The coffee pods are manufactured with filter paper made of all natural fibers. All of the filter paper used to make coffee pods are oxygen bleached, and no chloride is used in the process.
SENSEO® coffee, after roasting, is only ground. To keep the coffee as fresh as possible after roasting, it is packaged quickly after grinding in a protective atmosphere, locking out oxygen as much as possible, as oxygen ages the coffee.
The majority of the blend consists of a so-called wet roast, 'washed Arabica', where water was used to remove the bean from the coffee cherry.
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The SENSEO® coffee packaging is made of plastic with a very thin layer of aluminum to provide a good barrier to oxygen. To keep the coffee aroma in the package for a longer period of time, the SENSEO® coffee pods are packed under nitrogen to remove the oxygen (packaged in a protective atmosphere). This process is, by the way, completely harmless for people's health, as nitrogen is the major component of the air we breathe.
Douwe Egberts uses the dichloromethane method (DCM) to extract caffeine from coffee. This is of a quality specially made for the food industry. The green beans will be moistened with water and soaked in the extraction liquid for half an hour. This process is repeated several times. After the caffeine is dissolved, the DCM containing the caffeine is removed. Then, for a long time, the beans will be steamed to remove possible remains of the solvent, Further, the beans will be dried with warm air and cooled with cold air. Finally, the coffee will be roasted the usual way, ground and packed. No solvent remains, and the coffee meets the regulations set for residue levels.
Mild Roast: between 60 & 80mg/100ml; Medium Roast: between 70 and 90mg/100ml; Dark Roast: between 70 and 90mg/100ml; Decaffeinated: less than 3mg/100ml. These are average amounts as they may vary depending on the natural caffeine differences from the coffee beans.
Decaffeinated coffee is not 100% free of caffeine. According to essentially all national food laws in the US, the remaining caffeine level after decaffeination has to be below 0.1% of the dry weight of the roasted coffee. In practice, it is not a problem to reach such a low level, and the level in decaffeinated coffee is mostly below the limit.
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Coffee contains no cholesterol, but it does contain oil. Use of a paper filter in brewing helps filter off this oil. The SENSEO® coffee brewing process is very efficient leaving hardly any oil in the brew.
The used pods can be discarded as compost able waste.
Based on research, we recommend keeping the coffee pods in a cool place in its original sealed package, but not in the freezer. After opening the bag, keep the pods in its reseal able bag or airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Do not place the pods in the refrigerator, as it tends to attract odors and moisture, which can affect flavor.
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The SENSEO® coffee is not the same as an espresso. Espresso is a strong coffee brewed by quickly forcing hot water through darkly roasted, finely ground, coffee beans. SENSEO® coffee grounds are not as finely ground. The mode of filtration is also different and explains why the taste of SENSEO® is more like filtered coffee. The frothy coffee layer on top is a result of the low pressure brewing method that only a SENSEO® machine can produce.
The shelf life date codes are indicated on the package. We advise you to use the coffee pods within 2-3 weeks after opening (like your package of usual ground coffee).
There is approximately 4 ounces of coffee when the one-cup button is pressed. When the two-cup button is pressed, it will yield two 4-ounce cups or one 8-ounce mug.
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Vienna, one of our City Sensations varieties, is a subtle hazelnut flavored blend with (a touch of) chocolate flavor*.
There are twelve (12) SENSEO® coffee pod varieties for use with the Senseo® coffee machine. The original varieties are Mild Roast, Medium Roast, Dark Roast, and Decaffeinated. Each original package contains 18 pods and weighs 4.41oz. City Sensations varieties include Paris - Vanilla Bistro, Vienna - Hazelnut Waltz, and Killarney - Irish Creamery. Each City Sensations bag contains 16 pods and weights 3.92oz. Cappuccino has 10 pods and weights 4.40oz. The Origin blends varieties are Sumatra, Brazil, Kenya, and Columbia. Each bag contains 16 pods and weighs 3.92oz. (Brazil Blend, Kenya Blend, and Columbia Blend are available for a limited time and available online only.)
SENSEO® original caffeinated coffee varieties (Mild, Medium, and Dark Roast) and Origins blends are 100% pure coffee and do not contain additives. The caffeine in the Senseo® decaffeinated coffee pods is removed by a process using solving agents, which dissolve the caffeine and the coffee pods therefore contains a legally allowable trace amount of the solving agent. Our other varieties are artificially flavored; please call 866-4Senseo for more detailed and additional information.
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The Mild Roast is a lightly aromatic blend with a taste that is mild and delicious.
The Medium Roast is more aromatic and rich; and very appropriate for the morning, as it is characterized by a balanced, harmonious and natural taste.
The Dark Roast is robust and full-bodied, yet surprisingly smooth.
The Decaffeinated variety has the same fine taste of Medium Roast, only without the caffeine.
The Paris Roast is a simply sweet French vanilla, caramel flavored blend *.
The Vienna Roast is a smooth flavored dance of hazelnut, vanilla and mocha *.
The Killarney Roast is an enchanting flavored medley of Irish cream and vanilla *.
Cappuccino has creamer in the pod.
Sumatra Blend is an intense premium blend of Arabica beans selected from the mountainous regions of Sumatra.
Brazil Blend is a subtle taste and soft finish provided by beans from Sul de Minas in Brazil, also known as “the coffee mecca”.
Kenya Blend is composed primarily of slightly sweet beans with a soft finish and hints of fruit from the hills of Kenya.
Columbia Blend is made from beans from Colombian valleys and ravines that create an aromatic coffee with a strong, full taste.
Mild Roast, Medium Roast and Decaffeinated are 100% Arabica beans. The Dark Roast is a blend consisting mostly of Arabica and some Robusta beans.
Due to confidential company policy, we usually do not reveal exact origins of the coffees. The blends mainly consist of a balanced blend of Central American and Brazilian coffees.
Club SENSEO® offers you advanced special information and offers such as "Coffee of the Month Club", and notice on new blends.
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* Artificially Flavored