Coffee pods (also called coffee pads) are pre-packaged ground coffee beans in their own filter. In certain non-English speaking countries, such as Germany and The Netherlands, the word "pad" is used instead of "pod", for semantic reasons.[1]
A variation, coffee bags, were developed to provide the convenience of instant coffee but maintain the flavor of brewed coffee. Modeled after tea bags, they consist of a gauze bag containing a mixture of instant coffee and finely ground roast coffee, which is to be steeped in hot water for approximately five minutes.
A coffee capsule differs from a coffee pod in that the coffee is packed in a plastic or aluminum package instead of a paper filter, and it is usually designed for use with a single brand or system and is therefore not interchangeable with other systems.[2]
Different single-cup systems are not interchangeable; some systems force machine owners to buy capsules from a single company (usually the patent owner), locking the machine owner into a single source of coffee. Coffee pods are made by a variety of manufacturers and are interchangeable between brand of pod and model of pod brewer most of the time. Last updated: 25 September 2010.
| System | Owned by | Vintage | Machine manufacturers | Capsule/Pod manufacturers | Markets | Notes of interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Modo Mio | Lavazza | 2007 | Saeco (Philips) branded as Lavazza/Gaggia | Lavazza | Italy, Europe | Lavazza vertical |
| Caffitaly (Caffita) | Caffita System SPA | ??? | Various inc. Princess of Netherlands, Tchibo, Gaggia until recently | Various, inc. Gaggia, Ecaffe | Italy | Widespread Italian user base |
| Dolce Gusto | Nestle | 2008 | Krups, branded Nescafe | Nescafe (Nestle) | UK, US | Nestle vertical |
| Easy Serving Espresso Pod (ESE) | Italian ESE Consortium for Development | 1998 (standard) and previous | Various (Delonghi, FrancisFrancis, Handpresso, Kitchenaid, Krups, Saeco...) | Various | Worldwide | Open, generic standard not tied to particular vendors, pods fit most traditional espresso machines. Not all pods are 45mm (the standard diameter). |
| Flavia | Mars, Inc. | 1984 | Flavia (Mars) | Flavia (Mars) | UK, US | The "fresh pack" (the capsule) is the brewing vessel, so that the drink is not tainted by previous user. Controlled by Mars. |
| K-Cup (Keurig) | Green Mountain Coffee Roasters | 1992 | Keurig, Breville, Cuisinart | Many, primarily Green Mountain | Mainly US | My K-Cup available as a reusable filter for using any filter coffee. |
| Nespresso | Nestle | 1986 | Eugster/Frismag branded as Krups, Magimix, Siemens; Delonghi make Latissima model | Nespresso | US, UK | Nestle-controlled system |
| Coffee Pods | None | ??? | Bunn, Philips, Melitta, Grindmaster, Cuisinart, CafeXpress, etc. | Douwe Egberts, Reunion Island, Wolfgang Puck, Melitta, Fratello Coffee Roasters, etc. | Worldwide | Not owned by a specific corporation. Many more manufacturers of pods and brewers exist. Also biodegradable. |
| T-Discs (Tassimo) | Kraft | 2004 | Bosch branded as TASSIMO | Various, inc. Starbucks, Maxwell House. Mostly subsidiaries of Kraft. (see T-Discs) | North America, Europe |