Coffee pods are everywhere. These little capsules have boomed in popularity over the past decade, and the chances are you have a number of friends with a pod machine in their kitchen. 

But what’s actually in a coffee pod? Why do people use them? Are they recyclable? Do you need to buy from Nespresso®? And how do they compare to ground coffee, espresso shots and the other brewing methods? 

Although coffee pods are in almost every supermarket, the whole picture isn’t exactly clear. So we’re here with the key answers.

Coffee pods vs ground coffee – what’s the difference?

In short, coffee pods enclose a small amount of ground coffee and are designed to force hot water through it to achieve an espresso-style coffee. 

When you put the pod in the machine, the ‘crunch’ you hear is small holes being pushed into the pod to allow the flow of water. Again, this is all designed precisely, depending on the coffee-pod manufacturer, to get that optimum water flow and achieve an espresso-machine-style crema.

This is great if you’re making a single cup, but buying ground coffee is quicker, easier and produces less waste when you’re preparing coffee for a number of people. 

Beans or ground coffee are also a better option if you’ve got an espresso machine – this way, you can fine tune your shot to perfection.

Can you recycle coffee pods? 

This is where it gets complicated. 

After being in the pod game since 2015, we spent a lot of 2021 and 2022 developing our new pods, and we looked for the most sustainable approach.

We worked with some of the biggest names in the game, and we couldn’t find a Nespresso®-compatible capsule that would compost in readily available bins.

Compostable pods rely on a home compost bin, which the vast majority of people don’t have. If they’re not composted in home compost bins, they’ll just go into the landfill.

We instead chose to make ours from 100%-recyclable aluminium, which is the most cost-effective material to recycle and can be melted down to be reused again and again. In fact, 75% of aluminium ever made is still in circulation. 

There’s a number of hassle-free options with the Podback scheme, which we recommend.

Do you need to buy from Nespresso®?

Although Nespresso® is the most famous name in coffee pods, there are lots of other options. 

The chances are that if you have a pod machine, it’s made for the pod size that currently doesn’t have a catchier name than ‘Nespresso®-compatible’. So lots of companies make their pods in this ‘Nespresso®-compatible’ size. 

Still with us?

Our new pods are compatible with all Nespresso® machines, excluding VertuoLine and Gemini and Miele built-in pod machines. And they beat the market leaders on aroma, flavour and mouthfeel ratings with a blind-tasting panel.

They’re available in our two classic espresso flavours: Fruit & Nut and Bourbon Cream. If you fancy giving them a try, you can pick up a trial box of 14.