Green coffee comes in giant bags (35-69 kg). During roasting, there is usually a weight loss of 15-25%, simply that much water is released due to the heat. We don't add aroma, we don't soak it in oils, we cool down the roasted coffee and let it rest a bit. It is then ground and ready to go into the encapsulating machine.

The machine continuously and precisely dispenses the amount of coffee we have set into each capsule. We do quite a lot of tasting, and in fact, we start each production process again with a tasting, so it is even conceivable that we have to fill it a little differently today than in the previous production. Usually between 5.3 and 5.8 grams can fit in one capsule (if they put more than that, the coffee machines wouldn't be able to handle it).

If we produce for a longer period of time (up to 2 years!), nitrogen can enter the capsules during filling, simply by replacing the air inside with food-grade nitrogen. The meaning of this is that, due to the oxygen in the air, the coffee "flattens" over time, losing its flavor and intensity, while nitrogen is a neutral gas and does not cause a change in quality. (And since 75-78% of the air we breathe is nitrogen, it has no effect on our body.)

So what makes our coffees taste good? Simply because it contains the highest (specialty) quality, 100% Arabica coffees from high-altitude plantations. We don't stir the coffees, we don't add aromas, we don't use robusta beans, we don't roast them until bitter, we simply enjoy the "soul" of the coffee (even with a good, quality wine).

Let's start at the beginning: coffee in itself is a luxury product that is not really environmentally friendly. Coffee is grown many thousands of kilometers from us, processed (sometimes using a lot of drinking water), brought across the ocean, transported to the roaster, roasted with a lot of energy, packaged, and then the ground coffee somehow becomes a drink. Are coffee capsules good or bad?

The shocking short answer: one of the least harmful of our coffee drinking habits is the capsule. Does it sound weird? Think about it: our capsules are made of aluminum, which means they are 100% recyclable an unlimited number of times. Making coffee requires minimal energy, the machine only runs for a few seconds (no need to heat it up, no need to light the gas, etc.). The capsules are "adjusted", you don't need to adjust the grinder, you always get the same coffee, you don't need to prepare it again, you use much less coffee.

If we look at the entire life cycle of our coffee, the two largest parts of the ecological footprint are the cultivation of the coffee and the preparation of the drink.

Since there is significantly less coffee in a capsule than in an espresso or a filter (Samurai Shoelace capsules are filled with 5.3-5.9 grams, and an automatic coffee machine's espresso is made from 9-12 grams), the first "profit" can already be seen. The second is coffee making. The energy used to prepare a coffee made with a coffee maker can be up to 10 times that of "boiling" a capsule!

So capsule coffees reduce the two largest parts of the ecological footprint to a fraction!

The main problem is not the principle, but our own laziness, unfortunately. The aluminum capsules we use are 100% reusable, unlimited times. (The alloy can be made into a capsule again and again, using a fraction of the energy required for the original production). We also have a solution for that:

So instant coffee is the most environmentally friendly, followed by capsules!

Taking the above into account, filter coffee is the most polluting (in terms of coffee's ENTIRE life cycle), which is only "slightly" worse than espresso.

So it's always worth looking at the whole picture, and we can't emphasize enough that you select and don't throw the used capsule in the trash, because the pomace inside is a valuable nutrient for plants, and aluminum is a valuable raw material for the production of new capsules! Click here and see our recycling!

Many of you ask why we use aluminum capsules (or what other options are there). We thought a lot about this, we tried several solutions, but we stuck with it. Why?

What capsules are there?

There are three major categories: plastic, aluminum and degradable. We also started with plastic at the beginning, but quickly abandoned it. The reasons are known, plastic does not decompose ("degradable" only means that it crumbles into dust and becomes microplastic contamination. That is, it does not disappear, it does not disappear without a trace), it cannot be recycled, or only with great difficulty. It is possible to collect selectively, but this only passes the problem on to someone else.

So why is it non-degradable?

