What coffee pod machine to buy?

I have a Keurig machine now. I used to buy the Kona blend K cups but they do not make them anymore.

So I bought some of these: http://www.lnt.com/show_product/386165-48

Now I need a machine to make them. I find the lower cost machines use boiling water to force the hot water up and over the pod. More expensive machines have a pump. They are probably a lot faster also. I do not know if I will switch to these pods or stay with the Keurig machine and K cups and use the pod machine only occasionally. One can buy an inexpensive pod machine for maybe $40 or so. Looking for any suggestions. Do all these various single use coffee pods interchange and work in all the different pod machines??

Thanks
Rodney
1990 348 TS

 

Each type of pod goes with a specific machine, no they aren't interchangeable.

Depends of the coffee brands you want kinda depends on the machine you buy. If you want Starbucks you buy a Kurig, if your in Canada and want Tim Hortons and Second Cup you get a Tassimo.

They both make decent coffee the Kurig is a dumb machine in that you tell it how much water to use, small, med or large. The tassimo works with a barcode and it reads the pod for how much water. You can hold the button after its done for more water, but it seems to know what its doing. The kurig does have a pod you can put your own coffee into which is a nice feature.

The tassimo has cafe lattes and the like which have a milk pod along with the coffee pod, but honestly its not very good, its condensed milk and I can't stand it.

The Nespresso is just espresso, but they have many different types. Although nothing beats a stove top espresso this machine does a really good job. Also if you get the milk frother add on it makes a very nice cafe latte, cappuccino...

Yes I have had all the machines, all presents. I gave the Kurig away, use the Tassimo daily, and the wife likes the Nespresso.

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=cabcat0912000~~cabcat0912005~~nf398||4b6575726967&list=y&nrp=15&sc=abHomeAppSP&sp=-bestsellingsort+skuid&usc=abcat0900000&ref=30&loc=KW-2154&s_kwcid=TC|8071|keurig%20coffee%20pod%20maker||S|b|15144843159

I found some call the K cups pods but to most they are called K cups. The pods I am referring to are disc shaped filter bags in a foil bag. The K cup is a plastic cup style with a foil top. I'm looking for a pod machine.

Rodney

 

Get the refillable K-Cup and buy Kona beans...grind yourself and voila you have Kona in your Keurig.

 

I have one of those. I've never tried it. I should. Thanks.

Rodney

 

What? You dont want to grow them yourself neither??? You think its hard work or something???

 

Or you can use Melitta's JavaJig.

http://www.javajig.com/
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This is the way to go. I see these pod machines single handedly negating all the recycling I do. All of those pods with a useful life of 30 secounds going straight to the land fill. Sheeezzzze.

 

One other thing to consider is a fully automatic machine. I've used a Impreza Z-5 for years and make one cup at a time. Yes, the machine is expensive but there are others that are not much more than a pod machine. You get to pick your coffee and have it fresh ground with every cup. It's also a lot easier on the environment as well. Only by-product is old grounds.

 

Bought one of these (has 2 and 30 filters) and a 4 pouch sampler of Kona coffee off Amazon.

Thanks
Rodney

 

Nespresso has a global recycling program for their aluminum pods. We've been recycling for about a year.

 

I have been using this Vietnamese "pod" method for a year or so now....

GOOD stuff! (cheap too)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4kyojtHJb0[/ame]

 

So I have tried this javajig. I use a larger coffee cup so I want the brew to be stronger. Even in my wife's medium size coffee cup she says it is weak. It is weak (for us) if you use it according to the instructions. So I experimented: I now put the paper filter in and then push the paper filter down so it is flush to the bottom of the holder. This allows for more coffee grounds in the holder. You need to make sure the paper is well centered or it goes past the insert in the holder. If this happens take it apart and start over. I can get it the first time most of the time. This makes a stronger cup of coffee as you hold more coffee grounds in the javajig holder. So I am looking for a larger set up. The popular plastic/stainless steel screen reusable plastic K-cup kit I have has the same size insert and it can not be made to hold more grounds like the javajig can. I saw a commercial the other night and they talked about adding more grounds if you want a stronger cup of coffee. I'm not sure if that was that popular gray colored reusable K-cup set up or something new. Maybe I'll see that commercial again one day. None available on eBay talk about being extra large.

Rodney

 

About 10 years ago my wife and I decided we wanted a "real" coffee not the washed out garbage produced by readily available coffee machines.
We got a commercial La Cimbali M3 ,very popular in Italian coffee shops.
It lasted about 10 years and we had to get rid of it because of high repair cost.
We got spoiled though so we got a new M1 at great discount (retail $16k,got a demo for $10k).
Nothing really compares......
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http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Single-Serve-Coffee/dp/B005GUGBS4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355659964&sr=8-1&keywords=scoop+hamilton+beach

I think this design is the future for single server coffee in the home. The scoop is the strainer cup. Very easy and fast to use. Hopefully by the time my K cup machine fails they will have more machines to choose from. The size of the container of water would be important to me. Plus a pump system like the K cup machine etc. Clock etc. I would buy one.

Rodney

 

I like the Nespresso.

 

I've used a Senseo for the last 5 years. The pods are quite a bit cheaper and nothing to recycle.

 

So I bought one of these and a very nice quality slow speed burr coffee bean grinder. Also some top quality beans from Guatemala at a local coffee place. My opinion: The K-cup machine wins. Taste is not that different and the K-cup machine is super fast, clean and easy. My old K-65 K-cup machine is giving me problems. It is several years old. So I wanted to try the Hamilton Beach machine. Looks like I'm going to buy a new K-cup machine. The special edition K65 (I think it is K-65) machine like I have now. I'll look for a sale and buy it locally so it is hopefully the newest version as I am sure they have made updates since mine was new several years ago.

Rodney
1990 348 TS

 

Senseo Pods are no longer readily available in any of the stores I frequent. There are some available online and I have ordered a couple times. Shipping costs are non-trivial.

 

I like my Tassimo. It brews pretty good coffee (much better then the big stupid Starbucks machine we have at the shop for customers)

I much prefer the coffee out of it then the K-cup machines. And its nice and small so it doesn't take up too much counter space.

 

I just received a few bags of Kona from HI. I'll try that soon. The coffee is slightly better in the Hamilton Beach machine but it is a lot more work and some mess etc. So I'll keep the Hamilton Beach machine and the grinder and use it when I feel like doing the extra work.

Rodney

 

One update. Wife bought us a new Keurig K-65 machine. Super quiet and the coffee from it is tastier. Has the charcoal filter. I never really ran vinegar thru my old machine. I'll try to do that more now with a new machine. I have no problem buying a new K-cup machine every so many years. They only last so long.

Found some Kona K-cups on line from HI. One coffee supplier there is making them now. Welcome to Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Co. - Taste The Kona Difference Should be here soon. Around $1.25 per K-cup with the shipping included in that. I probably won't buy these made in HI Kona K-cups for everyday. We go thru about 100+ per month between the 2 of us. Just occasionally or maybe just this one time??

Rodney

 

I have used up 2 bags of the Kona coffee shipped from HI. It is certainly very smooth. I'm going to keep the Hamilton Beach single cup machine and coffee grinder. We use it occasionally. Take several minutes to make a cup. Clean up only takes several seconds. Worth it for an occasional cup of very good coffee.

The Kona K-cups I bought from HI are OK but probably not worth the price and shipping from HI. I had to try them to see though. I'll stick with the Hawaiian blend and Kenya AA K-cups you find everywhere. Almost the same thing.

Rodney