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This article will explain which ESE pods are best for you and the best ESE espresso pods machine to work with them? Moreover, it will tell you, are ESE coffee pods worth buying, or should you stick to one of the other ways to make espresso, latte or cappuccino?

The 10 Best Tasting ESE Coffee Pods 2023 As Seen on TV

Ever since Starbucks discontinued making ESE pods, my readers have repeatedly emailed me to select the best Italian brands ESE pods for them. Most people know that ESE pods have countless benefits like Nespresso, Keurig k cups, Dolce Gusto, and Tassimo coffee pods, but they are unsure how to find the best brand out of amazon espresso pods or which machine they need to use these best pods.  

Which is the Best ESE Pod?

Best ESE Pod is the one you select by testing flavors, cremas, bitterness, after notes and other features of all the good ESE pod brands. Pods that meet your taste preferences are the best ESE pods for you.

In this article, we’ve explained which flavors and roasts are best for you, and which machines are compatible with these best pods and which machines do not work with them. We have tested all pods available in the local market and online and their compatible and none compatible machines recently in 2023. 

And also, we’ve checked all pods reviews before writing this article.

We also have tested all amazon prime coffee pods before selecting these 10 best ESE pods.

1. Best Italian Style Caffè Borbone ESE Coffee Pods

Product NameCaffè Borbone Coffee Compostable Pods, Recyclable Wrapping, Black Blend – 150 Pods – ESE System
BrandCaffe Borbone
Product OriginItaly
Coffee Beans95% Arabica + 5% Robusta
Roast LevelMedium
Flavour NameGold
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews14394
Customer Rating95.71/100
Service Rating9.7/10
Easy to Use Rating9.5/10
Freshness Rating9.6/10
Aroma Rating9.4/10
Flavour & Taste Rating10/10
Strength Rating9.5/10
Value for Money Rating9.3
See Price at AmazonClick to Buy Amazon

Let’s start with Caffè Borbone, an Italian company based in Napoli whose single serve espresso pods offer the finest and richest tasting cup of authentic Italian espresso in the world. Its most famous pod is Black Blend. Before I write a review for Caffè Borbone, I have compared more than 50 different coffee pods with it, some of which are as follows:

When I tasted these ESE pods, I realized the taste of Caffè Borbone best of all, so I chose Caffè Borbone for review. 

Advantage

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Caffè Borbone ESE coffee pods.

2. Best Overall ESE Pods Illy Classico 

Product NameIlly Classico E.S.E Pods
BrandIlly
Product OriginItaly
Coffee Beans100% Arabica Coffee
Roast LevelFour options: Medium Roast, Classic Roast Dark Roast, Bold, and Decaf, with Notes of Chocolate & Caramel.
Flavour NameFour names for flavors: medium roast, dark roast, bold, and decaf
Caffeine ContentYou can get caffeinated or decaf
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews2619
Customer Rating93.14/100
Service Rating9.6
Easy to Use Rating9.0
Freshness Rating9.1
Aroma Rating9.3
Flavour & Taste Rating9.0
Strength Rating9.3
Value for Money Rating9.9
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon 

Everyone knows about Illy because it is the original inventor of the ESE coffee pods. Illy pods result in a classic Italian coffee whenever I use, and 100% Arabica beans aroma whenever I smell.

When I decided to write Illy’s review, I compared it to the taste of coffee pods from over 50 different brands, some of which are listed below.

I found the taste of Illy better than all the pods listed above. 

Advantages

  • The final taste is a bit similar to Amazon Donut Shop coffee.
  • These pods come in the dark, light, decaf, espresso, bold and classic.
  • These pods work with ESE pod compatible machines, including:

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Illy ESE coffee pods.

