Easy Serving Espresso - ESE Coffee Pods: What are they?
An ESE Pod consists of a small round pad of ground coffee, wrapped in two layers of soft and breathable paper membrane. The pod, with its characteristic round shape and its softness, allows you to keep a dose of grind coffee always ready to use.
ESE stands for "Easy Serving Espresso" because it contains the correct amount of mixture for the preparation of a single espresso. The ESE system differs from the capsule system because of its unique features and advantages.
The ESE Format [easy serving espresso pods]
The main advantage of using an ESE pod is that it is universal. The pads are available in three sizes: 38, 44 and 55 millimeters where the ESE 44 pod is by far the preferred format from coffee consumers.
The system used is called "Open System" because it has been developed to be compatible with every pod machine regardless of model, brand, year of construction. The only limit is the size of the pods used: this means that a 38 mm pod must not be used in a 44 or 55 mm machine and vice versa.
The ESE Open System of pods allows you to choose from a huge range of blends, produced by each roasting company, giving to the coffee lovers an unlimited selection of aromas and fragrances to choose from.
The ESE package
The pod packaging system was born from the ingenuity of Francesco Illy, a naturalized Italian-Hungarian entrepreneur.
During the history of the company's prestigious success, Mr. Illy invented a unique system to preserve ground coffee: vacuum packing.
Thanks to this system it is still possible to preserve the taste and freshness of each pod, like if the mixture had just been prepared.
Each pad is in fact individually packed between two sheets of alluminium sealed together to prevent contact with oxygen from depleting the chemistry of each preparation.
The paper membrane that wraps the dose of ground coffee is not enough to keep the properties of the blend intact. It is specially designed to allow water to filter through without effort and is therefore not hermetically sealed. In the aluminium package, on the other hand, every dose of coffee in the pod remains as fresh and tasty as on the first day, unlike other blends stored inside unsealed cans and containers.
In recent times, where we are all called upon to reduce plastic and aluminium waste, some roasters have joined this new movement and offer their ESE pods loose in resealable bags, doing without the single outer packaging, such as Blasercafé.
What are the advantages of ESE pads?
Each pad has a wider ring of fabric surrounding the pressed ground coffee and ensures the adherence of the two breathable sheets of paper to prevent coffee powder from dispersing. Each fabric ring also has a tab for easy positioning of the pod in the coffee machine or machine arm and for an easy removal at the end of the extraction.
These simple measures make it easy to use the pods and simplify the daily cleaning routine of the coffee machine.
Each pad, unlike the capsules, is also made entirely of compostable organic materials and can therefore be thrown in the damp without any environmental impact.
The low packaging cost, combined with the wide range of blends available, guarantees on average lower prices than capsules, without any compromise in terms of quality.
The pre-portioning of each coffee pod allows, finally, to avoid waste and to always have the correct amount prepared for each cup.
Are there other types of pods besides ESEs?
There is a wide variety of pods on the market suitable for different uses. The ESE format is becoming increasingly popular thanks to its ease of use and the wide choice offered.
Other types of pods, generally offered in 70 mm format, contain larger quantities of the blend that is further pressed to lend itself to the production of multiple coffees or long coffee-based drinks.
The machines used for this type of pods are usually larger and bulkier machines that are more suitable for use in bars and clubs.
Where to buy ESE pods?
On our website, you will find a wide selection of the best coffee pods (ESE espresso pods), suitable for your tastes and needs. Strong or more delicate blends, flavoured or decaffeinated, and even single-origin or mixed tasting sets. All this is possible thanks to the "open system", which allows the universal use of wafers to all roasters.
You'll be spoiled for choice!