The Best Coffee Pod Machine
The most sleek pod machine we've ever seen, this brushed-steel model offers the trademark Sage quality and ease of use. It heats up immediately after switching on and then brews a delicious espresso or a little longer lungo in just 30 minutes.
The pod models are an excellent alternative to bean-to-cup machines. They take the messiest aspects of making coffee off your hands, like grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Fast
Pod machines can be set up and used faster than espresso machines. Most of them can make a cup of coffee in 30 seconds. However, they come with an expense in that the pre-portioned coffee pods that are used in these machines tend to be more expensive than freshly roasted beans, and many are also not recyclable (though some companies are now offering free recycling bags and prepaid UPS labels for returning them).
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 makes it easy to get consistent, high-quality coffee every time, with virtually no chance of the drink turning out badly wrong. It's also one of the slimmest and lightest available that doesn't require an additional milk jug, and a small footprint making it easy to fit in even the smallest of kitchens.
However, the CitiZ isn't the most efficient machine for those who want to reduce their environmental impact. The CitiZ isn't equipped with an automatic descaling feature. You will need to manually descale the machine every 300 cups for hard water, and every 1200 cups for soft water. When the filter cartridge wears out, you'll need replace it with a new one. This can be costly for some users.
Tassimo Vivy 2 is a quick machine with customizable buttons. It can be used with either ground coffee or ESE pods that are pre-dosed and tampered grounds compressed in between filter paper. This model is B-Corp Certified. It is committed to reducing the negative impact it has on its environment and its employees. Its only slight drawback is that it takes longer to warm up, but once this happens it can brew one cup in just 35 minutes.
If you're looking for an elegant, sleek machine that can handle a range of different drink sizes and styles, you should look no further than the Vertuo Creatista from Nespresso. This sleek machine, created in collaboration with Sage is not only easy to use, but also comes with an ice cream wand, stainless steel jug and a milk frother.
2. Removable parts
The simplicity of pod coffee makers is a major advantage. The best models are simple to use. The majority of machines use the same basic mechanism to brew your cup the water is heated inside a reservoir, and then pushed through the chosen capsules and extracted to produce rich hot java. The majority of brands offer a variety of drink sizes to suit various needs. You can save your own settings on many models to speed up the process even more.
Keurig K-Cups are among the top brands available on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also offer a large selection of capsules by popular roasters. Certain pods can be used just once before being thrown away and others can be used several times. You'll need a plan to dispose of your used pods to avoid them from being thrown away.
The SMEG we tested comes with a removable water reservoir that is easy to fill. It also automatically releases a new capsule after the previous one cools down. It can make espresso and lungo drinks and comes with eight different blends to offer the variety. This brewer is ideal for coffee lovers who want to move away from drip coffee.
In our tests, the Tassimo My Way 2 proved to be the most enjoyable to use. Its sleek design is an attractive addition to your counter and opens with a light touch to reveal a hidden compartment to store your empty pods. It has a water filter system that is ideal for areas with hard water.
The machine can brew an ordinary cup of coffee (240ml), as well as ristretto and lungo espresso-style drinks and is extremely fast. Its user-friendly controls are easy to navigate with the help of switches that resemble airplanes and a lever that retracts with little effort to reveal the opening that allows you to insert the pod. It requires a little force to close but our testers, even those with limited mobility and hand strength were able to use it comfortably.
3. Size
The top coffee pod makers take all the messy parts of making coffee out of your hands. You simply put in one of the pods, press a button and make coffee. You'll still need to clean your machine every now and then however not as often as a bean-to-cup or espresso maker. Pod machines are smaller than their larger counterparts, and can be stored on the counter when not in use.
The ideal coffee maker for you will be determined by your personal preferences and the goals you'd like to achieve. All pod machines are simple to use, but some have more options for customization than others. Consider the coffee pod variety as well as brew sizes, milk and frothing options when choosing the best machine.
The most well-known pod-based machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However there are a few newer competitors that may be worth a look. Bruvi utilizes a unique system of pods, called B-Pods, which can only be used in its machines. The pods have a barcode on the underside that machines scan to adjust the brewing settings automatically.
The machine will eliminate the guesswork and ensure that each drink is perfect every time. It can save your customised drinks in a single button so that you can create them using a single button.
Other machines, like Sage's My Way offer a more granular level of control over your coffee and allows you to select the ideal temperature and size for each drink. It's a little more expensive than some models but it offers the polished stainless steel design and the excellent customer service that is which is synonymous with the brand. It is a solid choice for those who need something more from their pod-based coffee maker.
While the majority of people will be using a pod-based machine to make single-serve beverages however, there are a few larger models that are able to brew longer shots, known as lungos, too. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a fantastic example of this and blends the retro-fifties style of SMEG with the retro-fifties design of SMEG Italian coffee maker, Lavazza. It's a bit difficult to operate due to its airplane-style toggles as well as the manual lever, but it's quick and incredibly enjoyable to use and brews a lungo in just 30 seconds and the discarded pods are put into an internal bin with the click of the button.
4. Customization
The lack of customization is a major reason it may not be the right choice for you. If you don't purchase an auxiliary milk frother, the only ways to add flavor or creaminess click here are to make use of a hot chocolate in-mug or tea option and to add milk manually to your coffee. This shouldn't be a problem for many people, but it could be an issue for those who prefer a fully automatic experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew utilizes barcode scanners to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wettes and infuses, then dispensing the correct amount of coffee for the particular kind of pod. It's a simple and hands-off machine that does a great job but lacks options for customising drinks or altering the strength of brew. Some customers will be irritated by this, but many will find the convenience and variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they're searching for.
Aside from filling up the tank with water and decaffeinating the reservoir on occasion This coffee maker does not need a lot of maintenance. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs effortlessly. As mentioned, the used pods are ejected into a container hidden from view that keeps your kitchen tidy. It is also great in delivering full-bodied coffees that have crema-topped tops.
It's a gorgeous machine and is part of Smeg's fifties-style range. It's user-friendly with a simple control panel and can take ground coffee or ESE pods. The only issue is that it doesn't have 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. It is also necessary to purchase the brand's capsules which can be expensive. Nevertheless, this is a great pod coffee maker for those looking for a beautiful and practical appliance that can serve them well for an affordable price. This model is compatible with a range of capsules from third-party manufacturers and is compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo range.