Rather than buying all your Senseo blends from eBay, it makes sense to hunt out one of the many dedicated companies out there who stock Senseo pods and can give you a better deal. I've never used www.coffeepodshop.co.uk, but they have a large range of international Senseo pods (not including the Godiva blends) at fairly decent prices. The delivery is not discounted, however, so in order to make it worth your while you need to be canny about the amounts you order - up to 2kg is £5.99.
One good aspect about the site is their test packages, which give you a chance to try out a large range of different coffees. The Super Testpackage contains 12 different kinds of Senseo varieties, and 228 pods in all - with bags of regular, mild roast, dark roast, decaffinated and mocha gourmet containing 18 pods each; bags of Vienna, Rio de Janeiro and Sevella (Senseo City range) containing 10 pods each, bags of Colombia, Kenya and Brazil (Senseo Selections range - currently available in the UK) containing 24 pods each, and the Extra Dark Roast containing 36 pods.
Including postage and packaging, this works out at £37.44, but as some of these pods are already available in the UK, it's only really worth ordering this one if you're unable to source the full range of the UK specific blends. The only varieties in the Super Testpackage which are not available in the UK are the Senseo City range (Vienna, Rio de Janeiro and Sevella), the Extra Dark Roast and the mocha gourmet. Instead, try picking up the City range test pack (£5.91, 10 pods of each flavour), the individual mocha gourmet pack (£2.76 for 18 pods), the extra dark pack (£4.73 for 36 pods), the cafe choco pack (£2.58 for 10 pods), or the cappuccino pack (£3.13 for 10 pods).
As I've said, I've never used this retailer before, so I can't vouch for them, but let me know your experiences. If you have any recommendations for other online retailers, let me know.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Most Wanted: Senseo Godiva pods
There are plenty of special blends available in the US which are not currently available in the UK, but the ones that peak my interest the most are the ones in the Godiva range.
Available in Chocolate Creme and Creme Brulee flavours, these packs contain 16 pods which make one small cup each. On eBay, the price tag for this is fairly hefty, with one package going for £3.66 with a p&p charge of £5.06! If anyone finds these cheaper online, let me know...
Available in Chocolate Creme and Creme Brulee flavours, these packs contain 16 pods which make one small cup each. On eBay, the price tag for this is fairly hefty, with one package going for £3.66 with a p&p charge of £5.06! If anyone finds these cheaper online, let me know...
Review: Senseo Cafe Choco
While UK Senseo lovers have to be content with some fairly sober varieties, our Continental cousins get to play with some pretty interesting coffees, including Cafe Choco. I ordered a packet online (from eBay) in order to find out what we're all missing out on. It's fairly pricey to do it this way, with a packet costing £3.19, with a postage charge of £1.95 - and for all this you get ten pods.
Inside the pod is coffee, milk, chocolate and sugar, and the double sized pods make one small cup. I have to admit, they taste pretty good, but there's an undeniable hint of powder about them. The coffee is rather weak - but this suited me fine as I really don't like chocolate flavoured coffee all that much. I can't even drink mochas, but I did really like this - make of that what you will.
Considering the hefty price tag of importing this to the UK, I wouldn't recommend it as anything other than an occasional treat. You could probably mock up your own with some instant chocolate powder in your normal Senseo coffee.
Inside the pod is coffee, milk, chocolate and sugar, and the double sized pods make one small cup. I have to admit, they taste pretty good, but there's an undeniable hint of powder about them. The coffee is rather weak - but this suited me fine as I really don't like chocolate flavoured coffee all that much. I can't even drink mochas, but I did really like this - make of that what you will.
Considering the hefty price tag of importing this to the UK, I wouldn't recommend it as anything other than an occasional treat. You could probably mock up your own with some instant chocolate powder in your normal Senseo coffee.
Review: Tesco coffee pods
One thing you'll notice when you start searching online for Senseo coffee pods is that there are a huge number of companies offering their own coffee pods for use in the machine. While you might be hesitant to shell out for pods from an online company you don't know very well, especially given the sometimes large shipping fees involved, buying from your local supermarket is a very different matter. I was surprised to find that Tescos stock their own range of coffee pods for use in the Senseo, under their 'Finest' label. I've tried the Colombian Supremo, but also available is the Java Sumatra variety too. The Colombian Supremo is very nice, described as a medium strength, all round coffee with a sweet, balanced flavour. I wouldn't really argue with that - it doesn't have much of a kick, but is nice as an everyday coffee.
It's also, as you would expect, cheaper than the official Senseo pods, but not by a huge amount. You get 18 pods here for £2.29, compared to 16 pods from Senseo's Selection range (Brazil, Colombia or Kenya) for £2.35, or 18 pods from the Original range for £2.35.
It's also, as you would expect, cheaper than the official Senseo pods, but not by a huge amount. You get 18 pods here for £2.29, compared to 16 pods from Senseo's Selection range (Brazil, Colombia or Kenya) for £2.35, or 18 pods from the Original range for £2.35.
Review: Senseo UK range
The official Senseo coffee pod ranges differ from country to country, and if you're an obsessive like me, it won't be long before you're pining after the coffee from other regions. Before we get to that, though, here's the range of coffees that are currently available in the UK.
The Original Range
A range of simple, every day blends
Medium Roast
Dark Roast
Decaffinated
The Selections Range
Blends from specific regions of the world
Kenya Blend
Brazil Blend
Colombia Blend
Mug Size Range
Coffee in larger pods for bigger servings
Classic Roast
Dark Roast
I'm not really sure of the difference between the Classic Roast from the mug range, and the Medium Roast from the original range, but the betting is that they're fairly similar.
Note that not all of these blends are available easily in shops - some supermarkets may not stock all the blends. Unlike the US, UK Senseo users cannot currently order subscriptions for coffee pods, or order their pods directly from the company, which is a shame.
Currently unavailable is the touted mug-sized Cappuccino blend - although other regions have this pod style already, from adverts on Senseo packaging, it looks as though the UK Cappuccino pod may come with an individual topping sachet to create the frothy tops. I have a package of continental Cappuccino blend, which comes in a double size sachet which only makes one small cup of coffee - it seems to contain milk powder, which possibly doesn't come inside the UK pod. I'll find out when I finally see some on sale!
The Original Range
A range of simple, every day blends
Medium Roast
Dark Roast
Decaffinated
The Selections Range
Blends from specific regions of the world
Kenya Blend
Brazil Blend
Colombia Blend
Mug Size Range
Coffee in larger pods for bigger servings
Classic Roast
Dark Roast
I'm not really sure of the difference between the Classic Roast from the mug range, and the Medium Roast from the original range, but the betting is that they're fairly similar.
Note that not all of these blends are available easily in shops - some supermarkets may not stock all the blends. Unlike the US, UK Senseo users cannot currently order subscriptions for coffee pods, or order their pods directly from the company, which is a shame.
Currently unavailable is the touted mug-sized Cappuccino blend - although other regions have this pod style already, from adverts on Senseo packaging, it looks as though the UK Cappuccino pod may come with an individual topping sachet to create the frothy tops. I have a package of continental Cappuccino blend, which comes in a double size sachet which only makes one small cup of coffee - it seems to contain milk powder, which possibly doesn't come inside the UK pod. I'll find out when I finally see some on sale!
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