Our Range
Which coffees from part of our collection? We’ve partnered with 7 of Cape Town’s best local micro-roasters: Bootlegger Coffee Company, häzz coffee, Deluxe Coffeeworks, Truth Coffee, Bluebird Coffee, Father Coffee and Rosetta Roastery. In terms of strength and flavour, Bootlegger, häzz and Deluxe both offer dark-roasted blends, with Bootlegger being our darkest/strong-tasting 4WKS Pod. The coffee inside our Bluebird, Truth, Father, and Rosetta Pods are single origins, with Truth and Bluebird being a medium roast, and Father and Rosetta being a light roast.
Our Pod
Roasted, ground + packed every WK, our pods are as fresh as eggs and best enjoyed, like all great coffee, in 4WKS. Compatible with Nespresso® machines, our 4WKS pod is 100% compostable, with zero plastic or aluminium. Made from an innovative plant-based bio-material, it’s sealed with a vegetable fibre lid, and branded with edible ink. When composted, our 4WKS pod will break down in 12 - 24WKS but, even if it lands in landfill, it’ll break down hundreds of times faster than plastic or aluminium capsules.
In tandem with our partner roasters, we’re extremely excited to have launched an innovative composting programme that will not only do less harm but more good in returning our pods back to Earth.
What is a 4WKS pods made from? Our pod has three main components: 1) a shell made from a plant-based biomaterial, 2) a vegetable fibre lid and 3) an edible ink stamp. Our pod has been designed for consistency in strength and taste.
Where can I buy 4WKS pods? Our pods can be bought directly from our roasters' cafés (i.e. Bootlegger, Deluxe, Father, häzz, Truth, Bluebird + Rosetta Cafés) OR can be bought online, via our website and we ship nationwide.
Are 4WKS pods compatable with a Nespresso® machine? Yes! They have been designed to work specifically with original Nespresso® machines only. They are not however recommended for use in fully-automatic Nespresso® machines.
Help us help the planet.
Are our pods compostable? Yes, our pods are 100% home compostable. Our pods will break down in a controlled composting environment, even in your iCompost, bokashi bin, worm farm or general compost heap at home. Alternatively, they will break down much faster in a commercial composting facility where they use high temperatures to break down plant-based bio-materials into carbon or nitrogen, which can also be turned into nutritious soil full of life!
There is SO MUCH to learn about waste management in our own homes as well as across SA. Composting is a fundamental pillar of 4WKS and we are committed to shifting coffee, habits and culture, one compostable pod at a time!
Top Tips
Store your pods in an airtight jar. This will keep them fresh and please remember, they are best enjoyed within 4WKS!
What is the best way to drink 4WKS pods? Our darker to medium roasts (Bootlegger, häzz, Deluxe, and Truth) blend well with milk, but we’d recommend enjoying our single origins (Father, Bluebird + Rosetta) short and black! For a stronger shot, use two pods. We recommend drinking them as short drinks.
Our Team
Why did you start 4WKS? We’re coffee snobs who love the planet. While recognising the brilliance of Nespresso® machines and the need for great coffee at the push of a button, we are also acutely aware of two things: Firstly, the waste produced by plastic and aluminium single-use coffee capsules. 30 000 capsules end up in landfill every single day — where they’ll remain for 450-500 years, secondly, the coffee inside the capsules and why they’re largely imported, mass-produced, and have a shelf-life of 18 months — when the best coffee should be consumed fresh. We wanted to make the best, local, micro-roasted coffee — which we love — available to people at home, at office, and on holiday with a pod that, freshly-packed, tastes delicious and, does no harm to the environment.
Where do you want to be in 4 YRS time? In 4 YRS time, we would like to have 4WKS Pod Collectives in cities around the world: celebrating the best, local, micro-roasted coffee in a pod that’s fresh, sustainable and exists to shift coffee, habits and culture — for the better. Our ultimate ambition is to open-source and share all our knowledge, expertise and tools to not only replace single-use plastic and aluminium capsules but to do our best to reverse the damage and impact they have had on the environment.
Pod Challenges
My pods are falling through my machine. Our pods are designed to mimic Nespresso®’s range of original machines as the most widely used capsule machines in SA. However, often old machines become corroded over time which is why you may experience your pods falling through the chamber. Our best solution suggestion is to treat yourself to a newer machine (you and your coffee deserve it!) or take your current one for a service - a technician may be able to help with the corrosion.
Poor coffee flow. Pod machine settings can be tweaked to pour for a specific amount of time (on purpose or by accident). A quick reset will solve this and restore your machine to the standard Espresso and Lungo settings. With your machine turned off, press and hold down the Lungo button for 5 seconds. The lights will blink fast 3 times which confirms the machine has been reset to factory settings and you should be good to go!
If this doesn’t solve the issue, your machine may be due for a good clean and descaling. You can purchase descaling pods from Nespresso directly or from your favourite supplier. We recommend descaling your machine every 3 months. Follow these instructions on how to give your machine the deep clean it needs.
My pods taste weaker than i'm uses to. We offer a range of delicious coffees from 7 of South Africa’s best roasters. If you bought our 4WKS Mix, Specialty Mix or any of our lighter roasts, chances are you are tasting a coffee you are unfamiliar with. You have two options, either you can embrace this new experience, opening your eyes to all the fruity and floral notes different coffees have to offer, or you can opt for our Bold Mix or darker roasts next time for a richer, stronger-tasting cup.
And if you’re expecting a pod to taste like that triple espresso you get every morning from your local café barista, you may need to manage your expectations.
My pods are broken. If your pods arrived damaged, please email or Whatsapp us immediately with photos of the box and pods, demonstrating the damage. No one likes an unhappy coffee snob so we will work on getting this resolved asap!
If your pods are splitting open at the base or on a single side while in your machine, this could be due to an uneven distribution of pressure around the pod or its chamber overheating. This issue commonly occurs in machines designed for both Nespresso and Dolce Gusto as switching between the mechanisms disrupts the system. If this is not the case, kindly pop us an email or WhatsApp with a photo of your post-brew pods and we’ll look into it.
Delivery Details
When will my pods arrive? Our pods take around a WK to get to your doorstep. If you are a Cape Town local, you lucky fish, we’ll be there in 3 days! If you are a bit further afield, our aim is 5-7 working days.
I've been waiting over a WK for my pods. Unacceptable! Kindly pop an email to hello@4wks.coffee or WhatsApp us on 082 028 3201 and we’ll get to the bottom of this.
Subscription Questions
How do I access my dashboard? You can find everything you need to know about your subscription in your first sign-up email and access your dashboard via the link there. If you accidentally deleted this mail, please drop us a message on WhatsApp or via the chat function on our website and we’ll send you the link.
How does payment work? Every 4WKS (on the date you started your subscription) we'll send you an email. This will notify you when your next delivery is due, and what's in your order. Simply click "Pay Now" and we'll ship your pods to you! Any changes to your order please need to be made before this payment link is sent.
How do I change, pause or cancel my subscription order? Control which coffee you receive and when. Change your refills at any time via your dashboard, pause your orders if you need a break or cancel if you've had enough. Any changes you make will reflect in your next delivery.
How do I edit my details? Your dashboard is your best friend and you will be able to edit your account details, personal info or delivery address from there. Happy sipping!