Very hot, as in, you're gonna double you're carbon footprint if you buy one.

Can't believe Polti has the balls to say "no waste," cuz the coffee is carefully measured. They don't consider the individually wrapped portions to be a packaging problem.

Then we're all supposed to be cool with pitching the machine in the landfill in 60 days when your supply of beans runs out.

No idea why they can't design these to run on home-ground coffee. I mean, I do know why ... just can't believe they're ok with it

Never considered myself a tree hugger. But some things just seem intuitively wrong.

Everyone who makes anything should also have to make one of these:

@rapiollymega will it work with Apple?

@rapiollymega How's the audio quality?

@mehhead Or buy caffeine tablets...cut out the middleman.

@Tom I was thinking the same thing. Think I'll stick to my moka.

@Lara

No freaking kidding. Moka pots are da bomb. What passes for "easy and convenient" these days boggles my mind.

@InFrom NA = Not Applicable

@vietec Bean there, done that. I was in Italy last summer, just south of Naples. One day, I wanted a chicken salad for a quick lunch. So I ordered a Poultry Capri Espresso with a smug mug.

@KDemo Well with all the expensive pooped-out-by-civet and pooped-out-by-jacu-bird coffees, maybe pooped-out-by-goldfish is next?

@liz anytime is espresso time....

@liz I'm trying to figure out when it isn't a good time for espresso. .

@christinerenee yea that's where I am stuck here... if only it came with a universal pod module....

@Stallion No it just makes espresso

@brainmist link?

@ciabelle http://www.amazon.com/Capri-Polti-PCNA0003-Espresso-Capsules/product-reviews/B00HD6ML7Y

@brainmist 1) There's only one review, and 2) (just a personal thing) I wouldn't trust a review with such poor grammar.

@jawshark87 Gooder typing at HSN http://www.hsn.com/products/polti-capri-espresso-machine-with-100-capsules/7472089#template-product-detail-reviews

@jawshark87 Fair enough on the 1 review, but the grammar doesn't bother me in a review that cites some major issues with an espresso machine.

@Dizavid There is another, similar brand. I wonder if the pods are compatible. Those pods are $30 per 100 on Amazon

@ruouttaurmind do you think these pods will work

@ruouttaurmind Without someone measuring up the capsule's dimensions here first, I'd lean towards "don't count on it".

@dano1mark1, I agree with @narfcake. Although the coffee capacity is rated the same, and the appearance is very similar, without the actual dimensions, all bets are off. If I was a coffee drinker I might roll the dice and give it a shot, but my preferred caffiene delivery vessel is cola.

@dano1mark1 People love those Lavazza pods, and the Lavazza machine that uses them is spendy. I have a feeling if they worked in this cheapo machine, someone on the tubes would've figured it out by now. Though, someone always has to be first to discover a thing, I suppose.

Edit: but then someone found this so who knows.

@prof ... but says this deal 'not yet available' and no mention of shipping.

@cpierce

Proud son of the South, so I stick with this tried and true version:

https://highplainsdrifters.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/confederate-coffee/

The Confederate Receipt book, 1863.

Take sound ripe acorns, wash them while in the shell, dry them, and parch until they open, take the shell off, roast with a little bacon fat, and you will have a splendid cup of coffee.

A letter to the Tennessee Baptist in 1861 claimed that okra coffee is indistinguishable from the real thing:

We Have Tried It.—We have been somewhat skeptical about the various substitutes that have been proposed for coffee.—We have doubted whether any thing would have the flavor of the genuine article. But, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” We have tried the okra coffee, and had we not known it to be okra, we should have supposed it the best of Laguyra or Java. It has all the rich spicy aroma of the genuine article, and we have no doubt, is equally nutricious [sic] and probably less injurious.
We would advise all our friends to reserve a large space in their gardens or farms, for planting okra. It will do, and no mistake, blockade or no blockade.

@MehnofLaMehncha That's kinda like chicory coffee, you get coffee flavor but no caffeine. And drinking non-caffeinated coffee is like drinking non-alcoholic beer - why bother?

