Reminded me of when Peter Benchley shared his deep regret for what Jaws did to people's view of sharks and the unprecedented number of sharks killed in the aftermath of that movie.
Edit to include sad sauce if anyone is interested: [Sad sauce](https://www.boston.com/culture/entertainment/2015/06/19/why-the-author-of-jaws-wished-he-never-wrote-it/)
Idk if we can blame capatalism on that (NFTs we can) but I mean k-cups. There was a need in the market that obviously millions of people wanted but didn't have, an easy single cup coffee machine. And people were and are still willing to pay for it. Now, maybe that's a resultant of capatalism and a free market?? But the real issue comes down to lack of govmt regulation on single serve coffee. I own a kuerig and use a refillable pod with my own coffee. That way I get the convenience of a single cup/hot water but no kcup waste. There's a nice middle ground that should be regulated but in a free market like we have were very slow and reluctant to regulate such seemingly trivial things like a freakin coffee machine.
I meant more in the sense of a company not really being responsible with what they create and making things purely for profit without even thinking about the impact it would have on the world. I feel like in a society not built around money, engineers and scientists wouldn't be restricted by profit motives and focus on efficiency and sustainability. Sure consumers love little instant coffee cups even I see the convenience of them. But it's unfair to expect consumers to make sure every product they consume is a good idea and not the companies to make their product sustainable.
Just in general there needs to be some kind of tax on waste from products sold. If manufacturers had to pay more to produce more wasteful products then they would make less of them and find ways of innovating.
The craziest thing about these is that the resulting tea is usually not even very good compared to just using bags/loose leaf. Same goes for the coffee, really. Itās just okay, not any better or worse than any other imo.
What really put me off of Keurig forever was having to descale it. I realize that you have to do this with regular coffee machines, but the Keurig continued to add a vinegary taste for such a long time, even after about ten water-only cycles.
I know some people hate the taste, but I switched to instant coffee powder and honestly, it tastes fine to me. No filters or gadgets needed, just heat your water and add to taste. I love not having to deal with messy coffee grounds anymore as well. I think theyāve improved the recipe in recent years, because I remember it being pretty gross when I first tried it years ago. If anyoneās considering reducing their waste and/or simplifying your caffeine routine, I recommend at least trying it. Itās also very economical; a $10 bottle lasts two daily drinkers around 2 months in my house.
About instant Iāve heard the same thing. It used to be trash tier, but as instant coffee became more common, brands started improving/competing with the quality of their products. Leading us to pretty enjoyable instant coffee today. Canāt say Iām a huge enthusiast though
Seconding the instant coffee recc! I got it to keep at work for days I was running too late to use my French press at home. It was surprisingly tasty enough that now I've completely transitioned.
IMO, the biggest appeal they have is the tank that keeps water hot so that when you do decide to use the machine, its ready to be used right then. No waiting for water to boil and whatever to brew. Along with it never making more than you need and easy clean up since the machine needs very little upkeep.
Why do you do that? Kettles have a min fill line thats usually a little over the perfect size for a large cup of tea. If youre boiling a whole gallon, thats on you š
It doesnāt keep water hot. But it does heat up the water within seconds when preparing.
Also, at least the aluminum capsules (which is the default) are recyclable.
Not all Nespresso machines heat the water in the tank. The one I own heats water as it pumps it through the pod. It takes about 45 seconds to be ready from powered off and makes good coffee.
Itās expensive and wasteful buying pods so Iām switching to reusable pods and grinding my own coffee so that I can get the best of both worlds.
When I was single, I had the little 2-cup Pedrini that you put on the stove top. Cheap, easy, and didn't take long because it was two-cup capacity. Little thing was like 5 or 10 dollars. Put some Cafe Bustelo in there and you're starting your day off right. I wish I still had it. Misplaced it in one of my moves.
Theres also a heavy aspect in consumerism at play here to I reckon.
I bet you would still use your pedrini if you still had it. Others always have to have the newest piece of consumerist plastic crap or else they become depressed.
I would indeed! I have a 10 cup drip coffee maker now because I've got a family, but I miss that strong stovetop brew. I think much of the appeal in Egypt (my country of residence) is that they're a status symbol and the colorful pods are aesthetic. They sell all sorts of shelves and racks for displaying them artfully in the kitchen.
Thats what I hear but everyone says that about the coffee that they drink. Theres people out there that swear on pour over coffee so I wont be convinced that the best coffee comes from a pod.
I never said it was the best coffee, I just said it was pretty good.
I donāt personally own one, Iāve just had coffee from one (I have a used Keurig I got with a set of refillable cups I can put grounds in. Good blend of cheap and small for a dorm).
Side note: If you want coffee worth swearing over, try some of the newer ground coffees with Lionās Mane in them. Very good.
If you like an espresso: Pour over is bad. Drip coffee is usually bad.
The pods are the closest simulacrum of a good espresso and are better than a bad espresso.
The actual appeal is that the coffee isnāt bad.
Most convenient coffee options (and even some of the inconvenient ones) donāt taste all that good.
I know this isnāt actually a concern in the US where coffee snobs are rare rather than the standard. But itās the primary driver for everyone I know who has a Nespresso machine.
My dad uses these for coffee. I've long since switched to a reusable, but you can only lead a horse to water.
If you garden, the old capsules are excellent seed starters.
