Single Serve Coffee options - the choices...

Single serve coffee is the type of coffee that’s brewed one cup at a time - normally using single portion pods or containers – by single cup coffee makers typically specific to the particular brand or type of container. The five main formats in use at present are Coffee Pods, Tassimo T-Discs, Keurig K-Cups, Nespresso Capsules and Nescafe's Dolce Gusto Capsules.  What's common to all single serve coffee makers, however, is that they all allow you to brew a fresh cup of coffee, with a minimum of time and preparation/effort required. Single cup coffee making does away with the need to grind your own beans, etc, and reduces the actions needed to that of ensuring that there's water in the machine, switching it on, then when hot - which normally only takes a minute or so - inserting the pod/capsule/disc and pressing a button to produce freshly brewed coffee.

The machines are also typically quite compact, so don’t take up too much space on your kitchen counter or your desk, so can be placed where convienient.
As mentioned above, single cup coffee comes in five main formats:

• Coffee Pods – There are a number of different pod sizes but if you stick to the 62mm sizes, as used by single cup machines such as the Philips Senseo single cup coffee makers or the Krups Home Cafe range, you’ll find that you have the widest range of choices. A good source for this type of coffee pod is the Senseo Douwe Egberts range, which currently has a number of sub-ranges, covering the traditional coffee strengths such as Decaff, Medium, Dark and Expresso, featured blends such as Sumatra, Brazil, Kenyan and Colombia along with flavors such as Breakfast Blend, Creme Brulee, Chocolate and Paris (French Vanilla).

• Keurig K Cups – These work with the Keurig range of single cup coffee makers. Keurig have partnered with a range of third parties providing a large range of suppliers, including roasters such as Green Mountain Coffee, Diedrich Coffee Roasters, Van Houtte and Timothy’s as well as tea suppliers such as Celestial Seasonings, Bigelow’s and Twinings.

• Tassimo T Discs – These work with the Tassimo range of single cup coffee makers, which are able to read the bar code on the discs allowing the coffee maker to vary it's brewing according to the drink, so it’s able to produce a range from premium coffees, crema coffees, real milk cappuccinos and lattes, espressos, hot chocolates and teas.

• Nespresso Capsules – Nespresso Capsules only work with Nespresso single cup coffee makers. These machines however are able to provide a true espresso, utilizing a high-pressure systems to force the water through the ground coffee.

• Nescafe Dolce Gusto Capsules – These are relatively new to the market, but are backed by Nescafe and Krups. There's an overlap between Nescafe’s Nespresso range and these, but these are focussing on the home market and produce a wider range of drinks than the Nespressos, with variations such as Cappuccino Skinny and Cappuccino Ice.

One thing to note is that it’s typically only the higher-end machines that can produce a true espresso, which requires a high-pressure system of 9 bars or more, but many people find the drinks produced by the machines perfectly acceptable without this, while being extremely convenient to use.

For the true enthusiast, the Nespresso range is probably a a prime one to consider, although the Nescafe Dolce Gusto range also uses a professional-level 15-bar pressure system and is worth considering. For those new to single cup coffee makers, however, it might be worth considering starting with a coffee pod-based system such as the Philips Senseo before jumping in with a more expensive system.

Finally, one tip – the results from all the systems can often be improved if you are able to ensure that your mug is warmed before adding the coffee – Give it a try!