Pod Coffee Machines

On the rare occasions we get a coffee in town, we go to one of the independent cafés rather than a big chain. Been a while since we could do that!
 
I refuse to pay their prices so if I'm out I'll get a coffee from McDonald's.
Bit of a sticker for the all you can drink coffee from Wetherspoon's as well.
 
My cultured and educated palette tells me that

1. Starbucks use the lowest quality beans
2. Costa use low/medium quality standard beans
3.Caffe Nero use good quality beans to give a consistent quality finish - although if the money guys from Blackburn manage to buy it things may change.
 
I will not use Starbucks in the same way Marc will not visit Tesco.

Costa is fine even if it is now American owned.
 
I will go to Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidi, even Morrisons and even Iceland. I will also go to Starbucks and Costa (if there is no Starbucks and if I am not near home, say 2am driving home from the airport stopping at a service station).

I bought a Niche Zero eight months ago, and will drink £1.50 bag of pre-ground coffee from Morrisons in a Cafeteria in the morning at work to Blue Mountain ground by a Niche Zero through a V60 at home-brewed to James Hoffmann specification at home.

Love coffee is one thing, coffee snob I am not...but back to the OP...but I would not get a Pod machine because simply of the amount of waste produced.
 
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I'm a total coffee geek (and snob). In the Before Time I went to independent coffee shops staffed by hipsters, and picked up a bag of Square Mile Red Brick to use at home (luckily they deliver, so I can still get my fix). I've got an ugly Iberital MC2 grinder that looks like a piece of lab equipment, a Knock hand grinder put together by some bloke in a workshop in Edinburgh, a Gaggia Classic (the old one with the proper switches and valve), an Aeropress, a Swiss Gold Filter, a Bialetti Brikka, and a Flair lever espresso gadget I've yet to get to grips with. This is getting worse than camera gear!

When I'm slumming it, Nero, Starbucks and Costa are barely drinkable as espresso. There I'd add sugar, which I never do otherwise, or just get a flat white or something. Nespresso tastes better to me than the stuff from these big chains or the average restaurant, but the coffee you can get from a really good independent shop, or make at home from good freshly roasted beans if you can take the time to get the grind just right, is in a different league altogether. Supermarket coffee beans are mostly bad, but I've noticed Sainsbury's have decent Union and Modern Standard beans with roasting dates (Waitrose also do Union).
 
Retune said:
I'm a total coffee geek (and snob). In the Before Time I went to independent coffee shops staffed by hipsters, and picked up a bag of Square Mile Red Brick to use at home (luckily they deliver, so I can still get my fix). I've got an ugly Iberital MC2 grinder that looks like a piece of lab equipment, a Knock hand grinder put together by some bloke in a workshop in Edinburgh, a Gaggia Classic (the old one with the proper switches and valve), an Aeropress, a Swiss Gold Filter, a Bialetti Brikka, and a Flair lever espresso gadget I've yet to get to grips with. This is getting worse than camera gear!

When I'm slumming it, Nero, Starbucks and Costa are barely drinkable as espresso. There I'd add sugar, which I never do otherwise, or just get a flat white or something. Nespresso tastes better to me than the stuff from these big chains or the average restaurant, but the coffee you can get from a really good independent shop, or make at home from good freshly roasted beans if you can take the time to get the grind just right, is in a different league altogether. Supermarket coffee beans are mostly bad, but I've noticed Sainsbury's have decent Union and Modern Standard beans with roasting dates (Waitrose also do Union).
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I have the same machine, 14years old now!
 
Raymond Lin said:
Love coffee is one thing, coffee snob I am not...but back to the OP...but I would not get a Pod machine because simply of the amount of waste produced.
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You produce more waste buying bagged beans or ground than my nespresso machine makes!
The pods are aluminium and recycled.. that’s the only waste it produces.
Bean bags tend to be foil, or paper, but often have a plastic vent valve which is a waste stream that can’t be easily recycled.
 
TCR4x4 said:
You produce more waste buying bagged beans or ground than my nespresso machine makes!
The pods are aluminium and recycled.. that’s the only waste it produces.
Bean bags tend to be foil, or paper, but often have a plastic vent valve which is a waste stream that can’t be easily recycled.
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What about carbon footprint in transporting all that metal? Are you 100% recycling the pods in the designated places in the limited drop off points around the country and never put one in the bin ever ? Are we going to go down this rabbit hole?
 
Raymond Lin said:
I have the same machine, 14years old now!
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The Gaggia or the MC2? Both look built to last! They really mucked about with the Gaggia Classic about 5 years ago, which was about as popular as New Coke, but it looks like they've returned to something close to the original in the new 'Pro' version. Not the original price, though. They want about £400 for it now...
 
