Inside Dolce Gusto drink pods

A look inside some of the drink pods of the Dolce Gusto drink making system.
The reason the Gusto system has such a big pod is to accommodate the more complex drinks like white coffee or drinking chocolate. For a plain coffee pod the contents are approximately 5g of ground coffee and lots of empty space. The creamer based drinks have about 20g of powder in them, and the hot chocolate version uses two pods with drinking chocolate in one and creamer in the other to fit all the sugar and creaminess in.
While this pod system may seem wasteful, I can understand why people use them. It's an affordable home version of the coffee shop barista experience.
My preference is for the Nespresso system, since it is just for simple ground coffee pods, and as such they are much smaller and more affordable. Plus there's a wide range of refillable pod options for custom coffee choices. (A 250g pack of ground coffee will refill 50 pods.)
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee (pods), cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of KZbin's algorithm quirks, allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.
#ElectronicsCreators

[@TheFerret22ca]

Was anyone else expecting Clive to make a hot drink out of all those mixed powders and then telling us how badly it tastes? I sure was.

[@graemewhite5029]

....and then carbonate it ?

[@forrest225]

@@graemewhite5029 we need that video

[@davidg4288]

My thoughts exactly. Boil all that crap you dumped out and mixed together, then filter it and taste it. I don't see anything in there that would be too horribly disgusting, and it's a shame to waste all that good caffeine and sugar and fake milk. Personally I'd have dumped all the ground coffee together and brewed that, and dumped all the "instant beverage" together and added hot water but too late now.

[@trekrich28]

A James Hoffman style taste test would have been epic.

[@discostucrazymunkey]

​@@graemewhite5029took the words out of my mouth

[@budgiefish]

Who else wants Clive to boil the kettle and add water to that splendid mix of coffee and chocolate and hear his views on what may be a fairly unique coffee experience? 🙃

[@Fixerbob]

Ha yes. I mean it should not be Nasty, but it has to be an experience.

[@PhilipBallGarry]

"One moment please" 😂

[@charliedobbie8916]

OBVIOUSLY. I'm a little upset that it didn't happen...

[@benjurqunov]

Then he carbonates it...

[@jothain]

I was actually waiting for the finale to be test of all them mixed :)

[@Napoleon_Blownapart]

These pod machines are very popular in my country (Portugal). We have a very strong habit for espresso type coffee and these machines offer a very convenient espresso experience. It is cheaper per pod than going to a local cafe, but it creates a huge amount of plastic waste. I myself bought a normal espresso machine and a mill.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

I'll stick to my chocolate satchets

[@jaysoosbeans]

I use refillable capsules as that allows me to use the ground coffee I want at 1/2 the price of the premade capsules. Less plastic waste is a bonus.

[@grbenway]

If I ever get rich i am going to buy one of those automated expresso machines.. they grind the beans and even froth the milk... unfortunatly they cost like 5 hundred bucks

[@Napoleon_Blownapart]

@grbenway My workplace had 2 of them. Didn't last long. Too many mechanisms that fail. Best to have a small, balcony 20 bar espresso machine and a separate grinder. A good machine is around 150 euros. And a mill 30 euros

[@ThePlacehole]

Expresso?!

[@jkobain]

Oh, I love it when Clive shows simple yet clever mechanics in everyday things around us. I myself don't use these capsules, but I'd certainly be curious to open them. Thanks for doing this for us!

[@ray_mck]

I never wanted to by one of these coffee pod machines since they are such poor value per cup and such a plastic waste nightmare. My mother is now living with me as her dementia progresses, and she's reached the point she has trouble with traditional coffee brewing methods. I bought her a pod machine in hopes she could manage using it. She loves it since she can still independently make her coffee every morning. She only very occasionally makes a mess if she doesn't get the pod seated firmly into the receptacle!

[@Synthetica9]

Why not a fully automatic espresso machine?

[@Synthetica9]

@BreatheScotland hmm mine also has a function to dispense an Americano, but if some coffee drink is your default it may still be a problem

[@r0bhumm]

I’m blind, and I use a Tassimo for my hot drinks, I initially used liquid level indicator fitted onto the side of the cups to make drinks, but there are sometimes problems with the sensor problems on those and I’ve ended up spilling hot water too many times.

[@sandwich2473]

We bought our nan one because of their sheer ease of use No good for me, but they have their use cases

[@Shinkajo]

@@r0bhumm how do you watch KZbin then? Or do you only listen?

[@krishnam1]

I think the restrictions may be to ensure proper "soak time" to extract all the flavour. Therefore different coffee beans (even from the same brand) may have different restrictor plates to "optimise" that.

[@smilerbob]

Agreed and I also wonder if some is for psychological appearance as well? The slower the coffee takes to make the stronger it will be but in fact they use a cheaper, weaker blend to get a similar result as other brands

[@gigiopincio5006]

i guess it's more of a pressure differential creator, in order for the microvortexes to allow for mixing of the solutes and, mainly, to mix them with air that gives the beverage a close sibling of 'crema', the yellowish top foam in espressos, that is traditionally obtained from the co2 released by the beans themselves being ground at a specific size and having warm water moving through them at way higher pressure than what these machines achieve (that allows for the pressure vessel to be plastic and metal foil instead of proper stainless steel)

[@mookinbabysealfurmittens]

I think most of them use instant coffee. Sure that many do.

[@wtmayhew]

@@gigiopincio5006 That seems like a very plausible explanation. The Dolce pods are fascinatingly complex. Being from the other side of the ocean here in the US, most of us are quite boorish with respect to coffee and for the most part have its only qualification being caffeinated. Thus we survive with Keurig pods without the benefit of such advanced engineering.

[@TechyBen]

Might also change the foaming effect?

[@TheNdoki]

I love how you can buy boxes and boxes of these in Canada, but you're not allowed to put them in a plastic bag, because 'single use plastics' are being banned. 🤡

[@pffyespff]

I have Illy (old Italian coffee brand) capsule machine and until recently the capsules came in a tin can, made of strong high quality zinc-coated metal, good for keeping sugar etc. or bolts, screws or similar after use as coffee pod packaging. But nightmare from the recycling point of view. Illy capsules itself are also more complex than Nestle's. Illy machine first sends some hot water to melt some film inside the capsule and after 2 secs the main water.

