Customer Reviews

Coffeeduck Classic: Permanent Refillable Coffee Filter for the Senseo models HD7810-HD7812

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Having tried eco-pads and the Presto, this is the best yet!
Too much water bypasses the coffee with the eco-pads, and they are a PITA to clean by comparison. The water flow is too fast with the Presto, not having the restrictor orifice to slow things down and allow enough contact time with the coffee. Plus you have to buy or make your own filter papers to boot! It's correct contact time, water temperature and passing the brewed coffee at pressure through an orifice that gives you the good crema, somewhat similar a true espresso maker.
Clean up is quick, if only somewhat more messy than pods, but way more economical in the long run than buying pods or pod filter papers to fill yourself.

The espresso grind French Roast from Peet's works perfect with the 'Duck, giving you a brew that looks like Guinness on tap while filling your cup and ending with a fine bubble crema. It's robust without being bitter. You'll end up with slightly less brew because the flow rate through 'Duck is lower. The best cup of coffee I've ever had out the Senseo.
Start with a standard measure of coffee, make sure the grind is "fluffed" up and not compressed in any way when you measure. Do not tamp or pack the grind in any way or overfill the 'Duck or you WILL end up with a mess! Don't ask me how I know. :^)

Your Senseo should not sound erratic or leak while brewing, if it does you either have too much, too fine of grind or have packed the grind in the 'Duck.

Happy Brewing!

Update 6/8/2010. The Duck finally gave up the ghost after LOTS of cups of coffee. The failures were the top screen deforming (first problem), most likely from the brew temp plus the pressure from the spring tab that holds it down in the Senseo , then the o-ring that sits under the bottom screen deteriorated (fatal!). This allows coffee grinds to slip past the screen and plug the orifice. I noted that the plastic frame of the bottom screen had deformed also. These are plastic/rubber bits that are exposed to acidic liquid (coffee) and high temps. My water also has low pH, so that didn't help either. This first Duck outlasted the Senseo though.:-)
Ordered my replacement Duck tonight!

I have read several reviews before buying this refilable "pod". Some were messy, some looked like a pain to clean... Yes it's probably the most expensive one out there, but boy, is it worth it!!! Yes, yes and yes! Now I can use my favorite German coffee (Jacobs, Kronung) in my Senseo, they don't sell their pods in the usa yet.
It is also very easy to use: put in you senseo, put a tbl spoon of coffee, put the lid on, close the senseo and..... brew! Then just rinse it off in the sink and you're ready for a new cup :O)
It is true that I only get 3/4 of a mug full with this device, but it doesn't bother me because I had some creamer and my cup is full!
To sum up:
- easy to use
- easy to clean
- use any of your favorite coffee
- saves tons of money in pods
- No mess!

We began using the Senseo when they first came out in Holland several years ago. The coffee pods were not as expensive there, but I still wanted to be able to use my own coffee, since I home roast. I bought one of the inserts, like the Melitta, to use with my own coffee beans. It worked okay, but occasionally a coffee ground fragment would clog up the pod holder outlet. Evidently some folks have had their boilers explode as a result, if a TV story aired in the UK is to be believed. The newer Senseos have a screen to prevent this kind of failure, but the Coffeeduck doesn't make use of the Senseo pod holder, so this isn't an issue in any case. This device is easier to use than the insert, and pretty easy to clean. My wife still prefers the pods, but I like to be able to choose my own coffee, so I use this gadget quite a bit. I would recommend this product if you want to be able to grind your own beans and use them in a Senseo.
Update, June 7, 2008: I'm still enjoying the Coffee Duck, although I have noticed it sometimes leaks a bit. It also got plugged up once when grounds slipped past the membrane and into the small opening in the bottom of the cup. After cleaning the metal cup and reseating the membrane holder, the plugging problem has not recurred. I also carefully smoothed the outer edge of the plastic cover with a file, and this seemed to help reduce leakage. I wonder if some of the negative experiences have been due to manufacturing defects, where the plastic cover was just too rough to permit a good seal.

I have always loved my Senseo Coffee Maker, but I haven't been all that fond of the Senseo Coffee Pods. I live in the Pacific Northwest and am, by location, an admitted coffee snob. With the Coffee Duck, I can put my preferred blend in the Senseo Coffee Maker and get a superb, rich cup of coffee. Clean up may make this a bit of a problem for some folks, but since I compost my kitchen waste, I simply tap the grounds into the compost bucket and give the Duck a quick rinse in the sink. Ready for the next cup -- Ahhhhh!

I have used the Ecopad refillable pods for about a year now, and thought the Coffeeduck might be more convenient, but I don't find that it makes my coffee as strong as the Ecopads do. They 'snap' together, and really seal the coffee inside so that the water must be forced through the coffee. The '..duck', on the other hand, does not lock the coffee inside, and regardless of the admonition to be sure that there are no grounds left on the rim before putting the cover over the coffee, as well as being sure to use only a really fine grind to get the most flavor out of the brew, the Ecopad beats this device hands down.
I would recommend that a true 'aficianado' test both and come to their own conclusion.

I purchased this product the other day after considering all the different filters available. I thought this one looked like it would work the best. The design is very nice & fits like a glove. It does work very good. My only complaint is that when the Senseo stops running, there is less coffee in the cup then the traditional pod. I'm not sure why exactly. I've experimented with different coffee amounts but still the same. But overall it is a good product and does what it says.

if you have a senseo and tired of buying expensive pods and not being able to use your own coffee, this is a must have. i looked at other reusable pods but liked this design best. turns out it works great. only thing i would have them improve would be the connection between the handle and the pod, seems a bit weak but holds up.

just a side note, i didn't purchase this product here but wanted to review.

I've just started using the coffeeduck with my senseo, and it works very well. I have not had any leaks or other mishaps. It's easy to use and easy to clean, so I can use my own coffee without fumbling around with stuffing pods. Very much recommended!

I love this thing. Use it every day. I grind down my pre-ground or beans to espresso fine once every few days and keep a supply in a plastic container. I haven't bought a single pre-made pod since I got it. (Though, I probably will keep some on hand just for convenience and for my boyfriend who can't figure out this duck thing.)

Have a few suggestions:
-- DO use espresso grind or grind down your regular drip grind supply - it makes a huge difference.
-- DO adjust to your own taste and play around with it a bit. I like strong coffee, so I fill it to the top and hit the 8 oz button.
-- Once in a while, DO clean off the part of the senseo top where the water comes out (the silver circle). The Duck top has holes so eventually leaves a fine silt-y layer where the water comes out unlike pods that can't let any grounds through the filter material.

-- *Important* FOLLOW THE DIRECTION that tells you to make sure there are NO CRUMBS on the edge of the base of the duck. Really - make sure. Your Senseo will dribble or gush (depending on how many bits of coffee grounds there are). I mean it. Even one tiny speck of coffee between the metal and the plastic will cause a leak. And leaks suck.


=== The only CON: The dump and refill process ===
The plastic top is hot so I let it cool off before I take it off to dump the grounds.
The grounds are also hot and don't come out completely. I rinse it off before refilling it.
I think I need a countertop compost bucket or something because I'm sick of coffee spots on my floor from my counter to the trash can.
I think someday the hot coffee grounds will melt down the plastic trash can liner and I'll be that person in the trash bag commercial whose bag breaks and dumps yucky trash all over the place when I try to take it outside.


That is the only reason that I rated it a four. I'd say it's more like a 4 1/2 stars.

Cheers!

It works. As other reviews state:
1) Needs finely ground coffee, otherwise coffee will be weak.
2) Be sure that the edge is spotlessly clean, to prevent leaks.