Before you should think about purchasing coffee pods, you'll need to get yourself a coffee pod brewer. This will all have to be done before you can begin making coffee with coffee pods, of course. You'll want to do some research on the matter as not all coffee pods are exactly the same. There are different sizes of pods, and though the differences are marginal, it does make a difference in what will fit. Also, some brewers allow more than one pod to be used at once, which may be of use to you. The best way to make the determination will be to check your brewer's capacity against the grams per pod of the coffee pod and make sure they match.

Choosing Between Different Sized Coffee Pods

Though there are many coffee pods brewers that can hold up to twelve gram coffee pods, some can only hold between four and nine grams. Some coffee pods brewers require the large pods to be pre-infused, which is actually nothing more than wetting the pod before placing it in the brewer, which creates a better seal on the outer filter material. You're not going to be able to tell if a pod will fit a machine just by looking, either. All coffee pods currently on the market are between 55mm and 61mm, making it virtually impossible to tell the difference with only the human eye.

The T-Disc and K-Cup

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 Hot Beverage Machines, and the Tassimo Hot Beverage Machines only use T-Discs. There are some marked advantage to T-Discs over coffee pods or K-Cups, however. When one buys T-Discs to make cappuccino, for instance, they'll receive a package with separate groups of discs; some discs for milk, and containing coffee. While this may seem like a less convenient method, it does give the Tassimo system the flexibility to offer not only coffee, but latte, cappuccino, and even hot chocolate, complete with a frothy topping.

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

Research is key before deciding between coffee pods, K-Cups, and T-Discs. Thought and research are in order here, and before buying, you should know exactly what it is you plan to brew.

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