So, how do coffee pods work, you ask? Something must be very complicated about them considering how long it has taken for anyone to come up with the idea, right?
Nope. Coffee pods are pretty simple in operation, actually, and very similar to your average coffee and filter situation, although they are, for obvious reasons, far better when it comes to single cups of coffee. How else would you be sure that each cup of coffee is just as fresh as the last, regardless of when it made it to the cup? Or how about having six different flavored cups of coffee, one after the other, without wasting anything? Not possible with a traditional coffee maker.
Although brewing instructions differ from brewer to brewer, the general steps of brewing from coffee pods are all the same. First, moisten your coffee pod so that the filter creates a better seal and allows the water to pass through the coffee pod easier. This is also called pre-infusion; so if your coffee pods or brewer call for that, you've got it covered. Check the inside of your brewer to be sure everything looks clean and there's no mineral deposits covering the holes. If any of the holes are plugged, you can run a few brewing cycles with only white vinegar. Check the manufacturers cleaning instructions before doing this, but it's a pretty fool-proof way of cleaning the brewer. Also check for spare grinds since, although coffee pods are sealed, stuff does happen and grinds to get spilled. If possible, try to use only filtered, fresh water. As with tea or coffee brewed any other way, this will help your coffee to taste better.
Now slap a mug under the spout and push the coffee pod brewer's brew button. You'll hear the telltale gurgling sounds like the old style filter system, and then you should see coffee coming out and into your cup. Just like the old type brewers, it's merely passing hot water through the pod then into your cup.
Then, about a minute later, you should have a full cup of coffee. Clean-up is a snap since coffee pods are sealed, and generally all you need to do is dump the used pod into the trash.
Coffee to weak for your taste? Most brewers have enough room to house two coffee pods. With the same amount of water passing through two pods of coffee beans, a much stronger cup of coffee will emerge. Don't try to re-use coffee pods. They are made for one use each, and the results will not be favorable.
