The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel machine provides the Sage trademark quality and ease of operation. When it is turned on, it heats up and makes a delicious espresso or slightly longer lungo within 30 minutes.
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. Rapid
Pod machines can be set up and operated faster than espresso machines. They can typically make a cup in just 30 minutes. The pre-portioned pods used in these machines tend to be 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, thanks to the barcode scanner which scans each compatible pod's code before brewing. This allows you to make consistent high-quality, high-end coffee every time, with next-to-no chance of a drink coming out badly wrong. It is also one of the slimmest and lightest on the market, with no need for a separate milk jug and the smallest footprint, making it easy to fit into even the tiniest of kitchens.
The CitiZ isn't the best machine to reduce the environmental impact. The CitiZ does not have 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. Once the filter cartridge runs out, you'll need to 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 utilized with ground coffee or ESE pods that are pre-dosed, tampered grounds compressed in between filter paper. The model is B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to decreasing its negative impact on the environment as well as its workforce. The only downside is the time it takes to heat up. Once it is heated 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 only easy to use but also comes with an ice cream wand, stainless steel jug and milk frother.
2. Removable parts
The simplicity of a pod coffee maker is a major advantage. The most effective models are easy to operate. Most machines utilize the same basic process to brew the cup of coffee you want that is, heated water is placed in a reservoir, then pushed through capsules to create rich hot, hot coffee. The majority of brands offer various drink sizes for different needs. You can also save your own settings to speed up the process.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two major brands on the market, however both offer a variety of capsules from popular roasters and brands. Certain pods can be used just once before being thrown away and others can be used multiple times. Either way, you'll need to think about how you'll handle the pods you've used up so that they do not end up in the garbage.
The sleek SMEG model we tested comes with a water tank that is removable and easy to fill and the machine automatically pours a fresh capsule once the previous one has cooled. It brews coffee and lungo drinks and comes with eight different blends that provide you with a wide selection. This brewer will appeal to 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 is beautiful on your counter and can be opened in a matter of seconds to reveal the compartment that holds your empty pods. The machine comes with an in-built water filter system that is perfect for areas with hard water.
This machine is quick and can brew standard coffee (240ml) and ristretto and lungo espresso drinks. The controls are simple to operate, with airplane-style toggles that can be retracted easily and a lever which retracts to reveal the pod and capsule coffee machines opening to drop in your coffee maker. It requires a bit of pressure to close, however the majority of our testers who have limitations in hand strength and mobility, felt comfortable.
3. Size
The top coffee pod makers remove all the messes of coffee making out of your hands. You simply need to load the pod, press a button and prepare to brew. You'll still have to clean your machine from time to time, but not as often as a bean-to cup or espresso maker. Pod machines are also smaller than their larger counterparts which means they can be placed on the countertop and be stored out of view when not in use.
The right coffee pod machine for you will be determined by your preferences and what you wish to achieve. The majority of pod machines are easy to use, but others provide more options for customization. The variety of pods, brew size options and milk frothing capabilities must be taken into consideration to determine the best coffee pod machine for you.
The most well-known pod-based machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However, there are some more recent competitors that are worth taking a look at. Bruvi has a custom-designed system of pods known as B-Pods that can only be used in its machines. The pods are equipped with 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 custom drinks on a button so that you can create them using one button.
Other machines, such as Sage's My Way, offer more granular control over your coffee than the majority, letting you choose a specific size and temperature for each cup. It's a bit more expensive than many other models, but it has the polished stainless steel design and the excellent customer service that is associated with the brand. It is a great choice for those who want an extra level of quality from their pod-based coffee maker.
While the majority of people will be using pod-based machines to make single-serve drinks There are some larger models that are able to brew longer shots, known as lungos. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a great example of this and blends the retro-fifties style of SMEG with Italian coffee brand, Lavazza. It's a bit intimidating to use thanks to its toggles that resemble airplanes and a manual lever, but it's quick and extremely enjoyable to use the lungo is made in just 30 seconds and the discarded pods are deposited into an internal bin with the click of the button.
4. Customization
One big reason why pod coffee makers might not be the best choice for you is its lack of flexibility to customize. Unless you purchase an auxiliary milk frother, the only options to add flavor or creaminess are to make use of an in-mug hot chocolate or tea option, and then add milk manually to your coffee. This won't be an issue for a lot of people, but it could be a problem for those who prefer the convenience of a fully automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew uses barcode scanners to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wets and infuses the correct amount of coffee to the particular kind of pod. It's an easy-to-use hands-off device that does a great job but isn't able to customize drinks or varying brew strength. Some buyers will be annoyed by this, but many will appreciate the ease of use and variety of cup sizes (espressos, lungos and mugs) to be exactly what they're looking for.
In addition to filling up the water tank and decaffeinating the reservoir occasionally the coffee maker will not need a lot of maintenance. It can dispense short espresso shots or tall travel mugs effortlessly. As previously mentioned, used pods are ejected into a container hidden from view that keeps your kitchen tidy. It is also great at delivering full-bodied coffees with tops that are topped with crema.
This machine is part of Smeg's 1950s style range. It's easy to use via an easy-to-use panel of buttons, and it can handle ground coffee as well as ESE pods. The only issue is that it lacks an indicator to let you know when it's time to descale, and the maximum water level can't be set which is an issue. You'll also need to buy the brand's capsules which can be costly. This is a great pod machine for those who want an attractive and convenient appliance that will serve well at a reasonable cost. This model can be used with a variety of capsules from third party manufacturers and is compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo range.