Carte Noire soft pods

Yes. These are large-format soft pods made from filter paper, the format used by Senseo-type soft pod machines (Philips):

• Philips Senseo — Original and Original Plus, Select, Switch (pods + filter coffee), Maestro, Viva Café, Quadrante, Latte Duo
• Other soft pod coffee machines using the same format, with a pod holder for 1 cup (one pod) or 2 cups (two pods)

Not compatible: capsule machines (Nespresso Original and Vertuo, Dolce Gusto, Tassimo, Lavazza Blue / A Modo Mio / Espresso Point, Delta Q, illy Iperespresso) and 44 mm ESE portafilters on espresso machines — the soft pod is wider and is not tamped for high pressure.

Two filter paper formats that are not interchangeable:

• Soft pod — a wide disc of filter paper containing 7 g of untamped ground coffee in Carte Noire pods, for low-pressure machines such as Senseo. The result: a long coffee, similar to filter coffee, with a light foam.
• ESE pod (Easy Serving Espresso) — a small 44 mm pod containing tamped coffee, for the portafilter of a high-pressure espresso machine. The result: a short espresso with crema.

The Carte Noire pods in this category are soft pods. For an espresso machine with an ESE portafilter, see our ESE pods.

Three different coffees, not just three intensities:

• Classique N°5 — intensity 5/10, 100% Arabica from Central America, medium roast. Fruity and chocolate notes, a balanced coffee.
• Corsé N°7 — intensity 7/10, Arabica and Robusta from Central America, South America and South East Asia, medium-dark roast. Notes of dark chocolate and dried fruit, a rich, intense coffee.
• Espresso Intense N°8 — intensity 8/10, Arabica and Robusta from South America and South East Asia, dark roast. Notes of cocoa and spice, the most powerful of the three.

All three are prepared in the same way, with one pod per cup.

The three Carte Noire soft pods in our selection are sold in packs of 60:

• Classique N°5: pack of 60 (10,71 €, equivalent to 0,18 € per pod)
• Corsé N°7: pack of 60 (10,71 €, equivalent to 0,18 € per pod)
• Espresso Intense N°8: pack of 60 (10,71 €, equivalent to 0,18 € per pod)

One pod makes one cup in the pod holder for 1 cup; for a mug, use two pods.

No: a soft pod machine operates at low pressure, far below the 9 bars of an espresso machine. Water passes through the filter paper in an enclosed chamber, producing a long coffee topped with a fine foam created by the machine: a coffee closer to filter coffee than to espresso.

Two pods in the pod holder for 2 cups make one mug or two cups. Espresso Intense N°8 also produces a long coffee, the most full-bodied in the range: its name refers to its flavour profile, not the extraction method.

A soft pod is made of filter paper and ground coffee, with no aluminium or plastic shell. Carte Noire states that its soft pods are compostable in industrial composting facilities, certified by TÜV Austria to the EN 13432 standard: they must neither go in garden compost nor be discarded in the environment. Check with your local council whether it collects this waste, for example with organic waste.

The outer packaging goes with your packaging recycling. Once the pack is open, reseal it tightly and keep it in a dry place away from heat: filter paper does not protect the coffee from air in the same way as a sealed capsule.

Our selection of Senseo-compatible soft pods features Carte Noire in three intensities; the guide to the format and compatible machines is on the Soft pods page.

If you have an espresso machine with a 44 mm ESE portafilter, see our ESE coffee pods; for a capsule machine, browse our coffee capsules by system.