[@ShadowEclipse777]

Yeah defeats the point if the ban

[@perry92964]

they did that in new jersey where i live as well......i dont know why they banned paper bags too.

[@mCblue79]

I've opened these. They contain about 3 cents worth of coffee. I ditched my pod machine as you need to use 3 capsules for a decent sized cup and the price therefore is ridiculous. Now I have a proper coffee machine and a grinder. The end result tastes far better as well. Cool vid Clive 👍

[@Alexander_l322]

Exactly my point Mark. A proper machine cannot be beat by these crappy pod machines.

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

The sad price of convenience .......... and, in theory, even more waste for 'recycling'.

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

@@Okurka. Clean or dirty socks? More flavor with the latter of course.

[@kpanic23]

@@Okurka. That's actually a great way to save water! Make coffee and wash your socks in one go!

[@mCblue79]

@@Okurka. A sock? A clean one I hope ... 👀

[@lawrencerubanka7087]

What a fabulous way to keep the landfill staff busy. I like my 10 year old Moka pot. Thank you very much!

[@niclaskarlin]

What's this 'landfill' you're talking about? In Sweden we recycle everything, at least by burning it for energy/heat.

[@666Tomato666]

@@niclaskarlin you know what's better than burning a plastic covered aluminium cup? Composting a paper filter with pure coffee grounds.

[@paulf1071]

Yeah these pods/capsules are convenient, but not great for the environment.

[@assassinlexx1993]

My coffee percolator is old but never fails. Makes that perfect sound as it makes your morning cup

[@alexatkin]

Coffee is a weird beast, I absolutely can't stand percolated coffee. Its fascinating how every different way you make it completely changes the flavour.

[@assassinlexx1993]

@@alexatkin I suggest you never try cowboy coffee. That coffee will burn a hole in your gut.

[@Dan-Athema]

​@@assassinlexx1993 cowboy coffee sounds like a euphemism for spunk

[@WilliamHostman]

I used to have a friend's electric percolator... it died. It's blood hard to find small percolators in the US these days; I have no need for 20+ cups in a brewing...

[@assassinlexx1993]

@@WilliamHostman Check out thrift stores and this summer garage sales. It might perk you up. Ok ok I will stop.

[@CatsAreRubbish]

I can't be the only person who wanted to see you make and drink a "mega coffee" with all of the various powders you extracted?

[@ChristianJull]

Anyone who has come to their senses and now has the reusable stainless steel Sealpods will already be familiar with the construction of the expensive eco-unfriendly DG single use pods. I swapped to Sealpods several years ago and am quite happy with the results. Not only are they considerably cheaper to use, but you can choose your coffee blends and strength to match the drinker.

[@PaulSteMarie]

I suspected the differences in the plate are actually related to the differences in the beverage being produced. The one in the espresso pod in particular looks like it's designed to produce crema. It's basically a disposable version of the coffee filter assembly on an espresso machine. The other plate appears to be designed to prevent any foam from being produced.

[@user-hb8sq6ce9u]

Coffee is extracted from powered beans to water but hot chocolate is mixed with water - coffee power stays in capsule but hot chocolate power moves to water.

[@FAB1150]

I think it's to regulate pressure, the white one has few pointy spikes which will puncture the foil easily (as you don't need pressure to mix instant coffee), while the black one has many flat spikes, which will distribute the pressure on the foil and let pressure build up into the pod, which is what you need for espresso.

[@glencwilson]

An inexpensive "espresso" machine and supermarket ground coffee is not that much harder to use and tastes a lot better and far less waste than that coffee. For a decent espresso you need about 15gm coffee and 30ml of water., 5gms is not a lot of coffee.

[@5Stringslinger]

You can think: what ingenuity that goes into a cup of coffee. Or you think: wow, different plastics and metal foils, very hard to recycle - all for one cup of coffee.

[@amunak_]

And shitty coffee at that. The worst part is that even with "high quality" pods you have a few cents worth of coffee, most of the price is the stupid pods and a huge margin on top of course.

[@anameofsomesort959]

I have to know Clive. Did you make a super drink out of those pods you dumped into the bowl? If so, how did it taste?

[@Hazelcake]

could possibly re-pack it into the refillable pod but might be a bit weird with the mix of ground and instant coffee

[@butterparty]

I was secretly disappointed the video didn't end with this!

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

Like a chococreamaccino. 🤣😂

[@gdj6298]

Probably needed carbonating...........

[@kathrynwhitby9799]

@@gdj6298 YEss! bang on!

[@ricardogarciademarinacordo1151]

I have a Dolce Gusto machine, and after one year or so, I discovered refillable capsules. Never looked back. I can use whichever coffee I prefer, and it gives a decent crema. The Dolce Gusto uses only one needle, at the front. Amazingly, the machine's capsule holder has a little dimple at the bottom, on the front side, and the manufacturer of the capsules has taken advantage of that, and has shaped a little matching bump in the capsule, so that you can easily make sure you always align the single hole on the cover with the needle.

[@ChoqueChuncus]

Which brand of reusable pods do you use?

[@Mikes666]

I got rid of the tassimo, I now buy Taylor’s coffee bags and Lidls 1 ltr baristas creamer.Also bought a one cup hot water dispenser kettle. Cheaper than pods and less waste.

[@AndyHullMcPenguin]

Good point about the waste. Pods are 100% landfill.Far too much effort to extract the various component materials. When I say 100% waste, try weighing the pod before, and after making the coffee. It will weigh more afterwards as there is still water trapped in the pod. maybe make that 110% waste. The coffee 'aint bad though. ;~)

[@Zveebo]

It’s great that there are different options for different people. I recycle my pods, so don’t feel guilty about them - equally all other coffee choices are perfectly valid if they make you happy 👍

[@LOTPOR0402]

Cheaper again but it in a jar and use milk

[@ybunnygurl]

The Nespresso ones are recyclable; at least in the US. You can return them to Nespresso stores or get a prepaid shipping bag. The coffee gets composed, the rest of the bits are recyclable.

[@mcborge1]

I got one of those one cup coffee makers with the mesh basket from Aldi's so i can use whatever ground coffee I want, it works a treat. I also have one of their milk heater/ frothers too. I got both for the Price of a Tassimo.

[@rpdom]

Clive tastes suspicious powders! 😄 I did wonder how those worked. Always thought they must be expensive. I wonder how they compare to those sachets in cost? I use the Aldi cheap ones.

