I've been using a refillable coffee pod in my Tassimo for 9 months. Here are some tips and tricks

UPDATE: Two things - firstly see pinned comment below about how the bottom filter can in fact be removed to allow for cleaning. Thanks so much @Justitiaespero8207 for the information about that.
Secondly I've discovered that if you take the whole pod apart and rinse it then allow it to completely dry, you can then gently rub over the filters with a nail brush or vegetable brush and the coffee particles that are blocking the filter mesh will come out much easier than trying to scrub it wet.
This is an extra video that's different from my usual crafting stuff, but I've been wanting to share this video for quite a while and it fits better on this channel than on my astronomy one. If you're not interested in coffee or pod machines, please feel free to skip past this one!
We have made a big effort to reduce waste at home over the past few years, so I had always resisted getting a coffee pod machine even though I love coffee. However, when I found out you could buy pods that you refill and reuse over and over again, I decided to go for it. I bought my Tassimo machine 2nd hand from somebody who was selling it on our village freecycle and for sale listings and I got the pod from Amazon. I use the larger sized one but you can buy the smaller ones. I had no idea how to use this at first and it took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to get the best results, but after 9 months of using this same pod 2 or 3 times a day, I can share some useful tips that may help you if you're thinking about going down this route.
I highly recommend getting the one with a tamper the first time you buy a pod. Here's the one I use:
www.amazon.co....
If you already have the tamper and just want to replace the pod, use this one:
www.amazon.co....
I bought this product myself and I not being sponsored in any way to make this video. The links above are just for information - you can buy these pods from other places too. Using shop bought pods would cost at least double what it costs me to refill this with ground coffee. I sometimes freshly grind my own beans and that obviously gives an even nicer flavour.
This is a great Christmas gift idea for yourself or somebody in your family who loves coffee :-)

[@justitiaespero8207]

Mary, I bought one from eBay for about 8 quid. It didn't have the tamper (I made one that does the same job) or the spoons etc. but in every other respect it looks identical to yours including the orange and black colours. You may want to check whether on yours that lower filter actually slides out - mine does. Try gripping around where that pillar is at the back (where the cut-out of the tamper engages); it shouldn't require any force - mine often falls out. It means I'm able to wash both filters with no problems. Your cat is gorgeous btw.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Hiya, the bottom filter in mine definitely won't come out; it's a totally sealed unit

[@justitiaespero8207]

Yes I thought the same about mine too and only accidentally discovered it comes out. If I were able to send you a photo you'd know what I'm on about. I've looked closely at all your shots and your pod is identical in appearance to mine in every respect. The filter is held at the pillar near the hole and you pull the pillar upwards (it's a bit hard to explain). It's such a good fit that it does look like a sealed unit.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

​@@justitiaespero8207 we just managed to remove it! Thank you so much for that. It was DISGUSTING under there after so many months of not being scrubbed so it's now drying out so I can give it a dry scrub to help unblock the filter. I swear I've tried pulling that bit up so many times and it wasn't budging but now I have the knack it just pops out easily :)

[@justitiaespero8207]

Excellent - I'm so glad you persevered!

[@alanmorgan5384]

Hi once again Mary, I forgot to ask about could you do a video on using the reusable pod to make a hot chocolate, as I've had no luck just a lot of pastey thick chocolate stuck in the pod. Regards Alan.

[@HooseOfWidnes]

Oh God. Thanks for putting this up, I've been using a reusable one for weeks having watery thing bland coffee that's supposed to be Taylors Hot Lava. This makes so much sense.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

So glad to help. I found that brand new the coffee is a bit flat but I get a better result once the filters have clogged up a bit! Now I remove the lid filter and pop out the one in the base of the pod, rinse them and let them dry first, then gently rub with a nail brush to dislodge the clogged bits. I leave some bits still clogged because I get a better coffee. I've now also found that espresso coffee grind works best, but you'll have to clean the filters more often when using it. Good luck!

[@alanmorgan5384]

Hi Mary, I bought the kit with the tamper and like you said in your video it is really needed to tamp that coffee down. Until I watched your video here my coffee was like dishwater and tasteless. Now I get a nice rich frothy coffee, so many thanks for the tips keep up the good work there. regards Alan.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

That's fantastic Alan! I'm go glad the video helped :)

[@davidstamp9184]

Thank you for posting this. I’m awaiting delivery of a new machine and wondered about refillable pods. Your video has convinced me to give it a go. My cat’s is as naughty as yours! I’m convinced she’s jealous when I’m on the phone and always tries to butt in!

