Coffee pods offer a fast and convenient way of making coffee; a pre-portioned, pre-tamped serving of ground coffee enclosed in a capsule that is discarded when used. There are many different designs of coffee pods, from Nespresso® to Dualit to Café Pod and not all will preserve and produce quality espresso in the same way. For example, the shape, material and compare a Dualit NX® Coffee Capsule to a Nespresso® capsule; Dualit capsules are made of a different material to Nespresso, have a different seal and shape. Here are the main points to look out for when selecting pods:

• Choose pods that use a high quality bean or blend of bean.
• The freshest coffee will come from beans that are roasted, ground and encapsulated in quick succession. This can only happen if all three stages occur within close proximity of each other. Coffee that is roasted but then has to travel to an encapsulation plant cannot maintain the freshness required to produce perfect coffee. Dualit's Nespresso® compatible capsules are currently the only brand manufactured in the UK.
• The pod MUST keep the coffee totally protected from damage and oxidation, so the coffee remains fresh. This means looking for a pod that has a full seal to stop air getting inside and is packaged so that is can't be damaged in transit or by other objects.

Pods and capsules can be found in high street stores, supermarkets and online. Availability will depend on the brand you are buying. Dualit capsules are stocked on our website, in supermarkets and high street stores giving you flexibility and choice. A local supermarket stockist is useful if you prefer buying your pods with your grocery shopping, or if you are running low and need to stock up fast. Other brands of pod differ in availability. For example, Nespresso® capsules can only be bought from the Nespresso® website or Nespresso® boutiques, located in major cities. In the UK these are London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh only.

Central America

Well balanced, smooth flavours with fruit-like characteristics. Generally few extremes in acidity or bitterness so a good choice for those drinking coffee for the first time.

South America

Even, well rounded taste with moderate acidity and sweetness. Known for chocolate and nut notes. Taste is best when given a mild to medium roast only, to retain the light flavour characteristics.

Africa & the Middle East

These countries produce a more medium bodied bean. Known taste characteristics are spice, chocolate, wine and fruit-like acidity. The best flavour is achieved with a medium to medium-dark roast to balance the contrasting flavours.

Far East & Pacific Islands

Heavy bodied with low acidity. These beans produce hearty and earthy flavours with some bitterness. They do well with a dark roast, to preserve the smooth undertones. Monsooned Malabar is a process applied to coffee beans grown in the Malabar Coast of Karnataka and Kerala in India. When harvested, the coffee beans are then exposed to the monsoon rain and winds that occur in the area between June and September. The process removes acidity and gives the bean a sweet, mellow flavour. Coffee beans gown in this location has a unique taste and is a popular choice in coffee pod ranges; Dualit and Nespresso, for example, have a Monsoon Malabar coffee pod in their current ranges.

The time and temperature of the roast is what determines the flavours and aromas that are created. Generally speaking, the beans grow and darken the longer they are roasted, giving more intense flavours. A dark roast has a greater effect on flavour, as the bean reaches a higher temperature. Any acidity is usually eradicated and beans take on bitter notes. This roast also retains the least amount of caffeine in the bean. A shorter, lighter roast keeps more of the geographic characteristics of the bean and brings out sweeter, more acidic flavours.

Buying Fairtrade is a way of ensuring that the farmers who have grown the coffee beans are paid fairly. The price paid for the beans will cover all of the costs involved in growing and harvesting, as well as leaving money for reinvestment in machinery, processing equipment and their community. As the value of coffee can fluctuate widely, Fairtrade ensures that even if the price of the coffee falls, the farmers are paid a minimum Fairtrade price that will cover their costs and make a profit to reinvest. All of the coffee in Dualit's NX® Nespresso® compatible capsules is Fairtrade, with the exception of Indian Monsoon. In this case, there is currently no Fairtrade sourced Monsoon Malabar coffee available to buy. We have ensured that the beans we use are sourced from small farms run by community co-operatives, where part of the profits are reinvested back into the community.

Dualit has its own coffee production house in West Sussex, where coffee is encapsulated immediately after grinding to ensure it is as fresh as possible and retains the "just roasted" taste. All NX® capsules are sealed to retain the freshness of the coffee and then carefully packed by hand into gift boxes for retailing. Dualit capsules can be used in our own range of coffee machines as well as all "drop-through" Nespresso®* machines. Dualit's exclusive range of six patented NX® coffee capsule flavours, five of which are fairtrade, use only the finest Arabica and Robusta beans, freshly roasted, ground and encapsulated here in the UK.

We recommend all coffee connoisseurs try the Single Origin Coffee Capsules; high quality, single origin coffee sourced from small co-operatives in some of the world's finest coffee regions.

*Suitable for drop-through machines only. Excluding professional machines and 'built in' models. Nespresso® trademark is owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.