[@DoctorAtomicUK]

The newer Vertuo variants are supremely expensive if you buy small quantities. Gotta pay for all that barcode and centrifuge tech somehow.

[@chris9650]

​@@DoctorAtomicUKdon't want to post to other channels but there's a very interesting coffee reviewer who covered that machine and the back story to it.

[@WilliamHostman]

I got a cheap one, house brand, at wal-mart for about US $30. I bought 20-24 pods(brand dependent) for $15 to $22, back in 2015. Given that I needed coffee only for the drive to work, making a pot which would be cold and 75% wasted was not saving me any money, and my ADC barely worked right at 4 coffee cups, needing 6 to feel reliable. Coffee in teabags is $18.00 for 30 bags, for $0.6 per unit, and the bag always takes some of the coffee away.... prices current based upon US Pac-NW. And are, for the most part, same as they were when I was swilling 3-5 l of tea, and 0.5 l coffee, per day. (ending in 2015) As I noted elsewhere this vid's comments, for me it's the lower waste of using pods that are shelf stable for a year+...

[@Petertronic]

The machines are primarily made for putting hot water at a measured temperature through coffee grounds to make a good coffee. To use them for hot chocolate, with all that plastic wastage, is utterly ludicrous, as well as multiple times the cost of hot chocolate from a jar - anyone buying those "non coffee" pods is basically dumb - it's a scam.

[@katrinabryce]

Genuine Nespresso ones are about 50p each. The compatibles are about 30-40p each in Waitrose, 29p+ in Tesco, or 26p+ in Sainsburys depending on whether you go for own-brand or something like Starbucks/Costa Coffee.

[@TheKevinFanClub526]

From a fluid dynamic side, the extra channels on that plastic cap increases the path the fluid has to travel. It would do two things. 1. Assuming the fluid gets to move fast enough, the fluid develop turbulence thus helps with mixing. (Like you said in the video) 2. Longer, narrow path creates pressure drop, requiring the pressure in the coffee/water mixture compartment has to be maintained at higher level to keep the flow going. I am not sure how much of a pressure change this will cause. Need to be measured to know if it is significant.

[@MeteorMark]

The only "pods" I've used were Senseo, quite good when you have the right ones! Also used a reusable filterpad holder called Cofffe Duck to fill with your own grinds, works well! Now manually grinding good beans and using a French Press, also taking advice from James Hoffmann 's videos! 😉

[@retireeelectronics2649]

I think I will keep buying 1 lb bags of beans and grinding it in my 15 year old grinder and drip brewing my thermos of coffee. Much cheaper and environmentally friendly. Nice to know the ratio of 5 grams per cup. If at at good hotel I do like the taste the pods produce but I cringe each time I toss the pod in the garbage. Nice explaination.

[@Brusselpicker]

Got one of those metal filter things and a drip delivery kettle device, already had a grinder, it's actually really simple to grind beans and chuck them in the filter,cheapest way to make a pint of coffee just the way I like. Yep I make a pint at a time, I've got a pint mug so I fill it. Probably not great for my health but it's bloody lovely.

[@criggins1]

Great fun with your dive into coffee pods, BigClive! Thanks a bunch for the dissection videos of all kinds from a fan in Atlanta, GA, USA!

[@jimbobbigknob2718]

Literally just found your channel, this is the second video I'm on rn, gotta say your presentation style scratches just the right itch, will definitely be bingeing 👍

[@ognimaeb]

No wonder these are so hard to recycle... Thank you for another interesting video!

[@REALchocochan]

Nespresso pods are better as they are using aluminium (no micro plastics) with a recycling program you can just drop off the used ones in a big bag.. which later they shred and separate the coffee on a shaker deck.

[@RalpGalland]

@@REALchocochan In Norway Dolce Gusto have its own recycling system, box em up and ship em free. Tassimo is recycled by the same company wich also accepts l'or/Nespresso, tho Nespresso has its own system as well as mentioned, bag em up and drop at the post office.

[@mikeb1013]

Random stuff is always interesting. Always love your videos. Keep up the great work.

[@aardvarkmaximus7688]

The refillable pods work quite well and work out a great deal cheaper than the 'official' ones and have the advantage that you can use any coffee. I've been using them for a couple of years. The only real downside is that the crema on top isn't quite as good, but newer versions seem to have fixed that

[@FungusTrooper]

How do you stop the spike from stabbing the refillable ones? Is there a spike on/off button? I've never actually used one of these machines lol.

[@contactjd]

​@@FungusTrooper I think you have to line it up so the spike goes through an existing premade hole

[@FungusTrooper]

@@contactjd Yeah, looking up some pics on Google, that's definitely it. Good thinking, thanks :D.

[@ChoqueChuncus]

Which brand have you got?

[@BionicRusty]

After years of trying for the best coffee at a good price, I am currently back on the good old cafetière. And a taste that suits me is Tesco Italian Ground. One of them in my Contigo cup is perfect. I still enjoy my Tassimo, though and the occasional espresso. ☕️ Great video 👍

[@martinconnelly1473]

I use Tesco Italian Roast whole beans and hand grind them for my cafetière.

[@JayFe0]

Treat yourself to a decent grinder (hand or electric). You won't regret it.

[@BionicRusty]

@@JayFe0 One is on the wish list. Thank you 🙏

[@estherstreet4582]

I have an aeropress I got from a charity shop and weird flavoured ground coffee I found in Homesense. it tastes like nutella it's great

[@BionicRusty]

@@estherstreet4582 Now there’s a sales pitch for Nutella. 😁

[@MoritzvonSchweinitz]

Oh! do the Dolce Gusto machine next! I took my rather old one apart, and it's quite pretty on the inside - sensors, high pressure pumps, cold/hot water tubing, flow meters and so on. The newer models look a bit more manual than the old one i have, but they should have similar insides.

[@piwthonggoldenskin6636]

I love to have coffee in the morning and always have a cup of instant coffee. My nephew just gave me Nescafe gusto coffee machine and I'm not ashamed to tell you that I don't know how to use it. Anyway I love when you whisper the taste of all that coffee on your clip. After seen you VDO I think I rather go on with my instant coffee.. Thank you very much.

[@NaoPb]

I don't drink coffee but these always seemed kind of wastefull with the cups that are not able to be recycled. Now I know why. They're filled with all kinds of different materials. It is quite fascinating seeing how they work. A lot more complex than I would have thought. But it's probably better (and cheaper) to use a perculator.

