Maud’s Coffee: Gourmet Single-Serve Pods?

While single-serve pods aren’t generally number one on our recommendation lists for coffee, we understand that sometimes the convenience of a pod brewer wins out. As a result, today we’re covering a brand that’s really stepping up to the plate as far as making pod brewing a more enjoyable coffee-drinking experience.

At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Maud's Coffee

 
 
So say “Hello!” to Maud’s Coffee! We’ll tell you a bit about the brand itself, cover what exactly their pods are compatible with, give you the full run-down on their coffee, and even give you our top picks.

Maud’s Overview

Maud’s Righteous Blends is a coffee and tea brand that sells fresh roasted, 100% Arabica blends in recyclable coffee pods. The name comes from the blending of the names Maddie and Aubrey, the two daughters of the company’s founding family. They offer dozens of unique, gourmet coffee and tea blends specifically sold for single-serve brewing.

Additionally, the company has a 5th generation Roastmaster, Jeff McIntosh, on staff who ensures all of their roasts are top-notch quality! Maud’s works with Intelligent Blends to pack their pods.

Compatibility and Selection

Maud offers both Nespresso and Keurig compatible single-serve pods. Their Keurig offerings are a little more extensive than their Nespresso ones, but there are great options on both sides with some overlap on blends.

All of their Nespresso-compatible espressos are organic. They offer 4 pure-origins (Ethopian, Sumatran, Guatemalan, and Mexican) and 3 blends (Dolcetto, Intenso, and Aromatico). There are also several variety pack options.

The system for their Keurig-compatible gourmet coffees is a tad more complex. For the sake of keeping it simple here, we’ll just break down the line carrying the “Maud’s” label and rank. These coffees each have a number printed on top ranging from 3 to 10 indicating the roast level.

3 is their light roast breakfast blend and 10 is their “espresso” roast. Most of them are 5’s, meaning medium roasts, and they come from a variety of different origins. Among the selection is a sampling of organic and decaf options as well, so you should be able to find something that suits your tastes. The other main separation in the line up is between the gourmet and the flavored gourmet coffee.

Maud’s Coffee Capsules

For simplicity’s sake, we’ll be dividing this section by blend type: Organic+Fair Trade Gourmet Coffee, Gourmet Coffee, and Gourmet Flavored Coffee. This is the same separation system that Intelligent Blends uses to describe the brand.  Also, we will be linking to their K-cup options, but the Nespresso-compatible pods are available on their website (including the dolcetto, intenso, and atomatico pods.)

Maud’s Organic, Fair Trade Gourmet Coffee

This line has 4 available blends that use 100% Arabica beans like the rest of Maud’s coffee. However, these are unique in that they are also USDA Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified.

Colombian

The Colombian roast is classified as a 4, making it a medium-light roast. It is sweet and medium-bodied with subtle brightness. There are strong, natural caramel notes complimented by a nutty undertone.

Ethiopian

A much darker roast, the Ethiopian pods are ranked at a 7. The brew is heavy-bodied with a low acidity. It has a notably spiced flavor and has a pleasant, fragrant aroma.

Guatemalan

This Guatemalan single-origin ranks at a 5, making it a balanced, true medium roast. It makes a lovely, full-bodied brew that is richly complex. It has unique, smoky and chocolaty undertones with hints of spice with unique smoky and chocolaty undertones.

Sumatran

This Sumatra is a level 7, making it a medium to dark roast, like the Ethiopian. It has a rich, full body and the signature earthy flavors of Sumatra make themselves known in the brew.

Maud’s Gourmet Coffee

The biggest collection for Maud’s brand, the gourmet coffee collection has 10 blends that will knock your socks off without any added flavors. They’re batch roasted and ready to go in their recyclable pods.

Bubbies Breakfast Blend

This is Maud’s lightest roast, ranked at a 3.

Dunk Your Donut Shop

Another level 3 light roast, Dunk Your Donut Shop is also available in decaf. It has a pretty mellow flavor and a crisp, clean aftertaste.

Maud’s in the House Blend

This medium roast, level 6 roast is described as an “American Classic”. It brews a well balanced, medium bodied coffee. The flavor has a distinctly South American richness and a notable brightness, making it perfect for any time of day.

World’s Best Half Caff

As you may have guessed from the name, this level 5 medium roast is a half-caffeinated brew. So it’s perfect if you don’t want a completely decaf coffee but still need something a little less intense. It’s made using a mixture of the Mellow Mood Decaf and the Tall Dark & Handsome dark roasted blend.

Mellow Mood Decaf

This level 6 medium roast is exclusively offered as a decaf and makes up half of the world’s best half caffeinated blend. It has a nuanced flavor with a full body. Additionally, it has a syrupy, sweet-berry acidity with some chocolaty notes.

Kona Lisa

This is a smooth, level 7 medium-dark roast. The notes of chocolate and nuts are absolutely delicious in this single-origin Kona blend.

Organic Fanatic House Blend

This certified organic, level 8 dark roast is a real delight. It has a rich flavor complemented by citrus undertones.

Tall Dark and Handsome

The level 8, dark roasted Tall Dark & Handsome is a fan favorite! It’s intense but not too bitter. It has an incredible 12 different tasting notes including chocolate, vanilla, almond, hazelnut, bananas, raspberry, and Jamaican rum. This one is also available as a decaf
.

French Roast from the Coast

This is a true French Roast, coming in at a 9 on the Maud’s roast scale. As result, the brew has some delicious burnt undertones. Overall, it’s a wonderfully bold cup that’s flavorful, with a low acidity.

Espress-O Yourself

This is the darkest of all the roasts, coming in at a 10. Like the French roast, this brew has those delicious burnt. undertone that we look for in an espresso roast.

