The Best Coffee Pod Machine
The most elegant pod machine we've ever seen, this brushed-steel model offers the signature Sage quality and ease of use. It heats up immediately after switching on and makes an espresso with aroma or a little longer lungo in about 30 seconds.
The pod models are a great alternative to bean-to-cup machines. They take the clumsiest aspects of making coffee off your hands, including grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Speedy
Pod machines can be set up and used faster than espresso machines. The majority of them can make a cup of coffee in 30 seconds. The pre-portioned pods that are used in these machines are generally more costly than freshly roasted coffee beans and a lot of them are not recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ has one of the most efficient pod machines available due to the barcode scanner which scans each compatible pod's code before brewing. This ensures consistently high-quality coffee, every time. There is hardly any chance of getting a bad drink. The machine is among the lightest and slimmest available. It does not require an additional milk container and its small footprint allows it to be easily incorporated into the tiniest kitchens.
However, the CitiZ isn't the ideal machine for those looking to minimize their environmental impact. The CitiZ doesn't have an automatic descaling feature. You'll have to manually descale the machine every 300 cups for hard water and every 1200 cups for soft water. You'll also need to swap the filter cartridge after this expires and can be expensive for some users.
Tassimo Vivy 2 is a quick machine with customizable buttons. It can be utilized with ground coffee or ESE pods which are pre-dosed and tampered grounds compressed in between filter paper. It is also B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to reducing its negative impact on the environment as well as its employees. Its only downside is that it takes a little longer to warm up, but once that occurs, it can make the cup in about 35 seconds.
If you're looking for an elegant, stylish machine that can handle a variety of different drink sizes and styles, take a look at the Vertuo Creatista from Nespresso. This sleek machine designed in collaboration with Sage is not just simple to use but also comes with an ice cream wand an stainless steel jug and milk frother.
2. Removable parts
A pod coffee maker's ease of use is a major draw, and the best models are a breeze to operate. The majority of machines use the same basic process to make your coffee the water is heated in an internal reservoir, then pressured through the chosen capsules and extracted to form rich hot coffee. The majority of brands offer a variety of drink sizes to suit various needs. You can save custom settings on many models to speed up the process even further.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two biggest players on the market, yet each offers a wide selection of capsules from top roasters and brands. Some pods are made to be used once and be thrown away, while others are meant to be used multiple times. You'll need a plan for your used pods to avoid them from ending up in the garbage.
The SMEG we tested has a water reservoir that is easy to fill. It also automatically dispenses an additional capsule once the previous one cools down. It can make lungo and espresso drinks and has eight different blends for variety. This brewer is ideal for those who love coffee and want to switch to drip coffee.
In our testing we found that the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most enjoyable to use. Its sleek design looks great on your counter and can be opened with a single touch to reveal the compartment that houses your empty pods. The machine website comes with an in-built water filter system which is perfect for areas with hard water.
The machine click here can brew the standard cup of coffee (240ml) and also serves as lungo and ristretto-style espresso drinks, and is surprisingly quick. The controls are simple to operate, with the style of airplane toggles that can be easily pulled back and a lever which retracts to reveal the opening for dropping in your pod. It requires a little force to close but our testers, even those with limitations in hand strength and mobility, found it comfortable.
3. Size
The top coffee pod machines remove all the mess from coffee making. All you have to do is load a pod in the machine, press a button, and let it make coffee. It is still necessary to clean your machine from time to time however not as often as a bean-to cup or espresso maker. Pod machines are smaller than their larger counterparts and can be stacked on the counter when not in use.
Whether a coffee pod machine is the best choice for you depends on your preferences and what you're looking to get from it. All pod machines are simple to use, capsule machine coffee but others provide more options for customization. Take into consideration the variety of coffee pods as well as brew sizes, milk and frothing options when choosing the best machine.
Many people associate pod-based machines with the likes of Nespresso and Keurig, but there are a few more recent rivals which are worth looking into. Bruvi uses a bespoke system of pods known as B-Pods that can only be used in its machines. The pods have a barcode on the underside that machines scan to automatically adjust brewing settings.
This approach means the machine removes all the guesswork of making a cup and ensures each drink comes out perfectly every time. It can save your customised drinks on a button so that you can make them by pressing one button.
Other machines, such as Sage's My Way offer a more granular level of control over your coffee and allows you to select a specific size and temperature for each beverage. It's a bit more expensive than many other models but it offers the polished stainless steel build and top-quality customer service that's synonymous with more info the brand and is a great choice for those who need 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 make longer shots, referred to as lungos. Lavazza A Modo Mio click here Smeg, which is a great example, combines retro-fifties style from SMEG and Italian coffee maker Lavazza. It's a little intimidating at first thanks to the toggles that look like airplanes, however once you've become accustomed to it, it is easy and enjoyable to use. A lungo can be brewed in 30 minutes.
4. Customization
One of the main reasons pod coffee makers might not be right for you is the limited flexibility to customize. If you don't buy an auxiliary milk frother, the only options to add flavor or creaminess are to use an in-mug hot chocolate or tea option and to add milk manually to your coffee. This shouldn't be a problem for a lot of people, but it could be a problem for those who like an entirely automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew utilizes barcode scanners to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wets, infuses and dispenses the correct amount of coffee to the particular kind of pod. It's a user-friendly and hands-off machine that does a great job however it isn't equipped with options for customizing drinks or altering the strength of brew. Some buyers will be annoyed by this, but others will appreciate the ease of use and the variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they're looking for.
In addition to filling up the water tank and decaffeinating the reservoir on occasion, this coffee maker will not require a lot of maintenance. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs with ease and, as mentioned the used pods are ejected into a hidden receptacle that helps keep your kitchen clean. It also does an excellent job of delivering full-bodied, crema-topped coffees.
This machine is part of Smeg’s 1950s style range. It's simple to use with simple buttons and can be used with ground coffee and ESE pods. Its only flaw is the absence of a gauge that lets you know when it's time to descale, as well as the inability to set the maximum water level. It is also necessary to buy the capsules of the brand, which can be costly. But, it's a great pod coffee maker for those looking for a beautiful and functional appliance that will serve them well for an affordable 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.