[@Dan-yk6sy]

Most of the kerig knock offs come with a refillable cup you could use. Its just nice being able to push one button and having a cup of coffee a minute or less later. I'll drink instant coffee if its all thats around so i'm not too particular on the taste, but even the cheap ones make drinkable coffee. Plus you can put the machine anywhere there's a plug- dorm, office, shared apartment etc.

[@a64738]

Best tasting coffe is also one of the simplest... Just a funnel with a paper filter where you put the coffe and then pour hot water over it slowly. Perculators end up buring the coffe (just like when you leave it on a hot pleate to keep warm), some people like that but most do not...

[@urgtuiop5455]

The pods are taking over the shelfspace at my local supermarket. Now I have fewer ground coffee choices. It's annoying.

[@alexatkin]

There's a LOT of choice online though, its just a lot more expensive (and better quality mind you).

[@Toca_waffle843]

I find the stupidly large range of various coffee choices annoying. I drink coffee like my mother used to make - cheap instant!

[@puddindancer]

Cool to see inside these. Thank you! I got rid of my Tassimo because every drink I made from it just had a chemically plastic taste, pretty grim.

[@paulsengupta971]

That cup you emptied everything in would now make a lovely mocha.

[@greendiesel33]

The detail in your videos is dope . Cheers big man

[@NeilHillard]

Many thanks Clive. Very interesting to see inside the pods. Always wondered what caused the pop that happens just before the coffee gets released, now I know! We use an adapter on our Dolce Gusto machine that allows us to use Nespresso pods! We also have a nifty device that effectively turns the Nespresso pods inside out. That leaves coffee grounds for the compost and aluminium that can be recycled!

[@ChoqueChuncus]

Which brand is your adapter?

[@Modelero]

I've worked on the design side of the machines that put these together (they clean the inside, put and press the coffe, inser the filter and seal etc), brings back memories 😂

[@turbokadett]

A good breakdown of an item that exemplifies everything wrong with consumerism: Non-recyclable, mixed materials and single use that is then used in a machine compatible with only that specific setup and subject to immediate obsolescence the moment the manufacturer decides to change the design slightly.

[@markfergerson2145]

Had one of those machines that used pods. The impossibility of cleaning the internal reservoirs (despite what the instructions say) convinced me to get rid of it.

[@enginecrzy]

Used to have my Dads Swedish Brass Svea 123 camp stove & a espresso single spout percolator to make my brew. Also, a Presto MyJo portable K-cup coffee maker, very neat gizmo...

[@Vousie]

I have a Dolce Gusto machine. Bought a set of refillable capsules off eBay for about $10. Works wonderfully. And according to a few websites, 10 grams of coffee is about the minimum you want to use, so using these bigger capsules and filling them entirely makes for a nice and strong coffee. Quite a lot better compared to the nespresso refillable capsules I came across that cost about $90 for the set and still have "stickers" instead of a solid top lid which still means you're generating waste and will have to buy more over time...

[@ChoqueChuncus]

What's the brand of the refillable capsules?

[@Vousie]

@@ChoqueChuncus Doesn't have a brand, unfortunately. Search something like "Refillable Coffee Capsule Cup For Dolce Gusto" and look for the brown plastic ones with a metal sieve in the bottom. They usually come with a little white spoon. Unfortunately they don't have a spreader bit like how the original capsules have that perforated piece of plastic in the middle, so the water probably doesn't diffuse that well into the coffee, but I find it to be quite good, especially if you don't have the counter space or the budget for the handle-type coffee machines (I wish I could get one of those that's as small as the Dolce Gusto machine - or I'd deal with slightly bigger if it does steam as well).

[@CMDRSweeper]

I so caught that reference with "Focus your fark" :D such a subtle and great reference there, I love it.

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

Nice video - that was so informative! Thank you. I’ll keep the degree of flummery in these coffee machines in mind.

[@withershin]

A French Press for $10-$20 is really the way to go. I gave up on the pod systems but still have my Keurig sitting up on a shelf just in case. French press coffee is not superior but the apparatus is cheap and works anywhere you can make boiled water. Edit: the best joke is that other people can reply and then I can just change my opinion. I didn't do this but I'm going to guess based on the intelligence of you all that it's happened to you before. Cheers mates! Still a $10 French press is really not a bad recommendation. Edit: if you're in support of Nespresso... I'd think you're Clooney

[@mattgies]

Yes, let's have an argument about the best way to make coffee. I'm sure the internet can settle this!

[@withershin]

@@mattgies oh it's just coffee. I'm not the best person to find for a discussion on it. I'm not even really sure what the fuss is about. It's like arguing about the best temperature to make tea. It's all nonsense. But I'm glad you got my sense of humour 🍻

[@alexatkin]

I've discovered there is no "the way to go", it entirely depends how you like your coffee. I've found no coffee I can stand unless its made with an espresso machine, sadly.

[@withershin]

@@alexatkin Totally agree. There's no comparison to a real espresso machine and someone that cares using it. But like those things aren't cheap.

[@martinconnelly1473]

@@mattgies This is not about the best way to make coffee, it's about the mountain of waste these pods create and the cost per drink. The UK government is starting to ban single use plastic items where there is an alternative and I suspect these plastic coffee pods are likely to be in the firing line soon.

[@mfbfreak]

I just got an Aeropress. Brilliant little thing. The Dolce Gusto seems like an expensive way to make the instant drinks that come out of the office coffee machine for free. I expected that the mixed drinks would at least have fresh coffee in them, but no.

[@crytocc]

Some do, but only the two-cup variants, not the single-cup ones.

[@SuperChicken666]

Speaking for those of us who love to take things apart just to see what's inside, thank you.😊❤❤

[@TymexComputing]

I wasnt expecting this video on this channel :) - no electricity hazard only hot water and pressure

[@daveseddon5227]

Every 6 months or so I get the urge to buy some kind of coffee making aid. I spend hours figuring out exactly what it is that I want to buy and how it's going to change my life! Another 6 months goes by .... then another and another. I'm still on Nescafé instant!

