SingleServeCoffee.com Forums

[starryeyes]

Pod brewer - Bunn My Cafe

Most of the coffee I drink is at the 8 oz drop but will experiment with the Invento pods since they contain 12 g. I prefer medium - dark roast coffee. I can tolerate flavoured but I have to be in the mood which strikes me only once or twice per week.

Rating system
**** An outstanding cup
*** Good cup - would purchase on occasion
** Fair
* No

Aloha Island


**** 100% Kona Diamond Reserve - heaven in a cup. Smooth with wonderful flavour and taste. Thankyou Josh.

**** 100% Kona Gold Private Estate - has more bite than the Kona Diamond but still pretty smooth and mellow. I could drink this one all day. Thankyou Josh for the sample.


Archer Farms


*** French Roast - pleasing char with first couple of sips. A good all around dark roast coffee.


Baronet


**** 100% Kona Fancy - medium roast that quite rich and smooth. Earthy in smell and taste. The earthiness seems to disappear as it cools. Would buy this in the future. Thankyou Eric for this sample.

*** Coconut Creme Pie - pretty good for a flavoured coffee. Coconut flavour is not too intense with nice custardy notes. Would not buy a box of this one.

*** Costa Rican Florfina Tarrazu - stronger than others of this type. Thins out as it cools. Would try with less water next time. Smooth and balanced with a stronger taste of unsweetened chocolate and citrus. Thankyou Geir for this sample.

*** Dark Kenya AA 12 g. - toasty and char tasting with a bit of a citrus edge. Slight bitterness noted in the aftertaste. Would definitely buy a box of this one.

** Izzy's Blend - strange smell coming from the pod when I opened the foil wrapper. Tastewise the pod wasn't much better. Very floral in taste.
Cream didn't improve the taste. Would not buy a box of this.

*** Mocha Java - close to a four star cup. This one had a lot of personality with spicey, chocolate notes. Slight char taste detected. Would definitely buy a box of this one.

*** Small Village Blend - bright and tangy as well as earthy and a bit on the sweet side. Would rate this a low three. Thankyou Eric for the sample.


Black Mountain Gold


** Cinnamon Crumb Cake - not as bad as some of this kind. The cinnamon flavour doesn't overwhelm the chocolate taste. Still the pod smells better than it taste. Not one I would buy again.

*** Costa Rica - nice and flavourful even at 8 oz. something I didn't expect. As it cooled slight earthy tones and perhaps a hint of dark chocolate detected. Would buy this on occasion.

** Kenya AA - fair medium roast that's a tad on the weak side. Nothing distinctive here that screams out at me but still a solid drink. Has a earthy/muddy aftertaste that's not unpleasant. Good with or without cream. I would rate it more a 2.5.

** Hawaiian Kona - pretty mediocre as far as blends go. Slight underlying sweetness detected. Surprising char aftertaste developed as the coffee cooled. Would not buy this one again.


*** Moka Java - an interesting medium roast that leans more towards the darker side. This is a nice, slightly spicy cup with char notes detected. The coffee is good with or without cream added. I probably would not buy a box of this one since there are others much better.


Cafejo


*** Adrenaline Explosion - nice solid dark roast, though nothing distinctive to make it stand out in the crowd. Would probably not buy a box of this.

*** Breakfast Blend - medium roast that is smooth and mellow. Nothing distinctive but similar to donut shop blend but better. Cream seemed to bring out the sweetness.

*** Columbian Decaf - not as good as the Dixie Voodoo Decaf but still a pleasant drink later in the afternoon. Very smooth and balanced but lacking the characteristics of other Columbians. Thankyou Matt for this sample.

** Creme Caramel - not much flavour detected in in taste or odour. Cream didn't improve the taste.

** Espresso Italiano Gold - disappointing for an espresso type pod. Char notes detected. Founds others of this type much better. Not bad with cream.

*** Kenya - smooth medium roast that developed slight citrusy notes in the aftertaste. I drank this one with cream added which I think smoothed out the lemony taste. Would not buy a box of this since there are others much better.

*** Kona Blend - seems to be roast darker than what is indicated.(Light roast) Nice and toasty with an underlying sweetness. If you can't afford the real thing this is a nice substitute.

**** Signature - this is a medium roast coffee that was quite smooth while hot. As it cooled, slight pleasant char notes developed. This is quite a good cup of coffee and one I would put on my list to buy. Thankyou Matt for this sample.

*** Vienna - nice smooth medium roast with pleasing lingering finish. Would definitely buy a box of this one again.


Cafe Invento


* Chocolate Nut Cake - a full flavoured coffee with a strong cinnamon and nut flavour. Didn't detect too much chocolate but the other two flavours were overwhelming. I enjoyed VH's Mayan Chocolate spice coffee which is heavy in cinnamon flavour but the Chocolate Nut Cake is just gross. It left a lingering aftertaste in my mouth that was unpleasant. I usually like to give a coffee a second chance but I'm not too anxious to try this one again.

