How Convenient are Coffee Pods?

The rise of coffee pods has led to what is perceived as a whole new way of enjoying the experience of making and drinking coffee. These days, living in the digital world means that everything and everyone demands for a fast pace, especially when considering the factor of convenience. Coffee pods have been lauded for the convenience they bring, but how convenient are they really?

Coffee pods in the spotlight

Coffee pods are seen to have a bright place in the future because of their potential. This is seen in the product’s ability to answer the two needs of the coffee-consuming public: convenience and quality. This has contributed greatly to its growing popularity.

Coffee pods are essentially the ready-meal equivalent of coffee. The ground beans come in plastic, aluminum or paper containers and you just put them in a machine, then in just a few moments, you’ll have a cup of steaming coffee readily made for you. Many  different flavors are available, ranging in different kinds of coffee and compatible with different pod machines.

Operating coffee pod machines

Pod machines make consistent cups of coffee that are definitely a better choice than instant coffee and perceived to be cheaper than when buying takeaways from cafés. Having a coffee pod machine at home or in the office is an investment, since it costs quite a steep price, but they are also a valuable and convenient addition. Many restaurants and cafés also use pod machines in serving its clientele because it is a cheaper alternative than hiring skilled baristas, and they are also fairly easy to operate.

Among the popular pod machines used are Keurig and Nespresso. Nespresso is known for marketing its product with the high lifestyle that the brand perceives to be sought by its main customers. The brand also has a range of color-coordinated coffee pods, with each color designating a different flavor. Many other coffee pods are also manufactured to be compatible with the Nespresso system.

Keurig, an American coffee brewer manufacturer, has for its main product the K-Cup technology, a type of single serve coffee brewing system. Each K-Cup comes in a plastic container with an inner filter, along with ground coffee. K-Cup products now also include tea, hot cocoa, iced tea and fruit flavors.

Brewing coffee pods

Coffee pods effectively reduce the time needed when it comes to brewing, making it unnecessary for the measuring and combining of flavorings and other portions from bulk sources. This is because coffee pods are equipped with the right amount and balance of flavor needed, making a single cup in one go. Each coffee pod is also considerably fresher as the pods are in individual packaging and are in single serving, helping to eliminate the exposure of the entire collection to light and air.

The quality of the resulting liquid from coffee pods depends on the brand. The product is also noted for its lack of recyclability when it comes to its containers. The pods are small in size and are usually made of material that is not recyclable in many places, something that manufacturers are working on. But when it comes to convenience and answering the people’s needs for good coffee made in a short time frame, coffee pods are certainly the king.