[@harrischalk]

Check out James hoffman

[@Chrisamic]

I'd recommend a simple espresso single boiler with milk steamer, and learn how to use that. You'll also need some good freshly ground coffee. You can get a pretty good result for little money. There's a knack to it, and a few things you have to learn (like how to tamp the coffee and how not to ruin the milk) but once you know how... I recommend you pull the auto aerator off the steam wand and learn to do it with just the nozzle - it takes some skill but is more flexible. That's how you get a flat white/latte/cappucino. The aerator wand (outer tube that brings air down past the steam nozzle) just makes it one way, usually not quite what you wanted. Do a bit of reading about espresso coffee making in general. The upgrade to this is a proper double burr coffee grinder, but you can actually spend more money on that than the espresso machine. You can buy cheap grinders but ultimately you won't be happy with them (the ones with the wizzing blades like a blender are actually the worst, but I think we all try them first). I did buy a cheap burr grinder but they don't grind fine enough on the finest setting. The manufacturers know that the tolerances on them aren't great, so the "fine" setting on them is set to be quite course. I modified mine by filing the stops off the cam ring and was lucky enough to have one that worked well enough to do the job, or at least it works a bit better. The few visitors that I do get are always very impressed with my coffee. They don't understand why it is actually better than what they are buying from most cafes, made on equipment that costs (in some cases) as much as you might pay for a small car. The reason is, a little bit of science goes a long way, especially in a world where people are used to just pressing buttons and having everything done for them.

[@daveseddon5227]

@@Chrisamic Thanks for that info - I take my coffee black so the milk thing is not an issue. I had been thinking along the lines of grinding my own & have watched a couple of the James Hoffmann videos on the subject - so much choice! I'm not so much worried about the cost of the kit required it is about making the correct choice. I will persevere! 🙂

[@Chrisamic]

@@daveseddon5227 In another six months? LOL. An espresso shot is only about 30ml. If you like a longer black coffee not so strong, you can add hot water. When American GI's landed in Italy in 1943 they didn't understand the very strong very tiny Italian espresso. The Italians very obligingly then invented the "Americano". You half fill the cup with hot water, then run the espresso over the top. This lets the crema sit on the top for a lovely aroma and flavour. If you poor the water on top of the espresso shot it takes the crema down so you lose that. That would be a "long black" rather than an Americano. Whatever works for you... when I started my own coffee journey I didn't know much about it. I didn't even know what I didn't know. I'd also recommend watching/reading lots of different sources since there's a lot of regional variations and different ways of looking at it. For example I've often wondered if Americans understand the Americano, or even know about it? Most American channels seem to tend more towards French press, percolator, or dripolator. For these methods you don't actually need a very fine or consistent grind, so it's maybe a lot easier and simpler if you like your coffee that way.

[@TheModelator]

I've used my Dulce Gusto machine for many years now. Great for when you are rushing out of the door in the morning, late for work as usual. Pop in a pod, seconds later a fairly decent cup of coffee. I use washed out Costa Coffee cups and also make one for my work mate who I pick up in the van. He's not cottoned on yet that he is getting a coffee that cost around 60p, where a Costa costs £6.15 for the same size cup 🤪

[@FishCow]

Never did understand the popularity of pod systems, Coincidentally, we just got a coffee grinder yesterday and then this video lol. The novelty is still in full swing and the house is spotless!

[@wisher21uk]

Never knew what was in them thanks Clive for enlightening me 😊

[@Dingbat217]

They are expensive for what they are, but for someone with very limited dexterity they are super handy as they are so simple to use, even if you only have very limited controls over your hands and practically no grip in either hand! 👍

[@martinconnelly1473]

I like my coffee strong, but I like it cheap as well. I buy 1kg bags of coffee beans and use a hand grinder to give a fine ground. I measured out the weight of beans that my scoop holds and it is 6g. This means I get 167 mugs of coffee from my £15 bag of beans, cost is 9p per mug. It costs in the region of 3p to boil the correct amount of water for my mug, the water cost is very small, that leaves the cost of milk which costs about 5p (depends on how much you like in your coffee). I get some exercise from grinding the coffee as well 😉Total cost in the region of17p. These pods are currently costing something like 40p to 62p per mug plus the electricity which I assume must be similar to the 3p it is costing me for my home ground coffee. When you add on the cost of the machine (above the cost of a hand powered grinder) in as well these pods seem like an exercise in spending money and creating waste.

[@romandabrowski8994]

Senseo for me. It’s just hard in Canada to get coffee pods.

[@Toca_waffle843]

someone's got to pay for the adverts :)

[@Johnnybananass-_]

for the coffee pods its to also create a "fake -false" crema . The brown froth own the top of a short of fresh espresso from the reaction of water pressure and carbon dioxide trapped in the fresh ground coffee . as Nespresso is ground a long time ago the ground coffee is not fresh so will not create a cream if used in a normal espresso machine, so these little plastic pressure points and channels held make drinks frothy and coffee look fresh . ( an ex Nespresso PR person,)

[@Johnnybananass-_]

and yes ive taken Nespresso cartridges at our office when working events for Nespresso and tried to use in a standard Italian espresso machine and it was as bad tasting with no crema and a taste like months old coffee just like the Nespresso machine itself. we must have launched a half dozen Nespresso machines during my time, all the same horrid taste coffee over extracted and tasting like a hobos underpants, btw all the staff went to the cafe next door to buy coffees even tho we had a 4 Nespresso machines pride of place in the office and unlimited Nespresso pods sent to us from the warehouse., the coffee was and always will be a pale attempt at real cafe barista pulled espresso.

[@alexatkin]

@@Johnnybananass-_ I bought a bean to cup recommended by @jameshoffmann due to my arthritic hands not being up to making espresso. Its not perfect, but it gets pretty close. Mostly the trouble is trying to find exactly the right coffee to use and the problem that my mum likes super strong over-extracted coffee whereas it makes me ill. So trying to find a bean that is just close enough for both of us to enjoy has been tricky.

[@georgeliquor2931]

No sleep for you tonight Clive, and who would have thought something so every day as a coffee pod could be so interesting

[@hikari_no_yume]

I was relieved when I heard you say there would be no electronics in this video. I was scared there might be a DRM chip!

