavia (Mars) | Flavia (Mars) | UK, US | The "fresh pack" (the capsule) is the brewing vessel, so that the drink is not tainted by previous user. Controlled by Mars. |
| K-Cup (Keurig) | Green Mountain Coffee Roasters | 1992 | Keurig, Breville, Cuisinart | Many, primarily Green Mountain | Mainly US | My K-Cup available as a reusable filter for using any filter coffee. |
| Nespresso | Nestle | 1986 | Eugster/Frismag branded as Krups, Magimix, Siemens; Delonghi make Latissima model | Nespresso | US, UK | Nestle-controlled system |
| Coffee Pods | None | ??? | Bunn, Philips, Melitta, Grindmaster, Cuisinart, CafeXpress, etc. | Douwe Egberts, Reunion Island, Wolfgang Puck, Melitta, Fratello Coffee Roasters, etc. | Worldwide | Not owned by a specific corporation. Many more manufacturers of pods and brewers exist. Also biodegradable. |
| T-Discs (Tassimo) | Kraft | 2004 | Bosch branded as TASSIMO | Various, inc. Starbucks, Maxwell House. Mostly subsidiaries of Kraft. (see T-Discs) | North America, Europe |
[edit] References
- ^ The German and Dutch pronunciation of English "pod" would not have evoked a particularly fashionable product, in German this would be a "Kaffeepott" 'coffee mug', while in Dutch, it would remind customers of "koffiepot" 'coffee pot'.
- ^ "What Are Coffee Pods?", from the page Pod Pack. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
[edit] See also
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