ESE Pods VS Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machines? Which Should You Buy?

If You’re a UK based coffee lover, this article is for you!

In today’s modern scientific age, while man has made great strides in technology, the biggest problem is the lack of time. Man wants that just like all the work is done at the push of a button, he does not have to spend much time on food and drink.

His first wish is that by pressing a button, his food and water will be ready, and his second wish is that by pressing a button, that food and water will go into his stomach. His second desire is probably against the principles of health. But if we talk about the world of coffee, then in the case of ESE pods, man has to a large extent put into practice his desire to make a quick drink “espresso.”

The question is; why should you buy ESE coffee pods instead of a bean-to-cup coffee machine to create espresso, latte, or cappuccino?

Let’s see the advantages and disadvantages of both ESE pods and a bean-to-cup coffee machine, then you can decide what you should buy out of them?

What are the Benefits of Using ESE Pods? 

Easy Serve Espresso or ESE free you from the hassle of grinding coffee beans and differentiating between light roast and dark roast. It is also an alternative to a French press, cold brew, pour-over, or other such brewing methods. It is similar to how you use other traditional coffee pods like Nespresso coffee pods, Dolce Gusto coffee pods, Tassimo coffee pods or Keurig coffee pods, etc. Let’s see the benefits of ESE pods in detail.

A Great Time Saver

Buying freshly roasted whole beans and grinding them at home and setting the water to coffee ratio, setting the water temperature, and brewing the espresso by an espresso machine with great skill is a very laborious task. ESE coffee pods have made it all easier. A lot of people enjoy this time-saving ability of ESE pods.

No Cleaning Hassles

You don’t have to bother to keep things clean while making coffee from ESE pods.

After brewing coffee, you do not have to clean the grinder, filters, portafilters, nor do you have to clean the coffee grounds scattered on the counter or table—the cleaner the counter to work, the less time spent on keeping everything complete.

No Spills No Dirt

Everything is included in a tiny package; you don’t have to risk scattering them or spreading dirt.

Great for Freeing up Space

Some people live in cramped quarters, such as an apartment or a small house.

There is a big problem with keeping things in such small residences. If you use a bean-to-cup coffee machine, whole coffee beans, grinders, etc., can take up more space in your kitchen. ESE coffee pods take up very little space, so they provide space for other things in your kitchen.

More Convenient

Sometimes you don’t get the right measure of coffee beans and water in a hurry, or you don’t want to go through the headache of grinding beans, especially when you go to the office. ESE pods come in handy at such times. Avoid all these hassles and enjoy making coffee quickly through ESE pods.

Less coffee waste

Because ESE pods are accurately measured and sealed, there is no room for error in measurement. You know how many cups of coffee are made from seven grams of coffee. Neither beans nor water is wasted.

No Need to Throw Away a Filter

In most coffee and espresso machines, you have to throw away the filter after each use. It spreads pollution in the environment. ESE coffee pods never touch your machine’s filter, so you don’t need to change the filter.

Environmentally Friendly

ESE pods are made from natural materials, so they are recyclable. The layers of pods that hold coffee grounds together are made of plant-based pod paper. All this material is natural, organic, compostable, and recyclable.

Affordable And Reasonable

If you are tired of the daily grind and measure of whole coffee beans and can’t afford to pay big bucks in pounds and dollars even at coffee shops, ESE pods are the cheapest and most suitable espresso home. The easy way. By making coffee from ESE pods, you will feel like a barista who has made espresso with great skill and ease. Moreover, you get a standardized quality of espresso with repeatable results every time with ESE pods.

Many different varieties

There are different types of coffee lovers depending on the country and the mood. Some prefer a dark roast, and some prefer a light roast, while some prefer a medium roast.

Similarly, some people are content with just espresso, while some curious want to enjoy the flavors and aromas of latte, cappuccino, frappuccino, macchiato, Americano, and doppio. ESE Pods have compiled the preferences of all these coffee lovers. You have a wide variety of ESE pods and capsules. Put the type of coffee recipe pod or capsule you want into the machine. Your drink is ready.