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Hi David, I hope you manage to get the refillable pods to work. Our cats are definitely jealous when we're on the phone, on a Zoom call, cooking dinner, making coffee..... They can be outrageous! A couple of weeks ago we sadly lost Coco who was in this video. The house is much quieter without him even though we still have 4 cats, because he was always under our feet and getting in on the action. It's very weird without him here :(

[@NicoleFindeisen]

That's nothing, I have to take the water tank out of my Tassimo when I'm done because my ginger menace pries off the lid and drinks the water.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

@@NicoleFindeisen Oh my word, that's really naughty (but very funny!)

[@NicoleFindeisen]

I was gifted a Tassimo many years ago and didn't get much use out of it due to the waste. I used an Aeropress for my daily coffee for many years until the external tube cracked and replaced that with a pour-over filter, which did the job. We recently re-did the kitchen so all the tea and coffee stuff got their own corner. I had looked into reusable pods before but the solutions at the time weren't great. I've had my original 220ml pod (with tamper) since November and love it, got a milk heater/frother and coffee grinder off Lidl and am very happy with my setup now. Recently got 2 more pods (60ml for cappuccino and 180ml for my smaller cups) and they threw in a 200ml and 220ml lid and a pack of paper filters I hadn't seen before. No instructions, but I just wet them and put them under the lid before putting it on the pod and that works. It does seem to aid the brewing process.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Hi, thanks so much for letting me know about the paper filters. I will have a look on Amazon for them. I was bought four packs of coffee as a gift recently and it's a very finely ground one which blocks the metal filters quite quickly so it will help having the extra layer in there. The coffee brews amazingly well and tastes so good :)

[@michelle_resinrebel]

Hi Mary this is great, I don't like coffee but my man dose and he uses a tessimo aswell , will let him no about this thanks for sharing ❤❤❤ xxx

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

So glad it was helpful to see this :)

[@criteria9514]

The fancy little spoon may be designed to get used grounds out of the pod. I was looking for the best way to do that. You reminded me the tamping is important!

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

I think the spoon is so beautiful :)

[@simonalcock1125]

Super helpful and clear. Thank you 😊

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Petertronic]

Very interesting Mary. I had looked up the refillable pods before and was put off by reviews saying they can explode! I have put the one you use, with the tamper, in my wishlist - I usually get some vouchers over Xmas (and my birthday) so might get one early next year. Looking forward to trying it. I like Lavazza ground coffee ☕

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

I have only had "explode" once, and by explode I mean I've over-filled it so it burst, meaning bits of ground coffee ended up all around where the pod sits. It was such a pain to clean up that I've made never to repeat that mistake!

[@Petertronic]

Thanks. I will rewatch your video when I get mine, so I get it right.. hopefully@@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417

[@jdgreen5422]

Mary, thank you for posting this - you convinced me I should buy a reusable pod. It arrived today and I used Hot Lava Java ground coffee by Taylors of Harrogate, as I like it V strong. My first attempt today wasn't bad. It made a good strong cup of coffee, but not much crema. I'm sure I wil get better with practice. Thanks again

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

I absolutely love the Lava Java! I recently bought a new lid because my old one had so much fading of the barcode that my machine couldn't read it any longer. I noticed that the coffee wasn't as good at first and I think as some of the filter gets a little bit blocked, it seems to make a better coffee. Hopefully yours will do the same. Good luck!

[@jdgreen5422]

@@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417 Please could I ask, how often do you clean the filters in the capsule?

[@ricco123tube]

I use a similar device for the Phillips senseo coffee machine. Looks a lot simpler than this Tassimo device and cheap too.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

So glad you have a simple to use reusable pod :)

[@9304br]

I bought 2 cheap off temu, They work really well.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

That's brilliant to know - thank you :)

[@jennyparker7429]

Hi just to let you know the bottom filter does come out if you pull the plastic where the max mark is

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Hiya, yes I added a pinned comment above with an update that said I'd figured out how to remove the filter from the bottom. It was definitely overdue a clean!

[@NicoleFindeisen]

THANK YOU!

[@johnroberts2681]

I did the same as you bought without the tamper. Thanks for the great info on why I need one. I don’t fill mine as much but pressed with my fingers before. I also never knew I could add more water. Brilliant 😀 I played around with barcodes but I think the water is hotter in the single use pods and my bottom filter had curled up a bit on the sides so not doing that again. It was fine once cooled though. I will also try taking it out Great video thanks

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Good luck!

[@squonkyman]

I see people in comments here saying they're using ready ground coffee. I tend to grind my own so wondering whether results would be better if i used an espresso (finer) grind?

