CoffeeDuck Refillable Coffee Capsules For Nespresso - 3 Pods - These Espresso Cups fit all Nespress

[UPDATE: Purchased Starbucks dark espresso roast and ground it fine. Packed first pod too hard--water had trouble getting through. Suggest filling pod but not packing too hard with finger due to fine grind. Second pod--perfect! It made a superb latté that tasted similar to the Nespresso Indriya or Ristretto pods (strong). I recommend short cup rather than lungo for this method.]

First of all, people who want perfect espresso should stick with the Nespresso pods. They are, simply, the best. You get what you pay for.

However, if you're like me, and need to feed your coffee habit with more than one pod/day, these refillable pods will save you a ton of money. Until Nespresso loses their exclusive patent in a few years, we'll continue to suffer with their gouging of the customer. Indeed, other coffee pod brands are available in Europe that claim to circumvent the patent but here in America, we won't know until those make their way here. (Amazon is rumored to begin marketing a cheaper Nespresso-compatible pod later in 2012.)

OK, so I ordered the Coffee Duck pods with the intention of making my own pods. After much experimentation, here are some tips:

1) The choice of coffee is paramount, so choose wisely. I've been using some leftover Costco espresso blend (intended for drip coffee makers) but it's not great. I'll be buying a bag of espresso-roast beans.

2) A burr grinder is the only way to go (mine is a Cuisinart). I tried a blade grinder but the grounds don't get fine enough. Set the grinder to 'fine'.

3) It doesn't take much grinding to get enough coffee to fill the 3 pods. I grind fresh every day.

4) With a small spoon or measuring spoon, fill the pod about half full then tamp down with your finger. Fill and tamp again. If you press too hard, the machine will have difficulty forcing water through the pod. Too light and you get weak coffee. Experiment to find what's right for you.

5) When you close the pod lid, make sure it is sealed tightly (flush) all the way around or it will leak coffee and grounds into your used pod receptacle.

6) Try to position the pod with the pod lid tab facing up and centered.

7) Experiment with short or tall (lungo) as to personal preference.

8) My used pods always fall out cleanly, I've never had a problem, probably due to #6 above.

9) I usually make lattés which for me, improves the taste.

10) Used pods pop open and clean easily under the sink faucet but can also be placed in the dishwasher.

Again, as you can read from other reviewers, this process isn't for everyone but I find it kind of fun and I'm saving money. Coffee Duck claims the pods will last a long time. They seem sturdy. I've used each pod about ten times now and I can't tell any difference from when they were brand new.

Coffee Duck pods are a good substitute when you run out of Nespresso pods or you simply want to enjoy more than one pod per day and save money.

The ordering process seems somewhat confusing due to Nespresso revising their machines in 2010. The Coffee Duck vendor automatically assumes you have a 'newer' Nespresso machine and will send the black pods that fit it. If you have an older (pre October 2010 machine), specify the BROWN Coffee Duck pods when ordering.

Highly recommended.

My husband is always looking for ways to be more efficient, so when we got our new Nespresso machine, the first thing he did was spot these refillable pods to save on having to buy from Nespresso. The pods work really great if you have a good grinder and if you have the right kind of coffee. We ended up purchasing a Cuisinart I think is the brand, coffee grinder which allows us to select the grind from very fine to very coarse (for percolators).

When we ordered our Nespresso Machine, I signed up with Nespresso as a customer and they have a first time customer order that is an excellent deal and I highly recommend it! You get a beautiful box that holds your coffees (it looks like a cigar box) and you get samples of all of their different brews.

Back to the pods... I opened up one of the Nespresso capsules to see how it was packed and I matched the grind to the lowest grinding level on my new coffee grinder mentioned above. Next comes figuring out how to fill it and pack it perfectly. If its too loose, the water goes right through and if its too tight, not enough water will get through. So packing it becomes the art form to master.

They are a little bit messy, and they are hot so if you want to brew straight away again, you have to carefully open them up. I am actually going to be purchasing a second set so that we can re-brew one right after the other. Also, with Nespresso, its convenient to have little capsules to grab & pop in, so if you pre-package your refillable capsules and have them all set to go, you will probably enjoy them more than if you have to fill them up every time you want coffee. Also the Nespresso coffee tastes better, that's not to say the refillables don't make a good espresso drink, but you have to make sure you're buying really good coffee!