What is an ESE pod?

Maybe the word “pod” is confusing to you. But it’ll not! If you understand it. ESE coffee pods are just like “tea bags.” As tea in its bag or pea in its shell, the coffee is in ESE pods. Moreover, it is even easier for you to understand coffee pods because coffee bags like tea bags are widespread in the market now.

But there is a big difference between coffee bags and ESE pods; some people use coffee bags in brewing methods such as AeroPress, Moka pot, and drip coffee (though I can’t entirely agree with using coffee bags for this purpose). In contrast, ESE coffee pods are used only in Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, Keurig, Tassimo, and other such type of coffee-making machines that make only espresso coffee.

Why Do They Start?

There are two main reasons why coffee pods and capsules are so popular, the first of which is:

Ninety-nine percent of coffee recipes depend on espresso. There are numerous coffee drinks such as latte, cappuccino, frappuccino, and many others based on espresso. We can say that if you have mastered espresso, you have got all the coffee.

Making espresso is not an easy task. A perfect espresso depends entirely on the barista’s skills: the exact knowledge of coffee cherries, differentiating between different types of coffee bean, recognition of different roast levels, and proper care of the instruments that make espresso, and many factors such as water to coffee ratio, coffee bean grinding size, and steam pressure.

Most of the people who make espresso at home do not fully understand these things. But surprisingly, even in coffee shops, not every barista is skilled enough to take care of all these complexities and make espresso by mastering all these skills. The question is, is making espresso such a difficult task? Absolutely!

Barista often makes mistakes in making espresso, which results in coffee drinkers having to drink espresso with a bad taste and flavor. In an article pointing to baristas’ same mistakes, the Telegraph said that Starbucks had temporarily shut down several outlets to retrain baristas. Think for yourself that it is natural for the consumer to be dissatisfied when you can’t find the proper espresso even after spending more money on such an expensive espresso machine.

Another primary reason for the widespread use of coffee pods and capsules is the grinding of freshly roasted coffee beans traditionally shortly before making espresso, keeping the right proportions of water and coffee grounds, then pouring them into the espresso machine. Making, cleaning the grinder and coffee machine, and table before and after each batch of making espresso is a complex and laborious task. And it is human nature to run away from every complex and demanding job. Man finds ease in every position, especially in eating and drinking.

Nestlé was the first that realize this situation and introduced its use-it-once-and-throw-it-away Nespresso system in 1986. Afterward, Illy designed ESE paper pods in 1989. These coffee pods and capsules made it very easy to create the perfect espresso. Just look at the name ESE Pods, or Easy Serving Espresso Pods, i.e., pods that you can easily use to make espresso.

Current pods and capsules technology is making coffee pods and capsules that you can use in a coffee machine to make high-quality espresso, which produces a high amount of cream. The cup has a foamy top and a nice flavor and taste.

When coffee drinkers compare espresso made using coffee pods and capsules to espresso found at coffee shops, they find it better than espresso found at many (not all) coffee shops.

Consider for a moment the logic behind the invention of the ESE Pods and Nespresso Capsules described above, and find the answer to the following question:

Can the taste of espresso made by adding ESE pods or Nespresso, Tassimo, Dolce Gusto, or Keurig capsules inside the espresso machine equal to the espresso made on the bean to cup coffee machine using freshly roasted and grinded coffee grounds? Let me answer!

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

Although ESE pods (easy serve espresso pods) are easy to make espresso, you still need an espresso machine to make espresso.

Bean to cup coffee machines already have a coffee bean grinder integrated into the machines. When you need to make espresso, you add your whole coffee beans to your bean to cup machine, and the machine will grind the beans freshly for you with its grinder and automatically make espresso without other preparation.

So you will not need teabag-type coffee pods if you are using a bean-to-cup coffee machine.

We have to compare whether you should buy ESE coffee pods or stick to the bean to cup coffee machine to make espresso, cappuccino, or latte. I think we should first compare the two in terms of health.

