Common Pod System Questions
Here are some basic questions about pod brewers and coffee pods. If you’re interested in pods, we hope our answers will help you begin to find your way around this diverse group of products.
1: Who makes pod brewers?
MyInvento
Several appliance makers manufacture pod brewers. We recently did a quick web search and found pod brewers by Mellitta, Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach on Amazon.com.
The My Invento Coffee System is an elegant new pod-brewing system. Manufactured in Europe, this striking coffee maker can brew one or two cups of coffee at a time. The My Invento brewer is made of a unique polymer-coated steel that resists scratches, smudges and corrosion. It’s priced at $99.95 at Amazon.com.
Owned by Sara Lee Corp., Senseo was one of the first companies to introduce pod brewers in America and still has a leading position in that market. Visit Senseo’s website to learn more.
Bunn Pod Brewer
Around the same time Senseo entered the market, Procter & Gamble (Folgers), in partnership with Black & Decker, Mr. Coffee and other appliance companies, introduced their HomeCafe pod brewing system. As evidence of the declining market for pod systems, today, neither Black & Decker nor Mr. Coffee appear to make pod brewers.
Bunn makes a pod brewer for offices that has a reputation as a very high quality coffee maker. However, it sells for about $300, considerably more than the $30-100 price of many home pod brewers.
2: Are all coffee pods alike?
No. Pod size, coffee quality and the amount of coffee used in each pod are key variables.
The standard size pod is 62mm and most pods sold today are this diameter. Some early coffee brewers used smaller pods (44mm or 55mm), but pods in these sizes are not commonly available.
Many coffee roasters make coffee pods. Each roaster produces pods from a wide variety of coffees grown around the world; these different coffees are then roasted in a range of styles. It may take some trial and error to find the brand, type and roast style of the pods that you enjoy most.
Also note: typically, 8 grams of ground coffee is used in each pod. Because some coffee drinkers like a stronger brew, several roasters make pods that contain up to 12 grams of ground coffee. If you like a stronger cup, look for pods that contain 10-12 grams of coffee.
Finally, some pods are packaged in a large single bag (like Senseo) and others come individually wrapped. Since exposure to oxygen degrades coffee quality, purists believe that the single use packages keep coffee fresher longer than pods sold in a single bag.
Two types of coffee pod packages
3: Where can I buy coffee pods?
Coffee pods are available in most supermarkets. They are also widely available on the web.
