What's in a coffee capsule?

In short: coffee. Longer: coffee and air

There are many types of coffee capsules on the market, from many manufacturers and roasters. Of course, we cannot speak on their behalf, but since we manufacture Steamhouse's capsules, we can be sure of what goes into your cup. Let's break the secret now!

Green coffee comes in 60 kg bags. 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, 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 also 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 any quality changes. (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 mix the coffees, we don't add aromas, we don't use robusta beans to make it more creamy and more intense, we don't roast it until it becomes bitter, we simply enjoy the "soul" of the coffee (even with a good, quality wine).