A coffee capsule is usually a plastic container with ground coffee that allows you to make a coffee drink on a capsule espresso machine. Today, coffee in capsules is one of the most popular products on the coffee market in the world, thanks to marketing promotion and ease of preparation. All you need to do is turn on the coffee machine, insert the capsule inside, and press the button.
From Coffee History
The technology was invented in 1975 by Eric Favre, a technology engineer at Nestlé. He set the goal of eliminating the “human factor” from the brewing process and ensuring that the coffee maker’s owner was guaranteed a cup of great drink without undue effort. There is another secret that underlies the new technology – making coffee with oxygen. It oxidizes the essential oils in coffee, and they are more likely to be converted into a beverage, making it richer in flavor.
However, the implementation of the idea had to be postponed for 10 years because Nestle initially did not want to invest in development. The company believed that its audience will always prefer instant coffee and will not pay attention to even tastier but at the same time more expensive options. But, as you already know for sure, consumer preferences have gradually changed, moving towards craft coffee, and capsule coffee machines fit into the renewed market.
- Favre and Nestlé CEO Peter Brabek signed the agreement. Nestlé's patent for new capsules in 1991 protected its sales until 2012. After that, other manufacturers were able to officially produce similar capsules.
- In 2015, at the age of 68, Eric Favre decided to end his career and sell his company. Today, more than half of the world’s capsules are manufactured using his technology.
What is the future of coffee capsules? It is safe to say that these capsules will occupy a large, if not the dominant, part of the coffee market. The quality of coffee in capsules is improving, and they allow you to quickly and easily prepare coffee in capsule espresso machines. Capsules are getting cheaper and more affordable. There is a negative factor – many ejected shells from the capsules. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved.