Bad news for UK Senseo fans - anyone waiting for the new Cappuccino blend to come out here will be waiting in vain, as although the blend is still being advertised on new packets of Senseo and on the Senseo machine boxes, it has been discontinued here since summer.
The reason given to me was that consumers in the UK prefer to use their own fresh milk to make coffee and found that to be more economical. A shame - but Senseo's customer relations pointed out you can make your own version by heating a small amount of milk and sugar in a cup in the microwave, before placing it under your Senseo machine to make a kind of cappuccino.
After having tried the Cappuccino pods I imported, I can't see much to rave about - although they are handy, the powdered milk and sugar combo probably doesn't mesh well with people's ideas about the Senseo being the source of gourmet-style guilty pleasures sipped lustily in the kitchen by women in party frocks and heavy makeup...
Monday, 12 January 2009
Monday, 5 January 2009
Senseo US Blends
From my previous post on Senseo varieties available in Europe, you can see that there's a wide difference between the kinds of pods available for different territories. Whilst in the past it may have been the case that there's more choice for European Senseo owners, the US market has made huge leaps in catching up, and although many new products appear in Europe first (the new Senseo Latte Select being one of them), the US market still has Europe beaten when it comes to choice. 
As well as the Senseo Origins (called Selections in the UK) range, which contains Brazil, Kenya, Colombia and Sumatra blends (the latter not available in the UK), the US also gets Espresso, Cafe Noir, Cappuccino (without topping), Vienna (Hazelnut Waltz), Killarney (Irish Creamery) and Paris (Vanilla Bistro) - all three artificially flavoured, Medium Roast, Dark Roast, Decaffienated, Breakfast Blend, plus the two Godiva flavours (Chocolate Creme and Creme Brulee). There are also flavour packets in the form of Barista Blends, which come in Caramel Macchiato, Vanilla Latte, and Café Mocha types - sachets that you add to your coffee to give them a "gourmet" taste.
Whilst I can't vouch for the taste of any of these, it's still interesting to see the differences in the pods available for different territories. For example, the Cafe Choco and new Hot Choco pods aren't available in the US, but the US has a great emphasis on City Blends like Killarney and Paris. Weirdly, although you can buy Vienna, Sevilla, Rio and Marrakech blends in Continental Europe, you don't seem to be able to get Paris or Killarney blends...
As well as the Senseo Origins (called Selections in the UK) range, which contains Brazil, Kenya, Colombia and Sumatra blends (the latter not available in the UK), the US also gets Espresso, Cafe Noir, Cappuccino (without topping), Vienna (Hazelnut Waltz), Killarney (Irish Creamery) and Paris (Vanilla Bistro) - all three artificially flavoured, Medium Roast, Dark Roast, Decaffienated, Breakfast Blend, plus the two Godiva flavours (Chocolate Creme and Creme Brulee). There are also flavour packets in the form of Barista Blends, which come in Caramel Macchiato, Vanilla Latte, and Café Mocha types - sachets that you add to your coffee to give them a "gourmet" taste.
Whilst I can't vouch for the taste of any of these, it's still interesting to see the differences in the pods available for different territories. For example, the Cafe Choco and new Hot Choco pods aren't available in the US, but the US has a great emphasis on City Blends like Killarney and Paris. Weirdly, although you can buy Vienna, Sevilla, Rio and Marrakech blends in Continental Europe, you don't seem to be able to get Paris or Killarney blends...European Senseo Pod Comparison
You may or may not be obsessed with what's available in different parts of the world for the Senseo coffee maker, but I certainly am. After hearing a lot of buzz about the fact that us Europeans get a lot more variety with regards to the official Senseo selections, I decided to check out what was available for different European territories. As you can see from my screenshots from the official sites, the availability differs a lot more from country to country than you might have realised if you're from the States. I've ordered these countries from the greatest number of pods available to the least.
Just five to choose from here, and Hungary offers Cafe Choco, Cappuccino, Decaffeinated, Dark Roast and Regular. They call coffee pods kávépárnák.
I haven't included Belgium or Denmark because both sites use a different format for listing their blends, and I wanted an easy visual comparison for the availability.
Obviously I'm not claiming to own these images - they were taken as screenshots directly from websites you can reach from www.senseo.com. I don't own them, I didn't make them - please don't sue me!
Senseo Netherlands (17 varieties)
It's no surprise that the Netherlands has the largest number of pods available, considering that both the parent companies (Philips and Douwe Egberts) are Dutch. Pods are called 'koffie pads' and come in Hot Choco (new), Cafe Choco, Cappuccino (pad and topping), Espresso, Cappuccino (no topping), Colombia Blend, Brazil Blend, Kenya Blend, Sevilla, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Cafeïnevrij (Decaffeinated), Mocca Gourmet, Extra Dark, Dark Roast, Regular and Mild Roast varieties.
