With regards to the tea making with pads, does your comment mean that the Senseo would not be suitable for this? What kind of machine would be best for this?

I am not aware of any Chinese coffee machines that can support the Senseo pads, but in case the Senseo is a success here you will see copies flooding the market soon. Quality is another question of course.

Introduction in many countries is being held up by lack of cooperation from Philips, for example. I know of such thing being happening in Finland, where an Importer ( a well known coffee personality in the country) has been trying for years to buy the machines from Philips who doesn’t even bother answering his mails.

I am the export manager of an Italian producer of such format coffee. We are trying to bank on the ” Italian” taste of our blends and we firmly believe this is the way forwad in all the countries which love ” Long” hot drinks.

I think it is pointless to want to force the Chinese, for example, to like espresso if this is not in their culture or taste. One will be better off in this markets with Senseo (and clones) or Cappuccino makers.

I am lookin for, by the way, chinese coffee machines which accept this format and do a good job of it.

Some companies suc as the Portugese Briel produce a coffee maker which does both Senseo and Espresso pods. A winning combination, I find.

If you buy senseo pads for tea you are better off buying a machine which has a tea program because to make good tea the pad requires pre-soaking (unnecessary ad even harmful for coffee!) otherwise the flow is too fast in the pad and extract too little of the aromas of tea.

rein