The Draw of Single-serve Coffee Machines

Single serve coffee machines are gaining more popularity globally. A study by Euromonitor, a company that tracks sales of pre-packaged pods/capsules used in these machines, revealed that global sales in 52 countries was well over US$4 billion in 2010. The United States alone accounted for US$600 million of these sales. Experts claim that European brand names were the early market dominators. As more brands are now up on offer, Tassimo vs Keurig seem to be a bone of contention amongst potential buyers.

While some find it convenient to grab a coffee from a coffee house on their way to work, an increasing number of people prefer to have or prepare their hot beverages at home.

Single-serve coffee machines fill this preference of consumers by making it easier to make that cuppa in just a couple of minutes with just a touch of a button.

Some of the reasons cited by consumers on why the preference to brew at home, include :

1. Convenience

Single-serve coffee machines for the home or office are made for convenience of use. Most such machines offer users easy operability in that all they have to do is place a pod/capsule into the machine, press a button and the hot beverage would be ready in one or two minutes.

Seasoned users would tell you that the time taken to make that beverage certainly depends on the brands of coffee makers as the technology used in these machines may vary slightly in the way they warm up the water or filter the coffee.

2. Choice of Hot Drinks

While some coffee machines like the Keurig brand offers coffee, tea and hot chocolate, others like Bosch Tassimo provides users the option of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cappuccino, lattes and espresso.

Those new to single-serve coffee machines may think variety is best. Nevertheless, industry watchers have advised that the key to selecting a machine is to know your taste.

This is the reason why, before making that purchase, some consumers would research on the pods/capsules offered by each brand. For those who prefer strong coffee, they even go the extra mile in testing the ‘strength’ of coffee selection offered in these pods by the different brands.

3. Long-term Cost Savings

It might appear convenient to grab a cuppa on your way to work. Single-serve coffee machine users, however, maintain that having coffee makers at home has provided them cost-savings they never thought of initially.

These users claim that making their favorite cuppa at home would cost between $0.40 to $0.60 a cup, compared to the average $3.00 they would have to pay if they were to get the hot beverage from the coffee houses.

If the claims were anything to go by, it would indeed translate to a considerable savings in the long term.

So with all these benefits claimed by current coffee machine users, does the market for these machines look set to expand further.

Well, manufacturers would certainly be smiling as the current figures already show a staggering 1.2 trillion cups of tea and 650 billion cups of coffee drunk each year. With the convenience and cost-savings that they offer, it looks like single-serve coffee machines are set to entice new owners.