GoKawiilI’d wager most American coffee-drinkers have sampled a Keurig brew. If you don’t already own one of the single-serve coffee makers, perhaps your aunt shared a cup during the holidays, or there’s one in the office break room. Intuitive to use, easy to maintain and long-lasting, the appliance offers terrific practicality. Simply pop in a pre-bought coffee pod, hit a button and watch a cup pour out.
Courtesy of The Milk Pod, such easy extraction now extends to dairy, too. Compatible with Keurig brewers, these single-serve capsules produce rich-textured milk with a single push. Impressively, the pods are shelf-stable for 15 months and don’t even require refrigeration. Currently available in three classic coffee flavors — plain, vanilla and caramel—they’re made with milk powder and natural ingredients. Rather than just hot milk, the dairy’s composition turns out frothy, yielding a latte-like consistency. It’s an intriguing addition to Keurig’s already expansive pod selection.
Coffee and milk, all at the press of a button
Milk Pods load in just like normal pods. Nikita Ephanov/CNET
Unlike a milk frother or steam wand, the pods require minimal instruction. They insert right into the K-Cup slot, no adjustment necessary. The Milk Pods entail no specialized setup; I was already sampling the dairy only minutes after opening the box.
As I brewed with Milk Pods one morning after the next, the initial ease continued. It’s recommended to brew the milk before the coffee, both to a six-ounce size, so the two liquids fit into a standard mug. As long as I didn’t accidentally press the wrong volume (my Keurig offers 6-, 8- and 10-ounce settings), I couldn’t make any mistakes.
Read more: I Brewed 50 K-Cups. These Are the 5 Best
Really, the only slight annoyance with the setup is the constant need to refill the water. My Keurig has a 30-ounce water tank, which means I need to top it up at half capacity. During only the second round of coffee, the brewer pinged me to take the reservoir to the sink, an upkeep that didn’t take much effort. Functionality-wise, the pods are remarkably easy. Pouring cold dairy out of the fridge is the easiest milk-integration technique. It’s hard to imagine a more consumer-friendly system.
Convenience is cool and all, but how do the pods taste?
Milk comes out hot and frothy, ready to be mixed with coffee. Nikita Ephanov/CNET
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