I’ll admit it; I’m a snob.  Or at least a coffee snob. 

I’ve been known to order Segafredo coffee (the best in the world, by the way) direct from Italy.  I avoid the burnt java offerings of Starbucks like the plague, and I typically drink my coffee black, which is the true test of its flavor and quality.

That said, when the fine folks over at Philips sent me one of their “Senseo” coffee makers for review, I was wary.

After all, what was this ’single serve coffee pod’ concept, and more importantly, how would it taste? 

THE IDEA

Senseo is a single serve coffee maker that brews individual cups of coffee using small ‘coffee pods’ which basically look like a small packet of coffee wrapped in a coffee filter.

The brewing process resembles that of an espresso maker, as pressurized water is forced through the coffee pod and into the cup.  Unlike an espresso maker, or a conventional ‘drip’ coffee maker, there is no carafe, which means one less thing to wash. 

Another advantage of this espresso-like brewing process is the froth; the coffee dispensed is topped with a creamy (looking) froth that is very reminiscent of a latte or cappuccino. 

One note; the froth is a product of the brewing process, and therefore just tastes like the coffee itself, not the milky flavor you’ll typically find in latte froth, etc.

HOW TO USE

The first night we had the Senseo in hand Greg and I put it through its paces. 

The unit itself has an artistic, modern aesthetic that looks good next to any coffee machine you may already own.

Senseo fits right in

Another thing I appreciated was the lack of assembly required.  Basically, there are three parts used to brew a cup;

• The maker itself, which has a surprisingly (thankfully) long cord
• The water reservoir, which fits snugly against the back of the unit and is quite easy to remove and attach
• The pod holder, which is a vented metal disc the pod sits on top of during the brew process

Just add water

After taking everything out of the packaging, we went to work.  Senseo recommends flushing the unit with one full brew cycle worth of hot water, which we did.

Next, we brewed our first cups, without even (really) reading the directions.

The process is easy;

• Choose your pod holder based on the number of cups you’re brewing.  (Senseo can brew a single ’small’ cup, two ’small’ cups, or one ‘large’ mug).  There is a single pod holder for the single small cup brew, and a double pod holder for everything else.
• Pack the pods into the holder, with the coffee face down.
• Load the pod holder into the maker, by flipping the ‘lid’ up and sliding the pod holder in
• Add water to the reservoir
• Press the ‘on’ button (this begins the warm up process, which in my tests took about 60 seconds)
• Position your cup(s) under the nozzles and press either the ’single’ cup start button, or the ‘double/large’ cup start button.
• The coffee brews in approximately 45 seconds

Frothin it up

THE RESULTS

For our review, we were sent one variety of the Senseo pods, the “Medium Roast”. 

There are several other varieties out there which I saw on Amazon, including ones with delectable sounding names such as “Vanilla Bistro”, “Vienna Hazelnut Waltz” and “Killarney Irish Cream”.

The Medium Roast was decent.  A few steps above instant, certainly, but nowhere near a Lavazza or Segafredo.  This makes perfect sense considering the low price point.  I found that mixed with some milk it was a satisfying cup overall.

One note; I have found that a single pod is sufficient even for ‘two small cups’ or a large mug worth of coffee.  I’m sure the Senseo people would prefer you use two pods each time, but in my experiments, it wasn’t necessary.

PROS:

• Incredibly easy to use
• Very quick
• Inexpensive pods(looking at Amazon’s prices I figured the per cup cost to be about 26 cents)

CONS:

• Coffee maker itself is somewhat pricey, averaging $75
• Must use coffee pods, cannot use your own coffee

VERDICT:

I’m addicted to my Senseo for its quick, easy use.  It’s perfect to get a cup or two into my system before leaving for work, and I’m anxious to try some of the other flavors as well.

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