Senseo France (16 varieties)
France is a big coffee drinking country, so the fact that it has such a wide variety of coffee pods available doesn't surprise me. Called 'les dosettes', pods are available with the following blends: Kenya Blend, Noir Subtil (Subtly Dark, I guess...), Petit Déjeuner (Breakfast), Cafe Choco, Cappuccino (no topping), Espresso, Colombia, Brazil, Sevilla, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Décaféiné, Classique, Corsé (Strong), Doux (Mild) and Marrakech.
Senseo Germany (14 varieties)
One of the largest and richest countries in Europe, Germany comes in a close third for the number of pods available. Called 'kaffeepads', pods are available in Caffè Crema (which seems to be an Italian-inspired blend), Guten Morgen (Breakfast), Typ Cafe Choco, Typ Cappuccino, Typ Espresso, Colombia Blend, Brazil, Sevilla, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Entkoffeiniert (Decaffeinated), Kräftig (Strong), Mild and Klassisch (Classic) varieties.
Senseo UK (8 varieties)
Despite being out in the UK for several years, there aren't many varieties available to UK Senseo owners, just Dark Roast Mug, Classic Roast Mug, Colombia Blend, Brazil Blend, Kenya Blend, Decaffinated, Dark Roast and Medium Roast. Let's face it, the mug blends are the same as the cup blends, but bigger... Maybe it's to do with the fact that we're a nation of tea lovers?
Senseo Austria (7 varieties)
It's no surprise that the Netherlands has the largest number of pods available, considering that both the parent companies (Philips and Douwe Egberts) are Dutch. Pods are called 'koffie pads' and come in Hot Choco (new), Cafe Choco, Cappuccino (pad and topping), Espresso, Cappuccino (no topping), Colombia Blend, Brazil Blend, Kenya Blend, Sevilla, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Cafeïnevrij (Decaffeinated), Mocca Gourmet, Extra Dark, Dark Roast, Regular and Mild Roast varieties.Senseo France (16 varieties)
France is a big coffee drinking country, so the fact that it has such a wide variety of coffee pods available doesn't surprise me. Called 'les dosettes', pods are available with the following blends: Kenya Blend, Noir Subtil (Subtly Dark, I guess...), Petit Déjeuner (Breakfast), Cafe Choco, Cappuccino (no topping), Espresso, Colombia, Brazil, Sevilla, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Décaféiné, Classique, Corsé (Strong), Doux (Mild) and Marrakech.Senseo Germany (14 varieties)
One of the largest and richest countries in Europe, Germany comes in a close third for the number of pods available. Called 'kaffeepads', pods are available in Caffè Crema (which seems to be an Italian-inspired blend), Guten Morgen (Breakfast), Typ Cafe Choco, Typ Cappuccino, Typ Espresso, Colombia Blend, Brazil, Sevilla, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, Entkoffeiniert (Decaffeinated), Kräftig (Strong), Mild and Klassisch (Classic) varieties.Senseo UK (8 varieties)
Despite being out in the UK for several years, there aren't many varieties available to UK Senseo owners, just Dark Roast Mug, Classic Roast Mug, Colombia Blend, Brazil Blend, Kenya Blend, Decaffinated, Dark Roast and Medium Roast. Let's face it, the mug blends are the same as the cup blends, but bigger... Maybe it's to do with the fact that we're a nation of tea lovers?Senseo Austria (7 varieties)
Like a pared-down version of the German Senseo offerings, the Austrian site calls pods 'kaffepads' and offers Guten Morgan (Breakfast), Typ Cafe Choco, Typ Cappuccino, Entkoffeiniert (Decaffeinated), Kräftig (Strong), Mild and Klassisch (Classic) varieties.
Senseo Hungary (5 varieties)
Just five to choose from here, and Hungary offers Cafe Choco, Cappuccino, Decaffeinated, Dark Roast and Regular. They call coffee pods kávépárnák.I haven't included Belgium or Denmark because both sites use a different format for listing their blends, and I wanted an easy visual comparison for the availability.
Obviously I'm not claiming to own these images - they were taken as screenshots directly from websites you can reach from www.senseo.com. I don't own them, I didn't make them - please don't sue me!
Review: Mug Sized Classic Roast
We can all agree that sometimes a small cup of coffee is not what the doctor ordered - sometimes you need a mug. In fact, before the Senseo came along, I wouldn't have considered drinking coffee in such small quantities, so it's nice to know that Senseo makes double sized pods to cater for those of us who obviously drink coffee in much larger quantities than our fellow human beings. (That's sarcasm, by the way.)
