Senseo coffee pods are leaving retail outlets on March 31st, 2012.

Here are some basic questions about single cup pod brewers and coffee pods. If you’re interested in pods, we hope our answers will help introduce you to this diverse group of products.

Who makes pod brewers?
Are all coffee pods alike?
Where can I buy coffee pods?…

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 single cup pod brewers used smaller pods with 44mm or 55mm diameters, but pods in these sizes are not commonly available.

Many coffee roasters make coffee pods. Each roaster produces pods from a wide range of coffee varietals grown around the world. These green coffee beans are then roasted in a range of styles. It may take some trial and error to find the brand, …

Coffee pods are available at supermarkets, big box retail stores, and internet retailers.…

Pod brewers are a unique one cup brewing alternative because the coffee makers and the coffee pods are not necessarily designed to work as a “closed” system. This means that consumers can choose to purchase a single-cup pod brewer from one manufacturer and then buy pods from a wide variety of roasters.

Many coffee roasters offer their coffees in pods for use in any pod brewer. However, the flexibility of this “open” system has not resulted in wide spread popularity. After an initial burst of interest, the market for one cup pod systems has diminished and several brands have recently left the single cup pod market.

Convenience and choice have value and it’s reflected in the cost of single cup brewing systems.

A good, entry-level one cup coffee maker from Keurig, Tassimo or Flavia is between $100.00 and $130.00 depending on the model, and the coffee, tea, or hot chocolate capsule for each cup is about $.65. In total, the per-cup cost of coffee brewed by a single cup coffee maker is more than if you brewed a pot of coffee at home, but less than buying a cup on the way to work.

Pod brewers like Senso and coffee pods are generally less …