What coffee pods do you use? Barista ranks the top 5 from Coles and Woolies
We know Aussies love a good cup of coffee – and with the increasing popularity of coffee pods, it has become easier for us to create our own brew at home in the morning. But which one is the best on the market?
If anyone knows anything about what makes a cuppa great, it’s the decorated Australian barista, Craig Simon.
"You don't have to be an amazing barista to make a good coffee at home," Simon said.
The three-time Australian Barista champion shared his thoughts on some of the most popular brands with A Current Affair.
Below is his ranking of the five brands reviewed:
1. St Remio, $3.75 for a 10-pack
St Remio's STRONG variant topped Simon’s list. "It's a nice coffee, clean sweet, smooth, those chocolate and nut flavours are coming through which I think talks to a really nice coffee," he said, giving it a score of 8/10.
2. Coles, $3.75 for a 10-pack
The supermarket home brand followed in number two with its Medium Intensity 6 variant, scoring a 7.5/10. "It's quite pleasant," said Simon. "The thing I would notice about that that's different to all the other coffees is that there's a lot more acidity to a cup, so it's a brighter fruitier cup of coffee if that's your preference."
3. Lavazza, $11 for a 16-pack
The Lavazza A Modo Delizioso pods came third. "Definitely a heavier body, it's a lot more weight, but the flavour's not as expressive, there's a more smoky character to it," said Simon.
As it was the most expensive choice out of the five, Simon took a few points off. "I would say because of the cost this is lower in my ratings, I would say a 6 and a half to a 7."
4. Nescafe, $8.50 for a 16-pack
The popular Nescafe Dolce Gusto Espresso Intenso took the fourth spot with a score of 5.5/10. "It's a fairly thin coffee, but it’s not unpleasant," Simon said.
5. Woolworths, $3.70 for a 10-pack
Despite being the most affordable option out of the pack, Simon found Woolies' coffee pod to be the least impressive, giving it a verdict of 5/10. "It's definitely not my preference," he commented. He said the supermarket’s Caffitaly Espresso Roast coffee had a "bold and strong" taste and a "smokey aroma" that could be smelled right away.
Don't agree with Simon’s reviews? Consumer advocacy group CHOICE also made a list of coffee pod rankings in 2017, with David and Matthew Gee of Barista Basics Coffee Academy and Anee Sampath of BeanCraft coffee roasters as the taste testers. In their test, Nespresso Arpeggio Intensity 9 came out as the highest-scorer, followed by Woolworths' Intense Intensity 12.
Have you tried any of these coffee pods? Let us know in the comments.