With the boom in the number of coffee drinkers across the globe, many are on the lookout for different ways to grow, make, and drink their favorite coffee. With that, you must decide on whether to use coffee pods or ground coffee when brewing.
I understand how confusing it can be, especially if you are a beginner. But I am here to give you a vivid comparison between the two. When you finish reading this article, you will know the best between coffee pods and ground coffee.
Stay tuned as I dive deeper into this discussion.
Table of Contents
What Are Coffee Pods?
A coffee pod/capsule refers to a cup-like container with coffee inside. The vessel size depends on the amount of coffee it should contain and is ideal for single-serve coffee preparation.
The traditional coffee pod containers measure around 60mm, which contains up to 12grams of coffee ready for brewing. I can say coffee pods are more like teabags in their functioning.
You can get them in a variety of roasts and flavors. Besides, the use of coffee pods is the most convenient brewing method.
What is Ground Coffee?
Ground coffee has been in existence for a longer time than coffee pods. They are the traditional type of coffee that you grind the coffee beans into different forms and textures. The aim is to enable a faster brewing process.
Coffee enthusiasts have varied preferences when it comes to the fineness level of the ground coffee. The fineness levels include:
- Very fine; looks powdery
- Medium fine
- Medium coarse
- Coarse
Note: Ground coffee is not instant coffee. They may smell and look the same, but they are different.
History of Ground Coffee and Coffee Pods
Just like other coffee makers, coffee products, and a variety of other hot and cold drinks, ground coffee and coffee pods have a rich history. But you may ask, what is there to know about the two?
Ground coffee
Ground coffee came into existence many years ago in Ethiopia. Sometimes back in the day, people viewed it as a luxury. Some even stole it from the royals to avoid spending their entire income buying the drink.
However, that was not the case everywhere in the world. There are places like the mecca where they had to prohibit coffee. That’s because many people were not used to its stimulating effects. Long story short, ground coffee has a rocky yet intriguing base across the world.
Coffee Pods
Since their inception, coffee pods remain to be an intriguing plan for budding coffee enthusiasts. It can be challenging to state the exact dates they got to the market, but multiple sources point that the pods have been there since the late 1900s.
There were only a few coffee pods companies who controlled the market those days. As time went by, the demand for this product significantly increased. The few companies stood up to the task and produced millions of coffee pods per customer expectations.
Today, the market is full of many single-serve coffee models. With that, many companies have ventured into the business of producing coffee pods.
What are the Differences Between Coffee Pods and Ground Coffee?
Ground coffee and pods have many differences but we can mention a few that include:
Single-Serve
Coffee pods are ideal for single serves. They are just like the teabags; once you finish brewing your cup of coffee, you need to dispose them. That means that you cannot reuse them.
The good thing with the single-serve coffee pods is there is an assurance of freshness. Your brew will always taste and smell nice each time you use a new pod.
On the contrary, you can use the ground coffee for multiple serves. You also can reuse them. Though, you may note a slight difference in caffeine content and flavors. Nonetheless, it is drinkable without any health risks.
Training
With coffee pods, you can brew a tasty cup of coffee without undergoing any extra training. That’s because the coffee pods come already ground and packed.
It saves you the stress of grinding the coffee beans and measuring to ensure you are using the correct amounts and fineness. When brewing, You slide in your coffee pod, and there you have your cup of coffee.
On the other hand, using coffee grounds requires training, especially if you plan to run a coffee shop. You must learn and master the techniques involved in the coffee-making process.
The first thing you need to know is how to roast the coffee beans and perfectly grind them. Besides that, you need to be aware of the correct tamping pressure and other things involved. If you master all that, then you will consistently brew great coffee.
Consistency
When it comes to consistency, coffee pods take the lead. The coffee beans are consistently ground, textured, and packed.
Besides, the ingredients are carefully measured, which guarantees uniformity in flavors. I can assure you that with coffee pods, you won’t encounter any risk of changing taste.
