Coffee capsules: Portioned curse and blessing

Photo by Jisu Han

The first coffee capsule was introduced in 1986. However, coffee capsules didn't revolutionize the coffee market until the mid-2000s. In Austria, around 42% of households prefer to drink coffee from a capsule . But why?

Convenient coffee consumption

Preparing capsule coffee is particularly quick and easy. Add water, heat it up, insert the capsule, press the button – done. No need to brew water, no need to weigh, no need to adjust the grind – it's pure automation. A capsule machine is also relatively easy to maintain during operation.

Because the coffee is enclosed in the brewing chamber (capsule), virtually no dirt is generated. There are only a few coffee residues in the brewing container. A quick rinse with warm water and regular descaling are sufficient. Ongoing cleaning and maintenance effort is therefore relatively low.

Coffee capsules thus reduce complexity in the household, save time , and ensure uncomplicated coffee consumption. The once ritual of coffee preparation is giving way to automated dispensing. The capsules are embedded in modern everyday life, just like ready meals, packaged salads, and Alexa. But do these advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

A lot of money for little coffee

Most coffee capsules contain 4-6 grams of ground coffee, which is the same weight of the packaging material. Portafilter machines and fully automatic machines typically use 8-10 grams of coffee for a single espresso. Due to the low dosage alone, the result in the cup is relatively poor, regardless of the green coffee used and the roast profile. But not only your taste buds suffer, but also your wallet.

The cost per capsule varies between 20 and 45 cents. Depending on the manufacturer's dosage, 1 kg of roasted coffee in capsules costs between 33 and 112 euros. Compared to the price of whole beans (from 8 euros in the supermarket to 30 euros from your local roaster), capsule coffee is quite expensive. Quite expensive in some cases...

Questionable environmental balance

There's still the issue of the environment, which Arne from Coffeeness also addresses in depth . Whether capsules made of aluminum or plastic are more environmentally friendly is controversial . Capsule manufacturers advertise recycling, but only around 40-50% of them are actually recycled. Of the estimated 200 million capsules produced annually (!) in Austria, at least half end up in the residual waste. And even if the capsules are recycled, their inclusion in the metal or plastic bin is unclear in some municipalities.

In summary

The coffee capsule has undoubtedly revolutionized home coffee consumption. As a clean, quick method of preparation, it fits seamlessly into our stressful everyday lives. The price for this is horrendous long-term costs and enormous waste production.

The desire for convenience appears to outweigh other consumption-related factors. Otherwise, the high penetration rate cannot be explained, despite the economic and ecological disadvantages.