An Adelaide company brings us “the only organic, single origin and recyclable coffee pod anywhere in the world”. This is wonderful - but only if the pods produce a good cup of coffee. Owen Lindsay fearlessly puts his tastebuds on the line to find out.

For many years the big white tin of Nescafe Blend 43 was the secret shame of many Australian coffee drinkers.

With the advent of Nespresso machines at last making a decent-tasting mug of joe quick and convenient, the secret shame of the Australian coffee drinkers has now shifted to the various environmental problems associated with Nespresso pod consumption.

Enter the Organic Pod Guys, an Adelaide business promoting what they attest to be “the only organic, single origin and recyclable coffee pod anywhere in the world”. The pods produced by Guys work in standard Nespresso machines, and arrive in foiled-sealed packaging that takes the role of chemical preservatives in other pods.

We tried the Organic Pod Guys’ TaTaMailau (named for the highest mountain in East Timor), which is described as a “mild smooth blend”. True to the description, the pods produce a coffee with a light, subtle flavour that has an aftertaste remarkably close to the ‘cherry ripe’ description that’s printed on the box.

While the Organic Pod Guys suggest that the espresso is best enjoyed with a press of the ‘long’ button, we lovers of strong, inky-coloured coffee found the drink much more enjoyable with a ‘short’ button pour. A disastrous attempt was also mistakenly made to add milk to the equation – avoid this error at all costs, lest ye too be burdened with a mug of weak, diluted bean juice.