senseo ideas

[famofsix]

I got my senseo today I paid the 15 dollar fee to have it shipped to me. I got a blue one. I only had one cup plain medium roast, but I did a search and noticed many folks here don't like the coffee. I thought it was alright but I think I prefer fresh brewed. I am looking forward to the vanilla flavored coffee. I will have that tomorrow.
HOWEVER, I thought my DIS friends could help me out...

Are there other brand pods that work with senseo? Someone mentioned target brand on another thread.....

Can you brew tea through it?

Any other uses that you have done?

Thanks OH WISE ONES

 

[Karibeth19]

I've made tea with it several times. Just put a regular tea bag in the pod holder and make it like you would a coffee pod. It works great! I also use it to make hot chocolate by just using water, and putting the cocoa mix in the cup before putting it under the machine.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Yes, you can use other brands. I've used the Millstone/Folgers brand, and just recently, my very favorite brand of coffee, Community, started making the pods. I was VERY happy to find those, because I really don't care for the Senseo blend.

 

[mcorbo]

Someone gave me some hazelnut pods from Folgers that worked just fine.

As far as the Senseo pods, I like the Sumatra better than any of the others. The Vanilla is too sweet for me.

 

[pyrxtc]

my mother got hers today too. I wanted her to get the blue one so we could trade but she got a white one. She got 6 bags of coffee and the two pod holders. My dad is the coffee drinker on occasion only, he only drinks tea at home. I think that once he tastes this coffee that he can make at home and he'll be hooked.

I buy Lipton Tea pods. They come in some great flavors and am looking for a store that carries pods that I can refill with tea leaves to make it myself.

 

[debbi801]

I was not thrilled until I tried using less coffee--one pod for 2 cups seemed to work for me. Otherwise, it is very strong.

Also, I've been buying pods off of ebay. It seems to be less expensive and there is more of a variety to chose from.

 

[Plantlady]

At Walmart they had kits that you could make your own pods, or something like that. They were with the coffee pots.

I've never tried them, I don't have a senseo, I have a Tassimo, and you can't work around the Tdiscs.

 

[famofsix]

Thanks for all the replies!
I think the kids will love the hot chocolate idea and the tea idea. It is much faster than boiling water in the kettle on my gas stove top.
Thanks for the heads up on the other pod brands...I will try them too.

pyrxtc, sorry you did not get the color you wanted. I saw on another thread that someone traded at Target blue for black so maybe your mom could do that if you see a blue one at the local store.

debbi801, I am going to try brewing one pod for two cups next time too. I was surprised that one cup was 4 ounces of coffee! That's like three gulps.

 

[Lassie Lynne]

Someone before posted this website http://singleservecoffee.com/ it has great info about coffee pods for senseo and on-line retailers too - - check it out!!

 

[DawnM]

That is so funny.....I was just going to post that no matter what I do the coffee is NOT strong enough!

Guess it all comes down to taste buds doesn't it?

I have tried 2 pods for one cup of coffee and that works ok, but that will get VERY expensive very quickly and the coffee isn't that great IMHO.

I got one of the $15 ones and plan to use it as a wedding gift (it is unopened) and then I have one that was given to me that I plan to give to a friend.

I just don't care for it.

Dawn

I was not thrilled until I tried using less coffee--one pod for 2 cups seemed to work for me. Otherwise, it is very strong.

Also, I've been buying pods off of ebay. It seems to be less expensive and there is more of a variety to chose from.

 

[patsal]

I found all senseo to be weak as compared to my ususla favortites so I use the "make your own pod idea" with a coffee filter. I use a coffee filter that I squash into a 1/4 measuring cup with my advil bottle, place a scoop of my favorite coffee into it and fold over the leftover filter--If you have full sized filters (10 cup pot you will need to cut them down a bit) I squash it again with the advil bottle and place in the 2 cup pod holder. Someone else posted similiar directions from a link somewhere for a web site for make you own pods. I found the senseo coffee to be premium priced coffee but not premium taste.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

thanks for this info!!!

 

[Pumbaa_]

my DH likes kona coffee pods. I found them on ebay. He says they make a very strong cup of coffee (compared to other pods)

just stay away from the senseo brand cappuchino!