** Donut Shoppe - wonderful odour out of the wrapper. Pleasant and earthy with a bit of an edge. Close to being a 3 star for me though wouldn't buy a whole box of this. Too many better pods out there.

** House Blend - bland and unremarkable. Had a slight bitter edge with the last couple of sips. Would not buy a box of this flavour.

*** Juan's Columbian - a light roast that is mild but quite flavourful. Will buy again.

* Juan's Columbian Decaf - earthy and pungent with a muddy aftertaste. Will reassess the regular version at a later date.

*** Fair Trade Mosiac - pleasant with no bitterness. A good medium roast well suited for the first cup of the day.

** Fair Trade Mosiac Decaf - smooth, mellow but a tad on the weak side. Seemed to lack the taste of the regular pod.

**** French Roast Fanatic - smooth dark roast, easy going down with a slightly sweet aftertaste after a few minutes.

*** French Vanilla - flavorful coffee after the first initial sips with a very strong Vanilla aftertaste. Almost too much. Probably would not buy again unless I increase my flavoured coffee consumption.

**** Ogopogo Ride - dark roast but very smooth. Good with or without cream. Third favourite pod in the Invento line.

**** Sultry Sumatra - a nice bold flavour. Smoky in taste with little aftertaste. This is my first Sumatra and I enjoyed it alot. Will purchase regularly.


Cafe Rene


*** Regular - similar to a donut shop type coffee. Slightly earthy with hints of spice. Wouldn't buy this again due to the size of the pod. Requires two to make a decent cup.


Coffee Artisan


**** 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain - fantastic odour out of the wrapper. Smooth and rich for a light roast. Slight spice notes detected while drinking it. Would definitely buy a box of this one in the future.

**** 100% Kona - fabulous cup of coffee for a light roast. Very smooth and mellow and rich. Drank this with cream added. In the top five list of my favourite pods.

**** Artisan Blend - smokey, earthy, rich with the flavour of unsweetened chocolate. As it cooled it became spicey and sweet. Better black since cream seems to mute some of the complex flavours.

*** Celebes Kalossi - smooth and rich for a lighter roast. Fruitiness and some spice tones detected. Good with or without cream. Would buy a box of this one in the future.

*** Dark Side - nice smokiness detected as it was brewing into my cup. Wonderful flavour with moderate char notes. Would definitely buy a box of this.

**** Ethiopian Harrar - fruity, earthy, citrusy and grassy is how I would describe this fantastic cup. As the coffee cooled the sweetness in the cup just intensified. I prefer this one black. I would definitely buy this again

** Indian Mysore - light roast coffee that is quite smooth going down. Almost too light for me. Need to add less water for this one. No specific flavours detected. Would not buy a box of this one.

*** Malawi - quite good for a light roast. Suitable for first cup of the day.
Smooth with fruity tones and no aftertaste. Would be better without cream added.

*** Mexican Altura Decaf Organic - rich and smooth, highly citrus in taste with an underlying flavour that's hard to identify. Good black or with cream added. Would buy a box of this on occasion.

** Panama Boquete - very weak in the cup but earthy as described. Lacks the zing that I'm looking for in coffee. Better on the tummy though due to the low acidity.

**** Papua New Guinea - rich, smooth and mellow at 8 oz of water added. Detected fruity notes as it started to cool and a sweet aftertaste in my mouth. Would most definitely buy a box of this. Good stuff.

*** Puerto Rican - very smooth and mild for a light roast. Could be richer but perhaps less water would solve that. Some sweetness and I thought I could detect smoke in the aftertaste. Would drink this on occasion.

*** Rwanda Ingoboka - medium roast coffee that is rich with alot of flavour. Fruity and sweet and as it cooled the citrus notes really came to the forefront. Drank this one with a touch of cream but would be just as good without.


Coffee Sense


*** Brazil Santos - very smooth at 7 oz. Maybe a tad weak. Will brew next time at 6 oz. Earthy/Grassy flavours detected with a touch of smoke. This is a low acid coffee so it's a good one for the tummy. Thankyou Geir for this sample.

**** Ethiopian Harrar - rich medium roast with a sweet fruity flavour. As it cooled the dryness was detected as well as a hint of blueberries. This was good at 8 oz but would be better with less water added. Thankyou Geir for this fantastic pod.

** Estate Costa Rican - very mild and smooth but too light in the cup even with 6 oz. of water added. Tastes typically Costa Rican with good flavour. Would not buy a box of this. Thankyou Geir for the sample.

