The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel appliance offers the Sage brand's distinctive quality and ease of use. When it is turned on, it warms up and brews a fragrant espresso or slightly longer lungo in just 30 minutes.
The pod models are an excellent alternative to bean-to-cup machines. They take the clumsiest parts of coffee making off your hands, like grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Speedy
Pod machines are generally easier to setup and use than espresso machines, with many able to make a cup of coffee in just 30 seconds or so. The pre-portioned pods that are used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted coffee beans, and many of them aren't recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ has one of the fastest pod machines on the market due to the barcode scanner that scans every compatible pod's code prior to brewing. This ensures that you get consistently top-quality coffee every time. There is virtually no chance of having a bad beverage. The machine is one of the lightest and slimmest on the market. It does not require a separate milk container and its compact footprint allows it to be easily incorporated into even the smallest kitchens.
The CitiZ is not the best machine to reduce your environmental impact. It doesn't come with an automatic descaling function and you'll need to clean it yourself every 300 cups if reside in hard water, or 1200 cups in soft water zones. You'll also need to swap the 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 grounds compressed in between filter paper. This model is also B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to reducing its negative impact on the environment as well as its workforce. Its only minor drawback is the time it takes to heat up. Once it is heated it will brew a cup in around 35 minutes.
If you're looking for an elegant, sleek machine capable of handling a range of different drink sizes and styles, take a look at the Vertuo Creatista from Nespresso. This sleek beauty, created in collaboration with Sage, is not only simple and quick to operate but also comes with a milk frothing wand and an stainless steel jug.
2. Removable parts
The user-friendliness is a major draw, and the best models are simple to operate. Most machines utilize the same mechanism to brew the cup of coffee you want: water is heated inside the reservoir, and then pushed through capsules to create rich hot java. Many brands offer a variety of sizes of drinks for different needs. You can also save your own settings to make the process more efficient.
Keurig K-Cups are among the top player on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also offer a large selection of capsules from famous roasters. Some pods are designed to be used only once before being be thrown away, while others are intended to be used multiple times. In either case, you'll have to plan out how you'll handle the pods you've used up so that they do not end up in the garbage.
The SMEG we tested has a water reservoir that is easy to fill. It also automatically releases another capsule after the previous one cools down. It can be used to brew espresso and lungo drinks, and comes with eight different blends that give you plenty of variety. This brewer is a great choice for coffee drinkers who want to move away from drip coffee.
In our testing, the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most enjoyable to use. Its sleek design is an attractive addition to your counter, and it can be opened with a gentle touch to reveal a concealed compartment for empty pods. The machine also has the added benefit of the water filtration system which is ideal for hard-water areas.
This machine is able to make an ordinary cup of coffee (240ml) as well as ristretto and lungo espresso-style drinks and is surprisingly fast. Its easy-to-use controls are easy to navigate, thanks to switches that resemble airplanes and a lever that retracts with a minimum of effort to reveal the area that allows you to insert the pod. It does take a little force to close but our test subjects, even those who have weak hand and mobility were able to use it comfortably.
3. Size
The best coffee pod machines remove all the mess from coffee making - you just put a pod in the machine, press a button, and let it make coffee. You'll still have to clean your machine every now and then but not as often as a bean-to cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are also smaller than their bigger counterparts, so they can fit on the countertop and be stored out of view here when not here being used.
The right coffee pod machine for you will be determined by your preferences and what you want to achieve. The majority of pod machines are easy to use, but some offer more customisation options than others. Different pod types, brew sizes options and milk frothing capabilities must be taken into consideration to determine the best coffee pod machine.
The most popular pod-based machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However there are a few more recent competitors that are worth taking a look at. One is Bruvi, which uses an exclusive pod system called B-Pods that can only be used by its machines. The pods have an underside barcode that the machine scans to adjust the brewing settings automatically.
The machine will take all the guesswork and make sure that every drink is perfect every time. It is even more info able to save custom drinks to a separate button so you can create them at the push of a button.
Other machines, like Sage's My Way, offer more control over your coffee than others, letting you choose a specific size and temperature for each cup. It's more expensive than other models, however it comes with the polished stainless-steel build and excellent customer service that is synonymous with the brand. This is a great option for those wanting to get an extra bit of quality from their espresso maker that is based on pods.
Certain models are larger read more and can create lungos. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a fantastic example of this, and it blends the retro-fifties style of SMEG with the classic design of Italian coffee maker, Lavazza. It's difficult to use due to its airplane-style toggles and manual lever, but it's quick and incredibly satisfying to operate - a lungo is brewed in only 30 seconds, and the discarded pods are placed in an internal bin at the push of a button.
4. Customization
One of the main reasons a pod coffee maker may not be the best choice for you is its limited flexibility to customize. If you don't purchase an auxiliary milk frother, the only options to add extra flavor or creaminess are to use an in-mug hot chocolate or tea option and to add milk to your coffee manually. This won't be an issue for most people, but could be a problem for those who prefer an entirely automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew makes use of a barcode scanner to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wets and infuses, then dispensing the correct amount of coffee to the specific type of pod. It's a user-friendly hands-off device that does an excellent job, however it isn't equipped with options for customizing drinks or varying brew strength. Some customers will be irritated by this, however others will appreciate the convenience and 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 it occasionally This coffee maker does not require a lot of maintenance. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs with ease and, as previously mentioned the pods that are used are ejected into a concealed receptacle which keeps your kitchen spotless. It also does a fantastic job of serving full-bodied, crema-topped espressos.
This machine is part Smeg's 1950s style range. It's user-friendly with a simple interface and can accommodate ground coffee or ESE pods. Its only flaw is the lack of an indicator that will let you know when you should descale, and the inability to set the maximum level of water. It is also necessary to buy the brand's capsules which can be costly. But, it's an excellent pod coffee maker for anyone looking for an attractive and practical appliance that can serve them well for an affordable price. For those who want a little check here more variety, a large selection of third-party capsules are available for this model and it's compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.