The ESE pod (Easy Serve Espresso) is a very popular coffee pod designed to be used with the majority of espresso machines.
Just make sure your machine is equiped with the special filter basket for ESE pods.
With ESE pods, you will be able to make a delicious smooth espresso effortlessly.
Standard ESE pods contain 7 grams of coffee for the perfect espresso. They measure 44mm in diameter (not to be confused with the bigger Senseo pods!).
Choose among the most popular brands : Illy , Lucaffè , Mokador Castellari , Caffè Vergnano or our own MaxiCoffee selections , tested and approved by both our experts and customers!
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Valid until 25/12/2025 10% off this product
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ESE pods are a topic that comes up often as well as the confusion with soft pods . ESE stands for " easy serve espresso " and as the name suggests, its primary purpose is to reduce the time it takes to make espresso at home.
In the 1970s, Illy was the first to break free from the market by developing the first single-dose system. With a portion of ground and pressed coffee, the ESE pod provides the user with a real espresso, worthy of the bars in Italy. The ESE pods are the perfect way to get the best out of your coffee, everything is optimised and at your fingertips.
Better known as a POD, hard pod or espresso pod, the ESE pod is very common in French homes. It is recognisable among thousands by its "cushion" shape and its coffee bagged between two sheets of paper. These sheets facilitate the extraction of your espresso and allow you to respect the insertion direction of the ESE pod.
Its 7 g of coffee and its 44 mm diameter guarantee maximum intensity during extraction. The fact that the ground coffee is completely sealed against oxidation and that the aromas are preserved, results in an explosion of flavours in the cup.
The reason for the ESE pod is to simplify coffee. Forget about the tedious steps of dosing and tamping when preparing an espresso on a manual machine. Choose, insert, enjoy - that's all the effort ESE pods will require.
This means that everything is consistent and the quality is consistent. Your coffee will always taste the same, only your tastes will vary with a decaffeinated coffee in the evening, a flavoured one during the day or even an infusion at the end of the meal.
Of course, the eco-friendly aspect of this product cannot be overlooked. It also means less water consumption, so there's no need to empty the grounds regularly and clean the grounds tray every day. At a time when aluminium is being promoted for its infinite recycling, the natural origin and biodegradable aspect of the POD pod can also be praised.
In itself, the capsule is a step forward compared to what was done before and the recycling centres set up, notably for Nespresso® capsules, are a perfect illustration of this. Nevertheless, the POD pod is made of 100% biodegradable materials (which is not the case for the capsule). Is it worth noting that the paper is chlorine-free, unbleached and has no taste or smell? Note that if it is left in nature, its environmental impact will be less. Visual pollution yes, but it will degrade quickly.
We might think that these small ESE coffee pods are the most banal of things, but they are not. Following its success, it was agreed by the Consortium for the Development and Protection of the E.S.E. Standard that the POD pod would be the expected standard on the market. Initiated in 1998 by seven members active in the coffee industry, this organisation promotes the portioned system worldwide. The size should be no more and no less than 44 mm, and the diameter and thickness should be respected.
The differences between ESE pods and soft pods are not always obvious. Although they share the same shape and ground coffee content, they differ in size: 44 mm for the former, 63 mm for the latter . In addition, the fineness of the coffee differs , as the coffee is coarser on a soft pod, which necessarily impacts the result in the cup.
The ESE pod is therefore more suitable for espresso and the soft pod for a coffee similar to a filter coffee.
ESE pods can be used with manual coffee machines . It is often convenient to make a series of coffees when you have people over and still be sure that they are good. To ensure compatibility, be sure to check whether the machine is equipped with an ESE filter. It is similar to the 1 dose filter except that it is slightly lower and has no curves on the reverse side.
Generally the side of the POD pod stamped with the brand logo is used as a marker and is placed upwards. This will facilitate extraction, as the pod is said to be "clean". Conversely, the presence of rough elements on one side of the pod confirms that it should be placed downwards. Finally, if there are no rough edges on either side, the placement is irrelevant.
MaxiCoffee offers a wide range of products both in terms of brands (Illy, Caffè Vergnano or Pellini...) and characteristics (Italian coffee, 100% arabica, biodegradable/compostable...). There is no reason to deprive yourself, we offer you home delivery, in relay points, or even in one of our concept stores if you live in Marseille or Bordeaux (excluding DHL).
