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Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=25037		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  paulzolo [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:09 am ]
Post subject:  Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
Quote:
The German city of Hamburg has banned coffee pods from state-run buildings as part of an environmental drive to reduce waste. Should others follow suit, asks Chris Stokel-Walker.

First there was the coffee bean, then the instant coffee jar, and then expensive coffee shop drinks on the go.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35605927
Author:  big_D [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
We don't use them. Paper filter and fresh coffee at home. All biodegradeable. Only the vacuum foil packaging for the 500g package needs to be put in the recycling bin.

The pods don't taste that great and they are expensive and wasteful. If you are only making one small cup of coffee every now and then, they might be useful, but for companies, where people drink a lot of coffee, they are just wasteful.

We have a fully automatic coffee machine at work, which just uses fresh beans, no packaging waste for individual cups. It also works out cheaper than the pods.
Author:  pcernie [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
Pods for any drink are an expensive load of bollocks IME.
Author:  TheFrenchun [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
I really dislike pods. In a large office you can see the m3 of rubbish produced each day. And that's not talking about the coffee.


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Author:  cloaked_wolf [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
Not a coffee or tea drinker but these pods are quite popular. I've seen them stacked in car dealerships and other customer-facing offices. Seems to be preferred over the old standard Klix type machines where you just select the drink you want and it makes it for you (with minimal waste I assume).
Author:  jonbwfc [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
I think they've been adopted as they're lower cost to the business because they don't need to be maintained or supported. Most vending machines are bought in from a third party that your car showroom or whoever has to pay a fee to. Plus they're quite complex machines and if they go wrong you've got to get an engineer out (possibly more fee and periods where it doesn't work & etc). The capsule things are basically just a kettle with a couple of bits added on. If they break you just swap them out. And they're safer than an ordinary kettle because nobody actually has to deal with boiling water.

Jon
Author:  TheFrenchun [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
Maybe plastic pods should be banned ( I think nespresso are metal) and compulsory recycling in public spaces?


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Author:  davrosG5 [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 12:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
I think the Nespresso system is (or can be) run as a subscription service. My brother visited an office in Spain where that's what was going on.
But yes, another example of throw-away culture. I'll take a kettle and a reasonable jar of instant coffee over all the faffing about (says the old git waving his walking stick in the air :lol: )
Author:  jonlumb [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 12:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
People seem to have missed the more fundamental problem; the contents invariably taste like [LIFTED].
Author:  pcernie [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 1:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
jonlumb wrote:
People seem to have missed the more fundamental problem; the contents invariably taste like [LIFTED].


Cadbury's hot chocolate tastes like kitchenware that hasn't had the washing up liquid rinsed off properly. Twinings tea just tastes the same, no better no worse. Only half-heated.
Author:  davrosG5 [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
pcernie wrote:
jonlumb wrote:
People seem to have missed the more fundamental problem; the contents invariably taste like [LIFTED].


Cadbury's hot chocolate tastes like kitchenware that hasn't had the washing up liquid rinsed off properly. Twinings tea just tastes the same, no better no worse. Only half-heated.


Trying to make tea in a machine designed mainly for making coffee is going to come out with sub-standard results as the optimum temperatures for extracting the good stuff from tea leaves and coffee grounds are different - tea needs a higher temperature than coffee. If the machine is optimised for coffee the water doesn't get hot enough for a good cup of tea.
I liked one of Dave Gormans Modern Life is Goodish programs when the main topic was examining the decline in the quality of a good cup of tea in cafe's against the rise in good quality coffee.
You can make a perfectly good cup of tea with a £5 kettle and tea bag whereas a decent coffee machine costs a lot more and is not that great for also making tea. Because a decent coffee machine costs so much there is a lot of pressure for a cafe to get maximum possible use out of it so they try to use it for everything - hence rubbish tea.
Author:  paulzolo [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
davrosG5 wrote:
pcernie wrote:
jonlumb wrote:
People seem to have missed the more fundamental problem; the contents invariably taste like [LIFTED].


Cadbury's hot chocolate tastes like kitchenware that hasn't had the washing up liquid rinsed off properly. Twinings tea just tastes the same, no better no worse. Only half-heated.


Trying to make tea in a machine designed mainly for making coffee is going to come out with sub-standard results as the optimum temperatures for extracting the good stuff from tea leaves and coffee grounds are different - tea needs a higher temperature than coffee. If the machine is optimised for coffee the water doesn't get hot enough for a good cup of tea.
I liked one of Dave Gormans Modern Life is Goodish programs when the main topic was examining the decline in the quality of a good cup of tea in cafe's against the rise in good quality coffee.
You can make a perfectly good cup of tea with a £5 kettle and tea bag whereas a decent coffee machine costs a lot more and is not that great for also making tea. Because a decent coffee machine costs so much there is a lot of pressure for a cafe to get maximum possible use out of it so they try to use it for everything - hence rubbish tea.

On the continent, you usually get a little biscuit with your tea. Tea is always presented as a cup of luke warm water and a tea bag and cream. The biscuit is there by way of an apology. America seemed to be about the same, but they don ’t seem to do the biscuits, thus appearing rude.
Author:  Spreadie [ Sat Feb 27, 2016 9:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is there a serious problem with coffee capsules?
TheFrenchun wrote:
Maybe plastic pods should be banned ( I think nespresso are metal) and compulsory recycling in public spaces?

Mine uses the paper ESE type pods but, as it also uses ground coffee without paper filters or anything, I don't use the pods.

It makes coffee that is comparable to the Costas and Starbucks of this world. Actually, given that I've had coffee from both Costa and Starbucks quite recently, I'd argue that my cheap little espresso machine outdoes them.
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