Maybe The First........But Not The Best
Written: Mar 11 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Available online; attractive containers.
Cons: Not the best flavor; most expensive; limited storage time.
The Bottom Line: Buy the Illy pods only if it's a choice between those and Starbucks. Lavazza is the best all around choice for availability, price, flavor, consistency & crema.
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| newtownbeans's Full Review: Illy Espresso Pods Regular Roast |
I have been drinking espresso all my life (well, most of my 65 years) and I have tried numerous brands of espresso coffee, from whole beans, pre-ground, different roasts, decaffeinated, regular, fine grind, dark roast, domestic, imported etc, etc.
Recently I began using pods, brewed in a DeLonghi espresso pump type machine. The four most commonly used pods are from Illy, Palombini, Lavazza & Starbucks. Illy was the first company to produce what is called the E.S.E. pods for espresso machines. If you buy an espresso maker and wish to use pods, be sure that it is an E.S.E. machine.
My opinion of the four most commonly used pods is.....1.) Forget about Starbucks. It is the worst tasting espresso of the lot. Burnt taste, weak flavor, very little crema. Not cheap either. These cost about $4.95 for 18 pods which makes the unit cost about 41 cents each. They are available in regular roast and decaf. They come in individually wrapped packets. 2.) The Illy pods come in metal canisters of 18 servings. They are available in regular, dark roast and decaf. Good flavor, but rather thin consistency and average crema. The dark roast is a bit bitter and seems to produce less crema than the others of the Illy brand. The Illy pods are the most expensive of the four, averaging about 50 cents each. The other drawback with using Illy pods is that they have to be used up rather quickly because they are packaged loose in a container and once the container is opened, the exposure to air will stale them within a week or so. 3.) The Palombini pods are the second best in my opinion. They have a good rich flavor, though slightly rough, and they produce excellent crema. Though not as full bodied as the Lavazza, they are certainly acceptable in this area. These pods come in individually wrapped foil packets and can be stored for about a year with no loss to quality. Crema is excellent. The cost is about 40 cents per pod if purchased in a case of 150. The only way I know to buy these is through a restaurant supply company. They don't seem to be available online. 4.) The last of the four, Lavazza, is my favorite. These also come in individual foil packets and are available online at a cost of about $52. for 150 packets. Try Sovrana.com which occasionally runs specials. The unit cost is about 38 cents when purchased this way including shipping. The Lavazza pods produce the richest, full-bodied espresso with very smooth consistency, distinctive aroma and perfect crema.
So, my message to all you espresso lovers is to avoid the Illy pods and go with the Lavazza. They are the best in flavor, can be stored for up to a year, readily available, and cost the least of the four I mentioned. Illy may have been the first with espresso pods.....but they are far from the best.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
newtownbeans
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Newtown, CT
Reviews written: 142
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
"All power, even the most despotic, rests ultimately on opinion"_______Hume
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