Customer Reviews

Presto 09402 MyPod Refillable Replacement Pod (Senseo)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

While walking through my local Wal-Mart I came upon this gem, at first I just glanced by it then had to take a double look. Sure enough there it sat, the item I envisioned but never found nor ever heard of, until now. Ive seen those other types of re-useable coffee pod holders but all pretty much had bad reviews, and honestly looked to cheap to do the job right.

Now at home and to give it a try. The box contains a holder, cover, filters, and a scoop. The holder replaces the original Senseo pod holder and houses the rest of the parts. At the bottom of the holder you place a filter then fill with 1 to 1-1/2 scoops of coffee grinds and compact with the cover. The cover remains in place while brewing. Next place the whole assembly into the Senseo and the rest is as normal.

Clean up can be a hassle because now your dealing with loose grinds which is why I'll use this occasionally. Remove the cover and dump the grinds in the trash which most will fall out because of the filter. You'll need to rinse the holder and the cover.

TIP: After placing the filter in the holder wet it so it will stay in place when you place grinds onto it.

NOTES: As the instructions say, you should be careful when placing grinds into the holder as to not get grinds on the rim of the holder, if you do you must remove the grinds from the rim before placing into the Senseo. The next is that it says not to use finely ground coffee but doesnt give a reason why but I'm sure we all could venture at a guess because the bottom of the holder is not a finely mesh screen like the other cheaply made re-usable pods.

OVERALL: Its actually simple to use but I'll still primarily use pods because of the convenience. I'll use this when I want some 100% Kona coffee mostly, Kona coffee pods price out to about a buck a piece. This should help with that cost. Great gadget, 5 stars!

Another NOTE: Because the holder has many holes in it, it does not apply the same kind of back pressure that the original Senseo holder does with only one small hole. Because of this, using the 1-cup button produces about 1-1/2 cups while the 2-cup button will most likely overfill most large mugs in effect weakening the tastes. The perfect combination for me is 1-1/2 scoops of coffee then pressing the 1-cup button.

I've been reading through the reviews for the mypod adapter for the Senseo machines, and you can almost immediately tell those who have a good grinder along with it, and those who don't, or those who buy preground. Usually all the bad complaints are from the latter.

The Senseo is actually a quite brilliant and cost effective piece of engineering. It's let down by absolutely horrible coffee marketed by Philips / Sara Lee - some of the worst coffee bought on the open market today. Fortunately, the mypod adapter lets you skip commodity coffee and move on to some of the world's best coffees.

But it too is let down if you don't have a good grinder (think Solis Maestro or better) to go along with it. Fresh ground coffee, ground to the right particle size, is extremely important in any brewed cup, and no less so with this aftermarket adapter.

Grinding to something closer to a moka grind than a drip grind (fairly fine, but not "espresso" fine), 14g of coffee in the pod adapter results in an excellent extraction up to about 5 ounces. Not too shabby when you consider that extraction time is around 50 seconds. The mypod can be used without the paper filters, but in my experience, you need a coarser ground and more coffee to get the same kind of overall cup. Normally I eschew paper filters, but the mypod filters are more "weaves" than a solid mass, and allow some aromatic oils to seep through, something paper normally traps. Also, because it's a loose fit over the bottom of the filter, some brew water goes around the paper sidways, allowing more oils to make it to the cup.

The Senseo, when used with the mypod adapter, produces a fairly decent quality "caffe suisse" style brew. The pump does exert more pressure on the bed of coffee than a moka pot does, but not as much as a true espresso machine does. With the grind I use for it, I generally get a max of six ounces using the "two cup" button; but the extraction time is long enough, and some geniune (albeit very blond) crema is produced - not the false, frothed coffee (not crema) that the Senseo and its original pods produce.

Overall, this is a must have for any Senseo owner, but don't bother unless you have a good grinder to match it up with. And good coffee to use - Folgers isn't good coffee. And make sure the metal part of the filter you see when loading it into the machine is completely clean - it has to form a good seal with the rubber gasket in the Senseo's lid. If any stray coffee grounds are there, you will see leakage and a ruined cup.

I've been on the fence about my Senseo after the fun wore off on day 2. Pods are expensive, and the D&E pods just aren't that great. The crema is a nice touch, but for me it's not worth 40 cents more per cup of coffee (using 2 pods for a full cup) to shave a few minutes from the routine and to get some foam. Yes, there are better pods, but there's only so much most people are willing to pay. In comes the MyPod...

I did a fair amount of research before picking this up, and couldn't be happier. I looked at the EcoPod, which is a good idea, but just looked messy and flimsy. The MyPod is easy enough to use every day, you just drop a filter sheet in the bottom, dump some coffee in, press down the top and pop it in like the normal pod holder. MAYBE adds a minute to the process (assuming you have ground coffee ready to go).

