The BUNN MyCafé MC, a sleek pod brewer designed with quality, convenience, and earth-friendliness in mind.

This is Part 2 of a series about single-cup coffee trends. To read Part 1, “Is Single-Cup Coffee For You?”, click here.

If you think you’ve decided that single-cup coffee is the ideal choice, you’ll soon face another decision before you come home with your brand new coffee maker. That is, what type to buy? The three most popular choices are Keurig, Tassimo, and Coffee Pods. Here’s a quick overview.

Keurig

Keurig is the most popular choice in the single-serve coffee industry. The brewer uses the K-Cup, a proprietary plastic capsule containing a filter and ground coffee. K-Cups are available in hundreds of varieties, meaning you will probably find something you love. K-Cups are quite pricey though – currently about 60 cents a cup or more (definitely more than a traditional pot of coffee), so finding a good price is as important as finding the taste you love. The other downside to Keurig is the plastic waste – each K-Cup must be thrown out and can’t be recycled – an unfortunate issue.

Coffee Pods

The coffee pod brewing system, not chained to a particular brand, uses a round “pod” made out of the same type of material as a tea bag. This pod contains ground coffee and acts a filter, while a wrapper seals the freshness in before it is used. There are two main advantages to pods – “green” coffee and price. By “green,” we mean earth-friendliness, as each pod fully decomposes, in contrast to K-Cups and other capsules used by different brands. Also, the price is remarkable – a cup of coffee of the same, high quality as Keurig can be grabbed for as low as 35-40 cents a cup, a price difference not to miss. And finally, the variety is amazing; you’re sure to find a coffee you love.

Tassimo

Although not as popular as Keurig, this system is unique in that it uses a plastic disc with a specialized barcode that the brewer reads. This barcode tells the brewer how to perfect the cup, thus eliminating many button presses and other setups used to create your favorite beverage. In addition to coffee and tea, these “T-Discs” are available in specialty beverages – including lattés and café mochas. The downsides are similar to Keurig – plastic waste and higher prices that you won’t get when using coffee pods.

The Decision Is Yours

Now that you have a feel for what’s out there, it’s your opportunity to make the choice between the many options for single-cup coffee. Or, maybe, you’ve decided that single-serve coffee isn’t for you. But the popularity of single-cup coffee is on the rise, and you may decide you want one after you see one at a friend’s house, office, or wherever you may happen to come across a single-serve brewer in action.

If you think single-cup brewing is for you, check out our selection of coffee pods and brewers.

A Keurig Brewer, the single-cup industry’s leading brand.

If you’ve been shopping recently, you may have noticed a new style of coffee brewer sitting on the shelves. These machines, known as single-cup or single-serve coffee makers, are becoming a popular choice for coffee consumers in many parts of the globe. The more popular brewing systems available include Keurig, Tassimo, and one you may not have seen on the store shelves – coffee pod brewers.

The name "single-cup" or "single-serve" coffee gives you a pretty good idea of what those brewers are for, and if you guessed that they’ll make you one cup of coffee at a time, you are absolutely right! But don’t let that fact turn you off if you want more than one cup. Here’s why.

The Premise Behind Single-Cup Coffee

Single-cup coffee brewers, regardless of brand, are all designed with the same idea in mind – quick, fresh coffee with few steps and easy cleanup. The process is simple – fill the reservoir with water, and place a coffee package (which depends on the brewing system) into the machine. Then just press a button... and that’s it! Your coffee comes out, fresh and hot.

Many customers prefer single-serve coffee over traditional brewing methods for several reasons. Convenience is a key factor. Making a cup of coffee using a single-cup brewer typically takes under a minute, whereas going to the coffee shop or waiting for a pot to brew can be a time-consuming process. Grinding and measuring the coffee grounds are also eliminated from the brewing process. Choice is another factor for many. If someone wants tea, another wants decaf, while yet another wants their favorite flavored coffee - yes, that’s possible! This advantage makes single-serve ideal for parties, since everyone gets their choice of beverage. A final factor is coffee waste. When brewing a traditional pot of coffee, often the coffee goes bad before it’s all gone, and it ends up down the drain. By only making one cup of coffee at a time, most coffee is consumed, not wasted.

Making The Choice

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you’ll buy a single-serve coffee maker. And remember that seeing a brewer in action is the best way to get a feel for how they work. Although the internet can’t make you a cup of coffee, you can have single-cup coffee delivered to you without leaving the home.

If you think single-serve brewing is for you, check out our selection of coffee pods and brewers.

To read Part 2 of this series on single-cup coffee trends, “What's Available”, click here.

An example of K-Cups.

An example of a coffee pod.

When it comes to single-serve coffee, there are a variety of solutions that let you say goodbye to fussing with filters, ground beans and left-over liquid sitting in the pot. Like coffee dispensing machines, K-Cups and coffee pods give you press-and-brew simplicity.

How do K-Cups work?

A K-Cup is a plastic container that resembles a creamer cup that contains ground beans sealed air-tight with plastic and a foil lid.

The Keurig brewer forces hot water through the K-Cup and into your mug or cup. There are two main manufacturers of K-Cups:  Green Mountain and Van Houte. K-Cup brewers have been on the market for over 10 years. Regardless of the manufacturer, each relies on micro-processor technology to control the temperature and the amount of coffee brewed.

When it comes to single-cup brewers, Tassimo gives you a choice of your cuppa: brewed coffee, cappuccino, latte, hot cocoa and even tea. Think auto-espresso with push-button simplicity at a fraction of the cost of what you’ll pay at your neighborhood Starbucks or competitor.

Keurig K-Cups offer single-origin coffees from Africa, Latin and South America including organic and fair trade coffees. You can also choose from a wide selection of blends and roasts including decaf. If you are a tea drinker, you can use the K-Cup with Bigelow, Cafe Escapes, Celestial Seasonings, Gloria Jean's Tea, Timothy's Tea and Twinings Tea. English Breakfast, Chamomile or Earl Grey decaf, Chai, Peppermint and Mango. Hot chocolate drinkers can revel in the fact that there are Ghirardelli Chocolate brands as well as Green Mountain, Café Escapes and Timothy’s.

What is a coffee Pod?

Coffee pods – also known as coffee pads in other parts of the world – are the coffee version of a tea bag and have been around for over 20 years. They contain ground beans inside a filter. Just like K-Cups, coffee pod brewers run hot water through the single-serve coffee pods. There are more manufacturers to choose from: Wolfgang Puck, Melitta, Senseo, Reunion Island, Fratello and many others.

Coffee pods offer the same simplicity and one-touch convenience as K-Cups.

Either way, you can forget about grinding coffee beans, measuring them, throwing in a filter, or cleaning up the subsequent mess. You can give away your grinder and forget about having to stock up on filters.

Regardless of whether you choose the pod or K-Cup, you still need to shell out for a specialized brewer.

And what you make up for in convenience you lose in terms of control. If you don’t like the richness or flavor, you can’t doctor it.

For those who are worried about plastic ending up in land fills, the K-Cup is less friendly to the environment. With coffee pods, all you throw away is the bag and its grounds, which can go into your compost heap.

When it comes to the price tag, coffee pod brewers can be half the cost of K-Cup brewers. Once you’ve shelled out for the brewer, you have to shell out for the coffee itself. In total, this adds up to more than the cost of buying and grinding your own beans.

For the occasional single-serving coffee drinker, both K-Cups and coffee pods provide the simplicity of instant coffee or a coffee dispenser but with a huge taste advantage. The bottom line is whether cost-savings trumps selection.

Image Credit (K-Cups): Randy Read