*** French Roast - a nice solid cup with the typical characteristics of a French Roast. Has a pleasing char taste that's not overwhelming. Pleasantly surprised how stronger it was for a small pod. Thankyou Geir for this sample.

*** Sumatra Mandheling - very smooth and mellow for a dark roast. Has hints of unsweetened chocolate. No bitterness or char noted. Thankyou Geir for this sample.


Community Coffee


** Dark roast - mediocre dark roast with some toastiness while hot and left a very slight char aftertaste. Really nothing significant to report here.
Thankyou Josh for this sample.


Distinctively Yours


*** 100% Columbian - nice and strong with earthy and grassy flavours. Would buy a box of this on occasion.

* Costa Rican Tarrazu - medium roast that was weak in the cup. Less water would probably be beneficial. The first couple of sips was quite good than it developed a citrusy, sour taste that was quite unpalatable. Cream didn't improve the coffee but seemed to make it worse. Would definitely not buy a box of this.

**** Decaffeinated - nice medium roast with good body and rich taste. Might be worthwhile having a box of this for those rare times I drink coffee in the evening.

*** European Dark - flavourful, rich but mild for a dark roast. Makes a good afternoon cup.


Eldorado


*** Colombian Popayan Supremo- smooth and rich with fruity/winey notes. Good either with cream or without. Not something I would buy a box of but an occasional cup is fine.

*** Guatemala Organic - very rich and flavourful at 8 oz. Spicy and sweet while drinking it hot. It did thin out slightly as it cooled but some smokiness developed. Would definitely buy another box of this.

*** Nuconcept Blend - very unusual rich tasting coffee. First few sips revealed a smokiness that seemed to dissipate somewhat as it cooled. This coffee had a sweet and nutty aftertaste. I would buy this intriguing coffee again.


Fratello


*** Acid Jazz - smooth with pleasant flavour. Watery at the finish. Would try this again at a smaller drop.

** Bavarian Dutch Chocolate - great aroma while brewing. Too light and subtle for my tastes. Better out there.

*** Bolivian Cafe Central COE - medium roast coffee that better taken black. Slight floral odour coming from pod. Coffee very winey with a long lingering aftertaste of wine and citrus. Would probably not buy another box of this one.

*** Bolivian Cup of Excellence - great tasting medium roast with heavy taste of wine and fruit. If available would buy on occasion.

*** Brazil Daterra Sweet Blue - smooth and balanced with citrus notes as it cooled. Thankyou Josh for this sample.

**** Brazil Rainforest Alliance - smooth and flavourful. Has a sweet lingering aftertaste which is quite pleasant. Thankyou Josh for this wonderful pod. I would definitely buy this one again.

*** Chocolate Raspberry - medium roast with a lovely odour of raspberries as it was brewing. While drinking the chocolate taste came to the forefront but raspberry flavour was still there. I drank this one with cream but it would be equally as good without.

*** Coconut Fiesta - rich with the flavour of coconut and hints of pinapple. Enjoyable as I drank more of it.

*** Coho Dark FTO - strong out of the wrapper. Smoky with heavy char taste. Would only drink on occasion. Thankyou Josh for the sample.

**** Columbian Villarrica COE - wow, just wow. This is now my favourite pod now that my Nicaraguan is no longer being made. This one was very rich, full of flavour and complex. Good with cream or without but the cream seemed to accentuate the sweetness of this cup.

** Costa Rican Calle de Copey COE - weak and watery at 8 oz. Will try next time with less water. Could detect fruit and a bit of sweetness but a sharpness and taste developed as it cooled which was offputting. Would not buy another box of this one.
*** - tried this at 6 oz and the taste is alot better. Still a tad weak, so would probably be perfect at 5 oz. Drink this one black because the addition of cream gives it a somewhat offputting taste. No sharpness detected this time.


*** Costa Rican Cerro Alto - medium roast that's better at a shorter drop. As it cooled it developed some sharpness. Still pleasant to drink though. I would not buy this one again.

*** Costa Rican Coopedota Tarrazu - smooth and flavourful with no aftertaste. Would definitely buy a box of this again.

** Costa Rican Co-op Palmares - weak at 8 oz. Though the pod smelled okay there was a particular taste in this cup that I didn't care for. Thankyou Matt for this sample.

*** Dixie Voodoo - rich, dark roast coffee, smoky with no hint of bitterness. Drank this one black.

*** Dixie Voodoo Decaf - nice smokey dark roast that is quite smooth in flavour but with abit of a bite at the finish. Surprising for a decaf. Thankyou Matt for this sample.

*** El Salvador COE - nice medium roast, smooth with just a hint of bitterness. Could be related to the age of the pod. Cream eliminated the bitterness. Thankyou Josh for this sample.