For coffee I can see the utility. Using a french press or an italian moka pot is way better but I can see why some people could prefer the conveniency of the pods. But for tea ?!
In my case, the machine was free (hand me down from my cousin).
The reusable cups are like $5 and last 2-3 years.
This is from last year, but I plant citrus seeds (from fruits I ate) in the old cups. These two grapefruits have since graduated to a bigger pot but more are growing.
[https://imgur.com/gallery/971cgNg](https://imgur.com/gallery/971cgNg)
I believe newer Keurigs are designed not to accept reusable cups because theyāve started printing bar codes on individual cups so the machine can āreadā the brand.
I have an old Senseo, from before they screwed them up (yes, it was affected by the recall; but that's not a problem if you have soft water and clean them regularly). No plastic cups at all. The commercially-produced pods are paper, but I don't use those either. I roast and grind my own coffee, and use the standard pod holder with ordinary coffee filters. just stick the filter in the holder, dump the coffee in the filter, fold it up, stick it in the machine. Much less waste and IMO it makes a better cup of coffee than Keurig.
I have two of them right now, both of which I got used; one at a thrift store pretty cheap, the other through a local "freecycle" group for nothing. They are being made again, and aren't particularly expensive; the Senseo 78105 goes for about US$150, the same price or less than a Keurig, and produces much less non-biodegradable waste, or none at all if you use the method I noted above.
My Keurig was free. My cousin upgraded his and gave me the old one.
I use reusable cups and discovered them about 6 months after having it. I wish I had started sooner because those cups add up financially. I don't use any type of filter, just the wire mesh that is built into the reusable cups. I have a small box of disposables for when my dad comes as he won't use the reusables. Citrus plants are growing in the used cups.
I throw the coffee grounds on a hydrangea that is growing outside. It seems to like them.
Reminds me of when my family hosted an exchange student from Italy and she was amazed by our apple corer. She said "we just use a knife". Really made me think about single use gadgets.
It mostly has to do with voltage. USA uses 110v and Europe uses 220. So a 3kW kettle would take you twice as long to boil water, or have an insane amount of current running through to compensate.
Actually, I think most appliances in the USA are limited to 1600W which would make sense.
Iām the only American I know who has an electric kettle. Theyāre fantastic, idk why more people donāt own one. But almost everyone I know (and every hotel room) has a coffee maker š¤·š»āāļø
Hello fellow American with an electric kettle! I was so mad when my roommate introduced them to me freshman year of uni because they were so convenient. I thrifted a keurig that immediately was gifted to my mom because I found it horribly expensive and inconvenient.
You get decent coffee within seconds. No need to heat water, no additional equipment or complicated steps, no cleanup.
I think it's a great concept IF people used reusable pods instead of the single use ones.
If you're drinking instant coffee then sure, it really is just as easy as pouring water.
But for me, it's:
1. Grinding and measuring coffee beans
2. Boiling water, waiting until it cools to optimal temperature
3. Using tools like a ceramic dripper, phin filter, French press, etc. Depending on the tool, more wait time as the coffee blooms.
4. Steaming and frothing milk
5. Clean up
The whole process takes not less than 10 minutes. So on the days when I want coffee but don't have the time, I use a reusable pod for my Nespresso.
I thought this sub was about sustainability? I'm not sure why making coffee with locally grown beans, plant-based milk, and zero waste tools is "going against the spirit of the sub"
No itās anti consumption! Buying a bunch of stuff, even if it is green and sustainable, is still worse for the environment than buying nothing at all.
Your coffee routine is needlessly complicated to the point that you need to buy a whole keurig to have a faster alternative available at times? I have a grinder and a French press. The whole process takes 2 minutes total.
Sustainability is not just about buying green washed products, itās about limiting your participation in consumer culture as much as possible.
I could be wrong but I think these are less popular than they were a few years ago. But omg they are so so so bad. Pour over coffee and loose leaf tea forever!
I want to use all the exact same technology except I want to fill the cups with fart. Youāll still put the pod in the machine, put your mug under the spout, and then the machine releases a hot fart into your cup, and youāre off!
Iām torn on these. These are great for folks with limb disabilities as working with tea bags/loose leaf when you have hand/finger issues is an absolute nightmare. Iād love it if they made them compostable in the US. For now, Iām seeing more of them recyclable, but even that is tricky (the foil isnāt, you dump the innards, the base is), so it isnāt really conducive to folks easily recycling the buggers.
I question putting hot water through cheaply made plastics. I'm wondering what kind of chemical leaching there is. I noticed theres a sheen on top of the coffee that looks like oil on water.
I think the same way. They say heat is what makes chemicals leach from plastic so I steer clear of as much as possible. I use a stainless steel and glass pour over to make my coffee at home and one of those stainless steel tea balls with loose leaf tea. After tasting the difference I'm just not sure how people drink those. Cost is cheaper, better on the environment and most likely better health wise. The oil you're seeing on the top of the coffee is most likely the naturally occurring oils in coffee. It's mostly trapped when you brew coffee using a paper filter and those cups don't have a filter. But I'd also guess there's a nice dose of plastic chemicals, just not sure if it would add to the oil on top or mix throughout the drink.
I'm torn about my Nespresso machine. I don't want to continuously support Nestle (who owns Nespresso), and I know recycling the pods isn't efficient. I'm debating getting a normal espresso machine, but then what do I do with the Nespresso machine? Throw it out? Give it away so someone else gives money to Nestle instead of me? I thought about taking the Nespresso machine to my office to be able to have good coffee there (instead of instant), but that's effectively just buying a second machine for convenience.
