What are the principal benefits of choosing a pod brewer and using coffee pods?

There are two principal groups of one-cup coffee makers competing right now: coffee pod brewers and K-Cup brewers.

Both systems have enthusiastic supporters.

Both offer the same end result - single cups of coffee, brewed one at a time.

And both approaches are very simple to use, requiring that you simply add a coffee pod or K-Cup to the machine and press a button or two.

So what are the real benefits of choosing a coffee pod brewer?

First, coffee pods cost less than K-Cups. So once you have brewed a few hundred cups, you’ll have saved quite a bit of money.

Second, there are more choices available with pods when it comes to roasters, coffee blends and flavors.

While K-Cups offer a choice of a hundred plus coffees, pods give you two or three times that number of choices.

Third, coffee pods take up less space when storing them or having them in a canister on your counter top.

Fourth, pod brewers like the Senseo models enable you to brew with one or two pods at a time. With K-Cups you can add only one K-Cup to the machine per brew.

The Senseo brewers have a good advantage here, as being able to use either one or two pods at a time gives you greater flexibility when choosing larger brew sizes.

In other words, use just one pod when making a smaller cup of coffee, but two pods when making a large mug or travel mug.

But keep in mind that if you regularly use two pods at a time, you will be losing much of the cost advantages of having a pod brewer rather than a K-Cup brewer.

At the end of the day, both coffee pod brewers and K-Cup brewers have their own strengths.

The system you use will come down to your own personal preference and budget.

Reviews of the top coffee pod brewers:

The Bunn My Café MCP

The Senseo HD7832/55
The Senseo HD7810/65

Melitta MES2B One:One Single Serve Coffeemaker