**** Ethiopian Misty Valley - smooth medium roast with a predominant blueberry odour and flavour. This is my second favourite pod next to the Nicaraguan Fina El Limoncillo. Thankyou Josh for this sample.

**** French Saigon Dark - smooth and well balanced. Good either black or with cream. Thankyou Josh for this wonderful pod.

**** Guatemalan Montecristo - sweet smelling pod produces a nice rich cup of coffee suitable for anytime of the day. As it cools, the coffee becomes right with just a hint of chocolate. I would definitely buy this one again.

**** Guatemalan Rainforest Alliance - very smooth and balanced while hot. Reminded by of a donut style coffee but much better. As it cooled it developed the taste of dark chocolate and I thought I could detect a bit of smoke. Thankyou Eric for this wonderful sample.

* Hawaiian Hazelnut - heavy on the coconut while brewing and tasting. Very artificial flavour. Yuck!!!

*** Highlander Grogg - medium flavoured roast, caramelly in taste with cream added with subtle hint of hazelnut.

**** Honduras La Amazonas Cup of Excellence - smooth and rich. Slightly fruity in taste. Thankyou Josh for this wonderful pod.

**** Honduras Marcala - smooth with hint of chocolate aftertaste. Good with either a touch of cream or black.

** Kauai Blend - watery medium roast. Nothing to really distinguish it from the many outstanding pods from this roaster. Will try it next time with less water added.

*** Kenya AA Dark - slight acidity noted with underlying notes of smoke and char. Has good flavour but too weak at 8 oz. Rated a low two.

**** Kenya Wamuguma - initially bright but the acidity settled down on this one. Grapefruit tang noticed when hot with hints of dark chocolate as it cooled. There is alot going on in this cup which is better drunk black. I would definitely buy another box of this one.

** Marachesh Blend - smooth and rich initially. Developed a sharp citrus acidity as it cooled. This coffee is not for me due to stomach upset after I finished my cup.

** Mexican FTO - medium roast with slight spicy notes. Disappointed since I expected much better.

** Mocca Java - earthy, no distinguishing flavours. Better at 6 oz of water.
Probably wouldn't buy again.
*** Mocca Java - review updated. More flavourful this time but earthiness remains. Would buy a box of this on occasion. Thankyou Eric.

*** Nicaragua Cup of Excellence - smooth and balanced until it cooled then bitter aftertaste noted.

**** Nicaraguan Fina El Limoncillo - wow, just simply outstanding. Smooth and well balanced. My favourite so far. Thankyou Josh.

**** Nicaragua Los Placeres - sweet, rich with the taste of cherries and the slight background taste of chocolate. This is an outstanding cup and a good replacement for the El Limoncillo. I would definitely buy a box of this one again.

**** Nicaraguan Mama Mina - well balanced. A good all around cup with a slight citrusy bite at the end. Good black or with cream. Will definitely buy again.

** Nicaraguan FTO - medium roast with earthy tone but with an underlying taste that doesn't suit me. Way too weak at 8 oz. of water added. Would not buy a box of this.

** Outlaw Blend - solid everyday medium roast. Close to a three star for me.

**** Panama Diamond Mountain Esmeralda - luscious medium roast that's very smooth and mellow but with alot going on. Tons of flavour here. Acidity more muted than I thought it would be. Delicious black but cream seemed to bring out the sweetness like fresh ripe fruit. This one is in my top ten.

*** Snakebite - strong and dark. Almost black in my clear mug. Char taste and slightly bitter aftertaste that's not unpleasant. This one could use some cream added.

* Snicker doodle- nutty and caramelly in taste with a bitterness that became more pronounced as the coffee cooled. Would not buy again.

*** Sumatra OFT - smooth and flavourful. Not as dark as expected. Enjoyed the Invento Sumatra slightly more.

** Sunshine Coast FTO - smooth but nothing too distinctive to make it stand out. Light and watery at the 8oz drop.

**** Tanzania Songea Peaberry - very bright, at times probably too much for my tastes. A taste of sweet fruit detected with a tea-like taste in the aftertaste. I would only buy this on occasion.

*** Yemen Moka Sanai - fruity with good flavour but weak. Would benefit with a 4-6 oz. drop.


Gourmet Cafe

*** Sumatra Mandheling - nice smokey aroma when I opened the foil packet. Not as rich and flavourful as some of my favourite Sumatras but it still makes a decent cup. Slight dark chocolate notes noted as it cooled. Drank this with cream but would be just as good without.



Higgins & Burke


** 1912 Signature Blend - nice solid medium roast perfect for anytime of the day. Sharp citrusy aftertaste developed and stayed with me. Rating downgraded to 2 stars.

