When one hears the word pod, one may have images of some kind of space craft conjure up in ones mind. But that is not what we will be talking about here. This is an entirely different type of pod called coffee pod. In some countries such as Netherlands and Germany they are called coffee pads. Both are one and the same thing. The concept of the coffee pod is very simple, you will be able to make a cup of coffee quickly and with out the messy residue of normal coffee making.
The concept is borrowed from tea bags. You have a ground up coffee, or instant coffee in some situations, that already come inside an enclosed filter. All you need to do is dip it inside a cup of hot water and wait a few minutes for the coffee to be ready. As you can see this is very similar to the tea bag concept. If ground up coffee is used instead of instant coffee then it only needs steeping for about 5 minutes. Once the coffee is ready, the pod can be taken out and disposed of. This method of coffee making can only be done in special coffee makers called pod brewers.
This clever concept was first patented by the Senseo coffee company. Until recently they held the exclusive patent rights to make coffee pods and also the brewer that goes with it. However this was overturned by a court, which said that other companies could also make coffee pads that would be compatible with the Senseo coffee making system. Now there are several companies which make both the pods as well as the brewing system. The price of pod brewers and pads can vary greatly. You can get a brewer for as little as 20 dollars and the most expensive ones go for around 400 dollars.
One manufacturer of brewers to consider is Saeco. Though they haven't been around for a very long time, they make great Saeco coffee machines for just about any budget. From inexpensive to Cadillac.