3. Best Bang for the Buck Lavazza ESE Coffee Pods

Product NameLavazza Espresso ESE Coffee Pods
BrandLavazza
Product OriginItaly
Coffee BeansArabica and Robusta
Roast LevelDark Roast
Flavour NameEspresso
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews2022
Customer Rating92.57/100
Service Rating9.5
Easy to Use Rating9.4
Freshness Rating9.2
Aroma Rating9.5
Flavour & Taste Rating9.1
Strength Rating9.1
Value for Money Rating9.0
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

Lavazza is the best pod brand based in Italy, and its most popular and the best non-bitter coffee pod is Lavazza Gran Espresso, but they offer a wide range to suit most of your tastes. 

I have compared Lavazza’s taste to the following single serve espresso pods brands: 

We found Lavazza’s taste superior to all the above-listed brands.

Advantages

  • The aftertaste is similar to Amazon Dunkin Donuts K cups.
  • These pods work with ESE pod compatible machines, including:

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Lavazza ESE Coffee pods.

4. Best Light Roast Cialdissima ESE Pods

Product NameCialdissima 120 ESE Pods – Three Different Blends – Mixed Pack
BrandCialdissima
Product OriginItaly
Coffee Beans70% Arabica and 30% Robusta
Roast LevelMedium Dark Roast
Flavour NameCoffee
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews1210
Customer Rating96/100
Service Rating10/10
Easy to Use Rating10/10
Freshness Rating9.5/10
Aroma Rating9.5/10
Flavour & Taste Rating9.4/10
Strength Rating9.5/10
Value for Money Rating9.3/10
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

 

I have compared the taste of Cialdissima ESE pods with the following five ESE pods and found Cialdissima pods to be the best.

Advantages

  • The pods don’t have an ashy taste in the mouth.
  • The final taste is similar to Angelino’s coffee k cups.
  • These pods work with ESE pod compatible machines, including:

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Cialdissima ESE Coffee pods.

5. A Convenient Alternative to Starbucks: Best Black Donkey ESE Coffee pods

Product NameBlack Donkey Coffee Roasters – 50 ESE Coffee Paper Pods 44mm (VARIETY PACK)
BrandBlack Donkey
Product OriginUnited Kingdom
Coffee BeansArabica and Robusta
Roast LevelMedium Roast
Flavour Name1. VARIETY PACK
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews1192
Customer Rating97.43/100
Service Rating10/10
Easy to Use Rating10/10
Freshness Rating10/10
Aroma Rating9.7/10
Flavour & Taste Rating9.5/10
Strength Rating9.6/10
Value for Money Rating9.4/10
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

I’ve selected the following best tasting pod brands to compare with Black Donkey ESE Coffee Pods.

When I compared the taste of Black Donkey ESE Coffee Pods with the above ESE pods, I found Black Donkey ESE Coffee Pods to be the best.

Advantages 

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Black Donkey ESE Coffee pods.

6. Best Colombia Coffee: Note d’Espresso ESE Coffee pods

Product NameNote d’Espresso- Colombia – Coffee Paper Pods 44 mm – 150 pods
Brand‎Note d’Espresso
Product OriginItaly
Coffee BeansArabica and Robusta
Roast LevelMedium Roast
Flavour NameColombia
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews792
Customer Rating96.28/100
Service Rating10/10
Easy to Use Rating10/10
Freshness Rating9.5/10
Aroma Rating9.6/10
Flavour & Taste Rating9.5/10
Strength Rating9.5/10
Value for Money Rating9.3/10
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

I have selected the following brands to compare with Note d’Espresso.

When I matched the taste of Note d’Espresso with the above brands, I found the Note d’Espresso ESE pods to be the best one.

Advantages

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Note d’Espresso- Colombia Coffee ESE Coffee pods.

7.Best of the Best: PureGusto ESE Coffee pods

Product NamePUREGUSTO ESE Coffee Pods Mixed Selection Pack x 100 Great Taste Award Winner Included
BrandPureGusto
Product OriginUnited Kingdom
Coffee Beans100% Arabica Coffee
Roast LevelMedium Dark Roast
Flavour NameCoffee
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews614
Customer Rating98.28/100
Service Rating10/10
Easy to Use Rating10/10
Freshness Rating10/10
Aroma Rating10/10
Flavour & Taste Rating9.7/10
Strength Rating9.6/10
Value for Money Rating9.5/10
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

Following are the brands which I have chosen to compare with PureGusto ESE pods.