The Health

Coffee is famous all over the world for its health benefits. It has been extensively researched, and its health benefits are proven. If you are accustomed to making espresso from freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee beans at home, be sure to consider once before moving to the ESE pods. Can espresso made from pods give you the same health benefits that you can get by making espresso from freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee beans?

Although the ESE pods and other capsules manufacturers have declared their products safe for human health, the actual release of food contaminants, especially endocrine disruptors, deserves significant attention. Also, see coffee pods’ impact on the environment, then you can decide better.

Some experts think coffee beans packed in pods or capsules eight or twelve months ago can’t give you as many health benefits as espresso prepared by freshly ground coffee beans. The plus point is, if ESE coffee pods have no same health benefits, they don’t have any disadvantages for your health. So if you prefer ESE pods or capsules, you can continue your routine.

The Taste

Please note that even if you make espresso with pre-ground coffee on a bean to cup coffee machine, it will never give a taste that espresso made from freshly ground beans can provide you.

My point is that if a bean-to-cup coffee machine with pre-ground coffee beans can’t give you the quality espresso they make from freshly ground beans, then how do ESE coffee pods or capsules make this quality espresso from pre-ground beans.

Do ESE Coffee Pods Taste Better or Worse?

So the question: Do ESE pods taste better or worse? My answer is: they can never taste as espresso with freshly ground coffee because the beans were ground before being packed in bags. And we don’t even know how long the beans were roasted and ground before being packed into ESE pods. And the quality of coffee grounds in ESE pods and capsules is another question.

The characteristic of coffee is that when the coffee is ground, it starts losing its flavor. Then as its freshness decreases, so does its taste.

So if you have already decided to use ESE pods, check how long the beans were packed in the bag after roasting and grinding. So buy ESE pods that are packaged immediately after grinding the whole beans of coffee. If you don’t pay attention, you run the risk of getting ESE pods that will give you stale and bad-tasting coffee.

The time

In today’s busy time, everybody wants to find a way to get all his work done in a short time. The same is true of coffee.

If we look at the bean to cup coffee machine in terms of time, it takes a lot of time to make coffee. And whenever you have to go to the office or work, and you are in a hurry, then a bean to cup coffee machine is not suitable.

On the contrary, if we compare ESE pods and capsules to “bean to cup coffee machines” from a time perspective, there is not an issue; every coffee needs a total of 1 minute to prepare.

When I discuss my friends the bean to cup machine method with, they all have the same excuse that they don’t have time to do that, and maybe they are correct because it’s a bit of a messy method. Also, it involves a lot of more things with it, of course! So most of my friends have jumped in ESE pods and capsules except me.

The hassle and mess

Bean-to-cup coffee machines require a lot of hassle and mess to prepare a cup of espresso. Buying whole coffee beans, differentiating between single-origin beans and their roast levels, and the far more massive part of this game is grinding coffee beans at home. You have to maintain the cleanliness of your grinder after every batch.

On the other hand, there is not a bit of hassle or mess using an ESE pod. So if you want a café quality espresso using your espresso machine without the hassle or mess of dealing with grinding coffee beans, then ESE pods and capsules are your best friends.

The perfectness

The whole point of espresso’s perfection in the bean to cup coffee machine depends on the barista’s expertise. Not every espresso maker is so skilled, so new makers often don’t make the perfect espresso, and even the most experienced ones sometimes get worse if they get distracted.

In contrast, if we look at ESE pods and capsules, there is no such problem. A newbie can also easily make an extremely stunning high-quality perfect espresso using ESE pods and capsules.

The Convenience

If you look at convenience, ESE pods are more convenient than bean to cup coffee machines. You spend less time, you don’t have to work harder, and you make a perfect espresso using ESE pods. In contrast, in a bean-to-cup coffee machine, you do not get these benefits.