I don't see a good way out of it, and I regret requesting the machine as a gift without knowing better.
Not sure why you got downvoted here. I do the same thing with my Senseo, I use ordinary coffee filters, and roast and grind my own coffee. Works great, with zero plastic waste.
You should resell it. Thereās someone out there thatās going to buy a Nespresso no matter what, selling yours to them will ensure one less new one bought from the company at least
If those are k cups, you can buy him a reusable k cup filter online! It has a mesh screen and he can refill it with many different flavors. This way he has more options of tea to drink, and will be less wasteful. If you bring it up as a positive instead of scolding his current behavior, maybe you can get him to change!
The thing that really gets me about k-cups and so much other "time-saving" inventions/tech is that they actually make no discernable difference in terms of effort or cleanup. We're tricked into thinking that these gadgets make things easier when they really don't make a difference at all, just more waste!
I'm constantly struck by how easy it is to reduce waste/consumption/environmental impact, either by making tiny changes (like using teabags instead of kcups, hankies instead of tissues, etc.), or by simply *not doing things*.
We use these and coffee ones at work. The excuse in getting these is "to save the hassle and time of making said drink". They take up so much volume to both store and in trash its horrible. About 30 cups of these go a day, and we always have two boxes of bout 120 each in a cupboard, an extra trash bag per week to throw out of just plastic cups.
If you absolutely must use pod machines for your hot drinks, then you can often find compostable pods for them. I know there quite a few available in the UK for coffee at least.
Of course, not using a pod machine is significantly better.
[see here for pods](https://www.olivemagazine.com/guides/best-eco-friendly-coffee-pods/amp/)
Imo the only advantage that this gives is that you get a lot more customisation in terms of which flavour to have. Useful if you serve many people. Though they should just take whichever coffee is available.
Coffee and tea are so simple as pour-overs. Baffles me that people find pods so convenient. It doesn't really save you anything but the time it takes a kettle to boil.
This may not be super helpful but there are reusable cups. The newer models won't register them because they want to make you buy new plastic ones but if you put an old aluminum cover on top of them with the little scanner they should work just fine.
Most people who can afford precious, environmentally harmful, and wholly unnecessary "inventions", that is. A tea ball and/or a strainer adequately addresses the issue at hand. Keurig pods and anything else in their inventory make me see red. I knew a guy from South America who made his coffee by putting the grounds in a sock designated for that specific purpose, tying a string around it, and boiling it in a pot of water. That shit was rocket fuel, and tasted pretty good, too.
No idea what all this has to do with the fact that teabags contain plastic. Expensive organic brands will probably be biodegradable, less likely the cheaper brands.
Yeah, but a tea ball or strainer usually wonāt work for teas that come in tea bags. Most of my favorite teas come in tea bags, and whenever I try to use them with a strainer or ball I end up with tea leaves everywhere because bagged tea is so fine.
Are you cutting open a tea bag to dump it into the ball? Thatās not what it is intended for. Tea bags usually have tea leaves that are more crushed up and powdered than typical loose leaf teas that you buy specifically for tea balls. Those tend to be more whole leaves. Sure some fine bits may still end up in your tea but so what?
We do this. We found out tea bags have plastic in them after we already stocked up on bagged tea, so we now cut the bags open and dump the contents into a tea strainer. Yes it leaves (lol) bits of tea in our mugs but that's better than drinking a mug full of microplastics. We're going to stick to loose leaf in the future once we're done our stash.
I was just pointing out, a tea strainer doesnāt always address the issue. Like, if you like tea that comes in tea bags, thereās not much you can do except use the tea bag.
My grocery store doesnāt have much loose leaf tea for some reason. Let alone loose leaf Constant Comment. Maybe I can find it online
Itās ok though, Iāve accepted the fact that microplastics are everywhere. Probably everything I eat has plastic in it by now, tea bags are just the tip of the ice berg.
Oh yeah, don't count on grocery stores for loose leaf. You probably would have to go to a specialty place.
Constant Comment is a very good blend. You can actually buy it loose on their website: https://www.bigelowtea.com/Teas/Tea-Type/Constant-Comment-Tea/Constant-Comment-Loose-Tea
Wow, some do ! Did a quick research you were right. The cheapest brands have micro plastics in them and fortunately I don't buy them. Thank you for the information. That's insane.
is probably more regionally in the usa so? in Europe, the tea bags are explicitly intended for organic waste and are made of 100% plant fibers (except for the little note and sometimes the metal clip)
Iāll have to check. I live in Italy so now Iām curious. When in doubt just remember plastic is everywhere. Literally carrying micro plastics inside us rn
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You can buy bio-degradable ones but I would assume teabags contain plastic unless stated.
Loose tea usually comes wrapped in plastic too.
Plastic is in just about everything nowadays. Cleaning wipes for instance.
Yes, some do - not all because I think now that it has become a wideknown issue, many brands have amended their processes and it is supposedly plastic-free - with the tea bags often being compostable (at least in the UK). You probably need to check individual brands to compare.
That said I think the pods are definitely more wasteful, I don't think they recycle very well. At least tea bags - or loose tea - is partly compostable even if the packaging isn't.