After comparison, the results show that PureGusto is the best one among the above ESE coffee pods.

Advantages 

Disadvantages

See the full review of the PureGusto ESE Coffee pods.

8. Best Tasting Coffee Pods – Pellini Top 100% Arabica ESE Coffee pods

Product NamePellini Top 100% Arabica Coffee Pods – Medium Roast Italian Coffee Pods – Standard ESE Paper Espresso Compatible, 108 Pods
BrandPellini
Product OriginItaly
Coffee BeansArabica
Roast LevelMedium Roast
Flavour NameTop 100% Arabica
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews628
Customer Rating96.30/100
Service Rating10/10
Easy to Use Rating10/10
Freshness Rating9.5/10
Aroma Rating9.7/10
Flavour & Taste Rating9.4/10
Strength Rating9.5/10
Value for Money Rating9.3/10
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

The following brands I’ve chosen to compare with Pellini ESE pods.

The comparison results show that Pellini is the best one among the above brands.

Advantages

  • These pods work with ESE pod compatible machines, including:

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Pellini Top 100% Arabica Coffee ESE Coffee pods.

9. Best Dark Roast Caffè Carbonelli Strong – Real Neapolitan Espresso ESE Coffee pods

Product Name150 Ese Coffee pods – Caffè Carbonelli 100% Arabica – Real Neapolitan Espresso
BrandCaffè Carbonelli
Product OriginItaly
Coffee BeansArabica
Roast LevelDark Roast
Flavour NameIntense and delicate aroma
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews371
Customer Rating95.72/100
Service Rating10/10
Easy to Use Rating10/10
Freshness Rating9.4/10
Aroma Rating9.6/10
Flavour & Taste Rating9.3/10
Strength Rating9.4/10
Value for Money Rating9.3/10
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

I’ve selected the following brands to compare with Caffè Carbonelli ESE pods.

When I compared Caffè Carbonelli with the above brands, I realized that Caffè Carbonelli is the best among the above-listed brands.

Advantages

  • These pods work with ESE pod compatible machines, including:
    • Spinel 
    • Illy ESE machine

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Caffè Carbonelli Strong – Real Neapolitan Espresso ESE Coffee pods.

10. Best for Offices with Varying Tastes Espresso Grand Sampler ESE Espresso Pods

Product NameEspresso Grand Sampler ESE Espresso Pods 70 Count
BrandCustom Variety Pack
Product OriginItaly
Coffee BeansMedium and Dark Roast
Roast LevelDark Roast
Flavour NameEspresso
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews297
Customer Rating96.86/100
Service Rating10
Easy to Use Rating10
Freshness Rating9.7
Aroma Rating9.7
Flavour & Taste Rating9.5
Strength Rating9.6
Value for Money Rating9.3
See Price at AmazonClick to buy Amazon

I’ve selected the following ESE pods to compare with Espresso Grand Sampler ESE Espresso Pods.

The Results show me that Espresso Grand Sampler ESE Espresso Pods brand is to be the best one.

Advantages

  • These pods work with ESE pod compatible machines, including:
    • IPERESPRESSO
    • Sgl Goldstar 

Disadvantages

See the full review of the Espresso Grand Sampler ESE Espresso Pods– Italian Import. 

Best Gift for Firewood Roast Lovers: Wood Fired Coffee ESE Pods – We – Real Italian Espresso 

Product NameESE Coffee Pods – We – Real Italian Espresso (150 pods)
BrandAromataste
Product OriginItaly
Coffee Beans60% Arabica and 40% Robusta
Roast LevelMedium Roast
Flavour NameSmooth Espresso
Caffeine ContentCaffeinated
BiodegradableYes
RecyclableYes
VegetarianYes
Customer Reviews210
Customer Rating97.42/100
Service Rating10/10
Easy to Use Rating10/10
Freshness Rating9.6/10
Aroma Rating10/10
Flavour & Taste Rating9.7/10
Strength Rating9.5/10
Value for Money Rating9.4/10
Price on AmazonClick for Price

One hundred years ago, wood fire-roasted coffee was standard everywhere, and there was no other way to roast coffee. But since electric and gas-powered roasteries have become commonplace, it has become impossible to find fire-roasted coffee. We – Real Italian Espresso is a Fire Roast Cafe, which roasts its coffee beans on Oakwood fire. The espresso made from its ESE pods tastes precisely like Summer Moon Coffee.