Maud’s Gourmet Flavored Coffee

Moving onto the flavored coffee, we’re now going to take a look at Maud’s 8 gourmet flavored coffees. Like all of their other coffees, these are made with 100% Arabica beans and packed into recyclable capsules.

Additionally, these are all made using a level 5 medium roast in order to let the added flavors shine through. All of them are available in decaf except the pumpkin flavor (listed last).

Maud’s Sister Hazel(nut)

This level medium roast is the first in the flavored line up and it comes in decaf option too. It has a delicious, nutty flavor and a delicate sweetness. Overall, it’s a smooth and refreshing brew.

?Dreamy Creamy Salted Caramel

It’s all in the name with this one. The salted caramel flavoring is indulgent and “dreamy.” So if you’ve got a sweet tooth, this blend is sure to satisfy your cravings.

?Gone Banana’s Fosters!

Here’s another one for the sweet-fiends out there. This medium roast is lead by notes of banana and vanilla ice cream and rounded out with notes of buttery brown sugar, cinnamon, and dark rum.

Hottie Biscotti Vanilla Almond

It’s hard to miss the hot pink label on this lovely flavored coffee. And the flavor combo is just as noteworthy. With a profile that includes vanilla cream and toasted almonds, this rich brew is as hard to ignore as its packaging.

Jamaican Rum Yum

If you’re wanting something a little smoother or more decadent on the flavored line-up, check out the Jamaican Rum Yum. Notes of sweet molasses, caramel, coconut and vanilla come together under a delicious Jamaican Rum aroma for a great brew.

French Toast Roast

Don’t get this one confused with the French Roast from the Coast. This one is a medium roast, like all of the other flavored coffees and has a sweet flavor profile, rather than the smoky one of the actual French Roast. The notes of cinnamon, maple syrup, and whipped butter come together to beautifully emulate the delectable breakfast food.

Raspberry Choco-Latté

We’re all for a classic flavor pairing because we know it won’t disappoint. The tang of raspberry marries beautifully with the nice chocolate notes in this brew.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Mrs. Brown

This is the only flavor that is not offered in decaf and is not available on Amazon. Though you can occasionally find it on their website. Nonetheless, the blend is worth mentioning. It offers a warm array of spiced notes including cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Perfect for the colder months!

Our Faves

Now that we’ve gone through the Maud’s regular line up with you, we’ll point you towards the one’s we’re particularly fond of just in case you are having trouble deciding.

Variety Pack

First off, the obvious choice if you’re wanting to try multiple flavors is to go for one of Maud’s great variety packs. Our favorite is the 80ct 9 flavor variety pack that showcases the coffee from all three lines.

This pack is perfect if you drink 1-2 cups a day and are looking for something a bit smaller than the 12 flavor 136 ct variety pack. In this one, you get the Maud’s in The House Blend, Tall Dark & Handsome, French Roast From the Coast, Bubbies Breakfast Blend, Kona Coast Blend, Dunk Your Donut Shop, Organic Guatemalan, Dreamy Creamy Salted Caramel, and Organic Espress-o Yourself.

Fair Trade Organic Pick

For this one, we have to go with the Guatemalan medium roast. This is another one that genuinely deserves the amount of recognition it’s gotten. While brews from this line tend to be a bit more subtle as far as strength goes, this one makes up for it in complexity and richness.

The full bodied brew is smoky and chocolatey without the burntness from darker brews, so it can fit into a wide range of tastes. The notes of spice also. serve to bring the other flavors together and make for an all around winner for us.

Gourmet Coffee Pick

For this category we had to go with the Tall Dark and Handsome. It’s a fan favorite for a reason and is included in the variety pack mentioned above. This blend is packed with flavor and lacks the bitterness that turns some people off of darker roasts.

Plus, it tastes great black and pairs well with milk and/or sugar. People love it so much, they even started offering it in a decaf.

Flavored Pick

Now, we know that added flavor in coffee isn’t on everyone’s list of must-tries. But for those of you who do want to give it a shot, we’re going for a flavor you don’t get in the 80 ct variety pack: the Hottie Biscotti Vanilla Almond. The vanilla cream and toasted almond flavors of this rich brew don’t get old even after you’ve burnt through the whole pack.

Decaf Pick

Our favorite decaf is Maud’s Mellow Mood Decaf. It has a complex berry flavor that we love with hints of maple syrup. Plus, the chocolaty aftertaste is a really nice way to wrap up the cup. Also, the nice flavor is accompanied by a strong aroma, which is a nice touch for a pod coffee.

If you don’t want to take our word for it, there is also a d that you can try out to find your favorite.

The Verdict

To wrap things up, we’re going to break this brand down to a few pros and cons so you (and the people who just skipped to the bottom) can get an idea of the big picture. Let’s start with the good stuff…

Pros

• The brand offers an incredible variety of coffee, covering caffeination, roast level, and the flavored vs natural spectrums pretty thoroughly. Plus, they’re still growing!
• Eco-friendliness is listed as one of their top priorities. You can compost the grounds (like all coffee) and recycle the cup itself, so you’re only throwing away the lid.
• They have incredible customer service. Just about every single reviewer across different platforms who has encountered an issue with Maud’s product goes back to rave about how responsive their customer service is!
• Lastly, the thing that most of us care about the most: they sell impressively high quality coffee.

Cons

• Some customers have reported issues with the lids being too loose on the pods.
• Not all of the pods work well with Keurig 2.0 despite being labelled as compatible.
• There aren’t very many options for Nespresso users.

Honestly, Maud’s coffee is some of the best you’re going to get when it comes to single-serve pod brewing. So especially if you’re brewing with a Keurig, this is a brand that is worth checking out.

Happy Caffeinating!