There are two types of "degradable" capsules, one is industrial compostable, the other is home compostable. Their common feature is that, if properly treated, they actually decompose without a trace or environmental damage, and organic matter is formed during decomposition. However, "industrial" compost, as the name suggests, requires a serious background: pressure, temperature, continuous treatment, and unfortunately, there are currently no industrial composting plants in every settlement. (Not to mention that the capsules should also be delivered here, cleaned of all other impurities). The solution that everyone has been waiting for is the home compostable capsule, which you just have to throw under the plants, it breaks down quickly and is even good for the plants. This is just a dream at the moment, on the one hand, the capsules themselves are not the best yet (they are not completely airtight, the coffee usually stays fresh in them for 6-8 months), moreover, if the decomposition process "starts" badly, it does break down, but in the meantime a lot of methane is formed. In other words, despite our good intentions, we produced one of the most dangerous greenhouse gasses with the capsule thrown in the trash. Continuous experimentation is taking place, especially in the field of raw materials, we have already come across pine bark, sunflower husk, bamboo and paper capsules. (And then let's get to the worst news from a coffee point of view: the degradable capsules "breathe", i.e. they let air in. And the biggest enemy of coffee is oxygen. It is no coincidence that there is a very famous specialty capsule manufacturer that writes a "best before" date of 3 months on the box!)

So is aluminum the best?

From a technological point of view, it is certainly the least burdensome solution from an environmental point of view (of course, this is only true if you bring the capsules back or collect them selectively). Aluminum can be remelted an unlimited number of times and made into capsules again and again. (By the way, this is also an interesting question, that the degradable capsule is a "passenger", i.e. it is only produced to put coffee in it once, prepare it, and then it goes in the trash. The aluminum, on the other hand, goes through this cycle many times after production). In addition, the aluminum capsule is perfectly airtight, i.e. it protects the coffee inside.

So how polluting is the capsule?

If the aluminum capsule is collected back, or at least disposed of in selective waste, it is one of the least polluting ways of drinking coffee at home. We have already written a longer thesis about this, read it:

Are coffee capsules environmentally friendly?

What's more, if you buy a Samurai Shoelace capsule, you can "not only" drink very delicious coffee at home or in the office, but that coffee comes from a controlled source (selected growing area, from well-known farms), roasted and encapsulated by us, so you also strengthen local businesses!

Not to mention that we offer a great tool for recycling our capsules (click on the picture!)

If you don't feel the usual flavors (in fact, the coffee is downright not delicious), if it flows hard, if the drink is cloudy or mushy, this all means that you won't be able to enjoy a good cup of coffee. The good news is that by the time we're done with it, the coffee will taste much better!

Two things can typically cause the coffee machine to get dirty:

on the one hand, limescale (that's why we always recommend that if possible, DO NOT use tap water! A simple filter jug ​​can cause huge changes in taste, not only in coffee, but also in tea, soups, etc.),

on the other hand, things that dissolve from the capsule and coffee. (Coffee oil tends to stick and turn rancid over time - this will make your drink bitter - and inevitably there will always be a little residue in the machine that can stick to it.)

Fortunately, both problems can be solved in the same way:

You have to wash the coffee maker after every coffee and at least once a month (or when the coffee gets noticeably worse) with a cleaning agent.

It is very important to send a little water through the machine "empty", i.e. without capsules, before and after making coffee. Immediately after the coffee, the beginning of the leaking water will be cloudy and muddy, if it is not cleaned, it would all go into the next coffee (and obviously it would not be good for the taste of the coffee...). Before preparation, it is worth letting a little water pass through in the same way, so that the system warms up and any impurities that may still be in it come out.

At the same time, it is worth decalcifying your water at least once a month (or weekly if you drink a lot of coffee). Each manufacturer has its own recommended and considered good cleaning liquid/tablet solution that helps with the problem. However, if you don't have one at hand (or you just don't want to spend the price of the machine again in the long term), the simplest crystalline citric acid available in a pharmacy or in the general store (sold as a powder in a 50g bag) will do as well (after all, when dissolved in hot water, it dissolves greasy stuck-on dirt perfectly, and water stone as well). Simply sprinkle two level teaspoons of citric acid into the machine's reservoir, fill the reservoir with water, then wash the machine with it until the reservoir is empty. If it is completely empty, wash the water tank, then wash the machine again with a full water tank (now without citric acid) (press the button until the water tank is empty).

At the end of the process, reward yourself with a coffee that will certainly be much, much tastier than before the cleaning... If you do this every month, not only will your coffee always be delicious, but you will also protect the machine so that it will work for you for a long time !