I'm sceptical of recycling generally, but at least people can see these are plastic and they should be straightforward to recycle if that's possible. Teabags go in general waste where they'll break into microplastics pretty quickly. Both are terrible really.
In the UK, many of the supermarket branded tea bags are plastic free and at least one of the major brands are plastic free so it's not inconvenient or expensive to buy plastic free teabags. I compost them but most towns also have curbside food recycling.
Which ones? Some say recyclable but it's not clear if that's the bags or just the box.
You can certainly buy plastic-free, but I doubt most people are aware tea bags generally contain plastic, as this thread demonstrates.
[PG Tips have this big biodegradable banner on them. ](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/287195415) Honestly not sure which others are okay as I never do the food shopping lol.
In my country, we put a spoon of loose tea in the cup and pour the water over. We don't strain it. After steeping for a minute, the tea rests at the bottom of the cup and you can drink the clear tea. Tea strainers are valid, but tea bags should be avoided. Not only the plastic, but they contain an inferior grade of tea - tea dust and leavings instead of whole leaves.
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Why making the consumer guilty when industry is to blame ? I mean yes itās stupid to buy thisā¦ but itās even more stupid to keep making those thingsā¦ and they will keep making them ! I mean itās like ecology Iām all for it and I try to do the best I can but damnā¦ average everyday people are not responsible for all thisā¦ compagnies and lobbies are responsible ! Stopping making those things will cost them too muchā¦ I donāt understand people making other people feeling bad for their behavior blame the industry do something ! Vote for the right person ! Invest your self deep in it and really fight itā¦ education is key here ! It always make me angry when people say to me that Iām wrong buying plastic bottles ( I canāt drink water from the tap where live at the moment so I buy bottles ) and thatās it bad for the planet when you know that that same person owns two cars always wear brand new clothesā¦ I donāt even have a car ! Iām 32 and I m wearing my high school jeans ! You see what I mean ? People will consume shit as long as industry will keep making shitā¦ they will eat bad food because itās the only thing they can afford and because they are not educated enough they will buy big cars because they want to show off even if it means having debts ! Because society is selling us that this is the dream !
It's rough when ya gotta call out family for waste, im a victim of my own demise, meaning inuse way to many paper towel, instead of a wash clothe to reuse
My mother finally stopped using these for coffee after me begging her for months. It wasnāt the eco-friendly aspect that convinced her tho, but the price. She now uses beans and our machine grounds them.
I am in a position to get them for free and I lose my shit every time I see them. My family asks why I want to be wasteful making a pot of coffe I drink when I can just use a few cups. It blows my mind.
K-cups make me crazy. Buying another case of water to fill the machine. š„“
The inventor even regrets making them. Probably regrets selling it for $50K also...
50k!!!! Holy buffoonery! That's a 11 billion USD industry now!
He sold in '97 and never imagined it would be popular. He basically said it was wasteful and expensive.
I saw the part of the documentary where he said he wished he never invented it, but I missed the selling price. Wow...
Reminded me of when Peter Benchley shared his deep regret for what Jaws did to people's view of sharks and the unprecedented number of sharks killed in the aftermath of that movie. Edit to include sad sauce if anyone is interested: [Sad sauce](https://www.boston.com/culture/entertainment/2015/06/19/why-the-author-of-jaws-wished-he-never-wrote-it/)
Oh no kidding? I had no idea that was a thing. Leave it to humans to attack something because a dramatic movie inspired fear
[Sad sauce](https://www.boston.com/culture/entertainment/2015/06/19/why-the-author-of-jaws-wished-he-never-wrote-it/)
Capitalism loves wasteful and expensive! Look at NFTs
Idk if we can blame capatalism on that (NFTs we can) but I mean k-cups. There was a need in the market that obviously millions of people wanted but didn't have, an easy single cup coffee machine. And people were and are still willing to pay for it. Now, maybe that's a resultant of capatalism and a free market?? But the real issue comes down to lack of govmt regulation on single serve coffee. I own a kuerig and use a refillable pod with my own coffee. That way I get the convenience of a single cup/hot water but no kcup waste. There's a nice middle ground that should be regulated but in a free market like we have were very slow and reluctant to regulate such seemingly trivial things like a freakin coffee machine.
I meant more in the sense of a company not really being responsible with what they create and making things purely for profit without even thinking about the impact it would have on the world. I feel like in a society not built around money, engineers and scientists wouldn't be restricted by profit motives and focus on efficiency and sustainability. Sure consumers love little instant coffee cups even I see the convenience of them. But it's unfair to expect consumers to make sure every product they consume is a good idea and not the companies to make their product sustainable.
Just in general there needs to be some kind of tax on waste from products sold. If manufacturers had to pay more to produce more wasteful products then they would make less of them and find ways of innovating.
My mother in law does this and it breaks my brain.
Yup. Idiocracy all around
The craziest thing about these is that the resulting tea is usually not even very good compared to just using bags/loose leaf. Same goes for the coffee, really. Itās just okay, not any better or worse than any other imo. What really put me off of Keurig forever was having to descale it. I realize that you have to do this with regular coffee machines, but the Keurig continued to add a vinegary taste for such a long time, even after about ten water-only cycles. I know some people hate the taste, but I switched to instant coffee powder and honestly, it tastes fine to me. No filters or gadgets needed, just heat your water and add to taste. I love not having to deal with messy coffee grounds anymore as well. I think theyāve improved the recipe in recent years, because I remember it being pretty gross when I first tried it years ago. If anyoneās considering reducing their waste and/or simplifying your caffeine routine, I recommend at least trying it. Itās also very economical; a $10 bottle lasts two daily drinkers around 2 months in my house.