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

I definitely feel the results are better with an espresso grind. I did find that the filters get clogged faster with the very fine grinds, but you can pop them both out, rinse them and let them dry for a bit, then gently rub them with a nail brush or old toothbrush. That knocks out most of the stuck bits, but if it's only you using the pod you can seal your mouth around each section and blow hard and that will clear out any other stubborn bits. Obviously I wouldn't do that if I was making a pod coffee for somebody else, but there's only me who uses the Tassimo in my house. Good luck!

[@squonkyman]

@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417 Thank you! It makes sense that this would be the case but wanted to ask you before going ahead to order one.

[@sabry8484]

Thanks for the video :) the lid of my capsule doesn't hold anymore, it's opening while the machine is working, making a mess. Any suggestions on how to fix it?

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Hiya, I'm so sorry that you're experiencing that. As long as you're not over-filling it, if it's still popping open I suspect the silicone has degraded and you'll need to see if you can find a new silicone lid. If there are any tears or nicks in the silicone it won't seal properly

[@sabry8484]

@@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417 thank you!

[@datatest1555]

I have the same set and am doing the same incl tampering, getting zero foam, I suspect it is coffee, which one do you use ? Do you put filtered water in ? Mine also came with paper filters, but they don't seem to do much ...

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Hiya, I use a whole range of different coffee. I mostly use Taylors ground coffee from the supermarket, either Italian Roast or Lazy Sunday are my favourites, but we've also used very finely ground espresso powder and I sometimes grind my own and that tends to be a bit coarser ground. I usually run our tap water through a filter jug, because we live in an area that has extremely hard water, but sometimes if I'm in a rush I just use water from the tap. I never got any foam when I wasn't tamping it down hard enough, but I also find that I get more foam when the filter is slightly clogged. I hope you manage to figure out a way of getting it to work. My pod does have the two metal filters but it didn't come with any spares of anything.

[@npmaylesby]

I have tried and tried, but I cannot seem to get a creamy crema like the genuine pods give. If I put more coffee in, all it does is make the drink too strong and bitter.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

I was bought some coffee as a gift that was a fine powder like espresso coffee and that was definitely giving more of the creamy foam on top. You definitely need to clean the filters regularly with the finer ground coffee but I've realised if you let the filters completely dry after rinsing, you can blow the dry coffee grinds out from between the filter mesh

[@meck_missile]

Hello there, I have an old model Tassimo machine (1257) and have some problem with these pods. The lid seem to be not tight enough and the water keep pumping out to the side. I'm not sure if my ground coffee is too coarse or what. ( I haven't tried fine ground yet).

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Hi, the only time I've had that happen is when I put slightly too much coffee into the pod. The lid needs to go right down inside to seal properly. I've used a variety of different grinds and don't find any particular type is more or less prone to popping the lid off. Have you tried running it through empty to see if the lid stays on then? If it does then you'll know it's due to being slightly too full of coffee. Good luck and I hope you manage to sort it out

[@andyturner7963]

Can this be used with chocolate and milk

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

I don't have milk in my coffee and I use instant hot chocolate so I honestly don't know if this pod can be used that way. I'm not sure if the barcode will run the machine with the correct settings as the milk pods - are the milk pods filled with long life milk or with milk powder?

[@NicoleFindeisen]

@@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417most of the milk pods appear to be some sort of condensed milk rather than milk powder

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

@@NicoleFindeisen thanks for the info. I haven't used milk in hot drinks since about 1982 so I have never had any kind of milk product for my Tassimo!

[@jdrecords]

Take the barcode of a real pod and stick over the old one.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

I have never actually bought a single use pod - they only come in packs and I don't want to buy a large of pack of single use items. I was able to buy a replacement silicone lid and I haven't had any issues since

[@robertellwood8601]

Oh look... the coffee lady has a cat... i bet youre called karen too haha 😂

[@damonf30]

Not beeying funny but could do with giving your machine a bit of a clean where you lift up to put the pod could do with a wipe the stuff all can be taken of and cleaned your coffee will tast better they not having a dig just letting you no

[@kevindownes7763]

This is a person who lets her cat walk all over her work surfaces. I don’t think she’s fussed about having a clean coffee machine 😂

[@seanashmore8785]

That is a seriously unhealthy amount of caffeine for 1 cup of coffee

[@opticyclicsearches6204]

I take it black. Like my men.

[@marymcintyresfxartcraft7417]

Now I want to watch Airplane!

[@nchcroy3877]

Helpful video - but cat on the worktop is a definite no-no. Call me old fashioned but I dont particularly like cat poop on the kitchen worktop..