Coffee brewing history could be summed up easily as a search for ever-more-foolproof ways to make the perfect cup of coffee as easily as possible. For more and more coffee lovers today, coffee pods mark a satisfying conclusion to the quest for coffee brewing perfection.

A coffee pod, simply defined, is a premeasured portion of freshly roasted coffee beans that have been ground and then immediately sealed airtight and free of oxygen to preserve its fresh flavor. Depending on the coffee pod brewing system, the portion of ground coffee might be compacted between two discs of filter paper before it goes into its airtight pouch; or, alternatively, packed airtight into a little tub-like foil capsule, about the size and shape of an individual portion of coffee creamer as served in some diners and other casual restaurants. In either case, the coffee is packed to a density that ensures that water will pass through it at the ideal rate for maximum flavor extraction.

The Coffee Pod Brewing Process
The brewing process then becomes an act of utter simplicity. Turn on the pod coffee maker. If using a disc shaped filter paper-enclosed pod, unwrap it from its airtight pouch and place it in the pod coffee machine; and if using a capsule type coffee pod, pop it unopened into the machine. Then press the button or flip the switch, causing the coffee machine to dispense the precise portion of water heated to the optimum brewing temperature through the coffee and into the waiting cup.

Cleanup is equally easy. Either remove the pod and drop it into the trash; or, on some machines, the pod is ejected into a trash receptacle that needs to be emptied only when it’s full.

An Ever-Growing Range of Coffee Pod Choices
The beauty of the pod coffee system doesn’t end at quick and easy perfect coffee brewing and convenient cleanup alone. Recognizing that more and more people are being drawn to pod coffee makers, and ever-growing number of coffee companies are placing premium beans into coffee pods.

You can get pods containing a wide range of coffee varietals, coffee blends, and coffee roasts, including espresso coffee pods, flavored coffee pods, and decaffeinated coffee pods. And more and more well known top coffee brands, from premium brands like Starbucks Coffee and illy Caffè to familiar mainstream coffee brands like Folgers Coffee and Maxwell House Coffee, are making their finest coffees available in coffee pods.