**** Black Pearl - rated a 7 on the 1-7 roast scale. This seemed smoother and not as heavy on the char as their Midnight Mirage. When the coffee started to cool the char notes developed and became quite pronounced. Great with the addition of cream. I would definitely buy a box of this one in the future if it's still being made.

*** Midnight Mirage - heavy on the char notes. Added cream smoothed out the coffee somewhat but alot of people would dislike this due to the burnt taste.

*** Passage to Columbia - grassy notes detected with first couple of sips. There was a sharpness to the coffee which I didn't like but cream smooth out the flavour. The more I drank this cup the more I liked it. Would probably not buy a box of this one.


Java One


*** Costa Rican Estate - very smooth but non-descript in taste. Reminds me of a coffee from a good restaurant. Thins somewhat as it cools. Thankyou Josh for this sample.


JavaPodz

** Almond Amaretto - not as disgusting as some of this kind. Mazipan-like taste is very subtle. Would not want to drink this one again.

*** Blueberry Cobbler - a nice rich flavourful cup of coffee at 7 oz. Very fragrant out of the foil wrapper as well as in the cup. Would buy again only for certain company that loves flavoured coffee.

* Brownie Toffee Crunch - sickening combination of chocolate, toffee and nuts. The sweet aftertaste lingers and lingers. Worse coffee I've ever tried.

** Buttered Rum - the smell of the pod reminded me of lifesavers candies of the same name. Unfortunately it doesn't translate that well into the cup. As the coffee cooled the flavour came more to the forefront with a buttery mouth feel. Would not buy anymore of this one.

** Butterscotch - weak and watery in the cup. Custardy taste was detect along with a subtle butterscotch flavour but very slight until the coffee was almost cold and then the flavours came more to the forefront. Wouldn't buy this one again.

*** Caramel Vanilla Cream - not bad for a flavoured coffee. The caramel/butterscotch taste is quite apparent with subtle notes of vanilla. Not as artificial tasting as alot of coffees of this type. Probably would not buy again but might be suitable to have on hand for company.

** Chocolate Cappuccino - pod smelled better than the coffee itself. Chocolate flavour very muted in this weak cup. Would not buy again.

* Chocolate Cherry - pod smelled strongly of maraschino cherries. Chocolate and cherry taste equally present but artificial. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Would not buy again.

*** Chocolate Orange - pleasant heavy odour of orange from the pod. Tastewise the Orange overwhelms the chocolate but not in an unpleasant way. As the coffee cools, I could detect a subtle taste of unsweetened chocolate in the aftertaste. Not bad but I wouldn't buy again.

** Chocolate Raspberry - pod smells richer than what the coffee tastes. Unsweetened chocolate taste present but raspberry taste too subtle. It does intensify though as the coffee cools.

**** Espresso Roast - knew this was a good cup when I opened the foil wrapper. Char haters steer clear since this cup is heavy on the char and leaves a lingering aftertaste. Not sweet like other espresso roast pods. Would definitely buy a small bag of this flavour.

*** Ethiopia Sidamo - pleasant odour of cherries detected when sniffing my cup. I could detect smoke and harsh flavours with the first couple of sips but that settled down quickly. Subtle taste of fruit, bitter dark chocolate and a peppery-like spice was also detected. I drank this cup black and I would definitely buy more of this one.

*** Ecuador Puyango - very mild and well balanced and almost a blank slate coffee for me while hot. As it cools you can detect a taste of dark chocolate and slight floral notes in the aftertaste. I would definitely buy this one again.

*** French Roast - smokey as expected with a French Roast. Heavy char taste with first few sips but lacks the nuances of other French Roast. Lingering aftertaste of citrus noted. Would not buy this one again.

*** French Vanilla - flavouring muted when hot but started to assert itself as this coffee cooled. A decent French Vanilla but not good enough to buy more of.

** Hawaii Kauai - bland, non-descript and lacking personality. A mild cup that might appeal to many as a late afternoon drink. Would not buy this one again.

** Hazelnut - better than expected. Hints of dark chocolate in this cup. Flavour intensified when cool. Would not buy this again.

** Hawaii Kona Extra Fancy - weak bland and non-descript while hot. As it cooled some of it's characteristics popped out such as a slight floral, sweet taste with a hint of spice. At the bottom of the pack as far as Kona's go. Almost tastes like a blend to me though the company states 100 % Kona. Would not buy this one again.

*** Intercontinental Italian Roast SERC - very weak in the cup with 6 oz of water added. Mild with slight char and spice noted as it cooled. Would like to order a couple of samples and try it again.

* Irish Cream - harsh when cool. Artificial flavour with not much coffee taste. Close to the bottom of the heap for me.