[@markmurphy3578]

I have a set of stainless steel refillable Nespresso capsules and although you have to stick on a foil lid, which is a bit fiddly, they work well. I like the look of the plastic ‘clip on lid’ version. That seems so much easier. The dolce gusto ones never appealed to me mainly because of the gimmicky chocolate and flavoured options. But it’s good to know that they both use the same amount of coffee. 👍☕️

[@DeputatKaktus]

Someone did the math on how good of a value you get from those pods. I think if you go by weight, you would pay about 90 -110 Euros per kilogram of coffee. Give or take. So, to put it mildly, the value for money is abysmal. Even the locally roasted coffee that I usually get which is about 20 Euros per kilo is an absolute bargain compared to those pods.

[@tei1337]

That seems steep, but maybe if you calculate it for the ones that have only 8 coffe pods and 8 creamer pods. I get to roughly 65€ for the boxes of 16 pods, based on the assumption of 5gr/pod and my local price of these pods. A better calculation is how many cups you actually get out this vs of a kg coffee and compare with the price of enough pods for the same number of cups. Generally people use too much coffee. Also people using drip makers, lie me, frequently end up dumping half a pot of coffee in the sink after a while because they make too much and the coffee gets cold and/or tastes bad. Probably still more experience though.

[@whocares281]

That's why they brought it to market in the first place. Making lots of money. It's the same concept as with inkjet printers.

[@DeputatKaktus]

@@tei1337 that is indeed a very good point. Calculating the number of cups is a good idea, assuming that people dose their coffee consistently. And I agree on the notion of people using too much coffee to brew their cup. Personally I do pour-over coffee (in a V60) and initially I also made the exact mistake you described. Some experiments and a set of scales later the issue was no more. Highly recommended btw, for anyone reading. What I will say about the pods is that they eliminate user error in dosing. But at what cost… The ones I tried in a hotel were definitely not bad as far as taste goes - but they were not amazing either. So, you still a whole lot of dough for coffee that is just „okay“. Edit: forgot to mention this: The reason that people end up dumping loads of coffee is that they often leave it on the warming plate for too long. That basically burns the coffee. And of course that tastes horrible. I would dump that, too. Putting the fresh coffee in a preheated thermos gets rid of that issue.

[@TheScytheMoron]

that was morre interesting than I had thought. Thanks for showing us.

[@derekcrane7945]

Well done you have saved me destroying one of my Dolce Gusto pods. I use the Columbian coffee pods and they fail regularly. The top lid splits with the pressure build up before the lower foil ruptures!! Keep up the excellent videos!

[@Phosphor66]

I successfully got my parents to go back to the standard drip machine that is common here in the US where I live. The Keurig pod machine is popular here, but our regular Mr Coffee drip coffeemaker is really not that much more effort. The cost difference is immense. I can buy 1kg of already ground German coffee at Lidl for about $6 USD, but that amount barely covers the cost of a dozen pods. On top of all that, we Americans really love a massive cup of coffee. If you try that with a single pod, you'll get the weakest cup of coffee imaginable.

[@AaronSmart.online]

Nespresso Vertuo has different sized pods for different size drinks, including 230 ml mugs. The brewing process (pressure, etc.) results in lots of crema, which you can't get easily with drip filter coffee. It's a very different coffee, but I agree it comes at a substantial premium.

[@cheyannei5983]

@@AaronSmart.online Nobody in the US drinks a 230ml cup of coffee. Restaurants serve a 230ml mug and they're typically considered those 'tiny little cups'. A small mug holds 285ml comfortably, most will hold 400-450ml of fluid. Our single cup brewers have a 12 ounce setting; to it we add sugar which adds even more volume, and an ounce or two of milk, cream, or non-dairy creamer. Branded/gift mugs (like from Starbucks or media tie-ins) that hold 16-20 ounces when filled to the brim are the norm. If it's not a generic mug, you can get pretty sloshy it with it from how much room will be left in it. Anyway.. all of that to say that most Americans will view a 240ml option as kind of pathetic.

[@AaronSmart.online]

@@cheyannei5983 Vertuo pods are also available in "Alto" size (14 fl oz), I forgot about those because I have nothing that big outside beer glasses...

[@cheyannei5983]

@@AaronSmart.online the Vertuo system is definitely the best from a third party reusable pod perspective, but it doesn't really extract under pressure. It gets decent extraction under extremely marginal pressure. The Dolce system... Maybe if you had an extremely tight fitting, heavy metal disk with tiny holes to act as a showerhead and pressure, like their plastic...? But it seems like any reusable option here is going to be bodgy The Vertuo doesn't really hold enough grounds to make a decently strong 14 ounce cup of coffee. It's really just designed for the European market through and through. Nestle doesn't distribute the machines or pods here except directly to the consumer.

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

Me? I dump a cup and a half of coarse ground coffee into 1.5L of cold water. Goes in the fridge for 24hrs. Put into a big French press and mixed 50/50 with milk in a cup. Iced coffee drink without sugar or anything weird added-and cheap as heck.

[@mattfleming86]

Same. bag of coffee to ~3-4l water. I'm so accustomed to it that way now I rarely filter it.. just pour carefully and keep the sediment in the bottom. Last cup or two i'll pass it through a metal mesh coffee filter.

[@therealxunil2]

Yeah but I’m a man. I drink hot coffee.

[@dog2man1994]

@@therealxunil2 even in the summer when it's so hot outside that your ball sweat is evaporating?

[@twocvbloke]

@@dog2man1994 A man's gotta have that hot cup o' joe!!! :P

[@jaewok5G]

you need to get a 3.5# can of Costco coffee and amortize it out to get a per serving cost … that way it's scientific.

[@lookoutleo]

My sister has one of these coffee machines, to me it's what a waste. I have a French press , may look like a bomb hit it but still works and only bi product is coffee grounds. Thanks for posting :)

[@robhiller2736]

If you want to see needless complexity may I recommend a Tassimo disc, the water has to be injected in a specific spot so they have to include a tab to locate the pods in the machine, once injected into the disc the water fills a channel around the disc perimeter and is then redirected through slots into a central torus of ground coffee, the drink is then forced through a filter at the base of the disc before doing a 180 through a column in the center and out through the same side the water entered, a 1/6th of the interior plastic is reinforced and does not contain slots to the perimeter ring for no discernable reason. This is the layout of a standard tassimo espresso disc.

[@davidglynnguitars8119]

Cool!! You probably tossed all that drink mix. But, what would all those things taste like mixed together in one cup?

[@bigclivedotcom]

I was put off the idea of adding water and drinking it by the addition of the ground coffee.

[@mattgies]

@@bigclivedotcom Put it all in a paper filter and brew one giant cup of chocomochalatte?

