How do I make a cup of coffee using coffee pods meant for a pod coffee machine, without one? I was recently gifted a couple different brands of coffee pods, and I don't really know what to do with them, since the coffee machines for them seem to be a bit pricey for a whimsical purchase. Is there a way to make a cup of coffee with these pods if I don't have a pod coffee machine?

I've looked it up and it seems that different pods (even within the same brand) are designed for different water volumes passing through them and at different temperatures, so if there are multiple recommended ways to brew them DIY-style, I'd like to know which method fits which the best. Maybe I could reverse-engineer the process a machine does and repeat it manually.

The pods I have are labeled "Nescafe Dolce Gusto café au lait" and "Starbucks Caffé Verona". If manual method works out, I'm open to buying these pods separately, so methods for brewing other brands are also welcome :)
For now I've been using single-use white paper filters for tea. I cut open the tops of the pods with an office paper knife and pour out the contents into the paper bag. Then I pour hot water into the bag while holding it directly over the cup, careful not to burn your fingers (maybe use kitchen clamps to hold the bag if it's too hot).

From what I've seen in videos showing the disassembled insides of pod coffee maker machines, the contents of the pod don't really spend much time in contact with the water, so this method is a close enough approximation of how the machine works, and the resulting brew tastes good enough to me.



For illustration, here's an image of a tea filter. You can probably use coffee filters just as well if you have them, I just happened to already have tea filters at home and didn't feel like spending extra.