Now, when you are using ground coffee, the possibility of making mistakes is pretty high. It all starts with your coffee beans grind; you may make them coarser or smoother than how they need to be.
Again, you may slightly exceed the amount of water making your coffee to have a change in taste. The list of mistakes is endless. These are just a few of them. Let’s say you sell that kind of coffee to customers; do you think they will even come back again?
Cleaning
Coffee pods are less messy when brewing. Just ensure you put enough water in the container, insert the coffee pod, and press the brew button. You will experience zero spillages, emptying processes, and tamping. All you do is enjoying a tasty cup of coffee on a clean counter.
Ground coffee is a bit messy. After brewing, you might need a large amount of cleaning liquid to clear the mess. That takes time and energy before you can enjoy your brew. Nevertheless, you still have a smooth, tasty cup to drink.
The Duration They Can Stay While Fresh
In this battle, coffee pods take the highest score when it comes to the length of freshness. That’s because the grinds are kept safely in a container, which highly protects them.
But that is not the case with ground coffee; as soon as you start to use them, the coffee grounds begin to lose their aroma and taste. It still happens no matter how much you try to preserve them.
Preparation Time
it takes you only a few minutes to prepare a cup of coffee with coffee pods. It is the best way to save on time because of the fewer steps involved.
With ground coffee, this takes more time. See, to start, you will have to grind the coffee beans. Then, measure to ensure accuracy. Now, the tamping process begins.
Let’s say you decide to grind your coffee beans in advance; yes, you might save some time, but still not as much as you can save when using the coffee pods.
Cost
Concerning the price, ground coffee is way much cheaper than coffee pods. Here are some of the reasons why coffee pods are expensive:
- There is the use of more material for the extra packaging of every ounce of coffee.
- Unlike ground coffee, which comes in one large container, coffee pods require more time and energy to be placed in their pods and sealed. Even if robots can do the job, you need a lot of money to buy and maintain them.
- You are buying convenience, which is worth the money.
Environmental-Friendliness
What sets ground coffee apart is the fact that it is naturally biodegradable. So, if you throw it out, the ground coffee decomposes and becomes one with nature.
Besides drinking the coffee, you can use the coffee grounds for so many things. For instance, you can use it as your skincare routine, in the garden, or fireplace.
You may also choose to reuse your ground coffee before throwing away. All the same, you will still enjoy a tasty cup while being easy on the environment.
On the other hand, coffee pods can harm the environment depending on how you dispose of them. Some brands try to make the pods recyclable, while others aim for biodegradable ones.
But still, there is improper disposal of coffee pods. For biodegradables, that’s okay, but a large number of people avoid recycling processes. That’s because they feel it is so stressful.
Now look, you can reduce the environmental damages when brewing with coffee pods by:
- Returning the aluminum coffee pods to their companies after use for recycling.
- Proper thrashing of the biodegradables. You can pour in your farm to make compost.
Coffee Pods Versus Ground Coffee: Which is the Best?
From the discussion above, it is evident that both coffee pods and ground coffee have the pros and cons that distinguish them. However, one outweighs the other in terms of what they offer.
Though I might say, this is like choosing whether to go the modern way or the old school way. Of which both of them give you the tasty, smooth drink you need.
With that said, the battle involving coffee pods versus ground coffee is over. That’s because coffee pods win with a large margin.
But that doesn’t mean that ground coffee is not good. In fact, if you know the brewing technique well, you can produce the sweetest and tastiest coffee you have ever drunk. The reason being, you can customize everything to suit your taste and preference.
Conclusion
If you didn’t know which way to go concerning coffee pods versus ground coffee, you have all the information you need to decide. If you are in love with the traditional brewing methods, ground coffee suits you well.
However, if you prefer a convenient method with a modern touch, go for coffee pods/capsules. The good thing with both, you get to treat yourself to a tasty cup of coffee.