** Jamaican Me Crazy - odour from pod quite delightfully caramel candy like. Unfortunately the flavours are muted in the coffee. Unable to detect the French Vanilla taste but the Caramel is quite apparent with a slight lingering taste of Kahlua. Too weak for my tastes. Would not buy this one again.

** Mexican Chiapas Decaf - funky smelling pod which is better when tastes. Woodsy and sweet. Would not buy this one again.

** Peru - bright non-descript coffee while hot. Spice and earth tones immerged as it cooled. Would use less water next time. Would like to try another sample one day.

* Pumpkin Spice - offputting odour coming from pod. A weak mixture of nutmeg, pumpkin and a spice I could identify. Close to being disgusting.

*** Sumatra Mandeling - rich with a peppery spice and unsweetened dark chocolate. The sweetness came out as it cooled. If I placed another order with this company would buy again.

* Swiss Chocolate Almond - fake flavours overwhelm any coffee taste. Coffee tastes like powdered chocolate milk and almond extract. Disgusting!


Kienna


** Backpackers Brew - a dark roast coffee with a strong burnt flavour. Overwhelms all other flavours. No bitterness or lingering aftertaste noted.

*** Canadian Grizzley - pleasant smokey flavour with a predominate char taste as it cooled. Good with cream.

** Columbian - bland, thin, lacking in richness. Grassy notes detected but lacks the citrus zing of other Columbians. Would not buy a box of this one.

** Costa Rica - smooth, unremarkable flavour, low acidity, and dry aftertaste.

** Hazelnut Cream - pod smelled better than the coffee tasted. First few sips were slight on flavour but it did become more pronounced as the coffee cooled and in the aftertaste. Not something I would want to buy a box of.

*** Kenya AA - dark roast, smoky in flavour. Surprisingly strong for an 8 g. pod.

* Kona - smelled earthy and pleasant out of the wrapper but after a couple of sips became muddy in taste with an unpleasant lingering aftertaste. Very disapointing.

** Organic Peruvian Dark - dark ruby red in colour. Smooth pleasant flavour with no bitterness. Thin finish.


Maxwell House


** Original - better than I thought it would be. No odour out of the wrapper. Slight char notes as it cooled. Thankyou Josh for the sample.

** Original Decaf - drank this one with cream added. Smooth initially with some light lingering char notes. Thankyou Josh for this sample.


Molto


*** Costa Rican French Roast - smooth and well balanced with a bit of a bite at the finish. Good black or with cream added. Would definitely buy a box of this. Thanks to Cultured Coffee Bean for this free sample.

*** Espresso - lovely cup with smoky aroma as it was brewing in my cup. Not as much punch as expected. Will try with less water added next time.
Still a nice daily morning drink and does satisty my yearnings for a dark roast. Some sweetness noted as it cooled.

**** Guatemalan - smooth with a bit of a bite. Spicey with dark chocolate notes present. Would only buy on occasion due to the price of this brand. Good with or without cream.

* Tanzania Peaberry - very bland and uninteresting. A weak, watery cup of coffee.
** Tanzania Peaberry - re-evaluated and it's pleasant, smooth but unremarkable. Definitely not a 1* as I originally posted.


Podhead Sensation


* Hazelnut - Odour while brewing was good, but tastewise not so much. Had an artificial flavour that just stayed with you long after finishing. Would not drink this one again. Thankyou Josh for the sample.

*** Mocha - subtle chocolate flavour that developed more as it cooled. Unsure about this one but gave it three stars anyway. Thankyou Josh for the sample.


Reunion Island


*** Bolivia Dark FTO - pod smelled slightly smokey. Sweet with hints of dark chocolate as it cooled. Thin at 8 oz of water. Would buy this one again.

**** Brazil Bahia Blue - very smooth and mellow. Hints of chocolate in the aftertaste. Will be adding this one to my rotation.

* Chocolate Buttercrunch - distinct flavours of toffee and chocolate when drank black. It became disgusting with the addition of cream. Not a flavour I would buy again.

*** Colombia Las Hermosas - smooth medium roast with a tangy aftertaste of lemons. Floral notes also detected. Would buy a box of this one on occasion. Thankyou Matt for the sample.

** Donut Shop - smooth taste but unwhelming in flavour. Will retry this at a smaller drop
*** Donut Shop - re-evaluated at a small drop. Pleasant smooth taste. An all around good coffee.

*** Espresso Roast - pleasant char taste in a great espresso like flavour. Good aroma out of the wrapper. Thankyou Josh for this sample.

** Ethiopia Oromia FTO - bland with a slight hint of blueberry as it cooled. Left a tobacco- like aftertaste in my mouth which I didn't care for.

*** French Caramel SUF - pod smelled wonderful out of the wrapper. First sip reminded me of a Wether's candy but the flavour quickly dissipated. The addition of cream brought the flavour back into the forefront. Good for an occasional treat.

