Dark coffee pods 101: All the facts you’d love to know

The coffee pod market is gaining traction around the world, with stronger, more flavorful, and full-bodied competition! These little hacks are a very popular single-serve option and help in neat, convenient transportation of your favorite brew. You don’t even have to cough up a fat amount when you want to try a new variety, because you don’t have to empty your pockets to stock up and can just sample a tiny portion.

They’re also one of the most hotly debated topics in the coffee arena today, with equally strong for and against positions.

Why are coffee beans roasted?

• When on the plant, coffee berries or cherries are initially green and then ripen to a deep red or yellowish-red color.
• Coffee beans are the two seeds found at the center of each berry.
• They have no particular aroma when raw and have only a fresh, grass-like scent.
• Roasting brings out the distinctive coffee flavor and gives it its characteristic smell and taste.

What’s the difference between light, medium, and dark roast coffee beans?

• These are the different grades of roasting.
• They represent the degrees to which the coffee beans are roasted.
• Dark, medium, and light roasts signify the color of the roasted bean, as the beans absorb heat and lose water in the roasting process.
• Color characteristics help judge the flavor, but they’re also influenced by the variety of bean and the amount of oil released by the heat during the roasting process.
• Light roasts are bright and can be described as beige, tan, or light brown in color.
• They have the highest acidity level and are light-bodied, but they retain all the original flavors of the bean.
• Medium roasts are preferred by people who like a fuller body with the roasted flavor and fragrance.
• Medium roasts have a more balanced acidity level.
• Dark roasts are deep brown, almost black, or glossy chocolate.
• Dark roasts are the favorite of enthusiasts who cherish rich, strong, full-bodied, statement-coffees.
• Roast levels are a matter of preference, geography, and tradition: In the country, folks in the West Coast prefer darker roasts, while those on the East Coast seem to prefer lighter ones.
• Europe is the home of dark roasts: French, Italian, and Spanish brews.
• Espresso is a very dark brew that can tolerate the addition of plenty of milk and sugar.

What’s special about dark roasts?

• Dark roasting makes the beans reach internal temperature levels of 430°F.
• With the rise in temperature, natural sugars go through a cycle of caramelization to carbonization.
• This gives rise to an intense, bitter-sweet, aromatic, and distinctive coffee flavor.
• Connoisseurs can recognize the provenance and origin of the bean even in dark roast coffee beans.
• The caffeine levels are reduced when dry roasted in case of some varieties.
• Caffeine-content depends on the original variety of bean; for example, Arabica has lower caffeine than Robusta.
• The health benefits of dark roast coffee include restoration of red blood cells, vitamin E, and glutathione (an important antioxidant) source.
• If you’re trying to lose weight, dark roast is your best friend.
• People who are coffee-sensitive or suffer from gastric irritation after drinking coffee should opt for dark roasts.

What are coffee pods?

• These are single-serve portions of different types, varieties, and blends.
• The idea was conceptualized for office use, to make the coffee-making process less time-consuming.
• You need a special brewer to use them.
• They come in small and convenient pods/containers that’re disposable.
• The foil-sealed cartridge contains select variety of ground coffee with a tiny filter.
• Coffee pods are easy to transport, neat, fresh and avoid making a mess, thereby making them very convenient.
• They’re offered by leading brands around the world.
• Some pods are universal, while others are compatible only with certain types of brewing machines.
• This option works well when you want to sample a variety but would rather not spend big bucks on buying a large stock.

What should I know before I buy dark coffee pods?

• Dark coffee pods are expensive if you’re a regular and heavy coffee drinker.
• This investment includes the price of the coffee pod machine.
• Resistance and adverse opinions from environmental activists suggest that single-serve dark coffee pods are ecologically destructive in the long run.
• They’re not easy to recycle, because they use different materials such as paper, plastic, aluminum, and such.
• To step over this problem, choose pods that use plant-based materials to manufacture the container.
• Cheaper brands leave a chemical aftertaste, so it’s best that you buy reputed, well-known brands only.
• Coffee adventurers may find the range of dark coffee pod flavors, or any coffee pod flavors for that matter, limiting.
• The dark coffee pod settings can’t be changed to your personal tastes or style of preparation.