Kenco Caffe Crema Coffee Pods

Coffee is one of my favourite drinks. To get free things are a bonus. Free coffee then is a wonderful bonus and in receiving my free coffee I have discovered one of the newer inventions available in the coffee field. Kenco Ground coffee is already a favourite.

I had received an e-mail from a freebie site and noticed free coffee pods were available, I had received free ground coffee before and had enjoyed it but hadn’t personally used coffee pods, although my son-in-law gets his from Harvey Nics to use with his state of the art machine and it tastes lovely.

Coffee pods are rather like firmly packed round teabags full of ground coffee with the right quantity for a cup and are suitable for use with crema machines or high pressure coffee machines of at least 10 bars, which I have. My machine is a de Longhi and has been reviewed some time ago.

Following the instructions, I logged onto the Kenco site at Kencocoffeepods.com, why not try it if you want a free sample! All you have to do is complete the details and say what type of machine you have and then you will receive a bag of Medium Roast Coffee pods. The Homepage, called Caffe Crema Coffee Pods is coffee coloured – what a surprise and has a woman drinking coffee and a picture of a machine with a prepared cup of coffee. There are different headings to click on for further information. There is an animated instruction page! This shows how to use the pods in both types of machines, and to place in 2 pods in the holder if you want to make 2 cups of coffee. There is a section on coffee pods saying that coffee culture is changing and this is a revolutionary way of preparing coffee. I agree it is a very simple way to get a lovely cup of coffee.
Another section explains the range of coffee, which is available. There is Light roast, which has a smooth rounded lively character and subtle aroma. Medium roast is full bodied with a deep aroma. De-caffeinated for those who want to enjoy a full flavour coffee but want de-caffeinated coffee.
There is a FAQ section mostly covering the information is on other pages on the site but it explains how to store once opened etc.

Kenco caffe crema pods are advertised both on television and in magazines and looks quite seductive! It is advertised as “A perfect cup of freshly brewed coffee with a velvety crema at the touch of a button”. In case you do not know, Kenco is part of Kraft foods. With my free bag of coffee pods I received a coffee coloured leaflet, with “love” and “adore” on it and it was addressed to coffee lovers.

The packets of pods are available in our local supermarket alongside the packets of ground coffee. Price is £2.19 for 18 pods. Fairly expensive in comparison to a 250gr packet of ground coffee, but it depends on how you feel about coffee grounds. I always seem to spill some when I am filling the holder and compressing it, which is necessary to get a good crema – crema is the head or smooth velvety layer on the top of the coffee, which preserves the intense aroma and ensures a great coffee experience every time. With a pod it is clean and very easy to dispose of, for me just drop it in the compost bin, no messy grounds getting stuck as often happens when I tap it out.

The pods come in a foil packet, which has an easy tear strip at the top and then a self-seal closure to keep the coffee pods fresh, they advise using within 3 weeks of opening – no problem in our house. Each packet contains 125g and has a Best Before date, mine is 19/08/05. Once opened there is a pleasant smell of coffee but not overpowering, it seems the aroma is trapped inside the little pods.
I followed the instructions, placing the pod in the holder and once the machine was up to pressure, a flick of the switch and within seconds voila! A lovely fragrant cup of coffee with a foamy crema. It is, as described a full-bodied coffee, not bitter and not tasting like rocket fuel! Delicious and although I prefer milk added I did drink a cup straight from the machine and I could get hooked, it was a pleasant surprise.

I probably wouldn’t have bought these pods but will in future for ease when I want a quick cup of coffee or if making several cups of coffee because it is easy to put in more pods and you don’t need to burn your fingers emptying out the grounds.

Another success story from Kenco, a combination of convenience and quality in one little pod. Do drop in for a cup, I’d love to see you!