* French Caramel - lacking in taste and flavour even with less water added. This just tasted like slightly flavoured hot water to me. Yuck!

*** French Roast - fairly mild and smooth for this type . Only slight char notes noted. Good with or without cream. Would buy on occasion.

* French Vanilla - flavour almost non-existent. Coffee itself is bland and boring. Would not buy a box of this. Thankyou Geir for the sample.

*** Guatemala Dark RFA - slightly spicey but thin. Could benefit from less water added. Had a sharp taste at the finish. Would not buy a box of this.

*** Holiday Blend Organic - smooth pod roasted to a medium-dark colour. It reminds me of their donut shoppe blend. Close to a four star for me and good with or without cream. This is a seasonal blend that will be available until the end of December.

** Island Reserve - medium roast that non-descript in flavour with slight winey notes. Will review again since the pod I had was busted over and some of the grounds were in the foil wrapper.

*** Jamaican Rum Cake - boozy taste and smell with a sweet buttery nutty taste as the coffee cooled. Though not bad wouldn't buy a box of this one.

** Kilimanjaro Dark SUF - dark roast that quite smokey with the first few sips. Cream seems to smooth that out considerably. Slight winey and sweet notes detected as it cooled. Would not buy a box of this. Others of this kind much better.

*** Kona Blend- nice light/medium roast, earthy but with some lingering sweetness as it cooled. Would be just as good black.

* Maple Cream - smelled great while brewing into my cup but the maple taste was overwhelming and sickening as it cooled. This flavour is not for me. Thankyou Geir for this sample.

*** Privateer Dark - good at 8 oz. slight char taste initially which drinking it. As it cooled it became rich, somewhat smooth, slightly sweet with a bit of a bite maybe orange. A nice everyday drink. I would definitely buy a box of this one.

* Pumpkin Spice - yikes, this one was terrible. Medium roast coffee with not much coffee taste nor pumpkin either, just spice. There was an underlying taste that I can't identify but absolutely hate. Will be throwing the other samples of this in the garbage.

**** Rainforest Alliance Guatemala Dark - nice smoky coffee. Didn't detect any chocolate taste as advertised but that might be a good thing. Will definitely order this flavour again.

**** Spiced Eggnog - fantastic holiday coffee, custardy in taste but notes of nutmeg that is not overpowering. Better with cream which accentuates the flavour.

**** Sumatra Ketambe Dark - wonderful pod, dark roast, smooth, full bodied with a hint of sweetness. This will be on my rotation.

*** Sumatra Koro - a good medium roast suitable for an everyday drink. Rich and flavourful but with a dry mouthfeel. Slight spice noted in the aftertaste. This reminded me a bit of their Donut Shoppe. Nothing distinctive but a good all around coffee.

*** Tiramisu - better than expected. Winey notes, the taste of marsala overwhelmed other flavours that might have been present. Custardy notes detected. Cream only accentuates the sweetness of this coffee.

** Zanzibar Blend SUF - medium roast that I found quite weak at 8 oz. Earthy in taste and some smokiness developed as it cooled. Will try next time at 6 oz. For now, wouldn't buy a box of this.



Van Houtte


**** Midnight Express - richer and more flavourful than the K-cup which I've enjoyed in the past. This is a dark roast that's quite heavy on the char but is smoothed out somewhat with the addition of cream. I would definitely buy a box of this one in the future. Thankyou Josh for this wonderful sample.



Vittoria


*** Donut Shop - a bright very earthy cup with hints of spice that seem to come and go. A harsh element was added with the addition of cream.
A pretty good cup when taken black. I'm on the fence about whether I would buy another box of this one.




Wolfgang Puck


** Colombian FTO - unremarkable for a Columbian. Lacks flavour until it cools. Would not buy a box of this. Thankyou Josh for the sample.

** Rodeo Drive - light roast coffee which would be better at 6 oz. No bitterness or sweetness noted. The addition of alot of cream helped the taste alot. Would not buy this one again.

*** Sorrento Columbian - nice afternoon coffee that seems to touch a bit on the dark side.

*** Sumatra Kopi Raya - dark roast, smokey and spicy. Slight bitterness when first started to drink. Would buy occasionally.


Zavida


**** 100% Columbian - very smooth and flavourful. Nice colour in the cup. Would definitely order again. BTW Zavida website lists this pod at 7 g.
LaRuso says 9g. and I weighed it at 10 g. Go figure.

** 100% Organic Rainforest Alliance - smooth initially but developed a sour aftertaste as it cooled.

**** Viennese - rich, smooth and flavourful. Would buy again if the company would develop better quality control.


Tea Pod Reviews

Organa

**** Earl Grey - pleasantly surprised by this pod. Matches exactly the profile for an Earl Grey. Strong and flavourful at 9 oz. and the tea setting on the Bunn. Thankyou to CCB for the free sample.

