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. Dark coffee pods are trending in the strong-coffee fraternity. If this has gotten your interest to know more about these smart, innovative, and convenient little forms of instant coffee, read on while you get your fix of coffee!

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.
• The roast level provides a way to measure the flavor that can be expected.

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.