Cafe Pod | Daily Grind

The humour is enough to raise interest, but what about the flavour? Read on to get the no-nonsense take on Cafe Pod's house blend.

What do they say?

'Our smooth house blend has the power & intensity you need to help you battle the daily grind'

The no-nonsense version, please?

Breakfast is a make-or-break time of day for most people. For coffee aficionados, this is only intensified. The right accompanying cup of java can set you on your way with a spring in your step. Cafe Pod's Daily Grind, going by its name, would appear to be intended to do just that.

It's a 100% Arabica offering which the producers claim has a 'fruit and nut granola' taste. Whilst most granola-munching hipsters would clearly find something as commercial as a Nespresso machine beneath them, the rest of us sometimes just need something to give us a little kick in the morning. And for that, Cafe Pod have delivered nicely.

I wouldn't find myself agreeing with the granola claims, however. For me, having dropped less than half a teaspoon of sugar in (and for those who consider sugar the work of the devil, I shall refer you to Mr Espresso himself), the flavour was one of treacly richness. That counts as a win in my book.

Without the sugar, the only word I could describe the Daily Grind with would be 'hollow'. There just wasn't much flavour there at all. Although it wasn't unpleasant, neither was it worth remembering even seconds after taking a sip. In other words, it was blander than John Major driving a beige Rover to M&S for a new pair of slacks, or for the more comedy-oriented among you, an entire Michael McIntyre set.

The addition of the sugar somehow elevated what could have an instantly forgettable cup into one that was a sweet and enjoyable way of beginning the day. Do yourself a favour, though: keep that spoonful small. Any more than half a teaspoon and it does become a little cloying and sickly.

Overall, I have enjoyed drinking and reviewing Cafe Pod's lineup. Reasonably-priced coffee pods that keep drinkers ticking over. You could always check out the review of another of their lingo coffees, the Brunch Blend and an espresso, the Supercharger.

Should I buy it?

• Absolutely!

• Yeah, why not?

• Worth a punt, but don't put yourself out.

• Only if the alternative is dishwater. In fact, try the dishwater first, anyway.

What did Bruno McSwan-Neck, Editor-at-Large of The Coffee Courier say about it?

Sigh. As any real connoisseur knows, adding sugar to coffee is akin to pouring a can of Coca-Cola into fine single malt Scotch. One can perhaps forgive the sugar-loving tendencies of the reviewer above given that he has, thus far, shown very little appreciation for real craft coffee and is instead hell-bent on encouraging the populace to purchase sub-standard pod coffees.

We can, dear reader, perhaps take some solace in the fact that he is likely to succumb to a diabetic coma soon.