Coffee Pods Are…

I’m sure you’re asking, as would many; exactly what are coffee pods? Are they little spaceships in which coffee travels? Obviously not, but the term coffee pods doesn’t exactly jump out at you with an explanation, does it?

Coffee Pod Brewers

Basically, coffee pods are small, single serve packages of coffee that come wrapped in their own filter. They can only be used with certain types of coffee makers, called pod brewers, but they can be far more convenient. Imagine not having to worry about buying filters and grind separately, or pouring grinds or water whenever you want just one cup of coffee. Unfortunately, this convenience is a bit more pricey than your standard cheap coffee maker. Coffee pods brewers, while still fairly budget friendly, are not nearly as cheap as the old standard. Also, there are many different manufacturers of coffee pods brewers, and not all brewers are compatible with all pods, so there is sometimes confusion as to which brewers use which pods.

Which Companies Make Coffee Pods?

Coffee pods are, however, fortunately kind of an open format. They do require special pieces of equipment to brew, but pretty much any company can make and sell both the pods and brewers, which means that once you obtain your coffee pods brewer, there are plenty of options as to where to get the coffee pods themselves. Although there are plenty of coffee pods available for as little as $5 per package, the more premium pods can easily cost in excess of $30 per set. Of course, if you sample both, and they each taste just the same to you, then there’s no reason to spend the excess money on the more expensive pods. Also, there are ways to make your own coffee pods, and it’s not too terribly difficult, though the time involved probably negates any convenience gained from using coffee pods in the first place.

Coffee Pod Brewers Can Be Expensive

Coffee pods brewers often vary in price wildly, ranging from around $10 to well over $300 for personal, one cup pod brewers, and upwards of $1200 for brewers that are used in offices or other types of commercial environments. They’re readily available both online and in regular department stores. The better deals will likely come from the internet, though that does require some patients, and can be a pain if you need to return it for some reason.

Are Coffee Pods Worth It?

All things considered, coffee pods are a big more expensive than those mundane coffee makers that have been around for decades. However, if you regularly only make one cup of coffee, or your brewer caters to people who want coffee at different times of the day, then coffee pods will probably save you money in the long run, and will always give you the fresher cup of coffee on demand.

Corky likes to write articles about coffee pods and coffee pod machine.