Baronet Coffee Fair Trade Organic Espresso Dark, 18-Count Coffee Pods (Pack of 3)

UPDATE: I have increased my rating from 3 stars to 4, because of my new understanding of this product. In my previous review (below) I commented on how I was able to make nice tasting lattes with these pods, but not so great Americanos, that the taste was bold but one-dimensional. Well, I checked the the Baronet website, [...], and their product info about the espresso dark is that it is more suited to lattes and cappuccinos. They actually make a lighter espresso pod for other purposes and I believe, on Amazon, you can find them here:  Baronet Coffee Light Espresso, 18-Count Coffee Pods (Pack of 3)  . Shame on me for not doing a little more previous research! If you have an E.S.E. machine that makes slightly weaker tasting espresso and like lattes/cappuccinos, this is a really nice bold tasting pod for the value!Previous Review:ARRIVAL AND PACKAGING: These ESE single-serving pods arrived in pretty large boxes for 18 pods (and I sympathize for those with incompatible machines - I scanned the package and did not see mention of ESE). I was a little nervous but realized that even the individual packaging is at least twice the size of the pod (probably a little less fresh this way). I also did not see any dates on the packaging, so who knows if this is actually better than the cheap SB pods sold on Amazon? I also thought it was funny that the box just says "Coffee Pods" and its a sticker on the box specifying the type. It made me wonder if they were slapping different stickers on boxes of the same stuff! 1/5 star.MACHINE FIT: I have one of the Delonghi machines, I think the 15 bar. I found these pods actually fitting more tightly in the portafilter than many of the Podmerchant pods I've tried, although maybe I just didn't try fitting those as tightly either. I also noticed, probably due to this fit, that the water flowed more evenly, both in regards to out of both sides and also in terms of pace. The color was nice, dark on bottom, lightening slightly and topped with a light and decent crema. 5/5 stars.FLAVOR: As a disclaimer I have only pulled three pods to this point, so I need to experiment a little more with pour time. However, I pulled these until the water turned blonde at about 1.5oz and 22seconds (maybe this matters less on these types of machines?). Anyway, my first shots were a little bitter. My last shot was better but the impression I am developing is that this is very bold espresso. The single shot short Americano I poured tasted strong enough that I could use one pod for a 12oz drink. Overall, it seems strong and one-dimensional, which is odd to me since it is 100% Arabica. I tend to favor more complex flavors. 2-3/5 stars.FOR MY PURPOSES: I enjoy good espresso from the many coffee shops around Seattle, but a couple nights a week I have a hankering for a quick cup. These will do the trick, and maybe after some playing around I'll find a sweeter spot in them. I wouldn't buy these if I relied on pods for tasty coffee, but for my purposes, they do the trick. 3/5 Stars.BOTTOM LINE: Vague and over-sized packaging do little to inspire confidence in the freshness and accuracy of this product. It fits my Delonghi great and pours evenly. The Taste is bold and one-dimensional. I'm not disappointed I bought these for the occasional espresso-drink but in the future I'll probably stick to a more trusted source like Podmerchant. 2.5/5 stars.

I'm not a gourmet, just someone who looks forward to her morning latte. I typically make a 12-oz latte with a single shot. I like saving money by making my own lattes, but don't want to take the time or deal with the mess of grinding beans, so I prefer pods. I recently bought a  De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker , and was inspired to expand my horizons beyond Starbucks espresso pods. I tried a few different brands, and these were the first I tried. I liked the idea of their being organic and Fair Trade coffee. The flavor is fine, less bitter than Starbucks. However, the smell of the coffee when I opened the individual packages was sulfurous and not at all appetizing. I won't be buying them again. These are E.S.E espresso pods, made for espresso machines with E.S.E pod adapters. They are not for Senseo or K-cups machines.

The 5 stars I gave the Baronet Coffee pods is based on a comparison with other ESE coffee pods. I haven't found an ESE coffee pod yet that's as good as the espresso I make by grinding whole beans. Compared to my own home-ground espresso, this coffee pod would get 3-4 stars. But pods are convenient, so I use them. The price of these Baronet pods is very reasonable, especially compared to the Illy and other pods. So, I'll continue to buy the Baronet pods until something else comes along that's better and reasonably priced.The most recent pods I used before these were the Starbucks ESE pods, which have now been discontinued. The taste of the Baronet pods is as good as the Starbucks pods were. The Baronet pod makes a good crema and has the same full and deep flavor as the Starbucks pods. I still had a couple of Starbucks pods left; so I was able to make a head-to-head taste comparison between the two brands. I was hoping the Illy pods might be a good replacement for the Starbucks pods but Amazon customer reviews show that Illy hasn't figured out a way to get that wonderful flavor of the Illy whole beans into an ESE pod.I'll echo other customer comments about the fact that these Baronet pods are not clearly packaged as ESE pods. I looked all over the box and the individual packages and never found the words "ESE pods." When I ordered them, I had my fingers crossed hoping they would be ESE pods and they are. Lucky for us ESE pod fans!

I feel it's necessary to express at the top that I am not reviewing the actual coffee but the packaging, and to mention that were my state not so utterly uncaffeinated, I would not even be moved to be so snarky as to give such a negative review.When I purchased this coffee, I actually signed up for Subscribe and Save, as I wanted a regular source of organic, fair trade coffee for my Senseo coffeemaker (which I now see clearly is the Beta-Max of coffeemakers). The coffee I previously ordered through this service is no longer available. I had tried the Baronet Decaf pods and, since they worked well, I immediately thought to get the same brand but in a caffeinated variety.The sublime joy I felt yesterday when my happy Amazon box arrived - I knew it contained the means to make that sacred morning nectar. The utter horror this morning when I put that funny looking pod into my Senseo and something resembling weak herbal tea was produced.My mistake: it never even occurred to me that the caffeinated pods would be not the same size as the decaf; I did not even glance at the reviews.Dear Review Reader, I hope you can learn from my tale of woe. If you have a Senseo coffee maker, these pods, though they be organic and fair trade, do not work in your coffee maker. Unless you desire to pull out your old percolator, drip or bodum from the bottom of the pantry or basement, and fill it by cutting these pods in half and dumping out their contents (as I am now doing, as I will be doing for the next while since I now own 3 boxes of them), choose another brand.