A few things to point out, that I remember reading in other reviews.

1 - It does not give you the crema, but really, is it that big of a deal? Honestly I prefer coffee without it since it's not so much cream as it is foam, which is kind of weird on coffee.
2 - It will drip a lot more after the machine is turned off. Again no big deal, just rinse the tray that's down there to catch the drips.
3 - I didn't find it difficult at all to get a strong cup of coffee. Other people have noted all sorts of methods and tips, and others have complained it's too weak. I use about 1.5 scoops of a fine grind (not like powder - it says not to use finely ground, but not like folgers grind), and just make sure to press down the top all the way to pack it in. Hit the 2 cup button, and in 30 seconds it's a nice full cup of dark coffee. I can't comment on whether you have to watch and make sure it doesn't overflow because I haven't left it unattended. Either way, is that a reason to pass it up? I think we can all stand still for 30 seconds if it means using our own coffee and getting a full cup.
4 - Yes, keep the grinds off the rim of the holder. Are people doing this with a blindfold on? It's a small scoop, a big hole, and it doesn't fill to the top - how people get grinds on the rim enough to comment on it is beyond me.

All in all, a great product. I really can't think of anything I would change. I was about ready to take my Senseo back, but now it's found a home on my counter.

This product is incredibly useful if you are tired of spending too much on coffee pods, but you have a pod machine. I got my mother a Senseo because she "drinks for one" and thought it would be a real convenience for her hectic life. It is, but she's a school teacher and cannot afford the expensive pods to go with the machine. Whoops! So I got her this MyPod and showed her the review that moobar wrote below. When my mom and I tried it we:

a) moistened the filter when placing it in the holder

b) cleared any coffee grounds from the rim of the holder

c) used the 1-cup button on the Senseo

It made a large cup of great tasting coffee. I made quite a few of them while I was visiting my mother. I thought it was very easy to use and required only a small amount of extra time.

I bought a Senseo a few months ago and love its convenience but wasn't satisfied with any of the pre-ground pods. To me, pre-ground coffee is an abomination - not much better than instant. After reading mixed reviews of the MyPod and EcoPod products, I decided to order both and see if either would produce a decent cup of coffee in the Senseo machine.

In all honesty, I never gave the EcoPod a fair trial because I hated it from the first use. It's too small, messy and hard to fill. I wouldn't use it even if it made great coffee because it's simply too inconvenient.

On the other hand, I'm very satisfied with the MyPod. I use a dry filter and fill the holder completely, using two full scoops of whole beans, ground medium-fine and compacted firmly into the holder using my fingers and the supplied compactor/lid. This will fill the holder completely, but not overfill it.

I brew using the 2-cup button but shut it off when it has brewed 8 to 9 ozs, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches below the rim of my 12 oz mug. This produces a fairly strong, flavorful, aromatic cup of fresh-tasting coffee, with a light layer of crema.

Unlike some reviewers, I've found clean-up to be simple and not at all messy. Remove the lid over the sink or trash can, tap the holder to dump the grounds and rinse off the remaining residue under running water. Then dry the holder with a paper towel. It couldn't be easier.

Refilling the MyPod is also much easier and less messy than the EcoPod, because it is much larger and has a rim to catch any overflow. Pour the ground coffee directly into the holder, smoothing and compacting the coffee with your fingertips, then cover with the compacting lid. Press down firmly while rotating the lid with your fingertips. This will compact the coffee very evenly and firmly into the holder.

The keys to success are using good, freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee, compacting it firmly into the holder, and making sure the holder is properly seated in the machine. I suspect that those who have had problems with the MyPod have violated one or more of these three rules.

I generally drink medium roast Costa Rica Tarrazu "La Pastora" coffee but any fresh, good quality medium or dark roast should work fine. I don't think light roast coffees would brew as well in the Senseo.

I ran across this in Wall-Mart and it was on sale for $7.00 and the filters were $1.50 so I bought it and 2 extra packs of filters. I read the reviews about it here and the do's and don'ts. I read the instructions carefully also. I love a big cup of strong coffee. I ended up placing a filter in the bottom and just filling the podholder with a fine grind of coffee. I fill it to the top. I use a soup cup to drink out of and it works great to just put it under the spouts. It holds about 2 1/2 cups. I press the 1 cup button and wait until it is done and then push it again. I end up with 1 really big cup of really strong coffee which makes me very happy. I don't find making it to be a bother or the cleanup bothersome either. I dump the grounds and rinse and done. It cleans fast and easy for me. I absolutely love this product. I find it interesting that other folks have problems when trying to use it. I even forgot the filter one morning and it still worked perfectly for me. Now I can have all my favorite blends and not have to settle for expensive pods with only a very small selection. When buying pods I usually can only find 2 and maybe on occasion 3 choices in the store. Now I can make my own blend of flavors and strength. I think that that is wonderful! I highly recommend this product if you want a great cup of custom coffee. Following the directions and the advice of others is very helpful to make it work for you too. Enjoy!!!

