72 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dark is best, April 18, 2004
This review is from: Senseo Dark Roast Coffee Pods, 18-Count Pods (Pack of 4) (Grocery)
I found the mild was undrinkable and the medium barely tolerable. But the dark roast is quite good. Its on the Starbuck-type bitter side, but not as strong. None of these single serving coffee machines will taste like fresh ground. That is why you get some one star reviews for the Senseo.
I keep the Senseo in my office for hassle-free single servings and it is great for that. Even the dark roast is really not strong enough to qualify as espresso, so I suggest you just use the double packets and make a large cup.
Here is a further hint. Use a 10 oz cup, not a standard 8. Then put your milk in the cup and microwave for 30 seconds BEFORE you make the coffee. After coffee is make make sure to stir with a stirrer. Stirring is important and is actually recomended by Philips.
As long as your expectations are down to earth you should enjoy this product. The machine itself has been flawless and doesnt seem flimsy at all.
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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for convenient coffee--not home roast!, February 3, 2006
This review is from: Senseo Dark Roast Coffee Pods, 18-Count Pods (Pack of 4) (Grocery)
Sure, Sarah Lee and the pholks at Philips think this baby produces the best coffee you'll ever taste. It doesn't. The snotty coffee folks, like myself, roast our own coffee and it is utterly superior. However it is a royal PITA to tote fresh beans into the office and I'm the only one willing to go to that much trouble for coffee in my office.
To solve this little problem, I purchased a Senseo and these pleasant Douwe Egberts Dark pods! It's a sturdy machine, completely employee-proof, and quite tidy. The coffee it produces is far better than anything that comes in a can and certainly will give Starbucks a run for their $6 venti's.
Think of the DE pods as an easy way to get fresh, hot, pleasant coffee in about 30 seconds. Use two pods, one dark and one medium for a fuller flavor profile or, if you're a low-caf freak, do one decaf and one caf.
I agree with another reviewer that you've gotta pre-warm the mug you're using if you like hot coffee-and the best way to do this is with some leche in the microwave. One final tip which out to assuage some of the folks who think the DE's are weak:
Run a few seconds of hot water through the machine without a pod inside. This gets the metal plates wet and hot. A good thing. Put your pods on the wet plates and close the machine. Let it sit for a few seconds. This lets the coffee get wet and swell a bit. This is called pre-infusion in the espresso trade and if you pull your 8 oz of pleasure now, it will taste pretty darned good.
-J
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the Folgers and Millstone pods are 'compatible' with Senseo, May 2, 2004
This review is from: Senseo Dark Roast Coffee Pods, 18-Count Pods (Pack of 4) (Grocery)
The Millstone and Folgers pods for the Home Cafe system's fit in the Senseo machine from Philips . Podhead.com is going to have Senseo compatible pods in the near future so we are not limited by Douwe Egberts coffee as Phillips would like you to belive.
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