Comparison of Single-cup Systems
Different single-cup systems are not interchangeable; some systems force machine owners to buy capsules from a single company (usually the patent owner), locking the machine owner into a single source of coffee. Coffee pods are made by a variety of manufacturers and are interchangeable between brand of pod and model of pod brewer most of the time.
| System | Owned by | Vintage | Machine manufacturers | Capsule/Pod manufacturers | Markets | Type | Notes of interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Modo Mio | Lavazza | 2007 | Saeco (Philips) branded as Lavazza/Gaggia | Lavazza | Italy, Europe | Capsule | Lavazza vertical |
| Bodecker Brewer | Bodecker Brewed | 2005 | TBD | Bodecker Brewed | Canada | Cups | |
| Caffitaly (Caffita) | Caffita System SPA | ??? | Various inc. Princess of Netherlands, Tchibo, Gaggia until recently | Various, inc. Gaggia, Ecaffe, CBTL | Italy | Capsule | Widespread Italian user base |
| Delta Q | Delta Cafés | 2007 | Flama, branded Delta Cafés, Brasilia S.p.A, Casa Bugatti | Delta Cafés,Tetley | Portugal, Spain, Angola, Brazil, Luxembourg, Canada | Capsule | |
| Dolce Gusto | Nestle | 2008 | Krups, branded Nescafe | Nescafe (Nestle) | UK, US, Canada, Germany | Capsule | Nestle vertical |
| Easy Serving Espresso Pod (ESE) | Italian ESE Consortium for Development | 1998 (standard) and previous | Various (Delonghi, FrancisFrancis, Handpresso, Kitchenaid, Krups, Saeco...) | Various | Worldwide | Pod | Open, generic standard not tied to particular vendors, pods fit most traditional espresso machines. Not all pods are 45mm (the standard diameter). |
| Flavia Beverage Systems | Mars, Inc. | 1984 | Flavia (Mars) | Flavia (Mars) | UK, US | Capsule | The "fresh pack" (the capsule) is the brewing vessel, so that the drink is not tainted by previous user. Controlled by Mars. |
| Folgers | Folgers. | ??? | None needed | The J.M. Smucker Co. | US | Bag | Folgers coffee singles, instant coffee |
| iperEspresso | Illy | 2007 | Francis Francis (Illy), Gaggia (Saeco) | Illy | Worldwide | Capsule | 100% arabica, never purchased from the international commodity markets, but directly from the source |
| K-Cup (Keurig) | Green Mountain Coffee Roasters | 1992 | Keurig, Breville, Cuisinart | Many, including Green Mountain | US, Canada | Capsule | My K-Cup available as a reusable filter for using any filter coffee. |
| Nespresso | Nestle | 1986 | Eugster/Frismag branded as Krups, Magimix, Siemens; Delonghi make Latissima model | Nespresso | Worldwide | Capsule | Nestle-controlled system |
| Coffee Pods | None | ??? | Bunn, Philips, Melitta, Grindmaster, Cuisinart, CafeXpress, etc. | Douwe Egberts, Reunion Island, Wolfgang Puck, Melitta, Fratello Coffee Roasters, etc. | Worldwide | Pod | Not owned by a specific corporation. Many more manufacturers of pods and brewers exist. Also biodegradable. |
| T-Discs (Tassimo) | Kraft | 2004 | Bosch branded as TASSIMO | Various subsidiaries of Kraft. (see T-Discs) | North America, Europe | Capsule |
Read more about this topic: Coffee Pods And Capsules
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