Some people do not realize that there is a difference between espresso and regular coffee. An espresso pod is a small disk that has a coffee-like filter containing a small amount of tightly packed espresso. The pods are more popular than having espresso in bulk because they are easier to store, and you can make them in single servings.

The idea for espresso pods first emerged in 1959 from a company in Pennsylvania. The technology was a large success in Italy, and took a while to make its way over to mainstream America. This was due to the fact that espresso had dominated the coffee industry in Italy, and was a big hit in offices where speed and convenience was a must. Pushing a button and getting a single serving of espresso was an ideal situation for espresso in the workplace. Also, up until this point, brewing a good cup of espresso was an art form that took skill and patience; and the espresso pod machine made making a cup of espresso something that anyone could do.

Espresso pods are extremely easy to use, and it is as simple as placing a pod into a normal espresso machine or specialized pod brewer, adding hot water and pressing a button. Some beneficial features of the pod machine include: having consistent quality made espresso, little or no training required to use the machine and limited waste of espresso grounds. The speed of making a cup and cleaning up is increased significantly as well.

Some people that consider themselves coffee and espresso fanatics claim that there is a definitive decrease in quality of the espresso. There is, however, enough people that claim that it is as good as if it were made regularly. Overall, the benefits of having a machine that provides a quick and efficient cup of espresso are too large to not consider this a viable option.