If there’s one success story that has stood out in the hot drinks market over the past few years, it’s the sale of coffee pods. Individuals and businesses across the UK and Ireland have turned to single-serve capsules as a convenient, affordable yet more premium alternative to instant coffee.
In the UK, coffee pods now generate more than £112m worth of sales in a 12-month period – and analysts say that figure will treble by 2020, overtaking sales of the humble tea bag in the process. But is it now time for consumers to ditch coffee pods altogether? Here’s five good reasons to suggest it is…
Coffee Pods: A Bitter Aftertaste?
1. The Earth Factor
If you call in on a government building in Hamburg, you won’t be served coffee pods. They’re now forbidden – part of a city-wide ban on “certain polluting products or product components”. That’s because the aluminium/plastic pods can’t usually be recycled. With millions of capsules sold every year, that’s a lot of waste for the planet to deal with.
A pods pioneer, John Sylvan, even says he “feels bad” about devising the product in the first place!
2. The Health Factor
Do coffee pods pose a risk to your health? One microbiologist believes your coffee pod machine is a prime breeding ground for bacteria that thrive because you can’t drain your internal water tank – resulting in a permanent dark, warm and moist atmosphere. There are also concerns about how materials used in the actual pods can affect your health.
3. The Cost Factor
OK, so the initial cost of buying your coffee might seem reasonable – 10 capsules for a fiver? That doesn’t sound too bad. But what are you actually paying in the context of how much coffee you’re getting? The New York Times crunched some figures and revealed you could be paying as much as $50 per pound! That’s £35/€45!
If you compare that with the cost of securing some of our brilliant coffee beans.
4. The Choice Factor
A selling point of a coffee pod machine is its undoubted convenience, being able to pick a specific capsule to suit your mood and tastes. And yet you can get the same convenience and same range of hot drink choices (if not more!) with our bean-to-cup machines: cappuccinos, Americanos, hot chocolates, teas and more…
5. The Taste Factor
Now, this is a completely subjective one – but we think coffee tastes much better fresh. Mass-produced pods contain coffee that has been sitting in inside for, well, who knows! Meanwhile, a fresh batch of Strive Coffee beans will pack in more flavour and more coffee in your cup. You can even add your extra twist if you’re feeling creative!