See the full review of the ESE Coffee Pods – We – Real Italian Espresso. 

What are ESE coffee pods?

E.S.E pods stand for Easy serving espresso pods. You can better understand ESE pods when removing the word “pod”, which is more confusing.

 It’s an espresso brewing method alternative to grinding whole coffee beans or using Keurig k cups, Nespresso coffee pods, Dolce Gusto coffee pods, Tassimo coffee pods or other traditional coffee pods like them. Or you can imagine teabags having coffee instead of tea.

ESE pods are pre-ground 7 grams of coffee beans packaged in a 44mm diameter paper filter, used to make espresso from ESE pods espresso machines. Illy, an Italian coffee company, created the E.S.E standard in the 1989s and is still maintained by the Consortium for the Development and Protection of ESE Standards. 

Let’s talk about some benefits of ESE pods.

What Benefits ESE Pods Have?

The most significant benefit is time-saving. You don’t have to weigh the beans or measure the water. When you don’t grind the beans yourself, you get rid of the hard work of grinding the beans. The other advantage is that there is no confusion about the water to coffee ratio. You know how many cups of coffee are made from seven grams of coffee grounds. Neither beans nor water is wasted. Nor do you need much space to keep an ESE pods machine. Some other ESE pods benefits are as follows:

  • A great time saver
  • No cleaning hassles
  • No spills, no dirt
  • Great for freeing up space
  • More convenient
  • Less coffee waste
  • No need to throw away a filter
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Affordable and reasonable
  • Have many different varieties

Health Benefits of ESE Pods

Some people believe that espresso made from beans to cup coffee machines is more beneficial for health. Still, my personal opinion is that the coffee grounds in ESE pods with a bit of difference have the same health benefits as whole coffee beans. It is better to draw your conclusions.

ESE pods VS Bean to Cup Machine: Which is Better for You?

When we compared the ESE Pods vs bean-to-cup coffee machine, we concluded that: If you prefer freshness, taste, and cost, you opt for a bean to cup coffee machine. And if your priorities are to get a perfect cup of espresso with less effort and hard work in less time with a bulk of drink varieties, then you prefer coffee pods

But if you prefer a bean to cup coffee machine with an integrated grinder fit, this coffee machine is costly; you may not be able to afford it. So my advice is to buy a cheap bean to cup coffee machine without an integrated grinder and buy a separate grinder. This method will be more affordable for you.

But in this cheap way, you will have to grind the beans yourself, and when the beans are ground, you will also have to empty the coffee grinder. When it becomes espresso, you will also need to clean the machine’s portafilter. It’s OK if you can do all this; otherwise, there are alternative espresso coffee pods. All you have to do is insert the pod into the machine, and the espresso is ready in less than 30 seconds.

What are the things to consider before buying ESE pods?

If you already have a machine that uses ESE pods, OK; otherwise, the first thing to do is buy the best espresso machine made to use ESE pods. Or you can make your bean to cup coffee machine compatible with E.S.E pods. Consider your taste preferences, whether you like light, medium or dark roast or you prefer decaf.

How can you make your coffee machine compatible with ESE pods?

Coffee machines often have pressurized filter baskets. If your coffee maker has a pressurized filter basket for ESE pods, this means you can use ESE pods in your coffee maker. And if it is not so, you can change the pressurized filter plate/filter basket in the portafilter/group handle (pod adaptor filter) of any traditional machine to enable it to use ESE pods. Replacing the filter basket will fit the ESE pod correctly and allow water to pass inside instead of around the pod.