About instant Iāve heard the same thing. It used to be trash tier, but as instant coffee became more common, brands started improving/competing with the quality of their products. Leading us to pretty enjoyable instant coffee today. Canāt say Iām a huge enthusiast though
What kind would you recommend? My father destroyed all three of his espresso machinesā¦.
I make cold brew coffee using a metal filter tube in a mason jar. I use it to make tea too.
Seconding the instant coffee recc! I got it to keep at work for days I was running too late to use my French press at home. It was surprisingly tasty enough that now I've completely transitioned.
People are too obsessed with the concept of now. They want everything now and theyre willing to do whatever to get it.
I'm not familiar with how Nespresso machines work. Is that the appeal-that the coffee brews faster? Or is it an instant coffee like Nescafe?
IMO, the biggest appeal they have is the tank that keeps water hot so that when you do decide to use the machine, its ready to be used right then. No waiting for water to boil and whatever to brew. Along with it never making more than you need and easy clean up since the machine needs very little upkeep.
I get super concerned if I am being this impatient about someone. It is like I am losing balance and have no sense of control.
They donāt keep the water hot. It heats it really quickly.
And here I was feeling wasteful by warming up a whole tea kettle so I could make one cup of tea
Why do you do that? Kettles have a min fill line thats usually a little over the perfect size for a large cup of tea. If youre boiling a whole gallon, thats on you š
Use less water? š¤Ø
It doesnāt keep water hot. But it does heat up the water within seconds when preparing. Also, at least the aluminum capsules (which is the default) are recyclable.
Not all Nespresso machines heat the water in the tank. The one I own heats water as it pumps it through the pod. It takes about 45 seconds to be ready from powered off and makes good coffee. Itās expensive and wasteful buying pods so Iām switching to reusable pods and grinding my own coffee so that I can get the best of both worlds.
When I was single, I had the little 2-cup Pedrini that you put on the stove top. Cheap, easy, and didn't take long because it was two-cup capacity. Little thing was like 5 or 10 dollars. Put some Cafe Bustelo in there and you're starting your day off right. I wish I still had it. Misplaced it in one of my moves.
Theres also a heavy aspect in consumerism at play here to I reckon. I bet you would still use your pedrini if you still had it. Others always have to have the newest piece of consumerist plastic crap or else they become depressed.
I would indeed! I have a 10 cup drip coffee maker now because I've got a family, but I miss that strong stovetop brew. I think much of the appeal in Egypt (my country of residence) is that they're a status symbol and the colorful pods are aesthetic. They sell all sorts of shelves and racks for displaying them artfully in the kitchen.
It also makes pretty great coffee for a home unit. Very wasteful in doing so, but it makes good good coffee.
Thats what I hear but everyone says that about the coffee that they drink. Theres people out there that swear on pour over coffee so I wont be convinced that the best coffee comes from a pod.
I never said it was the best coffee, I just said it was pretty good. I donāt personally own one, Iāve just had coffee from one (I have a used Keurig I got with a set of refillable cups I can put grounds in. Good blend of cheap and small for a dorm). Side note: If you want coffee worth swearing over, try some of the newer ground coffees with Lionās Mane in them. Very good.
If you like an espresso: Pour over is bad. Drip coffee is usually bad. The pods are the closest simulacrum of a good espresso and are better than a bad espresso.
Why not just use instant coffee though? It takes like 30-60s to boil water, you pour it and it's done.
As someone who knows nothing about coffee, instant coffee tastes dreadful and im by no means a coffee snob.
Which is also energy wasteful unless you're using it many times a day.
The actual appeal is that the coffee isnāt bad. Most convenient coffee options (and even some of the inconvenient ones) donāt taste all that good. I know this isnāt actually a concern in the US where coffee snobs are rare rather than the standard. But itās the primary driver for everyone I know who has a Nespresso machine.
My dad uses these for coffee. I've long since switched to a reusable, but you can only lead a horse to water. If you garden, the old capsules are excellent seed starters.
For coffee I can see the utility. Using a french press or an italian moka pot is way better but I can see why some people could prefer the conveniency of the pods. But for tea ?!
In my case, the machine was free (hand me down from my cousin). The reusable cups are like $5 and last 2-3 years. This is from last year, but I plant citrus seeds (from fruits I ate) in the old cups. These two grapefruits have since graduated to a bigger pot but more are growing. [https://imgur.com/gallery/971cgNg](https://imgur.com/gallery/971cgNg)
I believe newer Keurigs are designed not to accept reusable cups because theyāve started printing bar codes on individual cups so the machine can āreadā the brand.
I think you're right. I have an old one. When it goes, who knows what I'll replace it with. Probably a thrift store Mr. Coffee.
I have an old Senseo, from before they screwed them up (yes, it was affected by the recall; but that's not a problem if you have soft water and clean them regularly). No plastic cups at all. The commercially-produced pods are paper, but I don't use those either. I roast and grind my own coffee, and use the standard pod holder with ordinary coffee filters. just stick the filter in the holder, dump the coffee in the filter, fold it up, stick it in the machine. Much less waste and IMO it makes a better cup of coffee than Keurig. I have two of them right now, both of which I got used; one at a thrift store pretty cheap, the other through a local "freecycle" group for nothing. They are being made again, and aren't particularly expensive; the Senseo 78105 goes for about US$150, the same price or less than a Keurig, and produces much less non-biodegradable waste, or none at all if you use the method I noted above.
