Eco coffee pod/machine recommendation?
Discussion
Ok, so I have a holiday let cottage and require a pod machine for guests. However, I don't want to use plastic pods.
I've googled but it's giving me a headache! Any recommendations for a decent machine and good quality compostable pods? As the cottage is in the grounds of our house, I'd like the machine to be very easy to use - I don't want guests knocking on my door all the time!
Cheers!
I've googled but it's giving me a headache! Any recommendations for a decent machine and good quality compostable pods? As the cottage is in the grounds of our house, I'd like the machine to be very easy to use - I don't want guests knocking on my door all the time!
Cheers!
Why bother with pods? Just get a semi decent machine and use ground coffee? They really aren't hard to use, though you should get the cleaner to pay attention to the steam wand, as most AirBNB machines I have seen have feelthy steam wands from folks not wiping them off straight after use.
I use a Francis Francis X1 and even grind my beans manually with an old Spong coffee grinder - I love the whole process!
However, many people wouldn't know how to use a ground machine and keeping both the machine and surrounding area clean would be a pain I suspect. Another advantage of pods would be that I (the cleaner!) could leave them with a set amount of pods every day making it easy to cost.
However, many people wouldn't know how to use a ground machine and keeping both the machine and surrounding area clean would be a pain I suspect. Another advantage of pods would be that I (the cleaner!) could leave them with a set amount of pods every day making it easy to cost.
Depending on what you class as eco, you can buy Eden Project brand Nespresso pods from Waitrose which are compostable. They can either be chucked on the compost heap or in with your food waste when they're used. But they're still single use and still require an industrial process to make them e.t.c.
randlemarcus said:
Why bother with pods? Just get a semi decent machine and use ground coffee?
Yep, forget pod coffee, just put in a drip coffee maker and supply filters. Most people wouldn't know how to use an espresso machine and if they drink pod coffee, really couldn't care less about how bad it is. Like you said, lowest common denominator.If you use decent coffee, you can actually get a passable cup out of a drip machine.
A pod machine will not provide the greatest cup of coffee, obviously and I'd never use one myself at home! However some pods are ok and certainly acceptable to the majority of casual coffee drinkers - which is my main concern.
Pods are easy, clean, allow me to easily offer multiple coffee/decaf/hot choc options and costing it per stay/day is simple.
I will not go down this route if plastic pods are the only feasible option. So, I just wondered if anyone on here had experience of eco/compostable pods?
The Eden Project ones suggested seem to be no longer stocked at Waitrose? Although little packs of 10 wouldn't be ideal anyway, I'd like to bulk buy really.
I thought this would be easy?!
Pods are easy, clean, allow me to easily offer multiple coffee/decaf/hot choc options and costing it per stay/day is simple.
I will not go down this route if plastic pods are the only feasible option. So, I just wondered if anyone on here had experience of eco/compostable pods?
The Eden Project ones suggested seem to be no longer stocked at Waitrose? Although little packs of 10 wouldn't be ideal anyway, I'd like to bulk buy really.
I thought this would be easy?!
yellowtang said:
A pod machine will not provide the greatest cup of coffee, obviously and I'd never use one myself at home! However some pods are ok and certainly acceptable to the majority of casual coffee drinkers - which is my main concern.
Pods are easy, clean, allow me to easily offer multiple coffee/decaf/hot choc options and costing it per stay/day is simple.
I will not go down this route if plastic pods are the only feasible option. So, I just wondered if anyone on here had experience of eco/compostable pods?
The Eden Project ones suggested seem to be no longer stocked at Waitrose? Although little packs of 10 wouldn't be ideal anyway, I'd like to bulk buy really.
I thought this would be easy?!
It is, fairly. Say you decide that Nespresso is the best thing from the machine perspective, just Google "eco-friendly Nespresso compatible pods" and flick through the results. Be wary of the subscription models though, that probably wouldn't work for you.Pods are easy, clean, allow me to easily offer multiple coffee/decaf/hot choc options and costing it per stay/day is simple.
I will not go down this route if plastic pods are the only feasible option. So, I just wondered if anyone on here had experience of eco/compostable pods?
The Eden Project ones suggested seem to be no longer stocked at Waitrose? Although little packs of 10 wouldn't be ideal anyway, I'd like to bulk buy really.
I thought this would be easy?!
As a person who spends alot of time in hotels I would be happy with anything other than instant coffee being there to be honest, anything but instant!
A small (single or double cup) cafetiere is a good shout and inexpensive to keep topped up.
Coffee Bags can be ok as well and certainly better than freeze dried stuff, they can also go in the compost heap or food waste.
I have a pod machine and while not the last word in coffee its fine for the two or so cups I have a day now. I have a Tasimo machine and there is a guy local to me who recycles the pods, have a google around your area and see of there is a similar setup, some of them do a collection service but you have to have a big enough quantity for this to work for them (typically at least a couple of carrier bags worth)
A small (single or double cup) cafetiere is a good shout and inexpensive to keep topped up.