What Type of Coffee Machine Takes ESE Coffee Pods?

All Delonghi, Philips, Gaggia, Saeco, Breville, Hamilton Beach, and all amazon coffee pod machines could be or could be not E.S.E. pods compatible. A particular E.S.E sign on the device or in the manual indicates that it’s compatible with E.S.E pods. You have to check this sign before buying.

Which is the Best ESE Pod Espresso Machines 2023?

The coffee machine that readily accepts your ESE pods with no mess and hassle and is durable for a long time is the best ESE pod espresso machine. Following are the best DeLonghi espresso ESE pods machines 202, including other ESE pod coffee machines.

How to Buy ESE Pods?

The first thing you need to know when buying the best ESE pods is what it looks like?

Because many people don’t know the shape of ESE pods and buy other types of capsules under the guise of ESE pods, and when they find out that they don’t fit on their coffee machine, they worry now they have lost.

The next thing you need to look at is the size of the ESE pod.

ESE pods size and dimensions

When people buy the wrong size and weight pods, they don’t fit in their coffee machine properly. The result is poor quality espresso and a loss of money. So to protect yourself from this loss of money, you must know the size of single serve espresso pods.

Are all ESE pods the same size 

In the USA, UK, Australia, Europe and the rest of the world, the standard weight of ESE pods is 7 grams, and the standard size diameter is 44mm.

Best Place to Buy ESE Pods

Although most companies are manufacturing Easy Serving Espresso Pods in the USA, UK, Australia and several countries in Europe, the most famous brands are Italian. You may also find the best ESE pods in the local market, but the best place is online Google and Amazon if you want to buy fresh pods.

The Most Important Things to Consider Before Buying ESE Pods 

  1. Select one out of the ten best manufacturer brands.
  2. See the Roasting Date of Coffee Beans if there is.
  3. See the grinding date of coffee grounds.
  4. See the packaging date of ESE pods.
  5. See the “best before” date. Although you can still use ESE pods after the best before date, the result will be a weaker espresso with less aroma, flavor, and taste. 
  6. Buy as many ESE pods at a time as you can use for a month, and store them in a dry and cool place.

Espresso VS ESE Pods

ESE pods are closely related to espresso. Espresso was invented in Venice, Italy, in 1901 and remained at the mercy of Barista for 88 years. They made many mistakes in making it, and it was not possible to make it at home. Thanks to Illy, who invented ESE Pods in 1989 and made espresso and espresso-based drinks like latte and cappuccino easy for everyone at home. Because of this close relationship with espresso, we sometimes call ESE pods espresso pods, but to use the word “espresso pods” for ESE pods is a bit confusing.

How many ESE Pods are Enough For an Espresso Shot?

An ESE pod can give you a single espresso shot because each ESE pod contains only 7 grams of coffee grounds. And if you want to make a latte, cappuccino, or frappuccino, you’ll need a strong espresso that can’t be made without a double shot of espresso.

Because if you mix milk and sugar in a single shot of espresso, you will get a tasteless weak latte or frappuccino, which may not meet your taste standards and caffeine needs.

The Difference Between ESE Pods

Although ESE pods have the same standard, this standard relates to ESE pods’ size, shape, thickness, and diameter. As far as their freshness, crema, aroma, and flavor are concerned, not every ESE pod has the same characteristics. It depends on the brand. Each brand has different aspects. It is where our tested and chosen 10 best ESE coffee pods 2023 come into play; all they are superior to their rivals.

How to Use ESE Pods? 4 Easy Steps

Some coffee machines use the same portafilter for ESE pods and ground coffee.

Remove the portafilter from your coffee machine.

  1. Open the packet and place your ESE pod inside the portafilter.
  2. Return the portafilter to the coffee machine and make sure it is secure and locked.
  3. Start the brewing process as usual.
  4. Your delicious espresso is ready; enjoy your drink!

Please watch this video; it shows how to prepare espresso with an Easy Serve Espresso Pod.

