Customer Reviews

illy Caffe Scura Coffee, Espresso, (Dark Roast, Black Band), 18-Count E.S.E. Pods (Pack of 2)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Our office recently (and possibly misguidedly) voted a Starbucks machine off the island and replaced it with a couple of Bunn airpot makers. They're great for commercial coffee but that is also the problem: it tastes like mediocre diner coffee even when good beans are used. So I've taken matters into my own hands and picked up an Espressione Cafe Novecento espresso maker and have put it in the kitchen "on loan" to the company.

My first few attempts at pulling a decent shot with fresh ground coffee convinced me that I simply don't have the patience to learn the proper technique so, as the machine came with a pod portafilter, I decided to give that a shot (so to speak). Illy had the highest number of positive recomendations so I settled on them for my initial foray.

Simply put, I am impressed. The flavor is excellent, the output takes in the ballpark of 20-30 seconds a shot and has very good crema on about three out of every four shots. It can be tricky to properly seat the pod in the portafilter but moistening the pod first does help and that's a more a reflection on the filter design than the pod's.

The primary reason I can't give five stars (although I'd do four and a half if I could) is that even the Amazon price works out to almost a dollar a shot so my double Americano in the morning is only slightly less than I'd pay my favorite barista. And she has a really cute smile.

All in all, though, a very positive experience and I recommend the Illy pods.

Illy Dark Roast Pods provide a great-tasting cup of espresso with crema and without the mess of cleaning up all those grounds. The tin packaging is compact for easy storage, but I recommend keeping the opened pods in a vacuum container to maintain freshness. If you're willing to invest in two 18-pod tins, you can't beat the price on Amazon!

For a slightly different great taste and individual packaging to maintain freshness, try Espressione as an alternative, though the individual packaging requires additional storage space in your cupboard.

These ese pods work, not mess. Flavor is quite good. Not as good as fresh ground, etc. For what it is, a good product, with a nice flavor.

First time I tried illy espresso 6 yrs ago while on business trip in Europe. Hard to forget taste , illy Caffe Dark Roast PODs will satisfy any espresso lover , especially when Cleaning reduced to Zero. Highly Recommended.

So, I'll start by saying I'm sort of an espresso snob. I got an espresso machine after spending 3 days on the internet checking out the best ones and ending up with a great deal on a Francis Francis X3 FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine, Black Matte.

I was wary of the pod idea and couldn't imagine getting real espresso from an air packed pod of really old espresso. Francis Francis had a canister to try in the package, so I broke down one day and just tried it. I must say, it was actually really good. The canister was a little old so the espresso was a little bitter but it had better crème and consistency of most any of my pulls.

The Francis Francis machines are made for pods so I just put the little guy in and turned on the machine. Clean-up was easy, just pull the side paper and throw it away. I didn't have to wipe-up espresso dust off everywhere, clean espresso off the machine...nothing really. Not to mention the price of these little things is much better than having to pay for ok/horrible espresso close to home or pay outrageous amounts for shipping. Also, Lilly makes many different varieties of espresso like medium (I left this same review for that variety), dark, decaf, etc. (not sure about other brands, I've just stuck with Lilly)

So, in conclusion, I've converted... I'm a closet pod user and the ease of use and the fact that I can get 36 pods for less than a dollar a piece is great for me.

I thought i was saving a bit of $ per pod by purchasing the Illy brand for my new Delonghi machine. Espresso was weak compared to Starbucks. I use 2 per large Latte with the Illy and one from Starbucks to make the same size. Not much of a savings this way. Would not purchase again.

I am disappointed. They work as advertised: quick, clean, and easy. However, more important to me is taste.

While individually wrapped, the freshness of beans ground just for that moment is missing. The pod itself uses less coffee than I would in a single shot. Since I more often will make lungos, the sheer lack of coffee volume produces a weaker drink. Instead of pulling twice as long, I pull it 80% as long for a short shot, but it takes longer to get it all into the cup.

The crema is impressive, equal to any regular Illy.

The cost-per-drink is poor. I already knew this, but hoped I would be impressed enough by the quality so as to tolerate the price.

I regular buy cans of illy's dark roast whole beans for grinding into espresso. These ESEs are not as good as the real thing. Because of the high standard illy otherwise supports for its products, I cannot give my full support to the illy Caffe Scura Coffee, Espresso, (Dark Roast, Black Band), 18-Count E.S.E. Pods.

--Brockeim

I'm pretty particular about my expresso and I much prefer fresh ground to the pods. But fresh ground is messy and takes more time. I have tried a bunch of different pods on the market. These are by far the best I've had. They give a rich bold flavor that's still smooth and enjoyable. Compared to the Starbucks pods these are one star above at least. They are a bit more expensive, but after going back and forth between these, the starbucks ones, and a few other brands the price difference per pod is usually no more the $0.20. In my opinion it is well worth the extra $0.20 for a delicious cup of expresso. Often better even then what I get at various coffee shops. If your an every day espresso/latte/cappuccino drinker then you will appreciate the subtle yet noticeable higher quality of these pods.

makes a great latte, quick and easy to use.... if you visit illy's website you will find that it is cheaper to buy illy coffee on amazon...

These pods make the preparing of deliciouse espresso, capuccino and late much easier, faster and cleaner.