Coffee Bags can be ok as well and certainly better than freeze dried stuff, they can also go in the compost heap or food waste.
I have a pod machine and while not the last word in coffee its fine for the two or so cups I have a day now. I have a Tasimo machine and there is a guy local to me who recycles the pods, have a google around your area and see of there is a similar setup, some of them do a collection service but you have to have a big enough quantity for this to work for them (typically at least a couple of carrier bags worth)
randlemarcus said:
It is, fairly. Say you decide that Nespresso is the best thing from the machine perspective, just Google "eco-friendly Nespresso compatible pods" and flick through the results. Be wary of the subscription models though, that probably wouldn't work for you.
I honestly don't wish to sound ungrateful but.....I'm perfectly capable of doing as you've suggested, it won't really help me much though will it? as I've never used a Pod machine myself, hence I've no idea which machines are good/bad or indeed which machines you can easily get eco pods for. I have been given the occasional coffee from a pod machine and they certainly appear commonplace in the hospitality industry, hence my thinking that it could be useful in my situation.
Is Nespresso a good machine?
A recommendation for Nespresso here.
The machines are very simple and easy to use. The coffee is decent with original pods.
The pods are also Aluminium which are 100% recyclable. Nespresso even operate a recycling scheme where you drop your full bags into a store, arrange collection or drop off at a collect + station.
I have probably put 5000 pods through mine in 4 years now and it the machine is still as good as new.
The machines are very simple and easy to use. The coffee is decent with original pods.
The pods are also Aluminium which are 100% recyclable. Nespresso even operate a recycling scheme where you drop your full bags into a store, arrange collection or drop off at a collect + station.
I have probably put 5000 pods through mine in 4 years now and it the machine is still as good as new.
yellowtang said:
I honestly don't wish to sound ungrateful but.....
I'm perfectly capable of doing as you've suggested, it won't really help me much though will it? as I've never used a Pod machine myself, hence I've no idea which machines are good/bad or indeed which machines you can easily get eco pods for. I have been given the occasional coffee from a pod machine and they certainly appear commonplace in the hospitality industry, hence my thinking that it could be useful in my situation.
Is Nespresso a good machine?
Nespresso is just real ground coffee in a sealed capsule.I'm perfectly capable of doing as you've suggested, it won't really help me much though will it? as I've never used a Pod machine myself, hence I've no idea which machines are good/bad or indeed which machines you can easily get eco pods for. I have been given the occasional coffee from a pod machine and they certainly appear commonplace in the hospitality industry, hence my thinking that it could be useful in my situation.
Is Nespresso a good machine?
Yes, they’re pretty good. Some decent restaurants use them, on the grounds that unless you know what you’re doing with a proper grinder and machine you’re unlikely to get a better result.
The other pod types that I can think off are more synthetic and aimed at providing variety rather than decent coffee.
Thank you everyone - I think I'll take a look at Nespresso. I'd prefer to use compostable pods with it rather than the standard aluminium pods, which are still pretty un-eco considering the pollution and energy consumption in creating and then recycling those little pods.
Any recommendations for getting them in bulk? The likes of Waitrose and Ocado only sell the packs of 10. I'd prefer to bulk buy a selection of a few hundred at a time really.
Any recommendations for getting them in bulk? The likes of Waitrose and Ocado only sell the packs of 10. I'd prefer to bulk buy a selection of a few hundred at a time really.
I’ve just finished a sample pack of these. Compostable and compatible with a nespresso machine
https://volcanocoffeeworks.com/products/balanced-a...
https://volcanocoffeeworks.com/products/balanced-a...
Edited by 85Carrera on Monday 28th January 22:18
Nespresso. Best pod machine available and the capsules can be returned for free to be recycled.
The machines are probably the hardest wearing of the pod machines too which helps in an enviroment where users might not take great care with them.
I tend to find espresso machines with capsule assortments in the higher end rooms of quite a few large hotels and personally I love them.
I’ve got a Nespresso Creatista pro buy it’s not the machine you would want, I’d imagine something like a pixie would be perfect.
The machines are probably the hardest wearing of the pod machines too which helps in an enviroment where users might not take great care with them.
I tend to find espresso machines with capsule assortments in the higher end rooms of quite a few large hotels and personally I love them.
I’ve got a Nespresso Creatista pro buy it’s not the machine you would want, I’d imagine something like a pixie would be perfect.
If you do decide to buy a Nespresso machine, you could do worse than one of these from Curry’s: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances...
You can get more value back in free capsules than the price of the machine, if you’re quick!
You can get more value back in free capsules than the price of the machine, if you’re quick!
PorkInsider said:
If you do decide to buy a Nespresso machine, you could do worse than one of these from Curry’s: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances...
You can get more value back in free capsules than the price of the machine, if you’re quick!
Also worth looking at the Nespresso website for their subscription deals where you pay £1 for the machine. They also seems a good option.You can get more value back in free capsules than the price of the machine, if you’re quick!
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