The Best Coffee Pod Machine

This sleek, brushed-steel appliance offers the Sage brand's distinctive quality and user-friendly. It preheats after switch-on, and makes an espresso with aroma or slightly longer lungo in about 30 minutes.

Pod models are an excellent alternative to bean-to cup machines. They take the clumsiest components of making coffee off your hands, like grinding and measuring grounds.

1. Rapid

Pod machines are typically quicker to install and use than espresso machines, with many capable of making coffee in only 30 seconds or so. The pre-portioned pods used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted coffee beans, and a lot of them are not recyclable.

The Nespresso CitiZ has one of the fastest pod machines available due to the barcode scanner which scans each compatible pod's code prior to brewing. This ensures consistently high-quality coffee, every time. There is hardly any chance of having a bad beverage. The machine is one of the slimmest and lightest available. It does not require an additional milk container, and its small footprint makes it easy to fit into even the smallest kitchens.

However the CitiZ isn't the ideal machine for those looking to minimize their environmental impact. The CitiZ does not have an automatic descaling feature. You will need to manually descale the machine every 300 cups for hard water and 1200 cups for soft water. You'll also need to swap in a new filter cartridge after this expires, which could be costly for some users.

Tassimo Vivy 2 is a fast machine that can be customized with buttons. It can be used with either ground coffee or ESE pods, which are pre-dosed, tampered ground compressed between filter paper. This model is B-Corp Certified. It is committed to lessening the negative impact it has on the surroundings and its workforce. The only downside is the time it takes to warm up. Once it does it will brew a cup in around 35 minutes.

Vertuo Creatista is a stylish sleek machine that can make a variety drinks in different sizes and styles. This sleek beauty, created in collaboration with Sage and Sage, is not just quick and simple to operate but also comes with an ice-cream frothing wand, as well as a stainless steel jug.

2. Removable parts

The simplicity of a pod coffee maker is a major benefit. The best models are simple to use. The majority of machines use the same general process to make your coffee: water is heated inside a reservoir, then pressured through your chosen capsules and extracted to produce rich, hot java. The majority of brands offer various sizes of drinks for different needs. You can also save your own settings to speed up the process.

Keurig K-Cups are among the top players on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also come with a variety of capsules by popular roasters. Some pods can be used only once before they are discarded, while others can be used a number of times. You'll need a plan for your used pods to avoid them from ending up in the garbage.

The sleek SMEG model we tested has a water tank that is removable and easy to fill, and the machine automatically dispenses fresh capsules after the previous one has been cooled. It can brew espresso and lungo drinks and has eight different blends to offer the variety. This brewer is ideal for coffee lovers who want to make the switch from drip coffee to drip.

In our tests of the Tassimo My Way 2 proved to be the most enjoyable one to use. Its sleek design looks get more info great on your counter and can be opened with a single touch to reveal the compartment that holds empty pods. The machine comes with an in-built water filter system that is perfect for areas that have hard water.

The machine can brew an ordinary cup of coffee (240ml), as well as lungo and ristretto espresso-style drinks, and is surprisingly quick. The controls are simple to operate, with airplane-style toggles that can be easily pulled back and a lever which retracts to reveal the hole to place into your pod. It does take a little force to close, but our testers, even those who have weak hand and mobility felt comfortable.

3. Size

The top coffee pod makers remove all the messes of making coffee out of your hands - you simply need to load the pod, press a button and brew. You'll still have to clean your machine from time to time, but not like a bean-to-cup or espresso maker. Pod machines are smaller than their larger counterparts, and can be stored on the counter when not being used.

The decision of whether a coffee machine is the best choice for you depends on your preferences and what you're looking to get out of it. All pod machines are simple to use, but some offer more customisation options than others. Take into consideration the variety of coffee pods as well as brew sizes, milk and options for frothing when selecting the right machine.

The majority of people think of pod-based machines as the likes of Nespresso and Keurig However, there are a few newer competitors on the scene that could be worth considering. Bruvi utilizes a unique system of pods known as B-Pods, which can only be used in its machines. The pods are identified with a barcode, which is scanned by the machine to adjust the brewing parameters automatically.

The machine will eliminate all the guesswork and make sure that every drink is perfect every time. It can even save customized drinks to a specific button, allowing you to create them at the push of a button.

Other machines, such as Sage's My Way, offer greater control over your cup of coffee than others models, allowing you to select the exact size and temperature for each drink. It's a little more expensive than some models, but it comes with the polished stainless steel construction and the excellent customer service that is which is synonymous with the brand. It is a good choice for those who want a bit more from their pod-based coffee maker.

While the majority of people are using the pod-based machine to create single-serve beverages There are some larger models that can also create longer shots, also known as lungos, too. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is an excellent example of this, and it combines the retro fifties styling of SMEG with the retro-fifties design of SMEG Italian coffee maker, Lavazza. It's a little intimidating at first thanks to the airplane-style toggles, but once you get used to it, the machine is quick and satisfying to use. A lungo can be made in only 30 minutes.

4. Customization

The lack of flexibility is one of the main reasons it's not the best choice for you. If you don't have an additional milk frother, the only way to enhance flavor or creaminess is to use a hot tea or chocolate option in your mug, or to manually add milk into your coffee. This shouldn't be a problem for many people, but it could be an issue for those who prefer the convenience of a fully automated experience in the morning.

Bosch's Intellibrew technology makes use of a barcode reader to scan each capsule and automatically pre-wet, infuse and disperse the right amount of coffee for that particular kind of pod. It's a simple, hands-off machine which does a great job but isn't able to customize drinks or varying brew strength. This might be frustrating for some customers but for others, the simple automation and variety of cup lengths (espresso, lungo and mug) will provide precisely what they require.

This coffee maker is very low-maintenance. It is all you need to do is to fill up the water tank, and decaffeinate the reservoir every time. It can dispense short espresso shots and tall travel mugs easily and, as mentioned, used pods are ejected into a hidden receptacle that keeps your kitchen clean. It is also excellent at delivering full-bodied espressos with crema-topped tops.

This is a beautiful-looking machine and part of the Smeg fifties range. It's easy to use via a simple panel of buttons, and it can handle ground coffee as well as ESE pods. Its only flaw is the absence of a display that tells you when it's time to descale, as well as the inability to set a maximum water level. It is also necessary to buy the capsules of the brand, which can be expensive. But, it's an excellent pod coffee maker for those seeking a stylish and convenient appliance that will serve them well for a reasonable cost. If you're looking for a little more variety, a broad selection of third-party capsules are available for this model, and it's also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.