@cpierce

I hear ya. But a Union blockade will make many a man change his habits.

@curtise I bought an Aeropress a couple months back unused in box w/o filters; still haven't used it yet. It's usually the moka pot for me.

@curtise get the aero press and watch how much dust everything else gathers. Delicious coffe, quasi-espresso, and super easy cleanup. It's the easiest way to make fussy coffee.

@curtise The Aeropress won't make true espresso, but it makes a damn fine cup of coffee. Definitely get one. Easier to clean than a Freedom Press, bien sur.

@curtise judging any espresso system by having capability to produce more bars than another is like saying one camera is better than another because it has more megapixels. "19 bars is irrelevant for a capsule system" would be a better statement.

@curtise I find the aeropress to be lacking in the clarity of flavors that I get when I brew my East African coffees with a Hario V60 or other pourover setup.

@curtise also have multiple machines and the Aeropress will be the choice when I travel as I can get boiling water where I am going and dont want to sit and watch a moka pot.

Leading me to a huge complaint about my recent purchase of a Bialetti purple moka pot from Amazon. Steam escaping from the screw together halves - Amazon sends me another pot. Same thing!

I write Bialetti & get a response saying, basically, I should act as quality control and remove the excess paint on the threads (I discovered this - multiple pages of Amazon reviews 1 star with the same issue of escaping steam - no mention of excessive paint on threads).

I follow Bialetti instructions and it works. Will be writing Jeff with a bill for my hourly rate against the nearly double price of silver moka vs color moka.

@Blahbbs "Freedom Press" I see what you did there. Plus, damn, cleaning those things IS a PITB.

@curtise Check out a Staresso..single shot hand-powered espresso maker. The rubbery piston in my Aeropress slowly swelled from use (heat?) and could not be pressed down. And I think it is Black & Decker that makes this absurd manual K-pod brewer that looks more like a Colman lantern, but works. The worst looking inelegant American design since the original soft white plastic 1970's Mr. Coffee makers.

@radi0j0hn FYI, Aerobie will replace almost any part of the AeroPress for free if you call them. I've had several parts replaced over time, they don't even require date or proof of purchase. Just look up the website.

@radi0j0hn Have you actually used the Staresso? Is it actually good?
It seems laughably awkward and the results look kind of bad from the online videos I found, like this one:

Obviously I can't tell what the resulting liquor tasted like, and the cinematographer in this video loses 30% credibility for including an x in espresso, but yeah, that doesn't call out to me as a must-buy.

@curtise I was an early adopter. It's fiddly, but so are all hand powered espresso shot machines. Had the French one (Made in China) and it gave out in 4 months due to gasket failure. I'd prefer to pump the Staresso into a cup, as the base is deep and some of the crema never makes it out. But it is as good as a lot of cheap pump machines.

@mamawoot Maybe just make a reusable pod.

@mamawoot I was wondering about that. No inspiration yet.

Why does that make it a "missed sales opportunity" @RedOak ? I'm assuming that meh does not have the pods for sale separately. So of course the best sales strategy would be to sell 3 to each buyer. I'm a little taken aback at the thought of buying throwaway machinery though. Oh well. I'm on an instant coffee kick lately. I've been enjoying Folger's crystals and it's less messy for me.

@RedOak i think you need to read the last two paragraphs again because thats exactly what they meant by "unless..."

@Jebbielax @therealjrn ... which goes to show I shouldn't be posting whilst sleep walking. No beer to blame either which is embarrassing. It is now almost noon and I feel much better.

@RedOak

Was going to dog pile on the rabbit, but guessing you're good now.

@MehnofLaMehncha 'not so sure - it's getting late again this 24 hour cycle, almost 1am. Go to today's deal to see...

@strongeagle Well, where's it going to go if nobody uses it?

@5665150 Was that Nespresso or Mehspresso?

