How to Bring Gourmet Drinks Into Your Home

Espresso coffee pods first were developed 50 years ago in Italy as a convenient way for office workers to make espresso for themselves and their coworkers without having to man the espresso machine throughout the day. In 1989, illy, a French coffee manufacturer, began to develop the pods for use in private homes as a way to encourage consumers to buy their espresso machines.

The explosive popularity of shops such as Starbucks serving gourmet coffee drinks at premium prices raised consumers’ interest in making those same drinks in their homes. But making espresso at home was a daunting prospect, as espresso machines were large, expensive, and hard to use for those without a great deal of experience and expertise. For many, the prospect was intimidating.

Coffee machine makers took advantage of the trend by creating espresso pods, which allowed consumers to make shots of espresso with consistent quality, but had to be used with a specific machine. That meant consumers were restricted to using specific pods with the machines they had purchased, limiting their options.

The ese pod – for Easy Serving Espresso – came into play about 40 years ago. The pods consisted of coffee pressed into a small disk-shaped filter. The pods could be used in many types of espresso machine, creating a perfect espresso shot with little or no expertise by the user. The ESE Consortium, founded in 1998, set quality standards for the pods, and today its membership includes the most important players in the coffee roasting industry.

A good number of specialty coffee manufacturers now offer the pods to consumers craving that perfect cup of espresso. Stores ranging from Williams-Sonoma to Target sell a wide range of machines that use the pods, making perfect espresso within reach for everyone without the effort or expense of buying from a gourmet coffee shop. You can even purchase the espresso pods in wholesale stores like Sam’s club and Costco. They will have a much more limited selection, but you should be able to buy the pods cheaper.