 

[zippeedee]

I got the free Senseo and the coffee isn't strong enough. I really like the frothy part though. I ordered both the metal adapter to use your own coffee and the ecopad plastic filter from Amazon. The metal one doesn't make the frothy stuff and is really messy to clean. I haven't gotten the knack to filling the eco-pad so that it sits right and isn't watery but it does make the foam. I use 2 Senseo pods for each cup, which gets expensive, but its still cheaper than running out to Dunkins.

 

[my3kids]

I got mine yesterday too. I thought I loved it....until I tried the coffee. Not strong enough and the foamy top kind of scares me....I can't see my coffee! Burned my tongue because it was VERY hot. Guess my regular brewer doesn't scald the water.

I tried the vanilla yesterday afternoon; not good. Used the med. roast today, 2 pods for a large mug. Not strong enough. Maybe I'll try the Folgers, but sure wish Starbucks would come out with a pod to sell!

Still love the concept and will keep trying.

 

[patsal]

I got the free Senseo and the coffee isn't strong enough. I really like the frothy part though. I ordered both the metal adapter to use your own coffee and the ecopad plastic filter from Amazon. The metal one doesn't make the frothy stuff and is really messy to clean. I haven't gotten the knack to filling the eco-pad so that it sits right and isn't watery but it does make the foam. I use 2 Senseo pods for each cup, which gets expensive, but its still cheaper than running out to Dunkins.

Using the above formula it still gets frothy! Any you can make it extra strong by making two two cup pods but only running one cup of water through each!

 

[MickeyMamma]

We have one of the reusable pods. We picked it up at WalMart.

DH thought the Senseo pods were okay, but they weren't great and ended up kind of expensive, so I decided to try the reusable pod. He LOVES it!

It does take slightly longer to set up the pod than to just throw one in, but he loves that he can use whatever kind of coffee that he wants and since he is the only coffee drinker in the morning, he can make just enough for himself and have a GREAT cup of coffee.

Very easy to adjust strength of the coffee this way too.

 

[famofsix]

We have one of the reusable pods. We picked it up at WalMart.

DH thought the Senseo pods were okay, but they weren't great and ended up kind of expensive, so I decided to try the reusable pod. He LOVES it!

It does take slightly longer to set up the pod than to just throw one in, but he loves that he can use whatever kind of coffee that he wants and since he is the only coffee drinker in the morning, he can make just enough for himself and have a GREAT cup of coffee.

Very easy to adjust strength of the coffee this way too.

Okay, I tried the vanilla with two pods and two cups button and thought maybe it was strong so I added more hot water. EWWW. Then I put some cocoa in it so I could drink it.
I think maybe I need a different brand of coffee....At least I know it is not the strength of the coffee...it is the taste
next I will try the Walmart idea and I can play around with the strength.
It is great for the kids to make their own cocoa and because we have a gas stove top I like that they don't have to use the stove. I know we could do it in the micro but the senseo is actually quicker for cocoa (my micro is ancient).
Thanks for the ideas everyone!

 

[DawnM]

That foamy top is actually called crema. It is because steam AND hot water are passing through the grounds. This is the same effect you would get when making an espresso shot. If you watch the baristas at a coffee place, you will see that they use little shot glasses to catch the expresso. It is layered and has the crema top.

Dawn

I got mine yesterday too. I thought I loved it....until I tried the coffee. Not strong enough and the foamy top kind of scares me....I can't see my coffee! Burned my tongue because it was VERY hot. Guess my regular brewer doesn't scald the water.

I tried the vanilla yesterday afternoon; not good. Used the med. roast today, 2 pods for a large mug. Not strong enough. Maybe I'll try the Folgers, but sure wish Starbucks would come out with a pod to sell!

Still love the concept and will keep trying.

 

[my3kids]

I'm pretty simple when it comes to my coffee. Don't like the "crema" on top so much. I'm probably the only person in the wrold who goes into a coffee shop and orders "coffee." Just coffee, no shots of this, no sprinkles of that, no fluffing or folding; just coffee, strong and black.