October 20, 2006

Senseo Sumatra Blend Coffee Pods Review

Review from Single Serve Coffee.com - Coffee Pod Reviews

We've been trying various different coffee pods in our new Senseo Supreme single serve coffee maker, and we're very excited to get beyond the Senseo dark roast as our core Senseo coffee pod offering. The Senseo Sumatra blend claims to be a more bold and intense roast than it's counterparts and comes from a higher more mountainous Arabica bean. How does it stand up to it's older siblings?

We fired up the new Senseo Supreme and the Bunn My Cafe for comparisons. You'll get the frothy "Senseo Crema" using your Senseo Supreme or regular Senseo coffee maker, and on a Bunn My Cafe or other single serve coffee maker that uses 7-10gram pods, you'll get a dark cup of coffee sans "Senseo Crema". Why the quote? The Senseo crema is more froth than crema, but is also a welcome additon to you cup of coffee, and sets Senseo apart from other single serve coffee makers.

The Senseo Sumatra Blend coffee pods weigh in at just 7 grams. If you want to double up the pods, you can with the double pod holder on the Senseo, or stuff them into the coffee pod holder on the Bunn My Cafe. If you're using a Krups Home Cafe, or the simplehuman coffee pod brewer, we recommend sticking to one pod. Two coffee pods can get a bit tight and is not recommended on either.

Tasting the Senseo Sumatra Blend Coffee Pods

We liked these coffee pods and the coffee produced with both machines. That being said, we thought the coffee would be darker and richer than the coffee produced. With just one pod on a double cup setting (~8oz), we found the coffee to be thin and lacking the flavor we wanted. On the double cup setting, and with two coffee pods, the coffee produced was much better.

With most Sumatra coffee, adding a little cream and sugar will bring out a touch of chocolate or other sweeter flavors. The Senseo Sumatra blend coffee pods really didn't produce anything that sweet when adding sugar and cream. Bummer. We really like the chocolate note you can get from a great Sumatra coffee.

Conclusions

We like these coffee pods and think they're a little better than the Senseo dark roast coffee pods, but we aren't blown away. We do think bang for you grocery store buck (where these coffee pods will be available as well as online), you'll have a hard time doing better, except if you have a Target nearby and can purchase some of the Archer Farms coffee pods. Still, it's nice to see Sumatra coffee pods from Senseo, and also how they are growing their line of coffee pods to include more than just decaf, medium, and dark roast. The Senseo flavored coffees are also something to look out for as you shop.

Senseo Sumatra Blend coffee pods can be purchased now at www.senseostore.com, Amazon.com, and at other online retailers. Also available in select grocery stores. The Senseo Sumatra blend coffee pods will work in your Senseo Supreme, Bunn My Cafe, simplehuman, and Krups Home Cafesingle serve coffee pod brewers.

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Posted by Jay Brewer at October 20, 2006 8:30 AM

Comments

I was expecting something a bit stronger and richer from these pods, but pretty tasty all the same. I'm a big fan of the Sydney pods for a lighter almost vanilla-y cup.
Posted by: Alan at October 21, 2006 7:38 AM

I have yet to find a coffeepod that is dark enough for my taste, at a reasonable price, for the Senseo. It's always a total compromise for the sake of a quick, hot, fresh cup of coffee. So far the Archer Farms French Roast is the best. I was hoping that the Senseo Sumatra would do the trick, though I couldn't imagine that they could leapfrog over the mediocrity of the other pods. And, indeed, the Sumatra is okay, about as dark as the Archer Farms, but really lacking in flavor or complexity. So, we'll just have to wait for a good dark, reasonably priced pod!
Posted by: HeathCliff at October 23, 2006 12:55 AM

HeathCliff, Senseo has recently introduced their Extra Dark pods; perhaps these are more suitable for you?
Posted by: Wendy at October 23, 2006 6:31 AM