CAPSULES OR PODS? FEATURES AND DIFFERENCES

Are you fed up with the moka pot, the coffee beans to grind, the coffee powder that accumulates everywhere in the kitchen? Then the time has come to equip yourself with a capsule or pod coffee machine . But how to choose? If you are unfamiliar with either, then you will definitely want to know more.

What are pods?

The pods are essentially discs of pre-ground, dosed and compacted coffee enclosed in vegetable filter paper and still represent an excellent choice today for those who want a quality espresso that ensures simple use and guarantees easy (damp) disposal. and less impacting on the environment than the use of capsules (which are generally made of plastic or aluminum and which for this reason must instead be disposed of in the unsorted collection.

What are capsules?

The capsules are plastic or aluminum containers inside which a dose of coffee sufficient for dispensing 1 or 2 cups is pre-dosed and already ground. Compared to pods, they have the advantage of being rigid containers inside which it is possible to dose soluble products or leaf products as well as coffee. Unlike pods, however, their disposal certainly has a greater impact on the environment (they must be disposed of in almost all cases in unsorted collection) and new compostable plastic materials are also being developed which could allow disposal in organic waste. To date, however, most of the so-called ” biodegradable capsules” allow “ecological” disposal only in industrial plants (where pressure and temperature allow the plastics to be disposed of correctly) and therefore domestic disposal is not possible. However, technology is constantly evolving and it will probably be possible to dispose of the capsules in the home shortly.

How to choose between pods or capsules?

Pods are  certainly to be preferred if you want to essentially dispense coffee since their cost is generally lower than that of capsules and the environmental impact is certainly lower.

The capsules (even those compatible with the main systems ) for their part allow you to dispense many other hot drinks as well as coffee and therefore make the machine a certainly more usable household appliance. On the other hand, their cost is generally higher than that of pods and their disposal, even considering an ever-increasing offer of the so-called “compostable capsules”, is certainly more complex with a greater environmental impact.