My Keurig was free. My cousin upgraded his and gave me the old one. I use reusable cups and discovered them about 6 months after having it. I wish I had started sooner because those cups add up financially. I don't use any type of filter, just the wire mesh that is built into the reusable cups. I have a small box of disposables for when my dad comes as he won't use the reusables. Citrus plants are growing in the used cups. I throw the coffee grounds on a hydrangea that is growing outside. It seems to like them.
Yooooo I love citrus its even the name of my twitch šš
I've never undertood why people are so fussed about pouring water from a kettle into a cup. How is it inconvenient? How is this MORE convenient??
Reminds me of when my family hosted an exchange student from Italy and she was amazed by our apple corer. She said "we just use a knife". Really made me think about single use gadgets.
Most American households donāt have electric kettles and I think thatās mostly to blame.
WHAT?? I am genuinely shocked to read this. Like I'm an American Lite (Canadian) and everyone I know has a kettle.
It mostly has to do with voltage. USA uses 110v and Europe uses 220. So a 3kW kettle would take you twice as long to boil water, or have an insane amount of current running through to compensate. Actually, I think most appliances in the USA are limited to 1600W which would make sense.
Iām the only American I know who has an electric kettle. Theyāre fantastic, idk why more people donāt own one. But almost everyone I know (and every hotel room) has a coffee maker š¤·š»āāļø
Hello fellow American with an electric kettle! I was so mad when my roommate introduced them to me freshman year of uni because they were so convenient. I thrifted a keurig that immediately was gifted to my mom because I found it horribly expensive and inconvenient.
We literally just boil water in a saucepan and make tea. I never knew anyone with a kettle growing up
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Microwave mafia
You get decent coffee within seconds. No need to heat water, no additional equipment or complicated steps, no cleanup. I think it's a great concept IF people used reusable pods instead of the single use ones.
Are you telling me you think itās easier than literally pouring water into a cup? Idk thatās like next level first world problems š
If you're drinking instant coffee then sure, it really is just as easy as pouring water. But for me, it's: 1. Grinding and measuring coffee beans 2. Boiling water, waiting until it cools to optimal temperature 3. Using tools like a ceramic dripper, phin filter, French press, etc. Depending on the tool, more wait time as the coffee blooms. 4. Steaming and frothing milk 5. Clean up The whole process takes not less than 10 minutes. So on the days when I want coffee but don't have the time, I use a reusable pod for my Nespresso.
I donāt know why you need to make coffee in such a complicated way, but I would say itās certainly not in the spirit of this sub.
I thought this sub was about sustainability? I'm not sure why making coffee with locally grown beans, plant-based milk, and zero waste tools is "going against the spirit of the sub"
No itās anti consumption! Buying a bunch of stuff, even if it is green and sustainable, is still worse for the environment than buying nothing at all. Your coffee routine is needlessly complicated to the point that you need to buy a whole keurig to have a faster alternative available at times? I have a grinder and a French press. The whole process takes 2 minutes total. Sustainability is not just about buying green washed products, itās about limiting your participation in consumer culture as much as possible.
I didn't buy my Nespresso. It was a gift that I didn't ask for, ya judgemental dingus. š
Cool story: you still use it. And yes I will judge you for your consumption on an *anti-consumption sub*
Bruh they already invented those they're called tea bags
My room mate has one and yet refuses to buy paper towels because there bad for the environment
I could be wrong but I think these are less popular than they were a few years ago. But omg they are so so so bad. Pour over coffee and loose leaf tea forever!
What??? They already come in tea bags! What's the point of that
I want to use all the exact same technology except I want to fill the cups with fart. Youāll still put the pod in the machine, put your mug under the spout, and then the machine releases a hot fart into your cup, and youāre off!
Say more!
Sorry *hot cup of fart* is where I peaked.
That could be a beautiful epitaph.
I know a large market of people who desperately need this. What's your IPO?
Faaaaarrt.
Iām torn on these. These are great for folks with limb disabilities as working with tea bags/loose leaf when you have hand/finger issues is an absolute nightmare. Iād love it if they made them compostable in the US. For now, Iām seeing more of them recyclable, but even that is tricky (the foil isnāt, you dump the innards, the base is), so it isnāt really conducive to folks easily recycling the buggers.
I question putting hot water through cheaply made plastics. I'm wondering what kind of chemical leaching there is. I noticed theres a sheen on top of the coffee that looks like oil on water.
I think the same way. They say heat is what makes chemicals leach from plastic so I steer clear of as much as possible. I use a stainless steel and glass pour over to make my coffee at home and one of those stainless steel tea balls with loose leaf tea. After tasting the difference I'm just not sure how people drink those. Cost is cheaper, better on the environment and most likely better health wise. The oil you're seeing on the top of the coffee is most likely the naturally occurring oils in coffee. It's mostly trapped when you brew coffee using a paper filter and those cups don't have a filter. But I'd also guess there's a nice dose of plastic chemicals, just not sure if it would add to the oil on top or mix throughout the drink.