Retune said:
The Gaggia or the MC2? Both look built to last! They really mucked about with the Gaggia Classic about 5 years ago, which was about as popular as New Coke, but it looks like they've returned to something close to the original in the new 'Pro' version. Not the original price, though. They want about £400 for it now...
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I have both, the MC2 is currently on loan to a colleague as I have a Niche Zero now.

The MC2 is good but the problem with it is the timer, depending on the beans or even how much beans in it (the pressure down) or the weather or whatever, the amount of grind that comes out varies massively. As a result I can get a perfect cup one pour and it chokes the next. That and it retains quite a lot of ground internally.

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The Gaggia coule do with a PID upgrade but I think the money is better spent to upgrade the machine entirely. I recently replaced the seal again for can't remember how many times but the first time replacing the group head to a brass one.

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I can make a decent coffee at home, latte art optional. :eek::oops: :$

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Raymond Lin said:
What about carbon footprint in transporting all that metal? Are you 100% recycling the pods in the designated places in the limited drop off points around the country and never put one in the bin ever ? Are we going to go down this rabbit hole?
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What about the carbon footprint of transporting coffee beans from South America to where ever they get ground up and packaged into your little parcels, and the foil or paper used to package them.. All the pods go into the supplied green recycling bag and are collected by the courier when he delivers new pods.

The fact is, nespresso pods are no more wasteful than coffee beans or ground coffee, yet people seem to think because you use them once it’s a environmental disaster.
 
TCR4x4 said:
What about the carbon footprint of transporting coffee beans from South America to where ever they get ground up and packaged into your little parcels, and the foil or paper used to package them.. All the pods go into the supplied green recycling bag and are collected by the courier when he delivers new pods.

The fact is, nespresso pods are no more wasteful than coffee beans or ground coffee, yet people seem to think because you use them once it’s a environmental disaster.
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So we are going down this rabbit hole?

Here is a fact, coffee beans are not ground up and packaged into little parcels from South America, they are sent in 20kg sacks bagged in natural fabric, often via boat when its green beans which can be kept for ages, and when you order them, the roasters roast them in the UK then package them up.

X7wWQYt.jpg


The pods, depends where you buy them from, regardless, that pod will need transporting, weight including package vs the same amount of coffee, there is no chance for the same amount of coffee pods are going to weigh less considering these pods are package individually vs 20kg fabric sacks. Plus the pods have the paper boxes on top needed. You are basically paying for 2 layers of packaging here.

This is before the limited choices, you are always at the mercy of the flavours they make, as opposed to buying beans direct, what if I choose to buy green beans, there is no reason I cannot, and roast them myself at home on nothing more than a pan.

However you spin it, coffee has to get from South American or Africa or South East Asia to the UK + packaging. Then you are looking at which packaging has a larger carbon footprint, is it paper + a tiny plastic valve or aluminum? Let's not forget paper can be recycle and you can even get biodegradable plastic now also if not recycled plastic.

I was speaking to a local farmer last year who grows strawberries, he was talkling about moving away from plastic containers (those black thin plastic ones) into some paper base containers as paper is recycled as it is better for the image in a PR perspective. However the volume of containers he buys on a lorry from 1 delivery when it is plastic FAR exceeds the paper version, meaning the carbon footprint in getting the paper container to his farm pretty much wipe out any benefits. Also he used to use recycled plastic, they were the black plastic. The public sees recycled paper and thinks it must be better, it isn't necessarily always.

And let's not forget these pod company like to do everything they can for you to keep buying their product, the convenience is one thing, trying to sell you the recycled pod is just another angle. They might recycle them but energy is required to recycle, from transport to heat to labour to machining to tooling to milling. It's an enormously lengthly process that uses a lot of energy, time and money.

If I want to, I can go to any local roaster and buy freshly roasted beans and ask them to put it direct into a jar I bought with me. The beans would not have seen a single plastic bag between the coffee plant to my cup. However, there is no way around your aluminum pods and how you dispose of it, plus when it it out of your hands, you don't even know if they are recycling it.

There is much more to it than a recycling scheme for pods, don't let that fool you.
 
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Plus, it's also more fun when you visit somewhere, like into a tiny town in Japan, and go into a tiny 1 man operated coffee shop with 3 chairs. With his own roasting machine in the corner and he sells his coffee roasted to go. I can buy one and then make it at home when I get back. On a pure enjoyment level that is huge from both travelling momento to coffee enjoyment.
 
Raymond Lin said:
So we are going down this rabbit hole?

Here is a fact, coffee beans are not ground up and packaged into little parcels from South America, they are sent in 20kg sacks bagged in natural fabric, often via boat when its green beans which can be kept for ages, and when you order them, the roasters roast them in the UK then package them up.

