illy Dark Roast Coffee Pods for E.S.E Espresso Machines

Our office recently (and possibly misguidedly) voted a Starbucks machine off the island and replaced it with a couple of Bunn airpot makers. They're great for commercial coffee but that is also the problem: it tastes like mediocre diner coffee even when good beans are used. So I've taken matters into my own hands and picked up an Espressione Cafe Novecento espresso maker and have put it in the kitchen "on loan" to the company.

My first few attempts at pulling a decent shot with fresh ground coffee convinced me that I simply don't have the patience to learn the proper technique so, as the machine came with a pod portafilter, I decided to give that a shot (so to speak). Illy had the highest number of positive recomendations so I settled on them for my initial foray.

Simply put, I am impressed. The flavor is excellent, the output takes in the ballpark of 20-30 seconds a shot and has very good crema on about three out of every four shots. It can be tricky to properly seat the pod in the portafilter but moistening the pod first does help and that's a more a reflection on the filter design than the pod's.

The primary reason I can't give five stars (although I'd do four and a half if I could) is that even the Amazon price works out to almost a dollar a shot so my double Americano in the morning is only slightly less than I'd pay my favorite barista. And she has a really cute smile.

All in all, though, a very positive experience and I recommend the Illy pods.

Illy Dark Roast Pods provide a great-tasting cup of espresso with crema and without the mess of cleaning up all those grounds. The tin packaging is compact for easy storage, but I recommend keeping the opened pods in a vacuum container to maintain freshness. If you're willing to invest in two 18-pod tins, you can't beat the price on Amazon!

For a slightly different great taste and individual packaging to maintain freshness, try Espressione as an alternative, though the individual packaging requires additional storage space in your cupboard.

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I am disappointed. They work as advertised: quick, clean, and easy. However, more important to me is taste.

While individually wrapped, the freshness of beans ground just for that moment is missing. The pod itself uses less coffee than I would in a single shot. Since I more often will make lungos, the sheer lack of coffee volume produces a weaker drink. Instead of pulling twice as long, I pull it 80% as long for a short shot, but it takes longer to get it all into the cup.

The crema is impressive, equal to any regular Illy.

The cost-per-drink is poor. I already knew this, but hoped I would be impressed enough by the quality so as to tolerate the price.

I regular buy cans of illy's dark roast whole beans for grinding into espresso. These ESEs are not as good as the real thing. Because of the high standard illy otherwise supports for its products, I cannot give my full support to the illy Caffe Scura Coffee, Espresso, (Dark Roast, Black Band), 18-Count E.S.E. Pods.

--Brockeim

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I'm pretty particular about my expresso and I much prefer fresh ground to the pods. But fresh ground is messy and takes more time. I have tried a bunch of different pods on the market. These are by far the best I've had. They give a rich bold flavor that's still smooth and enjoyable. Compared to the Starbucks pods these are one star above at least. They are a bit more expensive, but after going back and forth between these, the starbucks ones, and a few other brands the price difference per pod is usually no more the $0.20. In my opinion it is well worth the extra $0.20 for a delicious cup of expresso. Often better even then what I get at various coffee shops. If your an every day espresso/latte/cappuccino drinker then you will appreciate the subtle yet noticeable higher quality of these pods.

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People used to the usual american burnt espresso (AKA starbucks) need to taste illy's coffee. Also, the POD system works well to deliver consistency for those less inclined to fuss over their own grind-and-tamp. The consistent quality of the espresso is high and together with the convenience, it's a winner for all but the snootiest (for whom, nothing but their own "recipe" will have been satisfactory anyway).