The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel model comes with Sage distinctive quality and ease of operation. After turning on, it preheats and makes a delicious espresso or slightly longer lungo within 30 minutes.
Models for pods are an excellent alternative to bean-to-cup machines. They take the most messy parts of coffee making off your hands, including grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Speedy
Pod machines can be installed and used more quickly than espresso machines. They can typically make a cup of coffee in 30 minutes. The pre-portioned pods that are used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted coffee beans, and a lot are not recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ has one of the fastest pod machines on the market due to the barcode scanner which scans each compatible pod's code prior to making coffee. This allows you to ensure consistent high-quality, high-end coffee every time, with virtually no chance of a drink coming out horribly wrong. The machine is one of the slimmest and lightest on the market. It does not require a separate milk container and its small footprint makes it easy to fit into even the tiniest kitchens.
However the CitiZ isn't the most efficient machine for those who want to minimize their environmental impact. It doesn't have an automatic descaling feature, and you'll have to descale it yourself once every 300 cups if live in hard water or 1200 cups in soft water zones. You'll also need to swap in a new filter cartridge when it runs out and can be expensive for certain users.
The Tassimo Vivy 2 is another quick machine that comes with a customisable button and the option of using either ground coffee or ESE pods, which are pre-dosed and tampered with grounds compressed between filter paper. This model is also B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to lessening its negative impact on the environment and its workforce. The only drawback is the time it takes to heat up. Once it is heated it will brew a cup in just 35 seconds.
Vertuo Creatista is a stylish, sleek machine that can create a variety of drinks with different sizes and styles. This gorgeous, glossy machine, developed in collaboration with Sage and Sage, is not just easy to use and quick to start, but also comes with an ice cream frothing wand as well as an stainless steel Jug.
2. Removable parts
The user-friendliness is a major draw and the best models are a breeze to operate. The majority of machines use the same general process to make your coffee the water is heated inside a reservoir, then pumped through the chosen capsules and extracted to produce rich hot coffee. Most brands offer different drink sizes for different needs. You can also save custom settings to speed up the process.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two biggest players in the market, but each offers a wide selection of capsules from the most popular roasters and brands. Some pods can be used just once before being thrown away, while others can be used a number of times. Whatever the case, you'll need to plan out how you'll deal with your spent pods so they do not end up in the garbage.
The SMEG we tested comes with a removable reservoir of water that is easy to fill. It also automatically dispenses another capsule after the previous one cools down. It can brew espresso and lungo drinks and comes with eight different blends to offer variety. This brewer is ideal for coffee lovers who are looking to move away from drip coffee.
In our tests of the Tassimo My Way 2 proved to be the most enjoyable one to use. Its sleek design makes it an attractive addition to your countertop and opens with a simple touch to reveal a hidden compartment for your empty pods. The machine also has the added benefit of a water filtration system, which is perfect for areas with hard water.
This machine brews a standard cup of coffee (240ml), as well as lungo and ristretto espresso-style drinks, and is surprisingly quick. Its intuitive controls are a joy to use, thanks to aircraft-style toggles as well as a lever that retracts with little effort to reveal the space that allows you to insert the pod. It requires some effort to close, but the majority of our testers even those with weak hand strength and mobility, were able to use it comfortably.
3. Size
The top coffee pod makers remove all the messes of making coffee out of your hands - you simply need to load a pod, hit the button, and then prepare to brew. It is still necessary to clean your machine occasionally, but not as often as a bean-to-cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are also smaller than their bigger counterparts which means they can be placed on the counter and be kept out of view when not in use.
The best coffee machine for you will be determined by your personal preferences and what you wish to achieve. All pod machines are simple to use, but others provide more options for customization. Different pod types, brew sizes options, and milk frothing features must be taken into consideration to help find the perfect coffee pod machine.
The most popular pod-based machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However, there are some newer competitors worth taking a look at. Bruvi uses a bespoke system of pods known as B-Pods, which can only be used in its pod and bean coffee machine machines. The pods have an underside barcode that the machine scans to automatically adjust the brewing settings.
This means that the machine removes all the guesswork of brewing a cup and guarantees that every drink comes out perfectly every time. It can save your custom drinks on a button to allow you to create them using only one button.
Other machines, like Sage's My Way, offer more granular control over your coffee than others models, allowing you to select a specific size and temperature for each cup. It's a little more expensive than many other models, but it has the polished stainless steel construction and the excellent customer service that is synonymous with the brand and is a great choice for those who want something more from their pod-based coffee maker.
Some larger models can also make lungos. Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg, a great example, combines retro-fifties style from SMEG and Italian coffee maker Lavazza. It's not easy initially due to the airplane-style toggles, but once you get used to it, the machine is quick and easy to use. A lungo can be brewed in 30 seconds.
4. Customization
The limited capabilities of a pod coffee maker's customization is a major reason it may not be the right choice for you. If you don't have an additional milk frother, then the only way to add flavor or creaminess is to make use of hot tea or chocolate option in your mug or to manually add milk to your coffee. For most people, this shouldn't be a problem, but it could be a sticking point for those who prefer a fully automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew technology makes use of barcode readers 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 hassle-free, hands-off machine that does the job very well but lacks any options for making drinks that are customized or altering the strength of the brew. Some customers might be disappointed by this, however others will appreciate the ease of use and the variety of cup sizes (espressos and lungos, as well as mugs) to be exactly what they're searching for.
Apart from filling the water tank and decaffeinating the reservoir occasionally the coffee maker will not require much maintenance. It can dispense short espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs with ease. As previously mentioned, used pods are ejected into an unnoticed container that helps keep your kitchen tidy. It also does a great job of providing full-bodied, crema-topped coffees.
It's a gorgeous machine and is part of Smeg's fifties-style range. It's user-friendly with simple buttons and can be used with ground coffee as well as ESE pods. Its only flaw is the absence of a gauge that will let you know when to descale, and the inability to set the maximum level of water. You also need to buy the capsules made by the company which can be expensive. This is a great pod machine for anyone looking for an attractive and convenient appliance that is able to serve at a reasonable price. If you're looking for some variety, a wide range of third-party capsules is available for this model and it's also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.