X7wWQYt.jpg


The pods, depends where you buy them from, regardless, that pod will need transporting, weight including package vs the same amount of coffee, there is no chance for the same amount of coffee pods are going to weigh less considering these pods are package individually vs 20kg fabric sacks. Plus the pods have the paper boxes on top needed. You are basically paying for 2 layers of packaging here.

This is before the limited choices, you are always at the mercy of the flavours they make, as opposed to buying beans direct, what if I choose to buy green beans, there is no reason I cannot, and roast them myself at home on nothing more than a pan.

However you spin it, coffee has to get from South American or Africa or South East Asia to the UK + packaging. Then you are looking at which packaging has a larger carbon footprint, is it paper + a tiny plastic valve or aluminum? Let's not forget paper can be recycle and you can even get biodegradable plastic now also if not recycled plastic.

I was speaking to a local farmer last year who grows strawberries, he was talkling about moving away from plastic containers (those black thin plastic ones) into some paper base containers as paper is recycled as it is better for the image in a PR perspective. However the volume of containers he buys on a lorry from 1 delivery when it is plastic FAR exceeds the paper version, meaning the carbon footprint in getting the paper container to his farm pretty much wipe out any benefits. Also he used to use recycled plastic, they were the black plastic. The public sees recycled paper and thinks it must be better, it isn't necessarily always.

And let's not forget these pod company like to do everything they can for you to keep buying their product, the convenience is one thing, trying to sell you the recycled pod is just another angle. They might recycle them but energy is required to recycle, from transport to heat to labour to machining to tooling to milling. It's an enormously lengthly process that uses a lot of energy, time and money.

If I want to, I can go to any local roaster and buy freshly roasted beans and ask them to put it direct into a jar I bought with me. The beans would not have seen a single plastic bag between the coffee plant to my cup. However, there is no way around your aluminum pods and how you dispose of it, plus when it it out of your hands, you don't even know if they are recycling it.

There is much more to it than a recycling scheme for pods, don't let that fool you.
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Im well aware how RAVE coffee get and package their beans ;)

I’m taking about pre packaged ground like lavazza and others in the foil blocks. These go though all the same processes as pods, and create the same waste.

It was pretty recent that RAVE switched to paper bags, they used non recyclable foil lined plastic ones for a long time. In fact I was given a box full of the last of the plastic signature blend when they were switching.

Let’s not get started on the air miles of the staff at Rave and other small batch coffee roasters flying all over the place on taster and business trips.
 
TCR4x4 said:
Im well aware how RAVE coffee get and package their beans ;)

I’m taking about pre packaged ground like lavazza and others in the foil blocks. These go though all the same processes as pods, and create the same waste.

It was pretty recent that RAVE switched to paper bags, they used non recyclable foil lined plastic ones for a long time. In fact I was given a box full of the last of the plastic signature blend when they were switching.

Let’s not get started on the air miles of the staff at Rave and other small batch coffee roasters flying all over the place on taster and business trips.
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Well I don't buy Lavazza and I can avoid buying lavazza but for pods, you are getting those pods, and no getting round the waste part. If you are into refillable pods then might as well just put it in an espresso basket at this point, it's essentially the same thing without the convenience. At least they can switch to paper bags, I will wait until they switch to paper pods...oh wait.

In terms of businessmen flying places to do business, I am glad people like Tassimo all work from home and don't travel at all, they buy all their stock blind without their Buyer Managers tasting it. I bet they send messages via pigeons to farmers and ask for any stock transported over via donkeys all fed on grass on side of the road.

You talk like small business travelling for work is like the evil thing but big giant cooperation using their buying power to forces coffee farmers to sell for the lowest price with huge manufacturing process and cost and material etc is the best thing ever.

Pretty much any process in coffee buying that a smaller roaster has to do, a large company has to do, coffee are grown to limited regions of the world, it's all get sent from the same place. Using travelling as a stick, it will hit you back as they all have to do it. What it comes down to really is material of packaging, how that material made, mined, produced, recycled and transport. It's weight, its volume per delivery. That's its carbon footprint. Recycled metal does not have zero carbon footprint, it may be recycled, but it comes at enormous costs to do. You know that. You also know in the same size lorry, you can fit more coffee beans than coffee pods, meaning the carbon footprint per delivery for 1 lorry of coffee is much lower for the beans.
 
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Anyhoo. :rolleyes:

Just had one of THESE which although rather expensive, has resolved my storage problem nicely.

Have also found that a local charity shop takes in used pods for recycling.

@Raymond Lin @TCR4x4 *waves hand* [Jedi]This is not the thread you're looking for[\Jedi]
 
An 2017 article on Nespresso pods.