That said, I will tell you that we still purchase the Nespresso brand pods, which honestly are no more expensive than where you can buy them anywhere else and being on Nespresso's mailing list, we get notified of new blends which always come as a special.

With the Nespresso pods, I can re-brew two times for a slightly stronger (and slightly larger) espresso drink... if I want to. But you can't re-brew the refillable pods, you just get one shot, which is no big deal, but thought I'd put that in my review.

I do recommend the pods, to save money. I am going to buy another set. But we use both the refillable pods and the Nespresso pods in our house.

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I don't usually write reviews but I was disappointed enough with this product to review it. It takes a lot of time to get it to work right. You need to get the perfect grind and the perfect amount of espresso in each time. Once that is all done the end product is still no where near as good as the nespresso capsules. The foam or froth is not produced no mater what type of coffee is used. After many times of using this product I finally went to the nespresso website and bought 200 capsules.

If you don't mind a so so cup of espresso then this product is fine; otherwise, I would not recommend buying this

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I bought the CoffeeDuck to use with my new CitiZ Nespresso machine. At first they worked quite well. After about 3 uses one of them deformed during use to the point where it became unuseable. The sides of the capsule were the problem. The other two worked fine for about 10 uses each and then in the same day they each went through the same type of deformation. It was almost as if the plastic partially melted and then hardened in the deformed shape.

I contacted CoffeeDuck twice through their online feedback form.they have yet to respond at all! This is not good customer service!.

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This product works. Simply put if you are trying to save money or you like organic coffee this is your option.

First I only use fresh ground coffee. I have a conical burr grinder and I can adjust the size of the grind up to 12 different settings. This makes a big difference in the output. I will explain. I tried a bagged espresso grind that I would normally use in my stovetop percolator, something of a really coarse grind, and the Nespresso U machine created a rather weak lungo. The shot or small size was acceptable on strength but if you are getting an espresso machine chances are you like a strong pull.

I switched to my own beans ground fresh very fine, the highest I can go on my grinder. This worked, but I tamped too hard and my little machine had trouble. So adjusting I just tapped the pod on the counter to shake the coffee down. Filled up the pod and this worked better, but I could still hear the machine struggling.

Lastly I tried a few clicks in from very fine. Two to three notches down from the very fine worked best. I again just tap the pod on the counter as I fill and it keeps an even fill ensuring no gaps in the grinds. Shot to lungo this pulls a strong cup.

I would not recommend coffee beans for regular coffee. I tried them and while it works no problems, I just prefer my shots stronger. I get espresso blends, and the taste is very good.

About the crema created by nespresso pods. These will create a very thin crema that tends to dissipate within minutes. I have not had success yet in getting a crema. I will update my review if I find a trick to this.

About pods getting stuck. I have the Nespresso U, the smallest model available as of September 2012. The pods eject fine, if you insert them with the flat edge up at the 12 o'clock position. They might get caught in the downshoot at and angle, but a quick tap with your finger and they fall the rest of the way down. Not all the time, just once in a while and it's so far as I can tell of no harm to the machine.

Cuisinart EM-100FBD Filter Basket Double

The only problem with this filter is that it is encased and you can not truly clean it out.

but then I would have to own a different coffee maker.

For us it is an essential additional accessory as we do more lattes back, so have just one that came with the espresso maker is not enough. If we did not have the second one, we had to clean and wash for every latte between making them.

$19 for this is pricey. I don't see a generic cheaper substitute.

Using it every day.

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Primula Tempo Coffee Press 6 Cup - Black

My experience with the Primula Tempo ended after 4 days of use due to a long crack that developed in the glass beaker. The crack was not due to mis-use as I will explain.

I want to be clear that in my review I "compare" it to a Bodum French Press that costs about $10 more than the Primula. However my rating of 1 star is not how well the Primula "compares' to the Bodum, it is based on the fact that this French Press is of poor quality and craftsmanship regardless of its price.

I have used a French Press to make coffee for years. It's one of my favorite ways to make coffee primarily because it makes an excellent cup of coffee with a minimum of equipment. Before the beaker cracked, the Primula Tempo made as good a cup of coffee as any French Press would make. The filter did as good a job as other French Presses I've used in keeping the grounds out of the coffee.

