The 10 Scariest Things About Best Coffee Pod Machine
The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel machine provides the Sage distinctive quality and ease of use. It preheats after switch-on, and brews an aroma-packed espresso or a slightly longer lungo in about 30 minutes.
Unlike bean-to-cup machines, pod models take the messiest aspects of coffee making out of your hands, including grinding and dosing grounds.
1. Fast
Pod machines can be installed and used more quickly than espresso machines. The majority of them can make a cup in 30 minutes. However, they come with a cost: the pre-portioned coffee pods that are used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted beans and they are not recycled. (though some companies are now offering free recycling bags and pre-paid UPS labels to return them).
The Nespresso CitiZ is one of the fastest pod machines that you can find, thanks to its in-built barcode reader that scans code of each compatible pod before making it. This ensures you get consistently high-quality coffee, every time. There is virtually no chance of getting a bad drink. It's also among the slimmest and lightest available, with no need for an additional milk jug, and the smallest footprint, making it a breeze to fit into even the tiniest of kitchens.
The CitiZ isn't the best machine to reduce the environmental impact. It doesn't have an automatic descaling feature, and you'll have to do it yourself every 300 cups if live in hard water or 1200 cups in soft water areas. Once the filter cartridge runs out, you'll need replace it with a new. This could be expensive for certain 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 decreasing its negative impact on the environment and its employees. The only downside is the time it takes to warm up. Once it's done it will brew a cup in around 35 minutes.
Vertuo Creatista is a stylish sleek machine that can create a variety of drinks in different sizes and styles. This sleek machine, designed in collaboration with Sage is not just easy to use, but it also comes with an ice cream wand stainless steel jug and milk frother.
2. Removable parts
The ease of using a pod coffee maker is a major benefit. The most effective models are simple to use. Most machines rely on the same method to make your cup the water is heated in an internal reservoir, and then pushed through your chosen capsules and extracted to form rich, hot coffee. Most brands offer a range of sizes for drinks to meet different requirements, and you can save your own settings for a variety of models to speed up the process further.
Keurig K-Cups are the biggest player on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also have a wide selection of capsules made by the most well-known roasters. Certain pods can be used only once before they are discarded however, others can be used several times. Whatever the case, you'll need to plan ahead for how you'll handle the pods you've used up so that they aren't thrown away in the trash.
The SMEG we tested has a reservoir of water that is easy to fill. It also automatically dispensates an additional capsule coffee maker once the previous one cools down. It can be used to brew coffee and lungo drinks and comes with eight different blends to give you plenty of variety. This brewer is ideal for coffee drinkers who wish to move away 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 makes it an eye-catching addition to your counter and it can be opened with a gentle touch to reveal a hidden compartment for empty pods. It also comes with the added benefit of a water filtration system, which is ideal for areas with hard water.
This machine brews the standard cup of coffee (240ml) and also serves as lungo and ristretto-style espresso drinks and is extremely fast. The controls are easy to use, with the style of airplane toggles that can be retracted easily and a lever which retracts to reveal the opening to drop into the pod. It requires a little effort to close, but our test subjects, even those who have limited mobility and hand strength, found it comfortable.
3. Size
The best coffee pod machines remove all the messes of making coffee out of your hands - you simply put in one of the pods, press an icon and prepare to brew. You will still need to clean the machine from time to time however not as often as you would with a bean-to cup or espresso maker. Pod machines are also smaller than their bigger counterparts and can be tucked away on the counter and be stored out of view when not being used.
The decision of whether a coffee machine is the right choice for you depends on your preferences and what you're hoping to get out of it. The majority of pod machines are easy to operate, however, some offer more customization options. Consider the coffee pod variety, brew sizes and milk options for frothing when picking the best machine.
The most popular pod-based coffee machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However, there are some newer competitors worth looking at. One of them is Bruvi which makes use of a bespoke pod system called B-Pods, which can only be used with its machines. The pods are marked with a barcode that is read by the machine to adjust the brewing settings automatically.
The machine will eliminate all the guesswork and ensure that each drink is perfect every time. It can even save customised drinks to a separate button to allow you to create them at the touch of a single button.
Other machines, like Sage's My Way, offer more control over your coffee than others models, allowing you to select the right size and temperature for each cup. It's more expensive than other models, however it comes with the polished stainless-steel construction and the excellent customer service that is synonymous with Sage's My Way. This is a good option for those wanting to get an extra bit of quality from their espresso maker that is based on pods.
Some models with larger capacities can also brew lungos. Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg, a perfect example, blends retro fifties styling from SMEG and Italian coffee maker Lavazza. It's a little intimidating at first thanks to the airplane-style toggles but once you get used to it, it is quick and satisfying to use. A lungo can be brewed in just 30 seconds.
4. Customization
One big reason why pod coffee makers might not be the right choice for you is the limited customizability. If you don't have an additional milk frother then the only option to enhance flavor or creaminess is to use hot tea or chocolate option in your mug, or to manually add milk to your coffee. For most people, this won't be a problem but it could be a problem for those who prefer an automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew technology utilizes a barcode reader to scan each capsule, and automatically pre-wet, infuse, and give the correct amount of coffee that is appropriate for the kind of pod. It's a hassle-free, hands-off machine that does the job flawlessly, but does not have any options for making drinks that are customized or varying the strength of brew. This may be a problem for some buyers however for others, the easy automation and variety of cup lengths (espresso lungo, espresso and mug) it gives precisely what they require.
Aside from filling up the water tank and decaffeinating it occasionally, this coffee maker will not need a lot of maintenance. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs effortlessly. As mentioned earlier, the used pods are ejected into a container hidden from view that keeps your kitchen tidy. It also does a fantastic job of serving full-bodied, crema-topped espressos.
This is a beautiful-looking machine and is part of Smeg's fifties-style range. It's user-friendly with a simple panel of buttons and can accommodate both ground coffee and ESE pods. The only issue is that it doesn't come with an indicator to let you know when it's time to descale and the maximum water level cannot be set which is a minor inconvenience. You will also have to purchase the brand's capsules which can be costly. Nevertheless, this is a good pod coffee maker for those seeking a stylish and practical appliance that can serve them well for a reasonable price. If you're looking for more variety, a broad selection of third-party capsules is offered for this model. It's compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.