Home - Mark Allen

Mark Allen is a trusted, family-owned media company which specialises in professional content and services for global audiences. Content is key to everything we do, across print, digital and events. That's why our organisation prides itself on solving problems for its clients, fueling passions...
www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk

I won't cherry pick numbers of headlines from it but let you read it yourself. Let's just say you don't get 100% of the pod back when you recycle it. It's much lower than that, it also creates wastes as it recycles as there is a plastic element to it too.
 
Raymond Lin said:
An 2017 article on Nespresso pods.

Home - Mark Allen

Mark Allen is a trusted, family-owned media company which specialises in professional content and services for global audiences. Content is key to everything we do, across print, digital and events. That's why our organisation prides itself on solving problems for its clients, fueling passions...
www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk

I won't cherry pick numbers of headlines from it but let you read it yourself. Let's just say you don't get 100% of the pod back when you recycle it. It's much lower than that, it also creates wastes as it recycles as there is a plastic element to it too.
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Ahem. ;)

Marc said:
@Raymond Lin @TCR4x4 *waves hand* [Jedi]This is not the thread you're looking for[\Jedi]
Click to expand...
 
Marc said:
Anyhoo. :rolleyes:

Just had one of THESE which although rather expensive, has resolved my storage problem nicely.

Have also found that a local charity shop takes in used pods for recycling.
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We've got one of those carousels - well, an older version that doesn't release the bigger (chai latté) pods through the lower slots, so we have to slide them out through the top - SUCH a waste of energy!!! ;)
Mrs Nod gets through 3 Americanos every day and I have the same number of lattés. Tea top ups as necessary for me and a chai each in the afternoon.
Our closest recycling point for them is about 20 miles along the coast so we wait until we have a couple of bin bags full then take them along on the way to somewhere nice for lunch. In normal times! Need to go to Lyme Regis soon, the garage is getting full!
 
Nod said:
We've got one of those carousels - well, an older version that doesn't release the bigger (chai latté) pods through the lower slots, so we have to slide them out through the top - SUCH a waste of energy!!! ;)
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That did occur to me as we have the bigger hot chocolate and mocha pods but the gap at the bottom is big enough. Only downside is that it's now easier to accidentally pull 2 of the thinner pods out. As you say, SUCH a waste of energy. ;)

Nod said:
Mrs Nod gets through 3 Americanos every day and I have the same number of lattés. Tea top ups as necessary for me and a chai each in the afternoon.
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We're trying to keep it at 1 caffeinated drink per day

Nod said:
Our closest recycling point for them is about 20 miles along the coast so we wait until we have a couple of bin bags full then take them along on the way to somewhere nice for lunch. In normal times! Need to go to Lyme Regis soon, the garage is getting full!
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2 days in and we've already filled a large Kelly's ice cream tub
 
You don’t have to open all the packets at the same time, we store some on top of the kitchen units and in the shed if we are really overloaded :)

We have a storage drawer that fits under the coffee machines that hardly takes up any usable space.
 
Brentor said:
You don’t have to open all the packets at the same time, we store some on top of the kitchen units and in the shed if we are really overloaded :)

We have a storage drawer that fits under the coffee machines that hardly takes up any usable space.
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We're very short on storage in our kitchen, just about managed to fit the 4 excess boxes in a cupboard.
 
Got deal from Nescafe recently, eight boxes of coffee pods and a machine for £49.99, very convenient although I'm sure the coffee experts would say otherwise!
 
Marc said:
We're very short on storage in our kitchen, just about managed to fit the 4 excess boxes in a cupboard.
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Buy some magnets, slide them down the side of the box, and stick the boxes to the fridge door?
 
Nail the boxes to the wood... :P
 
Marc said:
Thinking of getting one of these. Is one much the same as the other or some better than others. They seem to be mostly around the same sort of price so hard to choose.

Been looking at mainly the Tassimo and Nespresso machines but open to recommendations of any others.

Thanks
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I would suggest that you check the supermarkets first, see what range of coffee and/or tea is available, then decide which machine you want to go for based on what's available.

For example: It may be possible that Nespresso may be selling a coffee pod that you like, but Tassimo does not have that coffee you seek.

I prefer Cadbury's Hot Chocolate, but Nespresso does not have Cadbury's Hot Chocolate pods, only Tassimo does, therefore based on this, I decided to buy Tassimo machine.
 
Do people really but hot chocolate pods for a coffee machine? I'm amazed that's a thing, Good marketing for sure.
 
Like all the pods, their main advantage is convenience with ease of use running a close second.
Especially useful for the less able bodied and elderly.
 
robj20 said:
Do people really but hot chocolate pods for a coffee machine? I'm amazed that's a thing, Good marketing for sure.
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I buy chocolate pods for my granddaughter, she loves them and she loves the ease & speed with which I can rustle up a mug of hot chocolate for her.
 
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