I do not find clean-up of a French Press to be as much of a chore as some people make it out to be. Although Primula claims this is dishwasher safe, I hand wash the beaker after each use; less chance that it will hit something during the dishwashing cycle.

The French Press that I've used for years is a Bodum. Naturally, I compared the Primula Tempo to the Bodum since it was a convenient point of reference. If you are interested in seeing my review of a Bodum French Press which includes instruction on how to make coffee in a French Press you can see it here... http://www.amazon.com/review/R1G2ALAYSFI1YO/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Here is what I discovered in my experience with the Primula French Press:

-Overall, the Primula Tempo is of a lesser level of quality when compared to the Bodum.

-The glass beaker in the Bodum has a capacity of 34 oz, whereas the capacity of the Primula Tempo is 32 oz. That is not useable capacity but the maximum amount of water you can put in the beaker to fill it to the very top.

-The Primula Tempo glass beaker feels fragile. The glass beaker of the Bodum weighs 284 grams vs 245 grams for the Primula Tempo. Although the Bodum beaker is 2 oz larger in capacity, the thickness of the glass is greater and that is a difference you can see and feel.

-When I compare the visible glass quality of the Primula Tempo beaker to the Bodum, The Primula Tempo glass has visible vertical lines in it and does not seem to be of an equal quality to the Bodum beaker.

-The Primula Tempo mesh filter is of a thinner gauge wire and feels less substantial. The wire mesh filter in the Bodum weighs 5 grams, whereas the Primula Tempo filter weighs 4 grams.

As with any glass French Press you are not to use boiling water. The water should be just off-boiling. When you pour the hot water into the beaker you should give the grounds a stir but never with a metal utensil. Only use wood or plastic otherwise you risk scratching, chipping, or worse, breaking the beaker. I have used my Bodum French Press for many many years. It's still going strong. The Primula Tempo beaker cracked on me after the 4th use. I did not damage the beaker due to mis-use and used the practices I've discussed.

I have contacted the company that distributes the Primula Tempo (Epoca International) to get their response and will amend my review once I've heard back from them.

It should be mentioned that the Primula Tempo is Made in China.

UPDATE: 12-4-2012 : I have tried several times to email someone at the company and so far have not gotten a response. I used their website contact form and also an email address that I found. So if you also want to count "customer service" as a criteria an whether you want to order this, the lack of response speaks for itself.

UPDATE: 12/6/2012 I finally received an emailed response from the distributor and they are sending me a replacement beaker. I'll update my review as necessary.

UPDATE: 12/10/2012 I received the replacement beaker today. It is flawed. There are at least 3 or 4 sharp bumps of glass on the inside of the beaker and several apparent scratches in the glass. Total crap. I am reducing my review to 1 star. This is a very poor quality French Press.

I've only owned one other coffee press, a Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker, 34-Ounce, Black which I've enjoyed using for a couple of years now so I'll use it as a comparison point.

This coffee press makes 6 4 oz. cups of coffee, which is about the equivalent to 2 standard American cups of coffee. The large flat knob on top of the plunger feels sturdy, which I like better than the small round ball on the Bodum. I've found this press just as easy to use and clean as the Bodum.

We have used this coffee press nearly every day for the past two weeks and I haven't seen any signs of rust. We have been hand washing it and haven't put in the dishwasher. I don't put the Bodum in the dishwasher either even though it's dishwasher safe too. I feel by hand washing these, it extends the life of them since my dishwater has a high temperature wash cycle which will start to dull plastics.

The glass isn't very thick and has the same thickness as the Bodum. This press is made of borosilicate glass as is the Bodum. According to Primula's website, borosilicate glass is made to withstand extreme temperatures, temperature changes like going from boiling hot water and adding ice, and is used to make European Pyrex dishes.

I couldn't find any information on whether the plastic on the beaker is BPA-free so I'm going to assume that it isn't. The Bodum is BPA-free.

After two weeks of near daily use, I have had no problems with this Primula coffee press. The coffee made with this coffee press is just as great as the Bodum. This coffee press is the perfect size for an individual or two and for the price of 10.00, it's worth it if having a BPA-free products isn't a requirement.

