What's an espresso coffee pod?

by Jack
(Edmonton., AB)

E.S.E espresso coffee pod.

QUESTION:

Mainly I'm a regular coffee drinker, but sometimes I would like to make myself an espresso or espresso drink, like a cappuccino. I feel a bit intimidated by the full espresso making process, but have heard people talk about espresso coffee pods.

What are they, and do they make the process of making espresso at home easier?

Thanks.

Jack

ANSWER:

Jack, hi

Good question. But before I give you an answer, let me first clarify the definition of an espresso coffee pod, and how it is used.

Here is the thing: People get confused by what a "pod" is. They talk about Keurig coffee pods, Tassimo coffee pods, and so on.

That's not correct. It's a Keurig K-Cup and a Tassimo T-Disc.

A pod is simply a disc of loose coffee packed between two layers of filter paper.

You can find coffee pods for use in specially designed coffee brewers, and espresso pods for use in espresso machines.

The first photo above is of an espresso coffee pod or, more precisely, an E.S.E espresso pod. E.S.E. stands of Easy Serving Espresso.

You can use these pods to make life a little easier when making espresso with an espresso machine. Take another look at the photo and you'll see that the pod is nested in the espresso machine portafilter. And each pod contains exactly 7 grams of finely ground coffee. This means you can make your espresso or espresso-based drink without worrying about grinding the beans, handling loose coffee, weighing the coffee grinds or tamping the coffee in the portafilter. Just drop in the espresso pod and you’re good to go.

The second photo above is of a Tassimo espresso T-Disc for use in a Tassimo single serve coffee machine. Like I said, this isn’t truly a pod, but it serves the same purpose.

So...if you are looking for an easy way to make espresso you have a couple of choices.

One, get yourself a home espresso machine and make sure the portafilter has an adapter for E.S.E espresso coffee pods. (Most do.)

Second, get yourself a single serve coffee making system like the Tassimo, and use it to make both your regular coffee and your espresso-based drinks.

Which one should you choose?

Well, serious coffee geeks will tell you that single-serve systems like the Tassimo don't make real espresso at all. They just make something that looks and tastes a bit like espresso.

And to a degree, they are right. If you want to make really good espresso drinks, get yourself an espresso machine and use those E.S.E espresso pods.

But of you want something simpler and more flexible, and aren't too fussy about the finer points of the taste of your espresso, get a single serve system like the Tassimo.

I hope this answers your question!

Nick

Comments for What's an espresso coffee pod?

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Actually....
by: Anonymous

My water purifier renders regular coffee undrinkable (removes the calcium and magnesium necessary for a good cuppa joe).

Since espresso uses a different extraction method, it's unaffected by the purified water.

VanHoutte makes an espresso pod (ordinary size) for Keurig , and the reason I can tell you that it IS espresso, is that my purified water does NOT render the coffee undrinkable.

You seem to push Tassimo over Keurig. I'm unsure if VanHoutte makes a Tassimo sachet.