** Mint Green - very weak in the cup but flavourful. The mint does shine through. Thankyou to the CCB for the free sample.

* Pomegranate Blueberry - like drinking bitter tinged hot water. Very little flavour in the cup. Less water wouldn't help much. Thankyou to CCB for the free sample.[/b]
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[jbviau]

Always good to read more reviews! What's the smallest drop you can do in the Cafe Invento machine?
_________________
Grindmaster OPOD, Keurig B40, Nespresso D90, Clever Coffee Dripper + Hario Skerton mill
Josh's Pod Guide, K-cup Line-up, and Nespresso Encapsulation

[starryeyes]

I had to go and test it now because I wasn't sure. Just slightly over two oz. at the smallest drop and the largest is approx. 12 oz.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[starryeyes]

I generally don't care for light roast coffees but the Juan's Columbian is an exception. Better than the majority of light k-cups that I've tried, this is a nice mild but flavourful cup of coffee. Will add this one to my morning coffee rotation.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[starryeyes]

Molto's Tanzania Peaberry - I was really looking foward to trying this one. Unfortunately it was quite disappointing. This one really lacked flavour and was quite weak in taste. Overall a pretty bland cup of coffee.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[starryeyes]

**** Cafe Invento French Roast Fanatic - a very pleasing dark roast that is smoother than I thought it would be. This is my first French Roast and I was pleasantly surprised. No bitterness noted and the lingering aftertaste almost had sweet tones after a few minutes. This is a very good cup of coffee.

** Molto Tanzania Peaberry - I re-evaluated this pod and I definitely was too harsh the first time I tried it. Though not too distinctive it is a nice smooth cup of coffee, almost bordering on a 3*.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[starryeyes]

*** Cafe Invento French Vanilla
Admittedly I'm not a big flavoured coffee lover. I might have 1-2 cups per week if that. I find most flavours never live up to their names. The only wow flavour that I tried was VH Creme Brulee K-cup. No French Vanilla that I've tried has impressed me until now.
When tearing the pod out of it's wrapper I was immediately overwhelmed with this pleasing odour. If only the coffee could match this initial odour.
While brewing I only detected a faint aroma nothing like when first opening the wrapping. The first couple of sips was extremely disappointing because I detected very little flavour but then the aftertaste kicked in. As the coffee cooled, the flavour became quite prevalent and by the time I finished the cup it was almost too much. It's without a doubt the strongest French Vanilla flavour that I've tasted in a coffee.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[starryeyes]

*** Cafe Invento Fair Trade Mosiac

A good solid medium roast perfect as the first cup of the day. No bitterness or unpleasant aftertaste.

* Kienna Kona

Smelled earthy and quite pleasant when removing pod from wrapper. Tried this pod three times. At eight oz. it was too weak and watery. Fair at four and six for the first few sips and then the coffee became unpleasant, almost muddy in taste. The unpleasant aftertaste lingered until I had a RI Donut Shoppe to try and mask the awful taste.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[jbviau]

Isn't that the worst when you have to brew a second (and different) pod just to recover from tasting the first one?! Sorry Kienna isn't working out for you so far.
_________________
Grindmaster OPOD, Keurig B40, Nespresso D90, Clever Coffee Dripper + Hario Skerton mill
Josh's Pod Guide, K-cup Line-up, and Nespresso Encapsulation

[starryeyes]

Yes, not a good indication. I'm holding out hope that the other flavours I ordered will be better but after reading your reviews I won't be holding my breathe.
BTW I've ordered 4 different kinds of Zavida coffee pods from LaRuso. Hopefully I won't be disappointed. I also ordered CI Donut Shoppe
from them. It wasn't included in the samples that I received when I bought my machine.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[jar]

[starryeyes]

The LaRuso website had them listed as 9 g. I'll weigh a pod when I receive my order. Jar have you tried this coffee.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[starryeyes]

** Kienna Backpackers Brew

Stands up quite well to an 8 oz. drop. Drank the first cup black and the second with some cream. Colour quite dark in the cup, the darkest that I've seen so far. There was a burnt or char taste with first sip and each subsequent sip. The char taste overwhelmed any other flavour this coffee might have had. No bitterness or lingering aftertaste noted. A vast improvement over their Kona pods.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)

[jar]

[starryeyes]

Yes, they had more listed a couple of days ago. The Columbians are 7 g. but it looks like the others are 9 g. I have a digital scale that's quite accurate so I'll weigh them when I receive the pods.
_________________
Keurig B66
Nespresso Le Cube----oui, oui
Bunn My Cafe (Refurb)