This Spring, Fresh Roasted Coffee celebrated a new collection of seasonal flavors and sent us a batch of them to review. This was my introduction to the Sunbury, PA company. This summer, Fresh Roasted Coffee introduced a new kind of K-Cup / coffee pod to coffee lovers, boasting a new way to brew with your Keurig.
Meet Envipods. These unique pods are completely plastic-free, basically serving as mini coffee filters with a “cap” that is actually plant-based. Their specs describe it as “BPI-certified for commercial composting facilities.” Each pod is said to include 20% more coffee than standard style single-serve pods – which aims to provide a better flavor in the long run.
So… do they?
Short answer? Yes.
Personally? I kind of hate K-Cups. I’m a stickler for a rich coffee flavor, and I’ve found that most K-Cup pods just don’t deliver. They’re often bland and maybe even slightly “off” with their taste. These Envipods though? The flavor is pretty rich. Because the water is basically being pushed through a coffee filter instead of a little plastic hole, you’re getting much closer to a brewed cup of coffee than ever before with other pods.
Plus, let’s be honest, Fresh Roasted Coffee live up to their name.
Since I received and reviewed that batch of Spring flavors, I’ve been absolutely addicted to their “Saturday Morning Cereal” flavor. I have it as my first cup of coffee almost every day now. (I shall mourn the moment it is no longer available because they’re out of it. Here’s hoping they bring it back next spring!) Through them, I also discovered the first-ever decaf coffee I thoroughly enjoy: Blueberry Crisp. It’s so good! And does NOT taste like decaf (they also have a caffeinated version which I’m afraid to try in case it tastes different and may ruin my enjoyment of a good decaf). But these guys have so many different flavors and brews, that there’s a lot to choose from and try out from this company.
The different coffees they sent me to try out were Peru, Guatemalan, Mexican and Ethiopian. All of them are really good. I still would lean toward drip coffee, personally, so I can make some stronger than usual, but each one of these options proved to be superior pods to the normal plastic kind. (I even brought these by my parents’ house while visiting and my dad raved about them — so much so, that he placed an order for a few bags for himself. He loves them!)
The recommended brew size per cup, according to Fresh Roasted Coffee, is 8 oz per pod. I tried 9 oz as well, but to ensure you get a fuller flavor, it’s suggested to keep to 8 oz. I tend to prefer bigger mugs of joe at a time (I sometimes treat myself to 16 oz of that Saturday Morning Cereal goodness to start my day), but 8 oz works for smaller cups when you’re on-the-go, or just want a quick pick-me-up. (And, technically, you could use 2 separate pods and 8 oz brews to equal a heartier 16 oz cup if you prefer.)
The verdict? Envipods are a win. Again, I’m just not really a fan of K-Cups/pods, but these are quite good. If I have to use a K-Cup, I would absolutely prefer these, hands down. And the smell? Incredible. Usually, those plastic pods don’t smell like anything but plastic, but these pods smell fantastic. My only gripe is that they come in plastic bags that aren’t resealable. (And since the cups are basically filters, I’d worry they wouldn’t stay as “fresh” as the plastic K-Cups… which I’ve always wondered how fresh those things can be to start with.) If FRC would start offering them in resealable bags, that’d be perfect, but I suppose it’d be just as easy to toss them into a ziplock bag or airtight coffee can, too.
If you’re a K-Cups/pods fan, give Envipods a try. I bet you’ll be surprised by their quality, rich taste… and that delightful aroma!
As kind of a bonus, they tossed some decaf standard K-Cups into our care package and I’ve been enjoying trying out the different flavors. My favorite remains Blueberry Crisp – which translates well as a K-Cup, too – but I’m also enjoying Caramel, French Vanilla and Maple Creme. Check ’em out if you like flavored coffees!
By the way, they have a Refer a Friend program, so if you want $20 toward your first order of $50+, use this link! (And I’ll get $20 off too… it’s like buying each other a couple cups of coffee!) Now… what’s this about them having a pumpkin flavor for the fall season??
