The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel appliance comes with Sage trademark quality and ease of use. It preheats after switch-on, and then brews a delicious espresso or a slightly longer lungo in about 30 minutes.
Models for pods are a great alternative to bean-to cup machines. They take the messiest parts of coffee making off your hands, such as grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Rapid
Pod machines can be installed and used more quickly than espresso machines. The majority of them can make a cup in 30 minutes. The pre-portioned pods that are used in these machines are generally more costly than freshly roasted coffee beans, and a majority are not recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ is one of the most efficient pod machines on the market, thanks to its in-built barcode reader that scans code of each compatible pod before making it. This allows you to get consistent quality, high-end coffee each time, with virtually no chance of the drink turning out horribly wrong. It's also among the slimmest and lightest available that doesn't require a separate milk jug and the smallest footprint, making it easy to fit in even the tiniest kitchen.
However the CitiZ isn't the ideal machine for those wanting to minimize their environmental impact. The CitiZ isn't equipped with an automatic descaling feature. You'll have to manually descale the machine every 300 cups for hard water and 1200 cups for soft water. When the filter cartridge wears out, you'll have to replace it with a new one. This could be expensive for some users.
The Tassimo Vivy 2 is another speedy machine with customisable buttons and the option to use ground coffee or ESE pods, which are pre-dosed, tampered and squeezed between filter paper. It is also B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to lessening its negative impact on the environment and its employees. Its only slight drawback is that it takes a little longer to heat up, but once this is done, it will be able to brew a cup in around 35 seconds.
Vertuo Creatista is a stylish sleek machine that is able to make a variety drinks in different sizes and styles. This sleek beauty, created in collaboration with Sage and Sage, is not just easy to use and quick to start, but also comes with an ice-cream frothing wand, as well as an stainless steel jug.
2. Removable parts
A pod coffee maker's user-friendliness is a major draw and the top models are a breeze to use. The majority of machines utilize the same basic method to make your cup: water is heated inside a reservoir, and then pushed through the capsules you choose and extracted to create rich hot coffee. The majority of brands offer various sizes of drinks to meet different requirements. You can also save custom settings to streamline the process.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two biggest players in the market, however each has a variety of capsules from the most popular roasters and brands. Some pods are made to be used once and get thrown away, whereas others are designed to be used multiple times. You'll need a strategy for your used pods to avoid them from being thrown away.
The sleek SMEG model we tested features a water tank that is removable and easy to fill and the machine automatically dispenses new capsules once the previous one has been cooled. It brews espresso and lungo drinks, and comes with eight different blends that provide you with a wide selection. This brewer is a great choice for those who love coffee and 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 countertop and opens with a light touch to reveal a hidden compartment for your empty pods. The machine has an integrated water filter that is ideal for areas with hard water.
This machine brews the standard cup of coffee (240ml) as well 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 retracted easily and a lever which retracts to reveal the opening for dropping in your pod. It requires a bit of effort to close, but the majority of our test subjects even those with weak 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 a pod, hit the button, and then prepare to brew. You'll still need to clean your machine occasionally however not like a bean-to-cup or espresso maker. Pod machines are also smaller than their larger counterparts, so they can fit on the countertop and be kept out of view when not in use.
The decision of whether a coffee machine is the right option here for you is based on your preferences and what you want to get out of it. All pod machines are simple to operate, however, some provide more options for customization. Different pod types, brew sizes options, and milk frothing capabilities are all important to find the ideal coffee pod machine.
The most popular pod-based machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However there are newer competitors worth a look. Bruvi uses a bespoke system of pods known as B-Pods that can only be used in its machines. The pods are identified with a barcode that is read by the machine to adjust the brewing parameters automatically.
The machine will eliminate the guesswork and make sure that every drink is perfect every time. It can save your custom drinks on a button, so that you can make them by pressing a single button.
Other machines, like Sage's My Way offer a greater degree of control over your coffee that allows you to select the right temperature and size for each drink. It's more expensive than other models, however it comes with a polished stainless-steel build and excellent customer support synonymous with Sage's My Way. This is a good option for those wanting to get something more from their espresso maker that is based on pods.
While the majority of people will use a pod-based machine to make single-serve beverages There are some larger models that can also brew longer shots, known as lungos, too. Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg, which is a perfect example, blends retro style of the fifties from SMEG and Italian coffee maker Lavazza. It's a bit difficult to use due to its airplane-style toggles and manual lever, but it's incredibly easy and incredibly enjoyable to use and brews a lungo in just 30 seconds and the used pods are placed in an internal bin at the push of a button.
4. Customization
One of the main reasons the pod coffee maker might not be the right choice for you is the limited customization. If you don't have an auxiliary milk frother then the only way to enhance flavor or creaminess is to use hot chocolate or tea option in your mug, or to manually add milk into your the coffee. This shouldn't be a problem for most people, but could be an issue for those who like the convenience of a fully automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew technology uses barcode readers to scan each capsule and automatically pre-wet, infuse, and disperse the right amount of coffee that is appropriate for the kind of pod. It's a simple, hands-off machine that performs its job flawlessly, but does not have any options for making drinks that are customized or for varying the strength of the brew. Some customers will be irritated by this, however others will appreciate the ease of use and the variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they are looking for.
Apart from filling the tank with water and decaffeinating it occasionally This coffee maker does not need a lot of maintenance. It can dispense short espresso-style shots or tall travel mugs easily. As previously mentioned, used pods are then ejected from an unnoticed container that helps keep your kitchen tidy. It also does a fantastic job of serving full-bodied, crema-topped espressos.
It's a gorgeous machine that is part of Smeg's fifties-style range. It's user-friendly with a simple panel and can be used with ground coffee or ESE pods. It's only downside is the absence of an indicator that tells you when it's time to descale, as well as the inability to set a maximum water level. It is also necessary to buy the capsules of the brand, which can be costly. This is a great pod machine for anyone looking for an attractive and convenient appliance that is able to serve at a reasonable cost. If you're looking for some variety, a wide range of third-party capsules is available for this model and it's also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.