@jonmeh it was YESpresso...Ristretto not Lungo. Obviously

@5665150 I like how they are metal instead of plastic (the nespresso pods)

@bjeller thanks for the hunting! If Meh has any left over and just so happens to send me one, I'll buy all flavors of pods and do a thorough review and post it in many easy to find places so next time they sell these they will sell out faster!

@metaphore Have you checked Morningsave.com yet? Maybe something good there for you.

@dashcloud Thanks for the reminder to check the site out. Love that quilted laptop tote. precise-flattering-floor.

@OnionSoup This is 100% wrong. Blends that include Robusta have better crema, higher caffeine content, and typically higher acidity. All of which have their place.

@khiddy First time I've heard good comments about Robusta beans. Usually I hear they are tasteless filler used to save money in a blend (often grown in Vietnam).

@radi0j0hn Many espresso blends do include robusta for the reasons khiddy mentioned, particularly the lovely crema. I love a good SO espresso, but am no stranger to using about 1/4 robusta to pull a shot. Aside from the Vietnamese stuff, some comes out of the Philippines.

Aside from Arabica and Robusta, two other commercially grown species of note are Liberica, which tends to have very large beans with strong blueberry notes, and Excelsa, which I just wish was more readily available, because that is a bean that holds its own with Arabica… just different.

@brhfl I'll have to give it a try.

@ronnyd It's discontinued, so anyway you look at it, all the machines will eventually end up in the landfill anyway, but presumably no more will be made to replace those.

It's true that assuming the other brand of capsules are compatible, and not discontinued, that could create an ongoing environmental headache. But if there's any group which will figure out a hack to make those capsules reusable, Mehmbers of this community are probably more likely to figure it out than the average joe or jane.

@ciabelle The average c(o)up(le) a joe(s).

@radi0j0hn My lightly used Keurigs, Nespresso, and unused Aeropress were all thrift store finds. I see Tassimo and Dolce Gusto machines commonly enough too.

In fact, I think the coffee maker I paid the most for is the Ikea moka pot ($20).

@narfcake My La Pavoni lever machine was $40 and I have an unbranded stainless moka pot that works with my induction plate and makes 6 small cups. I've had several thrift store pump machines, but not really great ones.

@narfcake Isn't everything you own a thrift store find?

@radi0j0hn Nice! I've definitely ran across pump machines before, but most were incomplete and/or overpriced (by my standard).

@sammydog01 Ha, but no.

@giorgitd yea this would be a BUY at $10 for sure... at $50... meh...

@bigkiskewl After you try it out, can you measure up one of the capsules (in mm)? That'll answer whether the Lavazza EP ones can work or not.

@narfcake The pods measure the same in mm, the only reason I wasn't confident in saying "they totes work with lavazza" is because I couldn't be sure that there wasn't some dumb way to make them not compatible, like an extra plastic notch or something.

@Moose @narfcake And even if they fit the same, there may be design differences, such as to restrict flow… much like many consumer machines use 'pressurized' portafilters that restrict the flow to increase pressure, I wouldn't be surprised to see the same tricks being used in pod systems.

@brhfl Well, hopefully with 19 bar (275 psi) behind it, pressure restriction through the capsule isn't an issue.

@narfcake Sure can be — beans ground for normal espresso are more than capable of choking a pressurized portafilter machine. The 19 bar pump feels like a spec for spec's sake anyway — most units are around 15 and adjusted down to the standard 9. Now, all this to say, I doubt it'll be a thing, but there can be factors other than just the physical size.

@bigkiskewl I agree. My first espresso was pretty good. Tried the "Crema" first.

Capsule measurement:
39mm x 20mm

@narfcake See above post for capsule measurements.

@bigkiskewl My Lavazza pods arrive Monday. my Polti Pods look identical top, bottom, and sides to the lavazza compatible pods, so I expect they will fit which makes this a fine deal as the Lavazzas are about as cheap as real Italian pods get.

@ggrochr so wait...you are spending 50 cents on a cup of coffee? You make it at home? That seems dumb.

@ggrochr This is very most promising news!

@therealjrn Dumb is not understanding that there's a difference between an espresso and a regular cup of coffee.

@ggrochr

The Lavazza black cartridges do not work. I received today from Amazon: LAVAZZA POINT - CREMA & AROMA GRAND ESPRESSO (100 count about $30). I understand Lavazza is using these slightly different black cartridges now. They slide in, the lever is much harder to press, and no espresso comes out the spout (it seems to leak into the drawer). Very disappointing, if you can find the white cartridges they may work. There was no photo of the cartridge on the Amazon listing.

@ggrochr Do you have a pic of those?

@bigkiskewl !
Black Capsule

@Ggroch Thanks for the pics! I'm guessing that Polti purposely added that groove (as present in the white capsule) to disallow use of the more standardized EP capsules, yet would allow theirs to be used on other machines. That would explain the "harder to press" aspect also.

Bastards!

Now we need the polti dremel machine for some alterations!

@ggrochr Argh. Have you tried using a Dremel or something to see if making a channel around the outside of the pods - to simulate the Polti system - allows them to work correctly? I mean, yes, it's a bit of a hassle, but I figure I could crank through a box of 100 in an hour, so it would be worth it....

Still and all, I'm floored by Meh's customer service. Thanks, guys. you made my evening.

@accumulator What I will try when the current pods are gone is to dremel the machine itself. My guess is the holder is plastic. I'm hoping its easier to do that then to dremel every pod.

@ggrochr ...and I can confirm. I also ordered the Lavazza Espresso Point 100-pack from Amazon. Arrived today. Same exact result. Bastardios! First it was Beta/VHS, then CD+R/CD-R, then HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, and now this! Why can't we all just get along??

Now I'm out $130 -- 2 Meh machines ordered plus another $30 for the Lavazza pods. Subtract out the $50 credit, and I'm still out $80 for 100 cups of (slightly stale) espresso... The economics of this deal aren't as good as I originally hoped, even with the $50 credit. Wah!

Hoping for an eventual machine modification or capsule adapter!!

@NoSalt From lower in the thread, here's what compatible capsules have: https://meh.com/forum/topics/polti-capri-espresso-machine-with-100-aromapolti-capsules#572e350695c51d4001074a50

@bigkiskewl Same, very happy about that as my wife made a few comments once I pointed it out. Lesson learned, stop paying attention to details...

@shubydoo me too!!!!

@JonJon It looks like Lavazza Point compatible capsules might work - but only the original white versions. And even then, the capsule has to have a 'ring' on the bottom for a seal on the machine to sit into. So, like this:.

@psbales Thanks! It seems like some other pods might be available, some directly usable, others with an "adapter ring". Almost all the of the websites on this subject are italian so I'll have to spend a little time researching. :)

@JonJon Keep us updated if you find some compatible pods or a usable adapter!

@dashcloud

I believe the polti uses the "espresso point classic" style mentioned above. They also seem to be some kind of industry standard for a while but i cant find the acronym. Xpresso305 on ebay says theirs are compatible. Here is a page with details of different pods. http://www.espressoplanet.com/Lavazza-Espresso-Coffee-Capsule-Pod-Styles.html

@JonJon Thanks!

@dashcloud The capsule standard is "FAP" which apparently predates Fapping.

They're also listed as "PVC" because of the capsule's material. You'll find a lot more under those terms.

Reply back if you find any particularly good brands....

@JonJon the lavazza blue will not fit
I have capsules and they are too wide.

@cichlid Yeah I wouldnt’ think so. the new Lavazza “Aroma Point” capsules (black) won’t work either.

@NoSalt I surely hope so. I bought five of the things. And 500 expired coffee pods...

@jianxu7 don't Polti have some kind of repair policy?

I really like mine, sorry...

@jianxu7 Did you ever get an extra machine? If you’re willing to pay shipping, I’ve got one.

@lauramalter WOW this post is ancient. Yeah I actually picked one up the second round they offered it. Thanks!

@connorbush Month 3 Year 2016

@JonJon After I run out of capsules, I will be dismantling my machine to see if mods could be made to use other pods.