The coffee pod market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% by 2025. With the growing coffee pods market from millennial influence, coffee pods have garnered much interest as opposed to filtered coffee, due to their ease in production and consumption.
Nespresso, one of the leading and first manufacturers of coffee pods, developed the coffee pods to minimize the constant use of pressure in espresso machines. The structure of coffee pods enables less hassle when making coffee, therefore, simplifying the process of coffee extraction. Consumers can enjoy a standard espresso in the comfort of their home without worrying about the degree of pressure required to produce the perfect espresso.
The popularity of coffee pods is mostly due to its market demand and rising standards of the population, who prefer to access coffee pods rather than single-serve coffee due to its convenience and high demand in the community.
Coffee pods are packaged differently depending on the size and grams of coffee packed in the pod. Coffee pods are divided into two categories:
- Soft pods
These coffee pods are longer and consist of a larger portion of coffee.
- Compact pods
These coffee pods are used to make espresso coffee, which is more robust and has a refined taste.
Premium coffee pods are identified by having a refined, clean taste with just the right amounts of acidity to add flavor. The espresso should also form a golden foam on top, which is creamy and consistent. Different roasts have a different taste, with medium roasts having a full-bodied flavor. Light roasts are milder and brighter with dark roasts that are more robust with intense woody tones.
Pod systems
Different coffee machines provide slight variations in the taste of the coffee. For instance, single-serve espresso machines which are mostly for export purposes offer the best in Italian technology—pod machines, on the other hand, offer unmatched and calibrated options for coffee pods. In coffee shops that record-high coffee consumption, having a pod machine works best in providing premium espresso coffee.
Pod machines also offer low energy consumption as opposed to the traditional coffee beans machines. The pod system also minimizes wasted and spillage by working at full capacity and extracting the espresso within the pods at optimum results. The pod systems are also easy to maintain and install perfect for indoor and outdoor environments. Their simplified maintenance dispels any need for constant service, simplifying the production process.
The pod systems do not need additional experience like barista training for operation. Coffee pods come pressed, tamped and measured in the right amounts, making it more straightforward for any staff to operate. Restaurants also get to save a lot of time and preparing premium coffee in less than three minutes. The availability of pod systems in the market has made it easier for home brewing with the perfect espresso experience.
But what makes coffee pods so popular? Coffee pods are becoming increasingly popular due to the following benefits:
- Health benefits due to percolation
Coffee pods offer tremendous health benefits to the consumers than coffee capsules, as they do not relay plastic residues that have been engineered in hot water through the coffee. The percolation of the coffee makes it flow to the cup in the form of espresso without combining with resistant materials which may alter and change the taste of the final product. Instead, the coffee runs through a vegetable paper filter that doesn’t react with the coffee.
- Café experience
Coffee pods offer consumers the ultimate café experience in their homes without the hassle of filtered coffee. With the pods coming in pressurized packages, consumers can now enjoy premium coffee without the hassle of maintaining the required pressure needed to create standard coffee.
- Affordable
As compared to coffee capsules, coffee pods are less expensive and offer the same benefits.
- Sustainability
Coffee pods consumers are also becoming increasingly popular by embracing sustainability options for coffee pods which ensure minimal waste and a positive impact on society. For instance, coffee pods are produced to ensure that both heat and water are recycled in the production process to heat green coffee alternatives and light up the production centers. The ability to improve the yield of harvest ensures that the pods used annually are recyclable and available for biodegradable functions. Their biodegradable nature can be done by safely disposing or recycling the pods guilt-free, as they come in responsible packaging.
- Convenience
Coffee pods are much more convenient than single-serving coffee, as they provide a single serving per every coffee brew. They are also more convenient than single coffee serves and eradicate the need to needs for additives in the coffee. The convenience of coffee pods makes it easy to prepare coffee in a time-saving way by putting the pod into the espresso machine and getting your coffee, thus eradicating the process of café based coffee and transferring it to value-added customers. The convenience of determining the exact portion of coffee helps consumers insert their favorite flavor in a coffee machine and press enter to get their required coffee in an instant.
- Modern consumption trends
The increase in current consumption has elevated the growth of coffee pods in the market by increasing the need for easy to use products. As coffee pods are convenient and easy to use, the use of coffee pods is steering the industry towards embracing modernized solutions to recent coffee trends.
Latest trends in the coffee pod industry
With widespread innovations in the coffee pod industry, suppliers such as Nespresso have sought to revolutionize the coffee industry by changing the overall packaging and components of their traditional pods. With a 160 million CFH investment, suppliers like Nespresso have changed the coffee market by managing the levels of oxygen in the coffee, making the pods last longer and retain their freshness, thereby improving the livelihood of the consumer and the farmer.
Europe is fast becoming the leading coffee pods industry with an influx of production rising steadily throughout the years.