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Brewed perfect coffee quickly, with very little grounds in my coffee mug. The glass is fairly thick, and the mechanism works smoothly. The whole thing fits together well.

I have used coffee presses before, and I was leery that this one wouldn't work as well because it was a cheaper press in terms of cost. However, I was impressed as it works as well as the more expensive presses I have used. There isn't much more to say. I bought this to take on trips, so I could drink my own coffee instead of having to drink weaker coffee. It works perfect for this function! I would buy it again, unless it breaks easily, but only time will tell.

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None of my roommates nor I had ever tried to make coffee with a french press. So we were excited to give this one a try. First of all after much arguing we were able to figure out how the thing worked (no instructions were included in ours not sure if that is standard or if ours were just left out). So we went off of what was printed on the box put the thing together and were ready to try it. Now they aren't kidding when they say you can't use the store bought pre-ground coffee. Our first try ended up with a mucky swampy mess. (we poured it into a coffee filter over a cup and were able to actually still consume it).

So after a trip to the store we tried again and were successful in making coffee. Now I know it says 6 cups but we were able to get two full coffee cups out of it. The coffee tasted great and it was a lot of fun to do.

I asked my two roommates what they thought:

The Hippy "I think you could probably make a really excellent cup of coffee once you figure out how long to leave it in there for your taste, it will require more experimentation to find the ideal mix and time"

The Car Guy "I don't see a difference other than the mess and how long it took, it's not very convenient"

Me (the lone female in the house)It would be good for weekends when you aren't in a rush, and just want a single cup or two.

I don't have anything to compare it to but it does seem very cheaply made, I don't expect it will last very long in our house. The following weekend coffee was made in the regular coffee pot, even though the press was sitting right next to it.

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I received the Primula Coffee Press through Amazon Vine. The product came in one piece with all the pieces including instructions in writing and pictures. (I usually require both). My first attempt at making coffee with a coffee press went off almost without a hitch. The only mistakes I made were to pour boiling water into the beaker, which appears fragile, and I used a metal spoon to stir the mixture but was careful not to touch the glass beaker with it. Plastic is recommended.

Even though I used coarse granules as suggested, the coffee did begin to have a dark brown slick (I used French Vanilla Cream which lightened the brew and gave away the granules) as I began to empty more and more of the cup's contents. This told me the coffee would not be completely bottomless, and it wasn't. A trail of brown fragments ran up the cup to the lip as the last drops were devoured.

Cleaning the pot was easy. I followed the urban legend that dumping coffee grounds down your drain will unclog and clogs. (It won't). I then faced the residue of nasty grounds that refused to budge and those in the filter. They departed with a wet sponge and more water pressure.

I am unaccustomed to making coffee this way, and I know I like to see mine very hot. Pouring in less than boiling water and waiting four minutes seems to be an eternity for a lover of hot Johann.

I'm impressed.

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Tre Spade "IL Macinino" Burr Grinder, Brass

For the price, I was disappointed with the build quality of this grinder. Way too much plastic. Even the metallic casing is chromed plastic.

The inside motor and burrs are of decent quality, producing a consistent grind, but are very LOUD.

The grind settings are adjusted with a knob, continuous with no detents. The grinder shipped with the grind setting too coarse for espresso, but this was easily adjusted by removing the bean hopper and rotating the entire coarseness scale one or two stops. Unfortunately, and without much pressure, the plastic around one of the hopper's screw holes cracked slightly when screwing the hopper back on, so be careful. A different style of screw, softer plastic, or better hopper design would probably prevented this.

The grind bin slides on rather stiffly, but affirmatively, preventing any grinds from escaping during grinding. Removing grinds from the bin is a bit awkward due to the bin's shape, but not that big of a deal.

I decided I couldn't stand the noise anymore, so I bought a Rancilio Rocky. My Rocky is much heavier and better constructed, and much quieter as well. For just a little more than the Pavoni, it is a far better design.

The Pavoni now collects dust on a shelf.