So, here's the alternative to using two normal sized pods - a mug sized pod which creates a mug-sized drink. Here in the UK, you can choose between Senseo Classic Roast, which is described as 'smooth and aromatic with fresh tasting notes', or the Senseo Dark Roast, which is 'rich and full flavoured with hints of almond and dark chocolate'. Today, I'm test driving the Classic, which I picked up at my local Tesco for £3.29 for 2o cups.
I don't pretend to be a coffee expert - I like a fairly mild cup, all things considered, and I adore flavoured coffees, which I think might be something of a sacrilege to real coffee connoisseurs. So, let's just get that out of the way before we get started on what I thought of this variety.
After several days of getting by with the Tesco Colombian Supremo, my first reaction to this blend was, 'argh!'. Compared to the medium strength of that pod, this is much stronger, almost bitter tasting. It does have a rich aroma, and it certainly filled up my mug nicely, but as a medium strength blend, this might be just too strong for most people. I'd love to know what the dark roast tasted like in comparison.
Once I got over the shock, the coffee took on a smoother taste, and it definitely has a 'fresh' aftertaste - which is slightly acidic. However, it's still a little rough around the edges for me, and I think I'll stick to using this when I want to make two smaller cups from one pod. (To do this, you just place the mug sized pod into the two cup pod holder, arrange two small cups, one under each spout, and press the double cup button. The Senseo will make two cups at the same time, which is great if you want to grab a quick drink with a friend.) Alternatively, this gives you a great buzz if you need a fast hit of caffeine, but I'm struggling to imagine anyone relaxing with this as their 'gourmet' option'.
So, here's the alternative to using two normal sized pods - a mug sized pod which creates a mug-sized drink. Here in the UK, you can choose between Senseo Classic Roast, which is described as 'smooth and aromatic with fresh tasting notes', or the Senseo Dark Roast, which is 'rich and full flavoured with hints of almond and dark chocolate'. Today, I'm test driving the Classic, which I picked up at my local Tesco for £3.29 for 2o cups.I don't pretend to be a coffee expert - I like a fairly mild cup, all things considered, and I adore flavoured coffees, which I think might be something of a sacrilege to real coffee connoisseurs. So, let's just get that out of the way before we get started on what I thought of this variety.
After several days of getting by with the Tesco Colombian Supremo, my first reaction to this blend was, 'argh!'. Compared to the medium strength of that pod, this is much stronger, almost bitter tasting. It does have a rich aroma, and it certainly filled up my mug nicely, but as a medium strength blend, this might be just too strong for most people. I'd love to know what the dark roast tasted like in comparison.
Once I got over the shock, the coffee took on a smoother taste, and it definitely has a 'fresh' aftertaste - which is slightly acidic. However, it's still a little rough around the edges for me, and I think I'll stick to using this when I want to make two smaller cups from one pod. (To do this, you just place the mug sized pod into the two cup pod holder, arrange two small cups, one under each spout, and press the double cup button. The Senseo will make two cups at the same time, which is great if you want to grab a quick drink with a friend.) Alternatively, this gives you a great buzz if you need a fast hit of caffeine, but I'm struggling to imagine anyone relaxing with this as their 'gourmet' option'.
UK Senseo Competition
The UK Senseo site is currently running a competition (which ends on 31 May) where you could win a one week holiday for two in Brazil or Kenya. All you have to do is to register the special code you can find on selected packs of Senseo pods or inside the leaflet that comes with your new Senseo machine. No doubt there will be lots of entries over the New Year as those Christmas presents get opened!
This looks like a pretty nifty prize, as the trip is worth £5000 - or you could win a city break to the tune of £1000, or one of 200 variety boxes of Senseo pods. The holiday prize is supplied as vouchers for Trailfinders, so it looks as though the usual irritating restrictions about when you can travel don't apply, however, there may be some other costs involved if some unexpected travel taxes, fees, service charges or other costs crop up, if you take a look at their terms and conditions. Having said that, all in all, a £5000 holiday to Kenya or Brazil sounds pretty damn nice to me!
Click here for the competition page - and good luck!
This looks like a pretty nifty prize, as the trip is worth £5000 - or you could win a city break to the tune of £1000, or one of 200 variety boxes of Senseo pods. The holiday prize is supplied as vouchers for Trailfinders, so it looks as though the usual irritating restrictions about when you can travel don't apply, however, there may be some other costs involved if some unexpected travel taxes, fees, service charges or other costs crop up, if you take a look at their terms and conditions. Having said that, all in all, a £5000 holiday to Kenya or Brazil sounds pretty damn nice to me!
