LavazzaGran Espresso Single-Serve Coffee Pods, Dark Espresso Roast, Pack of 150

The media could not be loaded. I got this machine brand new at a garage sale for 15 bucks because I wanted to practice on this older model before spending 1000 on a machine I was to inexperienced to use and would end up breaking. I work in fine dining so I’ve made plenty of espresso beverages before but not with an at home type of machine . Anywho I figured out that there’s Pods for this thing and apparently that E.S.E. Sticker on the front means easy serving espresso or PODS . Yes these Gran Espressos are incredible, yes they’re easier to use in a hurry, and yes you can be as happy with them as I am. My model (EC155) did not require any special baskets or anything to use these however you do need to use the single serving basket to ensure a tight fit. Hope this helps someone. Cheers!

Great taste. On time delivery

I've personally sipped hundreds of espresso shots brewed from the Lavazza Gran Crema E.S.E. pods using my Delonghi DEDICA (EC680M). Full disclosure though, my wife does not like it, and she prefers other roasters, but for me it's the perfect flavor profile - not bitter at all as an espresso shot (that's very important to me), and I find the aroma wonderful on its own but it becomes absolutely amazing when I rub the rim with some lemon peel before enjoying the aroma.My Delonghi DEDICA does not brew a very thick crema in general, and the crema with these are as rich and thick as I can produce with any other coffee - either E.S.E. or fresh ground. I assume your results will differ if you have a different espresso machine. On this same machine, my wife likes the flavor of the Illy pods but I think this machine has too low a pressure to brew them quickly - takes anywhere from 20 to 30 seconds for the Illy pods (possibly due to a finer grind) but with no better richness of flavor and no thicker crema. The Lavazza pods are a breeze, typically only taking about 8 to 10 seconds, and that's perfect for me.[Update Feb 27, 2019]I used a timer this morning to check my brewing times and the Lavazza pods came in at 16 ot 17 seconds after pre-wet, and 22 to 23 seconds total brewing time. I guess I was so happy with the "short" brewing time that I exaggerated, just a little! ;-)

"Lavazza doesn’t disappoint! Been using the Medium Roast ese pods for a few good years and decided to try out the Dark Roast. It’s almost as good as the Medium Roast, not as nutty but with hints of pepper and chocolate. Works very well with cappuccinos and lattes. I use it with a Francis Francis X5 and our family loves Lavazza brand!"I wrote this review a few good years back, since then we've seen and tasted a decline in the quality of this coffee. We loved the hints of cocoa and pepper yet they are nowhere to be found today. Also, these ESE pods are watery, the extract comes out in about 5-8 seconds and almost with no crema. No, it's not our espresso maker because we tried other makes (Illy, Lucaffe) and their pods behave the way they are supposed to, 18-25 seconds extraction which provides for great flavor and crema. The only Lavazza we like somewhat is the White Packet known as Intenso, but when compared with other brands it does not have the same complexity, albeit the crema is what is supposed to be like. I hope Lavazza corrects this in the near future.

I make this espresso with my DeLonghi EC155 Espresso Maker and it comes out beautifully. The espresso that comes out is a rich dark chocolate color with a nice layer of crema.As another review as noted, the espresso is not packed as tightly in the pod as other brands, such as Starbucks, but this issue is easily resolved if you wet the pod and then press it down with a good metal tamper. Once you do this, the espresso that comes out is perfect. If you buy this product in bulk and then on auto-delivery from Amazon, the value is very good and much cheaper than going to a coffee shop every day for a latte or cappuccino.I like pods because the clean up and measuring is done for me - super easy. I love being able to make lattes in my home. Companies like Lavazza make it easy!

EDIT:I was doing it wrong, which led to watered down espresso. I read the manual for my machine and fixed my error. Not a bad product at all. The flavor will leave something to be desired for coffee snobs, but it's a solid 4 stars.ORIGINAL:I already had an ESE-compatible machine, and i was hoping this would make espresso a quick and easy option for my mornings. Compared to nespresso or other capsule coffee systems, the price of these was reasonable. The result, however, has been very disappointing. I get an extremely weak pull out of these. I think it is the filter preventing water from making enough contact with the grounds. Most of the water just runs around the sides of the pod. I have tried using 2 or 3 of these to make a single shot and it works ok. But that negates the convenience factor that i was looking for.

We are a large Italian family that is very picky about our coffee. We love this brand and these pods. After inheriting the machine from our uncle we wanted to use it right away. We started with other imported Italian pods that we found somewhat pricy. We ordered the Lavazza in an effort to save some money and are not disappointed. We really like the taste of the coffee just as much if not better. When we host our large family it is a must to serve cappuccinos and espressos after dinner. Everyone raves about the taste! I wish I could also find a decaf version since even the younger kids in our family like coffee too.

I've purchased this items many times (Purchased 19 times. Last purchased Jul 23, 2025.Flavor Name: Cocoa & Black Pepper | Size: 1 Count (Pack of 150)) over the last decade or so. Latest box, the packaging and physical pods have taken a quality hit. Feels very cheap. Only used 5 or 6 pods so far, but because of the cheap, stiff pods, the quality of the drink has taken a hit as well.