Are ESE pods high in caffeine?

High levels of caffeine depend on the quality of the coffee grounds. Since ESE Pods is an open standard and dozens of manufacturers in the market are developing it. Each manufacturer has its rate of coffee grounds. The manufacturer who grinds good quality coffee beans and puts them inside the pods will have more caffeine.

Do ESE Pods Make a Thick Crema? 

Each brand has its standards in crema production, and your espresso-making machine is also involved in it to a great extent.

Suppose your espresso machine puts decent pressure at the right temperature. In that case, you can get more crema in your espresso using the ESE pod of any brand, provided you are using a medium roast because the extra dark roast is the killer of crema.

Do ESE Pods Taste Stale Coffee?

Since ESE pods are pre-grounds, they can never compete with fresh grounds in freshness and flavor. However, what is in these pods is not quite stale. ESE pods are sealed in individual foil packages, and they are usually flushed with nitrogen to extract oxygen from the pods. This process of flushing the nitrogen makes their taste more secure. If you go down the road of ESE coffee pods, then buy one out of the ten brands I’ve chosen for you; they have been individually foiled and wrapped to preserve freshness. Otherwise, you risk the coffee going stale, and the flavour will be affected.

How long do ESE pods last?

It depends on how the manufacturer individually wrapped them and how you store these pods. ESE pods are hermetically sealed to maintain the coffee at its absolute best. As a result, they tend to have a long shelf life. If you pack them in a sealed pouch, a coffee pod holder or a box and store them in a dry, cool and dark place, they can last for at least a year. For example, if you use them after a year, the pods may even last indefinitely, with only minimal loss of aroma and flavor.

Are Nespresso Pods The Same as ESE?

There are a lot of differences between Nespresso capsules and ESE pods. Their shapes, weight, sizes, tastes and compatible machines are different. Only two similarities they have; both have coffee inside, and both are for producing espresso shots.

Nespresso OriginalLine capsules VS ESE

Nespresso OriginalLine capsules have a plastic body, slightly angled straight sides with a shallow angle at the top, while ESE pods have coffee sealed inside filter paper and have a round, flat shape. Both have different compatible machines that will not work for each other.

Nespresso VertuoLine Capsules VS ESE

Nespresso VertuoLine capsules are dome-shaped and, as a result, look different from ESE pods. Moreover, Nespresso VertuoLine capsules will not fit into ESE pod compatible machines. Similarly, ESE pods won’t fit into the Nespresso VertuoLine machines.

How can you make your Nespresso VertuoLine Machine Compatible with ESE pods?

You can see in the video how espresso is easily made using ESE pods in Nespresso’s Vertuo coffee machine. You do not need to buy a separate adapter from the market for this purpose. Instead, a used coffee capsule of Nespresso Vertuo is your adapter. When you use Nespresso Vertuo capsules, wash and store them. When you need to make espresso from ESE Pods, you can use these used empty Nespresso Vertuo capsules as an ESE Pods adapter.

K Cups VS ESE Pods: What is the Difference?

An ESE Pod is like a coffee bag or tea bag where coffee is sealed inside filter paper, with a round, flat shape and are usually soft and pliable. A K-Cup, on the other hand, is coffee that is sealed in a plastic cup. Keurig K-cup compatible machines are different from ESE pod machines, and both do not accept each other pods.

Keurig 2.0 Vs ESE Pods: What is the Difference?

ESE pods have 7 grams of ground coffee which produce a single shot of espresso, nearly one fluid ounce, Keurig 2.0, on the other hand, available in 3 different types, which are as follows:

Keurig 2.0Drink Size
K-Cup pods10 oz.
K-Mug pods16 oz (travel mugs).
K-Carafe pods30 oz.

Dolce Gusto Capsules VS ESE Pods

The Nescafé Dolce Gusto system and ESE pods have the same weight as 7 grams of coffee, but they are different in shape.

Dolce Gusto capsules have curvy round designs, approximately 54mm diameter and 36mm height; ESE pods, on the other hand, are flat with 44mm diameter. Both ESE pods and Dolce Gusto have different compatible machines which do not accept each other’s pods.