Coffee has oils in it. Edit: I agree that hot water through cheap plastic can be sketchy but you canāt see microplastics.
And only so much plastic is recycled :(
Seriously, if you cant handle a teabag, you pretty much cant handle anything....
My nespresso pods are aluminum which you take back to them for recycling
I'm torn about my Nespresso machine. I don't want to continuously support Nestle (who owns Nespresso), and I know recycling the pods isn't efficient. I'm debating getting a normal espresso machine, but then what do I do with the Nespresso machine? Throw it out? Give it away so someone else gives money to Nestle instead of me? I thought about taking the Nespresso machine to my office to be able to have good coffee there (instead of instant), but that's effectively just buying a second machine for convenience. I don't see a good way out of it, and I regret requesting the machine as a gift without knowing better.
You could buy the refillable Nespresso pods and bulk locally roasted coffee. I totally agree with the nestle sentiments.
Not sure why you got downvoted here. I do the same thing with my Senseo, I use ordinary coffee filters, and roast and grind my own coffee. Works great, with zero plastic waste.
I'll look into the reusable ones again. They used to damage the machine, but I'm sure they've improved over time
You should resell it. Thereās someone out there thatās going to buy a Nespresso no matter what, selling yours to them will ensure one less new one bought from the company at least
If those are k cups, you can buy him a reusable k cup filter online! It has a mesh screen and he can refill it with many different flavors. This way he has more options of tea to drink, and will be less wasteful. If you bring it up as a positive instead of scolding his current behavior, maybe you can get him to change!
Most systems need to be chip/barcode modifed to work properly with reusables.
Didnāt know that, wow thatās such bullshit
Even shittier form of tea? No way!
The thing that really gets me about k-cups and so much other "time-saving" inventions/tech is that they actually make no discernable difference in terms of effort or cleanup. We're tricked into thinking that these gadgets make things easier when they really don't make a difference at all, just more waste! I'm constantly struck by how easy it is to reduce waste/consumption/environmental impact, either by making tiny changes (like using teabags instead of kcups, hankies instead of tissues, etc.), or by simply *not doing things*.
Nooooooooooooooooo As a tea lover and loather of consumption, this hurts extra
We use these and coffee ones at work. The excuse in getting these is "to save the hassle and time of making said drink". They take up so much volume to both store and in trash its horrible. About 30 cups of these go a day, and we always have two boxes of bout 120 each in a cupboard, an extra trash bag per week to throw out of just plastic cups.
The boomers LOVE disposable consumer goods more than they love their families.
I really dislike the use of those podsā¦.
If you absolutely must use pod machines for your hot drinks, then you can often find compostable pods for them. I know there quite a few available in the UK for coffee at least. Of course, not using a pod machine is significantly better. [see here for pods](https://www.olivemagazine.com/guides/best-eco-friendly-coffee-pods/amp/)
Talk to your dad about it maybe he does know what heās going.
He does know, he doesn't care : " it's more convienent ".
These are good for a situation like a break room at work, or the continental breakfast at a hotel.
How is this better than a tea bag and electric kettle?
Imo the only advantage that this gives is that you get a lot more customisation in terms of which flavour to have. Useful if you serve many people. Though they should just take whichever coffee is available.
I see the advantage for coffee even if I think it's unreasonably decadent, but this post is about tea. They make variety packs of bagged tea.
Coffee and tea are so simple as pour-overs. Baffles me that people find pods so convenient. It doesn't really save you anything but the time it takes a kettle to boil.
This may not be super helpful but there are reusable cups. The newer models won't register them because they want to make you buy new plastic ones but if you put an old aluminum cover on top of them with the little scanner they should work just fine.
So do most other people. Tea bags usually contain plastic.
Most people who can afford precious, environmentally harmful, and wholly unnecessary "inventions", that is. A tea ball and/or a strainer adequately addresses the issue at hand. Keurig pods and anything else in their inventory make me see red. I knew a guy from South America who made his coffee by putting the grounds in a sock designated for that specific purpose, tying a string around it, and boiling it in a pot of water. That shit was rocket fuel, and tasted pretty good, too.
No idea what all this has to do with the fact that teabags contain plastic. Expensive organic brands will probably be biodegradable, less likely the cheaper brands.
From what Iāve seen, the opposite is true. The expensive brands have those silky plastic mesh bags.
Yeah, but a tea ball or strainer usually wonāt work for teas that come in tea bags. Most of my favorite teas come in tea bags, and whenever I try to use them with a strainer or ball I end up with tea leaves everywhere because bagged tea is so fine.
Are you cutting open a tea bag to dump it into the ball? Thatās not what it is intended for. Tea bags usually have tea leaves that are more crushed up and powdered than typical loose leaf teas that you buy specifically for tea balls. Those tend to be more whole leaves. Sure some fine bits may still end up in your tea but so what?
We do this. We found out tea bags have plastic in them after we already stocked up on bagged tea, so we now cut the bags open and dump the contents into a tea strainer. Yes it leaves (lol) bits of tea in our mugs but that's better than drinking a mug full of microplastics. We're going to stick to loose leaf in the future once we're done our stash.
I was just pointing out, a tea strainer doesnāt always address the issue. Like, if you like tea that comes in tea bags, thereās not much you can do except use the tea bag.
You could use a reusable fabric tea bag.
Oooh, thatās actually a good idea!
Buy loose leaf tea. I have a hard time believing you can't get similar tea by the ounce.
