When it comes to single serve coffee, Philips proves that it’s all about the crema!

In my last post on this subject, I praised the convenience of the Melitta One:One coffeemaker, but noted that the coffee Melitta made for it was mediocre, at best. I ordered some gourmet pods from PODhead; their dark roast approached the minimum taste requirement of my regular drip coffee, but still wasn’t worth the hassle and expense of mail-ordering it from the States.

Not so with the Philips Senseo, I’m happy to report. I picked one up across the border last week, and have been hooked on it ever since!

It isn’t fair to compare Senseo with espresso or french press coffee — what comes out of the Senseo is really a new kind of coffee beverage. The frothy layer of crema on top is as thick as the head on a pint of Guinness, and the black stuff underneath is silky-smooth in flavour, rather than bitter.

So far I’ve tried the dark and mild roasts; the only difference I can see is in their strength, making the dark perfect for a morning wake-me-up, and the mild a nice after-dinner treat.

Some Senseo users have complained that one pod yields only half a cup of coffee. I’m actually okay with this, as I can get through a serving at my own leisurely pace, without using a mug warmer or being left with a tepid pool of sludge at the bottom of my cup. And who cares if I go through six pods of coffee per day — it’s only about three doses of caffeine proper!

I’m so enamoured with Senseo coffee that I find myself pooh-poohing regular java in restaurants where I can get Americano or something with froth on it instead. And for now, I’m more than willing to import pods for my Senseo from the States; I’ve even found a site that offers European-only brands and flavours!

According to this Toronto Star article, Philips will start selling the Senseo in Canada sometime in 2005. Be warned: Once you try it, you may never go back to drip coffee again!