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Pod Machines in the US - Fad or Long-Lasting?

My wife has asked for one of these single cup machines for Christmas. Currently when she wants just one cup she uses a Folgers coffee bag in the microwave.

I've done some quick research on the net, and have some concerns and questions:

1) While these machines are popular in Europe, who is to say that these are not this year's gimmick, and will not last a year or two (ie, the companies will stop making the pods)?

2) Folgers coffee bags are relatively inexpensive. It appears that these machines are set up for European customs, where a single cup of coffee is just 4 oz. So if you want a typical American cup of coffee, you'll need 2 pods (50 cents a cup?). Doesn't this make the machines overall cost prohibitive?

3) Is cleaning up a machine more extensive than just cleaning up the single cup used in the microwave?

4) It appears the pods are proprietary to each machine and cannot be shared. Thus the quality of a cup of coffee is going to be more dependent not on the machine but by the beans used for the pods - correct? So how can one sample the coffee choices first before settling on a machine?

5) I've seen ads for a "universal" pod that allows you to fill it with your own choice of grounds. Is it effective, and how much of a cleanup mess is there?

Anything else I forgot to address?

Reply to
MJM
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This is a classic way for a company to make more money on their product. Package it in a way that shows "added value" and, if possible, make it sorta addictive. If coffee pods catch on here, and stay popular, they will make more profit per unit of coffee than with regularly packaged coffee.

However, in terms of your questions, I guess you'll only know whether or not you like the coffee if you try one.

And, I have to say, I would NEVER buy one in order to have Folger's coffee! It's really mediocre.

There are European brands, and they are probably better, but I guess I like the coffee-cone manual way of brewing a cup better. I can use whatever type of coffee I want, I can adjust the amount easily, each cup is fresh, and the cone is easy to clean.

And the cone and the filters are cheap compared to a pod brewer.

Reply to
Alan Moorman

IMHO, these "pod machines" are a fad soon to fade. Without a doubt there are lots of ways to make a single cup of coffee but see this link to perhaps learn a little more.

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Eric S.

Reply to
Eric Svendson

I purchased a Mr. Coffee home cafe unit several weeks ago; made some of the worst coffee I've tasted, very bitter and 'burnt'. I figured it was just my taste though. So, purchased another machine [not a home cafe pod machine] and was going to just give the Mr. Coffee pod machine away. Friend at work made a cup and spit it out...throwing his cup in the sink. He didn't want the machine either...free. I got another friend to take it home to see if his wife wanted it. He said he'd probably bring it back though [he too did not like the coffee it produced]. Moral here is I can't seem to even 'give it away'.

This does not bode well, IMO...at least for the Mr. Coffee rendention to these pod machines.

Reply to
tooly

Those of us who enjoy good "anything" are frequently willing to pooh-pooh a new consumer product for people who don't know what's good.

It may last.

Wouldn't surprise me.

Reply to
Alan Moorman

That's true. I've made comments about my own 'ordeal', existing upon a particular 'lower' socio-economic level, and feeling sort of 'herded' along like cattle by the corporate overseers. I exist upon the discount market...not full margin. That makes sense for someone with my income on things like houses, cars, even many appliances...but something like coffee, I feel a bit resentful that I seemed to be going in circles trying to create a good cup at home and only finding what I feel now is near 'junk' on the discount market.

Information is power, but only recently have I found all I really needed was a $20 press pot to get a decent cup of coffee at home. In the meantime I was dependent upon advertising and marketing for my information [since I did not sorround myself with affluence]...which was not designed to lead me to satisfication, but to 'sell me stuff'. Like a Home Cafe machine...looks so 'affluent' on the box; finally a really 'good' cup of coffee at home etc I thought; ha, think again. I had the ability to pay, was willing to pay...but I had to seek outside my 'social' range to find anything decent. Of course, first I had to search out all the alternatives at the discount level...which meant wasting a lot of bucks [I couldn't really afford].

So, you're quite right, I imagine there are many people like myself, short on information, long on demand [for quality in some items, like coffee], but peruse the discount level of retail marketing which only offers 'junk' [for the most part]. It's like us 'animals' can drink from the water trough; 'they' don't know better anyway [so probably some boardroom marketer might argue in their strategy outline]. Put a bag of oats on thier neck and call it 'cuisine'...and they'll 'come'.

[guess you can tell I'm pissed about all that wasted money floundering around at WalMart]... $20 for a press pot mind you...that's all I really needed. Some people don't know what's good because the information is not provided for them [and I believe, perhaps even withheld for sake of 'selling stuff' ].
Reply to
tooly

How about $4 for a Melitta cone, and another $4 for a box of filters for it?

Cheap! And it makes the most wonderful coffee. Putting the water through those grounds once, by gravity, makes for a wonderful cuppa!

Alan Moorman

The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.

Paul Fix

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Reply to
Alan Moorman

I recently stopped buying a latte at a drive-up window every morning on my way to work, and started using a small 4-cup Mr. Coffee. Really terrible coffee. Seems to hold the water in the grounds basket too long, or something. Really strong and bitter. Not good no matter how few grounds I put in!

I'm thinking of buying a one-cup water-boiling unit (sort of like a small electric drip coffee maker, but all it does is boil water and dump it into a cup) and using that to make coffee with a Melitta cone brewer.

I know that will make good coffee!

Alan Moorman

The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.

Paul Fix

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Reply to
Alan Moorman

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