CoffeeDuck, the Refillable Filter Senseo Pod Coffee Machines

I have been an avid user of the Senseo for a few years now and until recently had used the available pods and the ECO Pod which works well but was a little more work to clean and needs to be replaced after awhile. When I saw the Coffee Duck and read the reviews I thought that the problem was solved. Rich creamy coffee with an less expensive alternative to the Pods. Much to my dismay the Duck did not live up to its reviews. The coffee was weak, watery and not frothy even after trying several brands and grinds.

I bought three, for home, work and for a friend.

BIG MISTAKE! Step away from the Duck! Use the pods or use the Eco pod!!!

The CoffeeDuck is AMAZING! There are two things you should know...

1) HEAT the Duck before hand to prevent the first "cold" use of the day from leaking.
2) Also use FINELY GROUND coffee in the Duck for the best flavor, almost espresso ground is perfect around #3.

I love this thing. Use it every day. I grind down my pre-ground or beans to espresso fine once every few days and keep a supply in a plastic container. I haven't bought a single pre-made pod since I got it. (Though, I probably will keep some on hand just for convenience and for my boyfriend who can't figure out this duck thing.)

Have a few suggestions:
-- DO use espresso grind or grind down your regular drip grind supply - it makes a huge difference.
-- DO adjust to your own taste and play around with it a bit. I like strong coffee, so I fill it to the top and hit the 8 oz button.
-- Once in a while, DO clean off the part of the senseo top where the water comes out (the silver circle). The Duck top has holes so eventually leaves a fine silt-y layer where the water comes out unlike pods that can't let any grounds through the filter material.

-- *Important* FOLLOW THE DIRECTION that tells you to make sure there are NO CRUMBS on the edge of the base of the duck. Really - make sure. Your Senseo will dribble or gush (depending on how many bits of coffee grounds there are). I mean it. Even one tiny speck of coffee between the metal and the plastic will cause a leak. And leaks suck.


=== The only CON: The dump and refill process ===
The plastic top is hot so I let it cool off before I take it off to dump the grounds.
The grounds are also hot and don't come out completely. I rinse it off before refilling it.
I think I need a countertop compost bucket or something because I'm sick of coffee spots on my floor from my counter to the trash can.
I think someday the hot coffee grounds will melt down the plastic trash can liner and I'll be that person in the trash bag commercial whose bag breaks and dumps yucky trash all over the place when I try to take it outside.


That is the only reason that I rated it a four. I'd say it's more like a 4 1/2 stars.

Cheers!

This product is great once you get the hang of it. I tried several times but I couldn't get the coffee as stong as the Dark Roast Coffee Pods. I tried adding more coffee and using Starbucks Espresso coffee. But the trick was using fine ground coffee. Once I ground the starbucks espresso coffee even finer the taste was great !!!. Just make sure the coffee is finely ground. Works fantastic though. Must agree you lose most of the foam with this product.

Senseo pods are costly, but the machine sure is handy.
The coffee duck works and is a good alternative, or supplement, to pods. I've tried other filters in my Senseo, this one works best. No complaints. Only time will tell how it holds up with repeated use.