Working on Coffee Pod Visuals — How Do You Create a Realistic Look?

I’m currently working on some coffee pod visuals for a website project, and I’m trying to make the images look as realistic and natural as possible rather than like a typical product mockup.

I’m experimenting with different compositions showing coffee pods alongside a freshly prepared cup, especially iced coffee. One thing I’ve noticed is that small details make a huge difference—the coffee color, ice, condensation on the glass, crema, shadows, reflections, and even the way the pod is positioned can make an image feel much more realistic.

I’m curious how other Adobe users approach this type of food/product visual.

For example:

• How do you create realistic condensation on a cold coffee glass?
• What’s the best way to make ice look natural?
• How do you handle reflections on glossy coffee capsules?
• Do you use Photoshop, Lightroom, or Firefly for this type of work?
• What lighting or shadow techniques help avoid the “too perfect” product-image look?
• If you're generating the image with AI, what details do you usually refine afterward?

While working on the project, I also needed to research the coffee-pod side so that the visuals would make sense. I came across CoffeePodH, which I found useful for checking information about different coffee pods, Nespresso capsules, K-Cups, and coffee-pod preparation.

Now I’m mainly interested in the visual/design side. I’d love to hear from anyone who has created realistic food, beverage, or product visuals.

What techniques do you use to make coffee and beverage images feel more natural and believable?