Click here for the competition page - and good luck!
Sunday, 4 January 2009
First Impressions: Senseo Latte Select
One thing that the Senseo doesn't do is create frothy milky coffees - but all that is set to change with the new Senseo Latte Select, which was due for release in Europe this September. According to the official UK site, the Latte Select is available now from Amazon and Comet.
However, at the moment, the Latte Select is seemingly out of stock at Amazon, but Comet lists it at £146.80 - fairly pricey compared to the standard machine, which you can pick up for under £50.
So, what does it do for the money? Well, it contains a separate milk container which you fill with cold milk, which can then be used to make cappuccinos, caffe lattes and latte macchiatos (the only difference between a caffe latte and latte macchiato is the amount of coffee used, with a macchiato being stronger). There's also an adjustable drip tray which accomodates different cup sizes (which seems pointlessly fiddly in this video on YouTube). The coffee maker also creates classic black Senseo coffee, so you don't have to sacrifice your normal coffee or fiddle around with the milk container every time.
This new machine will no doubt win new converts to the Senseo brand, but the one thing I really like about my Senseo machine is the lack of fuss involved and how clean it is generally. Once you add milk into the equation, all that goes out of the window - although one of the features is said to be one touch cleaning. I'd love to get a chance to check this out, but given the price tag I think I'll have to stick to my usual Senseo machine!
The Senseo Latte Select is available in both black and red, with red being the slightly more attractive version - in my opinion!
However, at the moment, the Latte Select is seemingly out of stock at Amazon, but Comet lists it at £146.80 - fairly pricey compared to the standard machine, which you can pick up for under £50.
So, what does it do for the money? Well, it contains a separate milk container which you fill with cold milk, which can then be used to make cappuccinos, caffe lattes and latte macchiatos (the only difference between a caffe latte and latte macchiato is the amount of coffee used, with a macchiato being stronger). There's also an adjustable drip tray which accomodates different cup sizes (which seems pointlessly fiddly in this video on YouTube). The coffee maker also creates classic black Senseo coffee, so you don't have to sacrifice your normal coffee or fiddle around with the milk container every time.
This new machine will no doubt win new converts to the Senseo brand, but the one thing I really like about my Senseo machine is the lack of fuss involved and how clean it is generally. Once you add milk into the equation, all that goes out of the window - although one of the features is said to be one touch cleaning. I'd love to get a chance to check this out, but given the price tag I think I'll have to stick to my usual Senseo machine!
The Senseo Latte Select is available in both black and red, with red being the slightly more attractive version - in my opinion!
Accessories: Canisters
There are loads of accessories you can pick up for your Senseo - by far the handiest out of the gate are the 18 pod canisters.
At the moment, these aren't available from the UK site (only XL water tanks can be purchased online), but the US site lists both Senseo tin canisters at a fairly reasonable $3.95, or the posher Brabantia canisters for $11.95. Both contain lifts which help you extract your pods easily from the bottom. Although most Senseo packages come with a resealable tab, canisters help keep the pods fresher and clear up some space in your cupboards. The only downsides I can see are that they only hold 18 pods - some packages contain more - and there doesn't seem to be a way of indicating which variety you're storing, which is annoying if you have more than one pack on the go at once.
UK Senseo lovers might be able to find these online - I've seen a couple on eBay and a wider range on www.coffeepodshop.co.uk, where Brabantia canisters are available for £8.89 each (not including p&p). You can also purchase a Brabantia canister from www.coffeo.co.uk for £9.99 (also not including p&p) - this site also carries a range of Senseo pods not otherwise available in the UK.
At the moment, these aren't available from the UK site (only XL water tanks can be purchased online), but the US site lists both Senseo tin canisters at a fairly reasonable $3.95, or the posher Brabantia canisters for $11.95. Both contain lifts which help you extract your pods easily from the bottom. Although most Senseo packages come with a resealable tab, canisters help keep the pods fresher and clear up some space in your cupboards. The only downsides I can see are that they only hold 18 pods - some packages contain more - and there doesn't seem to be a way of indicating which variety you're storing, which is annoying if you have more than one pack on the go at once.
UK Senseo lovers might be able to find these online - I've seen a couple on eBay and a wider range on www.coffeepodshop.co.uk, where Brabantia canisters are available for £8.89 each (not including p&p). You can also purchase a Brabantia canister from www.coffeo.co.uk for £9.99 (also not including p&p) - this site also carries a range of Senseo pods not otherwise available in the UK.
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