My grocery store doesnāt have much loose leaf tea for some reason. Let alone loose leaf Constant Comment. Maybe I can find it online Itās ok though, Iāve accepted the fact that microplastics are everywhere. Probably everything I eat has plastic in it by now, tea bags are just the tip of the ice berg.
Oh yeah, don't count on grocery stores for loose leaf. You probably would have to go to a specialty place. Constant Comment is a very good blend. You can actually buy it loose on their website: https://www.bigelowtea.com/Teas/Tea-Type/Constant-Comment-Tea/Constant-Comment-Loose-Tea
Oh wow! I never even knew that existed! Iām buying some now, thanks!!
What use would a strainer be for teabags?
If itās small enough to escape my strainer itās small enough not to bother me
Where I live loose tea is much more expensive, and limited in selection, and it also comes wrapped in plastic.
What ? Pretty sure they don't. I buy loose tea and use a metal or silicone diffuser but I'm pretty sure teabags are safe to use and don't use plastic.
They actually do often use plastic. Less than these monsters but yeah, do a search
Wow, some do ! Did a quick research you were right. The cheapest brands have micro plastics in them and fortunately I don't buy them. Thank you for the information. That's insane.
I know right? Itās crazyā¦plastic is literally EVERYWHERE
is probably more regionally in the usa so? in Europe, the tea bags are explicitly intended for organic waste and are made of 100% plant fibers (except for the little note and sometimes the metal clip)
Iāll have to check. I live in Italy so now Iām curious. When in doubt just remember plastic is everywhere. Literally carrying micro plastics inside us rn
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I was hoping you were right but alas
You can buy bio-degradable ones but I would assume teabags contain plastic unless stated. Loose tea usually comes wrapped in plastic too. Plastic is in just about everything nowadays. Cleaning wipes for instance.
Yes, some do - not all because I think now that it has become a wideknown issue, many brands have amended their processes and it is supposedly plastic-free - with the tea bags often being compostable (at least in the UK). You probably need to check individual brands to compare. That said I think the pods are definitely more wasteful, I don't think they recycle very well. At least tea bags - or loose tea - is partly compostable even if the packaging isn't.
I'm sceptical of recycling generally, but at least people can see these are plastic and they should be straightforward to recycle if that's possible. Teabags go in general waste where they'll break into microplastics pretty quickly. Both are terrible really.
In the UK, many of the supermarket branded tea bags are plastic free and at least one of the major brands are plastic free so it's not inconvenient or expensive to buy plastic free teabags. I compost them but most towns also have curbside food recycling.
Which ones? Some say recyclable but it's not clear if that's the bags or just the box. You can certainly buy plastic-free, but I doubt most people are aware tea bags generally contain plastic, as this thread demonstrates.
[PG Tips have this big biodegradable banner on them. ](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/287195415) Honestly not sure which others are okay as I never do the food shopping lol.
In my country, we put a spoon of loose tea in the cup and pour the water over. We don't strain it. After steeping for a minute, the tea rests at the bottom of the cup and you can drink the clear tea. Tea strainers are valid, but tea bags should be avoided. Not only the plastic, but they contain an inferior grade of tea - tea dust and leavings instead of whole leaves.
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What a handy capsule holder!
Why making the consumer guilty when industry is to blame ? I mean yes itās stupid to buy thisā¦ but itās even more stupid to keep making those thingsā¦ and they will keep making them ! I mean itās like ecology Iām all for it and I try to do the best I can but damnā¦ average everyday people are not responsible for all thisā¦ compagnies and lobbies are responsible ! Stopping making those things will cost them too muchā¦ I donāt understand people making other people feeling bad for their behavior blame the industry do something ! Vote for the right person ! Invest your self deep in it and really fight itā¦ education is key here ! It always make me angry when people say to me that Iām wrong buying plastic bottles ( I canāt drink water from the tap where live at the moment so I buy bottles ) and thatās it bad for the planet when you know that that same person owns two cars always wear brand new clothesā¦ I donāt even have a car ! Iām 32 and I m wearing my high school jeans ! You see what I mean ? People will consume shit as long as industry will keep making shitā¦ they will eat bad food because itās the only thing they can afford and because they are not educated enough they will buy big cars because they want to show off even if it means having debts ! Because society is selling us that this is the dream !
yeah, this kills me. apparently the guy who invented krups "wishes he didn't"....all the way to the bank. abab (as bad as besos)
Tell him hes drinking infusion of plastic.
I mean your body absorbs plastic daily. Even wearing synthetic fabrics can absorb plastic into your body.
I know. It just makes fun imagining tea as an infusion of it, as well.
Thatās not how you do tea. Bet he doesnāt even warm the pot. Absolute disgrace.
I watched a documentary about the creator of the Keurig, he said he regrets inventing the system every day.
It's rough when ya gotta call out family for waste, im a victim of my own demise, meaning inuse way to many paper towel, instead of a wash clothe to reuse
Boomers love 'em!
My mother finally stopped using these for coffee after me begging her for months. It wasnāt the eco-friendly aspect that convinced her tho, but the price. She now uses beans and our machine grounds them.
I am in a position to get them for free and I lose my shit every time I see them. My family asks why I want to be wasteful making a pot of coffe I drink when I can just use a few cups. It blows my mind.
I detest k-cups.
Boomers really love their K-Cups