Everyday Life

This Year’s Coffee Is the UCC DRIP POD YOUBI — Tasting Differences Nespresso Never Showed Me

It’s finally getting cooler, which means coffee season is here.

I’ve been a Nespresso fan for years, but this year I’m totally hooked on UCC’s DRIP POD YOUBI.

Official site: https://drip-pod.jp/subsc/drippod.aspx

Where to buy: See on Amazon Japan

The main reason: you can really taste the difference between capsules. It’s easy, yet you get to enjoy picking “which one today?” That turned out to be way better than I expected.

Flavor differences I never noticed with Nespresso

Nespresso is easy and tasty, and I really liked it. But for better or worse, it always came across to me as “espresso,” and switching capsules didn’t change the taste that much for me.

DRIP POD, on the other hand, is drip coffee. Change the capsule and you can actually tell the difference in aroma, bitterness, acidity, and body.

You don’t need any coffee know-how to think “whoa, this is totally different,” so picking “which one today?” naturally became part of the fun.

You can even pick pro brewing recipes

The DRIP POD YOUBI connects over Bluetooth to the COFFEE CREATION app, where you can choose “Pro Recipes” made by UCC’s coffee specialists.

That’s really fun. You can try recommended brewing methods for the same capsule, or if you don’t want to think about it, just use the settings printed on the capsule.

It makes it easy for anyone to recreate the taste the makers intended. I really like that.

Swap the attachment and you can make tea

Not just coffee — swap the attachment and you can use tea capsules too.
Not just coffee — swap the attachment and you can use tea capsules too.
Coffee in the morning, tea after dinner — one machine handles both, which makes it super handy for everyday use.

Simple design, easy cleaning

Another thing I love is how easy it is to clean. The structure is simple: pull out the capsule and give the dirty parts a quick rinse.
Another thing I love is how easy it is to clean. The structure is simple: pull out the capsule and give the dirty parts a quick rinse.
The drip tray and other parts come off too. If a coffee machine is a pain to clean, you stop using it — but this one never feels like a chore.
The drip tray and other parts come off too. If a coffee machine is a pain to clean, you stop using it — but this one never feels like a chore.
## Great design — maybe a little too much?
That said, there are some things that bug me.
That said, there are some things that bug me.
I really like the design with the big carry handle, but in actual use, I felt **they might have prioritized looks a bit too much.**
The buttons sit under the handle, so they’re hard to see when you’re standing, and not that easy to press.
The buttons sit under the handle, so they’re hard to see when you’re standing, and not that easy to press.
The “done brewing” chime is stylish and classy too — but way too quiet. If you’re a little ways away, you end up wondering, “Is it done yet?”

Since it’s something you use every day, I’d love to see the next model make it clearer and easier to use.

Still, this is my machine this year

I have some small gripes, but **for convenience and enjoying flavor differences, it’s pretty close to my ideal coffee machine.**
I have some small gripes, but **for convenience and enjoying flavor differences, it’s pretty close to my ideal coffee machine.**
With Nespresso, I never thought this much about “what should I drink today?”

Pick a capsule, pick a recipe, and actually enjoy the difference in taste — all without fussy hand-drip brewing.

Not drinking it because it’s easy, but wanting to drink it because choosing is fun.

This fall and winter, I’m enjoying my coffee with the DRIP POD YOUBI.

As an Amazon Associate, Hidenori Kimura earns from qualifying purchases.

This story was originally published (in Japanese) on Yahoo! News Japan Expert.

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