This is a great alternative to the awful price/awful tasting Senseo pods! Clean up is not hard (unless you think dumping and rinsing is difficult) and you actually get bigger/better cups of coffee with it. (If you are overflowing, getting a bigger mug - problem solved). I've been using mine for over a year and never had an issue that wasn't my fault.

The biggest gripe I had with Senseo pods (besides their price) was their weasley small cups of coffee that didn't even taste good. Using my own favorite coffee, following directions and this MyPod, I get a great cup of coffee for substantially less money.

I like the individual coffee maker and this little accessory really fills the bill to save money AND enjoy a better tasting cup.

Our old coffee pot, a beloved basic Black & Decker thermal carafe model, finally was finally on its last legs... the lever that allowed a cup of coffee before brewing was done broke, the lid was cracked and permanently very brown, and hard water was clogging the works for the umpteenth time...

My husband and I had been in the market for a new coffee pot for about a year... and we were torn between the pod machines and the brew station. However the brew station has numerous bad reviews and a heating element that continues to cook the coffee after it is done brewing, so we steered away from that one. We liked the idea of the pod machines, a fresh cup of coffee quickly when we wanted... but we were leery of the cost of the pods. We also prefer to grind out own beans.

Just last week, he was in Wally World and noticed the Presto MyPod. We mulled it over and finally decided to take the plunge. We have used both the pods that came with the machine and the MyPod. Both worked just fine for us.

The MyPod is no more or less messy than our previously grinding our own beans and using a gold filter... actually it is less so due to size. So now, as a night nurse, I can have my fresh cup of coffee to kickstart me in the evening and my husband can have his fresh kick in the morning. And we can both enjoy our coffee any time of the day. We will no longer have pots of coffee either sitting all day or going to waste.

Mind you, I use an extra large mug (never bothered to measure the ounce-age), so I have to brew 2 cups, then 1 cup to get it to my milk level.

My guess is that if you are having problems with the MyPod, it's either user error or defective equipment somewhere.

I was glad to read another review that said that it did not shut off the water as it does when using a Senseo pod holder. Goodness what a mess I had when I tried this Presto coffee holder.

I use a large oversized cup when I brew using Senseo pods as I like to add cream to my coffee. The cup I use is 16 ounces and holds a 2 cup amount of Senseo plus plenty of space for cream. I put my empty 16 ounce cup under the coffee maker when I tried using this Presto My Pod. I turned away for a minute and when I looked back the coffee was pouring over the top of the cup. The Senseo did not shut off by itself when I used the Presto MyPod in it. I assume it has something to do with pressure that makes it shut off normally.

Whatever the reason, the coffee poured all over the place. Thinking that maybe there was something I had done wrong, I tried again while watching closely. Same thing happened, but this time I was looking and quickly turned the machine off. Also, after about 30 seconds, the water coming out of the machine was not 'coffee' colored. So, the coffee I put in the Presto was basically used up in 1/2 a minute and the water that was still pouring out of the machine was JUST water. So, I had 2 very, very yuccky cups of 1/2 coffee and 1/2 hot water. No thanks. Also, I bought this so that I could use some of my favorite flavors of ground coffee in my Senseo. Again, I assume because the Presto MyPod does not let the machine build up pressure as it is supposed to do, the coffee was so weak I could not taste the flavorings in the coffee anyway.

This product does not seem like it was properly tested before being put on the shelf.

So far ... this is the best option available for "home brews". I am thrilled to have the option of what coffee I can brew and how strong it will be. I just received the product and tried it out right away. The holder was wet from washing it, so the filter stayed right down in place. I used 1 1/2 scoops of a finely ground coffee (that I bought in Madrid), in hopes of a stronger brew. - Added the cap, pressed down firmly, inserted it in my Senseo and brewed a double cup. It was sooooo nice to have a coffee other than the "light, medium or dark" brews offered in the pods. I've tried the flavors, but they don't come out quite strong enough for me, and I prefer not to always have a flavored coffee.

This was simple enough to use. It is not as simple to prep as dropping in a pod, nor is it as easy to clean as dumping out a pod and rinsing the holder, but close enough. I found that when dumping out the holder, the coffee came out fairly cleanly and in one clump (thanks to the filter). I just had to rinse the holder and the cap.

You also lose alot of the froth, but I never found the froth to be too impressive before hand. I have one of those small hand-held frother's anyway, and it works better.

I recommend this product just for being given an option and it works for what it's supposed to do. I'm having Columbian coffee tomorrow and a Italian blend next week.