Before you can begin making coffee with coffee pods, and before you should even think about purchasing your coffee pods, you'll want to acquire a coffee pod brewer. Some research on your part will be necessary as not all coffee pods are exactly the same. There are various different sizes of pods, and some brewers allow more than one pod to be used at once. The best way to determine the correct pod for your brewer, or brewer for your coffee pods, is to check your brewer's capacity against the coffee pods grams per pod.

Different Sizes Of Coffee Pods

Most coffee pods brewers can hold pods between four and nine grams, though there are many that can hold pods that contain up to twelve grams of coffee. In some cases, it is required to pre-infuse the larger coffee pods. Although pre-infusing sounds very technical, it's really nothing more than wetting the pod before placing it in the brewer. It is generally impossible to tell just by looking whether your pod will fit your machine. This is because all coffee pods currently on the market are between 55 and 61 mm, which is not easily discerned by the human eye.

What Are T-Discs and K-Cups

Also available are T-Discs and K-Cups. Unlike coffee pods, these are not an "open format" type of coffee. You would need permission and a license to make either T-Discs or K-Cups, which means the selection is far more limited for them. Also, oddly, T-Discs are not Kosher.

T-Discs

T-Discs only work in the Tassimo's Hot Beverage Machines, and, conversely, the Tassimo Hot Beverage Machine only works with the T-Discs. This provides some advantages for the T-Discs over coffee pods since the same manufacturer is producing both the hardware and software, so to speak. When you buy T-Discs for cappuccino, you receive a package that comes with separate groups of discs. One type will have milk, and the other will have coffee. This may seem less convenient, but it gives the Tassimo system the ability to offer not only coffee, but cappuccino, latte, and even hot chocolate with a frothy, milky topping.

Should You Coffee Pods, T-Discs, Or K-Cups?

Before deciding between coffee pods, T-Discs, and K-Cups, you should do some thought and some research on exactly what it is you plan to brew. Remember, K-Cups can only be used in a very select few machines, and T-Discs are available only from Tassimo. Also, it's either impossible, or not nearly as easy to make your own when it comes to T-Discs and K-Cups as opposed to coffee pods.

Courtney likes to write articles about pod coffee maker and ese coffee pods.