The varieties

If we compare a bean to cup coffee machine with ESE pods in terms of varieties, then ESE pods have a significant advantage over their opponent. Because you have so many choices when using ESE pods, you can easily find the pods of any recipe you want to drink. In contrast, in a bean to cup coffee machine, you may not have access to so many varieties.

The Cost

If we compare the prices of bean to cup coffee machines for making espresso with the machines that use ESE pods, we see a significant difference in the prices of both types of machines.

Prices for bean-to-cup coffee machines range from £ 200 to £1,800 with an integrated grinder. I think these are very high prices. Nespresso Capsules.

But here is a problem, bean to cup coffee machines are far more expensive, so why shouldn’t you use an espresso machine that does not have an integrated coffee bean grinder.

If we follow this method, we will see how much a coffee machine costs us. First, we look at the value of the grinder. A good burr grinder will quickly get us from £23 to £90. Please check the burr grinder prices yourself.

Now let’s see the prices of coffee machines without an integrated grinder. When we see the price on amazon, a machine without a grinder costs us within £15 to £200 easily, check prices yourself.

We see that coffee machines with integrated grinders are costly. While buying a separate grinder is an inexpensive but laborious way to make espresso.

In my opinion, you should buy a cheap espresso machine without a coffee grinder and buy a burr grinder separately. Now you can produce a café quality espresso with your cheap espresso machine and burr grinder, using both devices separately.

In this method, you have to grind your whole coffee beans first with your burr grinder, and then you’ll make a café quality espresso adding your freshly grinded coffee grounds to your cheap espresso machine. It’s one of the best value for money ways of producing a café quality espresso with a cheap espresso machine.

Now let’s see how much the coffee-making machine with ESE pods costs us. You can see prices on Amazon; these machines probably cost us £100 to £600.

The prices I have quoted above suggest that a machine without a grinder for making espresso will cost you less than an espresso-making machine using ESE pods.

Now we’ll see that coffee grounds in ESE pods are cheaper for us, or we can buy whole beans and grind them at home.

An ESE pod contains seven grams of coffee grounds, and it costs us £0.67 to £1.00. Check the price yourself. If we buy whole coffee beans, they cost us £13 per kg. Would you please check the price of 1 kg of whole coffee beans on Amazon? It means when we buy whole coffee beans, 7 grams cost us £0.091.

Do the math!

When we buy ESE pods, 7-gram grounds cost us £0.67, and when we buy whole coffee beans, 7 grams cost us £0.091. There is a significant price difference. You are paying £0.57 for every 7 grams of ESE pod, more than the price of 7 grams of whole coffee beans. A significant difference.

With machines that use ESE pods, although we do not have to buy a good grinder separately, the machine that uses ESE pods is so expensive that the money saved by not purchasing a grinder is spent buying an expensive coffee machine.

On the other hand, although ESE pods do not waste coffee grounds, they are costly. It is believed that some coffee beans are lost when making espresso from a bean to cup coffee machine, but whole coffee beans are so cheap compared to ESE pods that even after losing coffee grounds, they are very affordable.

It is proved that brewing espresso with a bean to cup coffee machine by buying whole coffee beans and grinding them at home is a far cheaper way to make espresso than using ESE pods, but with more hassle and mess.

Cost VS Convenience

Now compare the cost to convenience, which is essential for you? Get rid of your hassle and mess aside from ESE pods, but on the other hand, buying ESE pods can be more expensive than buying whole beans and grinding them at home.

The question arises as to whether, even if you pay a higher price for ESE pods, they are as good for you as buying and grinding whole beans yourself.

Which Won The Battle: ESE Pods VS Bean to Cup Coffee Machine?

We have compared ESE pods and bean to cup coffee machines in 8 things for making espresso, including health, taste, time, hassle and mess, perfectness, convenience, varieties, and cost.

If you prefer health, taste, and cost, then 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 ESE pods. By the way, some people believe that espresso made from bean to cup coffee machines is more beneficial for health, but my personal opinion is that the coffee grounds in ESE pods have the same health benefits as whole coffee beans. It is better to draw your conclusions.

