Espresso Pods Brewing Guidelines

Are you an espresso lover? Not everyone who loves to drink espresso can make a great cup on their own, which is why espresso pods machines were invented. And if you can follow the following brewing guidelines, you’ll be able to make a great cup every time:

1. Make sure that the espresso pods brewer or machine is clean, and free from dust. It is vital that after every use, you should rinse out the pod holder and other detachable parts of the unit. Make it a habit to clean it intensively on the internal parts of the unit to remove minerals and scale. In addition, remember to remove and clean the spray head that is normally very dirty since it gets in contact with the coffee often.

2. Always use fresh, cold clean water for your ese pods. It should not be distilled, and if your house is having water problems, consider installing a charcoal filter on your kitchen sink. It will prevent and get rid of the impurities that will affect the overall taste and smell of your coffee.

3. Every manufacturer uses different coffee beans and espresso coffee pods sizes. Try one by one of them first to find out which will suit your personal taste. The reason behind this is because, you may not get the same taste at home as how you like it from the Starbucks or Caribou. You might have to use a larger or a smaller pod( with the same quantity of water) for a more powerful flavor.

4. If the brewer you have at home or recently purchased has a lever to adjust the amount of water to be used for brewing, make sure that you are not applying too much water, which will make the espresso weaker. Moreover, over-extracting the beans can also release out an undesirable bitter smell or taste from the beans.

5. Keep in mind that fresh coffee always gives the best brewing results. Hence, the espresso pods should always be stored in an air tight case or container, which is placed in a cool dry location. Avoid keeping them in the refrigerator or freezer because they will take in the flavors from other foods. Furthermore, cold temperature can dry them out, decreasing its quality.

With the use of these simple instructions and guides, it is for sure that you can get the perfect espresso. A rich coffee drink that will delights your senses and perks up your day.

Facts About Espresso Pods

A company in Pennsylvania first came up with the idea of coffee pods in the 50s, when they were trying to find an easy way of brewing coffee during travel. This technology was patented in 1959 by the company but the concept did not quite catch on, as most US people were satisfied with the electric coffee peculators that they had already bought and found them more convenient than the stove brewer.

The espresso coffee pods started being used in the 70s by office workers in Italy, and they found them to be easier and quicker mode of making coffee during work without creating any mess. This also provided a way of making single cup of espresso, and not waste large quantity of coffee in preparing a larger batch whose taste would degrade quite fast.

The popularity of espresso pods next spread to restaurants as now they did not have to train staff to make a good espresso shot. This also provided consistency in the taste which was not possible when it was made by different staff members.

Illy, a number of years later, noticed that the espresso pod market was quite fragmented and hence developed an ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) standard for espresso pods. The standardization took a little time but was successful. This benefitted the whole industry as now everyone could manufacture pods in one shape and size. The customers were also happy as there would not be an instance of purchasing the wrong size pod for their brewer. Manufacturers too could now concentrate on providing better features and not have to concern themselves with the size of the pods which would be the most used in the market. Standard of ESE pods soon became universally accepted.

Now quite a few manufacturers also produce adapters for the usual espresso machines, so that you can fit ESE pods. This way users can get more control over the process by adjusting the pressure, pouring time and temperature. Although some aficionados are of the opinion that espresso pods provide a taste which is inferior, many coffee experts on the other hand feel that the pods give a flavor which is consistent compared to the manual brewing method.