The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel model comes with Sage distinctive quality and ease of use. After turning on, it warms up and makes a scrumptious espresso or a slightly longer lungo in about 30 minutes.
As opposed to bean-to-cup machines, pod models take the most messy aspects of coffee making off your hands, such as grinding and dosing grounds.
1. Speedy
Pod machines are typically quicker to install and use than espresso machines, with most can make coffee in 30 seconds or so. The pre-portioned pods used in these machines are typically more expensive than freshly roasted coffee beans, and a majority are not recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ is one of the fastest pod machines that is available due to its built-in barcode scanner that scans the code of each compatible pod before making it. This ensures consistently high-quality coffee, every time. There is hardly any possibility of getting a poor beverage. The machine is one of the lightest and slimmest available. It does not require an additional milk container, and its small footprint makes it easy to fit into even the tiniest kitchens.
However, the CitiZ isn't the ideal machine for those looking to reduce their environmental impact. The CitiZ doesn't 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. You'll also have to put in a new filter cartridge once this runs out and can be expensive for some 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 ground compressed in between filter paper. It is also B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to decreasing its negative impact on the environment as well as its employees. The only drawback is that it takes a little longer to heat up, but once this occurs, it can make a cup in around 35 seconds.
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 user-friendliness is a major draw and the best models are a breeze to use. Most machines utilize the same basic mechanism to brew the cup of coffee you want that is, heated water is placed in a reservoir, then it is pushed through capsules to produce rich hot coffee. Most brands offer different sizes of drinks for different needs. You can also save your own settings to make the process more efficient.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two major players on the market, yet each has a variety of capsules from popular roasters and brands. Some pods are designed to be used only once before being get thrown away, whereas others are designed to be used for a variety of purposes. Either way, you'll need to plan out how you'll deal with the pods that are no longer being used so they aren't thrown away in the trash.
The sleek SMEG model we tested features a water tank that is removable and easy to fill and the machine will automatically pour fresh capsules after the previous one has been cooled. It brews coffee and lungo drinks and comes with eight different blends to provide you with a wide selection. This brewer is perfect for coffee lovers who want to make the switch from drip coffee to drip.
In our testing we found that the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most satisfying to use. Its sleek design is beautiful on your counter, and it opens with just a touch to reveal the compartment that stores empty pods. The machine has an in-built water filter system that is ideal for areas with hard water.
This machine brews a standard cup of coffee (240ml), as well as ristretto and lungo espresso-style drinks, and is surprisingly quick. The controls are easy to operate, with airplane-style toggles that can be retracted easily and a lever that retracts to reveal the opening for dropping into your coffee maker. It takes a bit of force to close, but the majority of our test subjects even those with limited hand strength and mobility, felt comfortable.
3. Size
The best coffee pod machines remove all the messes of making coffee out of your hands. You simply load in the pod, press an icon and prepare to brew. It is still necessary to clean your machine from time to time, but 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 being used.
The decision of whether a coffee machine is the right option for you is based on your preferences and what you're hoping to get from it. The majority of pod machines are easy to use, but certain models offer more customization options than others. Take into pod coffee machine consideration the variety of coffee pods sizes, brew sizes and milk 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 more recent competitors that are worth taking a look at. One of them is Bruvi, which uses an exclusive pod system called B-Pods, which can only be used by its machines. These pods are marked by a barcode which is read by the machine to adjust the brewing parameters automatically.
The machine will take all the guesswork and ensure that each drink is perfect every time. It can even save customised drinks to a dedicated button to allow you to create them at the touch of a single button.
Other machines, such as Sage's My Way, offer greater control over your coffee than the majority models, allowing you to select the right size and temperature for each cup. It's a little more expensive than some models, but it comes with the polished stainless steel design and the excellent customer service that is associated with the brand. It is a good choice for those who need an extra level of quality from their pod-based coffee maker.
While most people are using a pod-based machine to make single-serve beverages however, there are a few larger models that can make longer shots, referred to as lungos, also. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a great example of this, and it is a combination of the retro style of SMEG with the classic design of Italian coffee maker, Lavazza. It can be a little intimidating to use thanks to its airplane-style toggles as well as the manual lever, but it's incredibly easy and incredibly enjoyable to use - a lungo is brewed in less than 30 seconds and the used pods are put into an internal bin at the touch of a button.
4. Customization
The lack of customisation is a major reason it might not be the best option for you. If you don't buy an auxiliary milk frother, the only ways to add flavor or creaminess are to make use of a hot chocolate in-mug or tea option, and then add milk to your cup manually. This won't be an issue for most people, but it could be an issue for those who like an entirely automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew utilizes a barcode scanner to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wettes and infuses, then dispensing the correct amount of coffee to the particular kind of pod. It's a simple, hands-off machine that does the job well, but it doesn't have any options for customised drinks or altering the strength of brew. Some customers might be disappointed by this, however others will appreciate the convenience and variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they are looking for.
The coffee maker is extremely low maintenance. It is all you need to do is to refill the water tank, and decaffeinate it every time. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs with ease and, as we mentioned the pods that are used are ejected into a concealed container which keeps your kitchen spotless. It also does a great job of delivering full-bodied, crema-topped coffees.
This is a stunning machine that is part of Smeg's fifties-style range. It's user-friendly with a simple control panel and can be used with ground coffee or ESE pods. It's only downside is the absence of a gauge that will let you know when to descale, and the inability to set a maximum water level. You'll also have to purchase the capsules made by the company, which can be pricey. But, it's an excellent pod coffee maker for those looking for a beautiful and functional appliance that will provide them with a great service at a reasonable cost. For those who want more variety, a wide range of third-party capsules is offered for this model, and it's compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.