Do all coffee pods look the same to you? They do, but they are not. There are different sizes and shapes, sometimes even different materials, between coffee pods formats. Many people wonder exactly how many grams of coffee a pod contains. The answer is neither unique nor the same in all cases.
First, we must clarify that coffee pod machines mainly make espresso coffee. According to the standards of authentic Italian espresso, this drink should be made with 7 grams of coffee. This would be the reference amount if we were to make the coffee with a traditional espresso machine and had to add the ground coffee to the portafilter.
But, as we will see, we do not always find this amount in the coffee pods, being a smaller amount most of the time. Let’s look at how much a coffee pod weighs depending on its format, starting with the most popular ones.
How many grams does a Dolce Gusto coffee pod weigh?
When talking about the weight of a Dolce Gusto coffee pod, we have to differentiate between the weight of the complete coffee pod (the coffee plus the pod’s plastic packaging) and the ground coffee’s weight inside.
We have used an espresso and americano coffee pods for this experiment, and we have obtained the following data:
- The whole espresso coffee pod weighs 9.70 grams.
- The ground coffee inside the espresso coffee pod weighs 6.70 grams.
- The whole americano coffee pod weighs 11.20 grams.
- The ground coffee inside the americano coffee pod weighs 8.20 grams.
How many grams does a Nespresso coffee pod weigh?
Following the same methodology that we use in the case of Dolce Gusto coffee pods, we know that Nespresso coffee pods will have two different weights. The first weight corresponds to the ground coffee inside, and the second weight corresponds to the weight of the ground coffee plus the aluminum in the coffee pod itself.
In this case, we have selected an original Nespresso coffee pod of espresso and lungo coffee variety. The data we have obtained from the weighing is as follows:
- The whole espresso coffee pod weighs 6.15 grams.
- The ground coffee inside the espresso coffee pod weighs 5.26 grams.
- The whole lungo coffee pod weighs 7.40 grams.
- The ground coffee inside the lungo pod weighs 6.51 grams.
How many grams of coffee does a Tassimo coffee pod have?
The full Tassimo coffee pods weigh almost as much as a Dolce Gusto. However, the amount of ground coffee inside is more similar to Nespresso.
For the Tassimo coffee pods, we have chosen a standard espresso pod, obtaining the following data on the weighing of the complete pod and the ground coffee alone:
- The complete coffee pod weighs 10.94 grams.
- The ground coffee inside weighs 6.23 grams.
How much does a Senseo pad weigh?
E.S.E. pods (paper bags) usually contain 7 grams of ground coffee because they make espresso. Remember that E.S.E. stands for Easy Serving Espresso.
We have measured an original Senseo Espresso pad with the following data:
- The complete coffee pod weighs 7.20 grams.
- The ground coffee inside weighs 6.91 grams.
Conclusion
Each brand of coffee pod machine uses its system to prepare the best possible coffee. Like the pods, water pressure and temperature differ in each case, as does the amount of coffee inside.
This information does not help us determine whether one coffee is better or worse than another. Still, it does help us understand that nothing can be taken literally in the world of coffee and coffee machines.
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