[@tassoevan]

The disk looks like a distillation column plate. Its shape it meant to improve the interaction between the steam (ascending) and the liquid (descending) phases, increasing the extraction efficiency. In distillation columns, plates delimit the operation in stages, so it's odd to think about the process of brewing coffee being multistaged in that small scale.

[@seniorchonkza997]

Sounds like a classic case of over engineering

[@KonradTheWizzard]

Those machines seem to work similar to an espresso machine, so the water is very close to the steam phase or can even be super-heated. A bit of the water transitions to the steam phase exactly at the exit of the pod where the pressure drops significantly - espresso machines can reach 15bars of pressure inside the portafilter that contains the coffee.

[@seniorchonkza997]

@@KonradTheWizzard i guarantee you this is nothing but a pod system drip coffee maker

[@Toca_waffle843]

I've seen similar geometries in solid phase extraction equipment.

[@harvestkitty]

I am far from a coffee gourmet, but I'm fascinated by your videos. I'm perfectly happy with using a refill pod in my "K" machine (not gonna give them any extra attention by naming). Much better value than the disposable ones, and I can choose any flavor/roast I prefer. Maybe I'll put in more effort into my coffee experience some day. Until then, I'll continue to learn bit by bit from your videos.

[@Caddy666]

as a non coffee drinker thats was more interesting than i was expecting.

[@stevenspmd]

Oh no! Clive is a pod person! I much prefer my Aero Press for making coffee.

[@noggin73]

I've been using an Aeropress for years. Makes decent coffee. I've replaced the plunger with a silicone one. None of this plastic shit.

[@stevenspmd]

@@noggin73 Interesting. Is it any easier to plunge with silicone instead of rubber?

[@noggin73]

@@stevenspmd justs lasts longer. My rubber ones were perishing

[@enginecrzy]

Looks like a very neat gizmo...

[@em0_tion]

Saw a recycling trash can specifically for these in front of our local Praktiker store. A lot more wasteful than I ever imagined. 😬 Would always prefer a cup of good espresso every morning. 💪☕

[@oojimmyflip]

very interesting Clive its like redescovering the widget, it just goes to show we are wasting coffee when we buy ground coffee as a proper ground coffee scoop is 7 grams, or 0.25 ounces per cup so we are wasting 2 grams of coffee for each cup.

[@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi]

Your pretty much spot on, As an ex pro barista, ie i gave it up and got a real job lol Pressure, temp and time are what the plastic part is about. In a nutshell. Theres obviously many other factors, such as water hardness, water temperature, water mineral content, water taste and quality, heat, pressure, grind type and its relevance to heat and the other factors mentioned. Its almost a black art coffee. Even pour over temps ie pouring the hot coffee over really cold milk, and again a list of other factors can change the output. But one things for certain, anyone that drinks anything from starbucks has no idea what real coffee tastes like lol.

[@simonhopkins3867]

I'm surprised these haven't been made recyclable or biodegradable. As for cheap nice hot drinks are becoming a luxury ;-) The reusable one looks good though.

[@benbaselet2026]

There are some nespresso compatible ones that are biodegradable.

[@SomeMorganSomewhere]

Nestle had to stand up their own recycling program for their pods because of the ridiculous amount of waste they were producing. Pretty sure most pods still don't get recycled...

[@enginecrzy]

cant remember what brand it was but look up biodegradable k-cup, they have kind of an exposed teabag underneath...

[@boatman323]

Nespresso are allegedly fully recyclable, stick ‘em in the recycling bag in the garage and put the bag out for collection when the next delivery arrives. Unfortunately (and more in line with Clive’s usual video fare) many of the machines don’t work on modified sine wave inverters, otherwise I’d have one one the boat as well.

[@markb4071]

I've had a nespresso for a while ( came free when I bought so many pods, that I was going to buy anyway) bought the refillable ones and never found them to be as full flavoured or a 'long a drink' as the original same with the supermarket ones. Always taste a bit 'thin' which explained the cheaper price I buy pods when they are on offer and usually works out between 25 and 35p per pod - which I find very acceptable over instant coffee ( never found a nice one and tried many, many over the years )

[@jaro6985]

Most likely you didn't grind to the same particle size as was in the sealed pods.

[@AndyHullMcPenguin]

At 25p per 5g pod of coffee, you are paying a quid per 20g. That equates to a fiver per 100g or fifty quid per kilo for... ground coffee. Roughly eight to ten times what you pay if you use a cafetière or percolator, and around a third more again , if you go for the 35p per pod option. I'm not saying pods aren't convenient, nor that they don't make reasonably good coffee, but they certainly 'aint cheap, and you are limited only to those coffees that the manufacturer of the pod promotes. "You pays yer money, you makes yer choice."

[@Aco747lyte]

And interesting video, Clive - thank you! These Dolce Gusto pods may be all nice and convenient, but are a menace in landfill, whereas Nespresso pods which are metal can be recycled by Caran D'Ache and made into beautiful pens.

[@JesperValentine]

Soon a million subscribers! Thats well deserved. 🙂

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

I remember doing a quick value calculation between a case of Peet's branded K-cup pods and a bag of Peet's coffee beans at Costco. The pods were like 3 to 5 times more expensive based on the weight of the packages alone, and likely cost more because of the pods themselves.

[@straightpipediesel]

That's irrelevant though, the key metric is cost per cup. Another factor is when you make drip coffee in a normal coffee maker you can't make one cup, you need at least 2-3. You also need the water and energy to clean out the pot and filter basket after it's done.

[@Backroad_Junkie]

Individual servings of anything are more expensive. Coffee from my roaster (in 28oz bags, which used to be 32oz bags, but hey! At least the price in dollars hasn't gone up, lol) costs me 17 cents per cup. The pods they sell are 75 cents each. Pods would make my caffeine addiction 4.5x more expensive...

[@conkerconk3]

I'm still don't know why they taste so much better than ever coffee. Even if you make your own cappuccino with a proper coffee machine using fresh beans that you ground yourself, those pods still taste better (especially that flat white one). I live for the day when I figure out how to outperform them

[@cheyannei5983]

They are extremely optimized for high extraction and sealed in nitrogen (stops oxidation, keeping the coffee as fresh as when it was sealed, same thing Lilly does to their cans). They are roasted and sealed much, much closer to harvest than your own beans. You'd probably like a mokapot with a more restrictive filter like the E&B labs competition filter, since it enhances extraction even further. The Mokapot Voodoo video by the Wired Gourmet demonstrates a technique to improve extraction further. Espresso machines are not actually super high extraction. They are higher than drip, but not by as much as you'd think. Mokapots get the highest extraction available to a normal consumer wishing to use their own beans.