I have been using my PGB for about 10 years; it works very well with no problems. A great virtue of the model I have (hope this is still true) is the ability to grind directly into the espresso basket, turning on the machine with simple pressure from the basket; this enables one to grind just the coffee needed with no reservoir to empty or clean, and more assurance that a minimum of old ground coffee will join that which is freshly ground.

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I'm quite satisfied with the excellent grind consistency and quality. The brass La Pavoni PGB Coffee Grinder is close to being a commercial grade burr grinder -equal to those found in Europe's espresso bars and restaurants. Be aware that the brass finish is "plated" over hard plastic, so carefully inspect your new grinder before using it. I had to return mine twice to the retailer back east, before a perfect one arrived. I've used mine daily for more than three years without any issues.

Just a quick note to Patricia O'Connor who considered it "a piece of junk." With proper care & regular cleaning, the La Pavoni PGB Coffee Grinder will last a lifetime. -smile-

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I tried this unit at a friend's house recently. It was strong, solid, and could really pulverize those beans. Too much for me to purchase, but I bring my whole beans next door to grind precisely to my taste. La Pavoni certainly does it right.

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This is the 3rd Tre Spade we have had. (We wear them out) It works well and provides a very nice grind. Only complaint--it's noisy. But, then again, I guess it has to be to grind those coffee beans.

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Hamilton Beach SILX1 Espresso/Cappucino Machine

An inexpensive way to have coffeehouse-quality beverages at home. Unit is largely plastic, so it may not last forever like the $300+ models, but with proper care should last for years. Frother is easy to use, loud, and effective-just like the sound you hear at every corner coffee bar. Makes one or two cups at a time, and makes them fast and consistently good. Will accept ground espresso, or the individual 1-cup "pods". Comes with an instructional DVD that is 10 minutes well spent. Watched it once, and had my first cinnamon cappucino 10 minutes later! Really produces terrific quality, and makes this an excellent value. One warning: For some reason, this unit requires a manual shut-off to stop the brewing. So, you need to watch the output and hit a button when you think the espresso is as you like it-so no walking away during brewing!

This is the second machine I have purchased. The first one lasted about a year at which point it began leaking. Not so bad I thought because I had used the machine for a year and it worked great. It has a great price tag also. Then I purchase another and within two days it is leaking......so I get a replacement.......turn it on and it leaks also. I am going to have to find a better machine. This machine is great when it works and the price is great but I will not be buying another one.

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I was tired of paying $10+ a week for a good latte in the mornings, and decided to purchase this machine. With a little practice, it wasn't hard to create Starbucks-worthy beverages with this machine.

This machine is pretty simple to figure out, and the instructions that come with it are very straight forward. I have no experience making espresso drinks and it didn't take me very long to catch on. I have owned the machine for about 6 months, and I only spend about 5-10 minutes in the morning to make a drink and clean up the machine.

All the parts come apart easily and it is very easy to clean. One tip I would have is to remove the nozzle on the milk frother (it twists off easily) and clean it out under the sink (or dishwasher, if you want) to make sure you get all of the milk out of it.

There are very few negatives I have for this product. This frother is pretty noisy, but that's certainly manageable. Also, the brew button doesn't turn off automatically, so you have to be standing by to make sure it doesn't overflow and it brews the amount of espresso you want.

It would have been nice if this machine came with a few espresso mugs and a milk frothing cup, but for the price you can't really complain.

Overall, I would highly suggest purchasing this machine. I make hot and iced beverages quickly and easily. If you use the pricier espresso (from a starbucks/barnies/etc) it will taste just like the real thing!

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I had on like this for a little over a year,loved it,then it stopped!I got this a few dollars cheaper,said it was improved,so far so good!Makes coffee great and steams the milk great! Makes hot-chocolate even.If it works for more than a year,great! If not,it'll be my last hamilton beach purchase.

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We purchased this espresso maker a few months ago but wanted to use it for a while before rating it.

All in all, we are well-pleased with the product. It makes espresso quickly and produces a good

cup of espresso. We use it almost every morning. There are a couple drawbacks to this machine:

It is noisy, perhaps because it is sitting on a tile counter, and it vibrates so you need to watch

while it is running so that the carafe or cup doesn't move from beneath the spouts. It also does

not have an automatice shut off, so it will run over if you don't pay attention. All in all we

are pretty pleased with this espresso machine.