However, if you are afraid of buying whole beans and grinding them at home with a grinder, you have decided to meet your espresso needs from the ESE pods and then wait a minute. You should read many more things to consider about ESE pods before you buy them. Here is a detailed guide for you: What are ESE Pods? Should You Buy Them?

What Type of Coffee Machine Take ESE Coffee Pods?

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.

The Best ESE Pod Espresso Machines 2023 for The UK

• Best ESE Espresso Machine: De’Longhi Dedica Style, Traditional Pump Espresso Machine, Coffee and Cappuccino Maker, EC685M, Silver.
• Best ESE Pod Espresso Machine: De’Longhi EC 201.CD.B macchina per il caffè.
• Best ESE Espresso Pod Machine: De’Longhi ECP31.21Traditional Barista Pump Espresso Machine, Coffee and Cappuccino Maker, Black.
• Best ESE Coffee Machine: De’Longhi Scultura Traditional Barista Pump Espresso Machine, Coffee and Cappuccino Maker.
• Best ESE Pod Coffee Machine: Delonghi DEDICA.
• Best ESE Machine: Swan Retro.
• Best ESE Espresso Machine: Cuisinart.
• Best ESE Coffee Machines: Gaggia.
• Best ESE Pod Espresso Machines: Ariete 1324 Metal Espresso Machine Coffee Maker, for ESE Pods.
• Best Espresso ESE Pod Machine: Capresso.
• Best E.S.E. Pod Machine: Espressione.
• Best E.S.E. Espresso Machine: Handpresso.
• Best E.S.E. Coffee Machine: KRUPS.
• Best E.S.E. Pod Coffee Machine: Bialetti Mokona.

Are Tassimo or Dolce Gusto Pods ESE?

Absolutely not! Although Tassimo and Dolce Gusto are not big coffee brands like Nespresso and Keurig, they make their own pods exclusively to fit their own branded coffee makers so ESE coffee pods will not fit in Tassimo and Dolce Gusto machines.

Are Nespresso And Keurig Pods ESE?

No. Like Tassimo and Dolce Gusto, Nespresso and Keurig make coffee pods that only fit in Nespresso and Keurig coffee makers so ESE coffee pods will not fit in any of these coffee brewers.

Should You Buy ESE Espress Pods?

If you prefer convenience and speed then you will probably be better off with a traditional ESE pod coffee machine or buy a Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, Tassimo, or Keurig machine.

Here’re some dedicated articles specifically related to POD coffee machines.

Here is an article that lists the best pod coffee machines and all of the benefits that come with them.

Here is an article specifically related to the best Nespresso machine comparison.

This article is specifically related to the Nespresso machines price comparison.

This article is specifically related to the Original Nespresso machines.

This article is specifically related to the Nespresso Vertuo machines.

Best ESE Coffee Pods 2023 for Uk

The following manufacturers specialize in ESE coffee pods and offer multiple different flavors. Their taste and strength cater to everyone’s taste. Check them out:

• Caffè Borbone ESE Coffee Pods.
• ESE Pods Illy Classico.
• Lavazza ESE Coffee Pods.
• Cialdissima ESE Pods.
• Black Donkey ESE Coffee pods.
• Note d’Espresso ESE Coffee pods.
• PureGusto ESE Coffee pods.
• Pellini Top 100% Arabica ESE Coffee pods.
• Caffè Carbonelli Strong – Real Neapolitan Espresso ESE Coffee pods.
• Espresso Grand Sampler ESE Espresso Pods.
• Wood-Fired Coffee ESE Pods – We – Real Italian Espresso.

Final Decision

Suppose you have a great experience making espresso and have a good grinder and an excellent espresso-making machine. In that case, you may be disappointed with the flavors, taste, and texture of espresso made by ESE pods and capsules because ESE pods can never make flavored espresso made from bean to cup coffee machines.

On the other hand, if you are looking for an easy and clean way to make espresso, latte, frappuccino, Americano type drinks, ESE coffee pods are exactly what you are looking for.

Stay caffeinated!