Coffee pods are really a very cool invention. Before they came about, to get a single cup at home, one would have to either make instant or measure out just enough grounds for an automatic drip pot.
Since most enthusiasts don't enjoy instant , people were forced to either make too much of the beverage or try to put just enough grounds into the filter. Coffee pods, however, eliminated this problem.
Cuisinart Coffee Makers
Coffee pods are pre packaged ground coffee beans enclosed in their own filter. Circular in shape, they're very similar to a tea bag, but do not have a string attached to them. Also, unlike tea bags, they're not meant to be steeped in a hot cup of water.
Instead, these pods are made for special makers that are designed to make one cup at a time. This way, when you go to refill your cup, you don't have to resort to the last stale bit that has been sitting in a pot for hours on end.
A fresh cup each time you go to get your daily dose of caffeine is a fantastic idea. Sanseo is the company that came up with the idea, and has a patented maker which uses the pods.
Folgers has come out with their own pods, which Sanseo sued under patent laws. A judge decided to hear the case, and found that Folgers had a right to produce and market pods under the coffee pod name. Sanseo had the rights to the maker, but the patent did not extend to cover the pods themselves.
Since then, other companies have come out with their own pods. Used just like a pre filled normal sized filter, more and more people are starting to discover them.