26 September, 2018
Pod Coffee
Many people call me a coffee snob! And I’m fine with that! If by that they mean that I am fussy about the coffee I drink, well they are quite right! I don’t drink bad wine, so why should coffee be any different! I’m proud to be a coffee snob! It means I appreciate the effort that goes into producing a great cup of coffee. From the farming, processing and roasting of the beans, to the brew method used and the skill of the Barista. So, no I won’t take you up on a mug of instant but I have no problem with others drinking it! However I do enjoy trying to tempt people into the world of speciality coffee!
As a self proclaimed coffee snob I should really turn my nose up at coffee in pods! But this post is all about celebrating pod coffee! Over the many years that I’ve been experimenting with making coffee at home, one of the devices that I most revered was my Nespresso Inissia! In fact, I even took this device on holidays to Center Parcs! I found that a latte produced with this, used in conjunction with the Aeroccino milk frother, was as good as anything I’d get at a chain coffee shop.
And as time has moved on, some speciality coffee companies have branched into pod coffee. I really sat up and took notice when Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, a three time UK Barista Champion and co-owner of the award winning Colonna & Smalls, ventured into the world of coffee capsules. At Colonna coffee they have created Nespresso compatible capsules that utilise a new, all aluminium design with state-of-the-art grinding technology. They offer three genres of capsule, including coffee from rare and exclusive lots. There is a lot of information on their website (www.colonnacoffee.com) about getting the best out of the capsules, including how to program your Nespresso machine to achieve this.
In fact, many other speciality coffee companies have branched into pod coffee. I really like ‘Toast Coffee’ (www.toastcoffeepods.com) who offer 100% biodegradable Nespresso compatible pods. Their introductory boxes include a variety of single origin coffee pods.
Another option that I’ve seen are reusable pods. These are available from SO Coffee (socoffeetrades.co.uk), who I’ve previously featured on the blog. These can be used in conjunction with a coffee of your choice. SO Coffee offer bundles of reusable pods with one of their finely ground blends. Genius!
If, like me, you can’t bear to be away from decent coffee, then a must have piece of kit is the ‘Wacaco Minipresso’. This is a portable espresso machine that allows you to prepare amazing shots wherever you are, as long as you have a supply of hot water (this is where a flask might come in useful!) It’s very simple to use. You place a Nespresso compatible capsule into one end and hot water into the water tank. You simply release the piston and pump to prepare a perfectly extracted espresso. I usually pack this for holidays or days out where I think the coffee may be dubious! I took my Wacaco to Menorca in the summer and was able to prepare quality espresso macchiatos, by adding a drop of milk foam produced by using an Aerolatte handheld milk frother!
So you see….. even a coffee snob will drink pod coffee!