Cru Kafe Coffee Pods Review

We were recently sent some Cru Kafe Flat White Nespresso Compatible Organic Coffee Capsules to try, they arrived in gorgeous black packaging, looking sleek and inviting.

On opening the bag you could smell the coffee, I popped one straight into the machine and I was presented with a dark earthy smelling coffee, the taste of which is really lovely.

My husband, who loves his coffee used the words ‘ I think this may be the best one we’ve tried’ referring to several of the different capsules available including Nespresso which means this is high praise indeed.

I have really enjoyed the coffee in iced coffee and as a flat white first thing in the morning, my husband being more of an espresso drinker has enjoyed the coffee on it’s own although it does suggest it is better as a flat white.

The great thing about Cru Kafe is that you can order a monthly subscription delivered to your door, which means you don't have to worry about running low as new ones will regularly arrive.

The capsules are recyclable and the packet a bit less bulky than some of the others in boxes currently available, there is also less packaging than some of the others available on the market.

The coffee is great but my only grumble is the price, it is a little on the high side compared to others with a capsule including delivery being 40p-46p if you buy just one offs or 37p-41p if you have a monthly subscription. However it is organic so you are getting something rarely available from other coffee makers and suppliers.

As these are from a smaller independent company and this is wonderful tasting coffee, it might be something we buy on occasion, as a gift to ourselves, but not something we'd buy regularly.

NB: We were sent a packet of Cru Kafe capsules for the purpose of this review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Carte Noire Nespresso Compatible Capsules Review

We were recently sent over some Carte Noire Nespresso compatible capsules to try, arriving in a lovely gift box with some gorgeous Bodum cups to make sure we got the best out of the coffee.

The capsules are currently available in supermarkets with a RRP of £2.79 so that makes them around the same price each as some of the less expensive Nespresso capsules.

Being available in the supermarket makes them easily accessible, unlike the Nespresso capsules themselves and others that are currently available on the market which are only available by ordering online.

This isn’t a problem if you want to order in bulk but if you prefer just the odd cup of coffee every now and then or run out and don’t want to buy lots in one go this is the perfect alternative.

The coffee itself is tasty, as you would expect from a long standing premium brand like Carte Noire, available in four strengths (3 Elegant, 5 Delicat, 7 Aromatique, 9 Intense) there is something for all tastes.

I tend to drink my coffee as a latte whereas my husband has his as an espresso and both of us have really enjoyed the coffee, I particularly liked the 3 as an espresso. Super tasty and not too strong, it is smooth and doesn't leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

I'm not sure whether the capsules are recyclable and I cannot find anything on their website to confirm it, this is one thing I love about the Nespresso capsules is that they are picked up and recycled free of charge by Nespresso. If you don’t mind so much about the environment then you can just go ahead and bin them, but this was one of the reasons I was drawn to the Nespresso machine in the first place.

The capsules come in separate foil bags so there is a a bit of wastage here, it also means they aren't as easy to store as the Nespresso capsules, however being able to buy with your weekly shop means only buying as many as you need.

Overall we were really impressed with the coffee, the taste is great and we would definitely buy more.

NB: I was sent some capsules and coffee cups to review, all opinions and pictures are my own.

Big Cup Little Cup Review and Discount Code

I was recently approached by Big Cup Little Cup to see if I would like to review their coffee.

The Big Cup Little Cup capsules are Nespresso compatible and are a slightly cheaper alternative to the Nespresso range. Offering a wide range of coffee's for those that love small cups of coffee or big cups with several different strengths.

The coffee itself was good quality and enjoyable, had a good crema and other than a few bits of coffee dust in the cups you couldn't really tell they were any different.

I mention the dust only because I don't recall really noticing this with the Nespresso capsules, however the way in which the capsules are made and stored is probably the reason for this but it doesn't really affect the coffee itself.

The capsules come in separate foil bags so there is a a bit of wastage, the boxes are a little bigger and so they aren't as easy to store.

Recycling the capsules is also a little more difficult, with the Nespresso capsules you just put them in a bag and coffee and capsule are collected, with the Big Cup Little Cup capsules although the plastic is recyclable it does require you to empty and rinse out first.

Not really something I want to be doing but I do hate waste and this was one of the only reasons I was happy to go with the capsule system in the first place, that they were easy get rid of and be recycled.

Both my husband and I really like the range Big Cup Little Cup have to offer, so much so we ordered the Coffee Lovers Discovery Pack, 300 capsules for £75 ordered and delivered within 24 hours so a great service.

Better still you can get 15% off with code MUMMYDIARY0810 until the 1st November 2013 so that makes them even better value.

NB We were sent 2 free boxes of coffee by Big Cup Little Cup for review, all words are my own and after trying the samples, we chose to buy some more.