[@willallen7757]

It's probably chemicals you don't want in your coffee.

[@mattfleming86]

That's because the pods don't taste like real coffee 😁 Most of the pod drinks are VERY mild coffees. Experiment with lighter roasts and you'll find what you are looking for.

[@enginecrzy]

My grandma used to drink that stuff in the wee hours of the morning & would sneak me a cup when my folks weren't lookin I have that smell infused into my brain

[@bigclivedotcom]

I could imagine that was quite a treat.

[@FuncleChuck]

3:39 “As AvE often says” that’s amazing, I did not expect that

[@spaceted3977]

Clive !!!! Did you know that they are going to sell Water Pods !!!! You need a Machine that costs £150 and the Pods are £3 each. You put the Pod in the 1000 watt Machine and within 2 Minutes it will dispense a cup of Tap Water !!!! Love your Videos !!!!

[@Phootaba]

Well that's madness. It's amazing how much unsortable waste going into these. Would be interesting to see a co2 equivalent between yearly use between these and my French press

[@electroshed]

I hate these from a landfill point of view 🤬 I inherited a Bosch bean to cup machine a few years ago, a couple of faults, O-rings and a new milk frother head needed replacing, then with good maintenance of the unit, applying food grade silicone to the brew unit O-rings now and then, the damn thing is still going, meanwhile the person that gave it to me has gone through two other, cheaper, bean to cup machines!

[@enginecrzy]

One keurig machine I tried to fix for my brother, it would overheat If you run the descaling program & trip a thermostat breaker. To reset it you would have to tear into it breaking all the plastic clips & reset the sensor with the end of a paperclip through a small hole & also reset its brain by pressing buttons in a certain sequence. after that it would kind of slowly work but was still caught in some limp mode self diagnosis mode service loop or I've also heard the firmware was buggy & can be bypassed somewhat with a resistor or something. So I trashed it I've also heard the warranty replacement/recall is a nightmare waiting months for another one, they cost hundreds & no one knows how to fix em so they also get scrapped. Ill never own a coffee maker that thinks its smarter than me...

[@pottervi]

I'm so happy you tasted them, I wouldn't have been able to not.

[@CobraDMX1984]

Cheers Clive. I bought a re-usable pod a couple of months ago and grind my coffee fresh. It's far better. I had literally no idea how much plastic waste I've created over the past 14 years.... Thanks for showing it for what it is. I'm glad I now have one stainless steel pod, and I'm very glad to get really good coffee out of it, which puts the pods to shame.

[@ChoqueChuncus]

What's the brand of the reusable pod?

[@jimsvideos7201]

These things are a waste of plastic; we had coffee just fine long before these wretched things came along. At home, Aeropress it is or a Technivorm if I have guests.

[@gregorythomas333]

No way in hell am I going to spend all that money for just a single cup of coffee...I don't go to Starbucks (or any other coffee place) either. My coffee is $15 for 2.5 pounds.

[@benbaselet2026]

If you just make the odd cup now and then it's nice and quick. Making 8 cups every single day would not be optimal.

[@oasntet]

​@@benbaselet2026 But it's also a whole dedicated single-purpose appliance, which is a bit unreasonable for an odd cup now and then.

[@CruelQuertos]

Thanks for another food/drink video ☺️♥️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

[@mallow173]

Oh wow! i've never taken one of those apart!! Cool

[@docwhogr]

all this plastic waste and yet they ban plastic drinking straws...

[@peter.stimpel]

Franklin Associates estimated a yearly consumption of 73 billion of such pods, and only about 3 billion of them are recycelt, based on a study by Recup. What a waste machine this is ... interesting video though. I will stick with my Coffeemachine, 15 ys old. You put beans and water in, and get Espresso and coffee out. Easy.

[@jaro6985]

And the ones that are "recycled" probably aren't even used to make new pods. Joke of a product.

[@peterfarah9554]

Used loads of dolce gusto pods with my machine, super interesting 2 see what was inside!

[@DanteRising]

Ironically my favourite videos of you is when you go off on a tangent

[@Broken_Yugo]

Seems like a lot of plastic waste just so people don't have to learn to rinse out a screen and operate a spoon. Personally I just use a kettle and a pour over funnel.

[@chrisjames3087]

Whenever I take my yard waste to the dump, those cups are everywhere. They should be illegal.

[@enginecrzy]

The inventor didn't want it to go public because of that I think. It was intended for hospital workers I believe...

[@MetalDevil1912]

I bought a reusable pod in Aldi. A metal housing with a silicone lid. It works a charm and makes it cheaper to make an espresso.

[@Graham_Rule]

Such is the power of Clive's dulcet tones talking about coffee that I had to pause this and make use of my trusty Areopress. A lot less wasteful than those plastic pods.

[@bigclivedotcom]

The aeropress is very good. I use mine with a reusable metal filter disk.

[@jonathanharvey2156]

@@bigclivedotcom so do I, we need more coffee videos from you, sir!

[@SansNeural]

@@jonathanharvey2156 Has he carbonated coffee yet?

[@SansNeural]

@@bigclivedotcom Hello from Fark-thelasthalfofyourhandle. "Focus you Fark!"

[@magicmarger]

Amazing how it was important to ban plastic straws while these overpriced one way crap is still on the market. Personally I'm absolutely happy with my Siemens EQ6 automatic coffee maker. Recently changed a valve and the water level limit switch, hoping for it to go strong for the next 8 years.

[@Bike-Breakers]

this garbage is an environmental nightmare

[@psirvent8]

And my very own personal preference regarding coffee is actually to get beans from a small shop that roasts them on a small-ish scale then grind them myself and finally make a coffee using a espresso coffee maker. Very good-tasting coffee indeed ! (And no cream or sugar added)

[@MrSN99]

Too much work!!

[@paulkojat1526]

Yep me too best coffee ever with a great crema

[@b._.render]

That was so much cooler than I thought a coffee pod would be 😂 The maze like structure was pretty neat, would that help with pressure too?