Tassimo Capsules VS ESE Pods

ESE pods have a flat round shape with 7 grams of ground coffee between two paper filters which would not fit into Tassimo coffee machines. In contrast, Tassimo pods are sealed plastic pods having 6.5 grams of coffee with a barcode to tell the coffee machine the water temperature and amount of water to dispense.

Lavazza Capsules VS ESE Pods

Each capsule contains up to 7.5 grams of coffee, the ideal quantity for an espresso.

All ESE pods have the same weight, size and shape, and they fit in all ESE pods compatible machines; Lavazza Pods, on the other hand, have three variants -Espresso Cap / Mile Cafe Barista, Lavazza Blue, and Modo Mio. The three types of Lavazza pods are different and do not fit in the machines for the other pods.

Verismo Pods VS ESE Pods

Verismo pods are different from ESE pods. As Starbucks stopped producing Verismo coffee pods, now Expressi® (Aldi), Caffitaly® (Woolworths), K-fee® and Mr & Mrs Mill® coffee and espresso pods are Verismo® compatible, but they are different from ESE pod. 

Vittoria / Espressotoria Capsules VS ESE Pods

Mostly Vittoria / Espressotoria capsules are famous in Australia, New Zealand, and a bit in the USA; ESE pods, on the other hand, are most prominent in the UK, USA, Europe and the rest of the world. You cannot use Espressotoria® Capsules in an ESE pods compatible machine, nor can you use ESE pods in an Espressotoria machine.

Ese pod VS Soft Pods (Pads) or Senseo Pods, What is the difference?

Soft pods are almost always Senseo pods, which we sometimes say soft pads. E.S.E pods and soft pods have some similarities, which are sometimes confusing for buyers.

Soft pods and ESE pods both have coffee sealed inside filter paper. Both have a round, flat shape and are sometimes individually wrapped in foil or just packed loose in a giant resealable bag or container.

Differences

DifferencesESE PodsSoft Pods
Diameter44mm Diameter 55–70mm Diameter
SoftnessHardSoft and Pliable
TampingTampedNot tamped
Pressure Required16-bar pressure is required No big pressure is required 
StrengthQuality EspressoLight Coffee
End BeverageEspresso or RistrettoLight Americano
Machines to UseESE CompatibleSoft Pods Compatible

ESE Pods VS Coffee Pods

There are currently well-known Keurig K-cup, Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, and Tassimo capsules on the market. ESE pods are far cheaper than these coffee pods. But if we look at convenience and time, Keurig K-Cups, Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, and Tassimo capsules are many times easier and less time consuming than ESE pods.

If coffee pods are compared with ESE pods regarding their taste, Nespresso pods and Keurig k cups are the kings in espresso taste. But the taste, flavor, and strength that ESE pods have are worth it at this price.

Coffee Bags VS Instant Coffee VS ESE pods

Due to the slight resemblance in shape, some people consider ESE pods and coffee bags the same. And others are under the illusion that instant coffee is something like coffee grounds packed in the same way as coffee grounds are packed into coffee bags. However, instant coffee, coffee bags, and ESE pods are all three different things.

Coffee bags are precisely the same type of teabag-type bags that fill the coffee grounds. These coffee bags come in handy when you’re away from your espresso machine. And you want to drink coffee.

The goal of instant coffee is the same as that of coffee bags so that when you are away from your espresso machine, instant coffee can make up for your caffeine deficiency. Still, coffee made from coffee bags is a million times better than instant coffee.

Instant coffee is a concentrate of coffee that is dried using a freeze-dried or spray-dried method. After the water dries, the coffee crystals are left behind in the form of grains, which are then become re-drinkable by adding hot water.

Instant coffee is mostly famous in countries where people are familiar with coffee but do not have easy access to coffee beans or coffee grounds.

Conclusion

I am sure that after reading this article, you will be well aware of the best ESE pods, ESE pods espresso machines and the know-how to buy them.

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