The Best Coffee Pod Machine
The most sleek pod machine we've seen this model with brushed-steel features the trademark Sage quality and ease of use. After turning on, it heats up and brews a fragrant espresso or slightly longer lungo within 30 minutes.
Models for pods are an excellent alternative to bean-to-cup machines. They take the clumsiest aspects of making coffee off your hands, such as grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Fast
Pod machines can be installed and used more quickly than espresso machines. They can typically make a cup in just 30 seconds. But they come at a cost: the pre-portioned coffee pods used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted beans and they're not always recyclable (though some companies now offer free recycling bags and pre-paid UPS labels for returning the pods).
The Nespresso CitiZ is one of the most efficient pod machines on the market due to its built-in barcode reader that scans the code of each compatible pod prior to making it. This ensures consistently high-quality coffee, every time. There is hardly any possibility of getting a poor drink. It is also among the slimmest and lightest available that doesn't require a separate milk jug and its small footprint making it a breeze to fit into even the tiniest kitchen.
The CitiZ is not the best machine to reduce the 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. Once the filter cartridge runs out, you'll have to replace it with a new. This can be costly for some users.
The Tassimo Vivy 2 is another fast machine that has buttons that can be customized and the option to use either ground coffee or ESE pods, which are pre-dosed and tampered grounds packed 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. best coffee machines with pods is that it takes a little longer to warm up, but once this occurs, it can make one cup in just 35 seconds.
Vertuo Creatista is a stylish sleek machine that is able to create a variety of drinks in different sizes and styles. This sleek machine designed in collaboration with Sage is not just easy to use, but it also comes with an ice cream wand, stainless steel jug and a milk frother.
2. Removable parts
A pod coffee maker's user-friendliness is a big selling point and the best models are simple to use. Most machines rely on the same basic mechanism to brew your cup the water is heated in an internal reservoir, then pressured through the chosen capsules and extracted to form 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 offers a wide selection of capsules from the most popular roasters and brands. Some pods are designed to be used once and get thrown away, whereas others are designed for multiple uses. Either way, you'll need to plan ahead for how you'll deal with your spent pods so they don't end up in landfill.
The SMEG we tested has a removable water reservoir that is easy to fill. It also automatically dispenses a new capsule after the previous one cools down. It brews coffee and lungo drinks and comes with a set of eight different blends that give you plenty of variety. This brewer is perfect for coffee lovers who want to move away from drip coffee.
In our tests in our tests, the Tassimo My Way 2 proved to be the most enjoyable one to use. Its sleek design is beautiful on your counter, and it can be opened in a matter of seconds to reveal the compartment that stores your empty pods. The machine also has the added benefit of the water filtration system which is perfect for areas with hard water.
This machine is able to make an ordinary cup of coffee (240ml) as well as lungo and ristretto espresso-style drinks and is surprisingly fast. The controls are easy to operate, using the style of airplane toggles that can be easily retracted and a lever that retracts to reveal the opening to drop into your coffee maker. It requires some effort to close, but the majority of our testers, including those with limited hand strength and mobility, were able to use it comfortably.
3. Size
The top coffee pod machines remove all the messes of making coffee out of your hands. You simply put in the pod, press an icon and make coffee. You will still need to clean the machine from time time but not as often as you would with a bean-to-cup cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are also smaller than their counterparts that are larger which means they can be placed on the counter and be stored away from sight when not in use.
If a coffee pod machine is the right option for you depends on your preferences and what you're looking to get from it. The majority of pod machines are easy to use, but others offer more customization options. Take into consideration the variety of coffee pods sizes, brew sizes and milk options for frothing when picking the best machine.
The majority of people associate pod-based machines with the likes of Nespresso and Keurig however there are a few more recent competitors that are worth a look. Bruvi utilizes a unique system of pods called B-Pods that can only be used in its machines. The pods are identified by a barcode which is scanned by the machine to adjust the brewing parameters automatically.
This means that the machine eliminates all the guesswork of brewing a cup and makes sure that each drink is made perfectly every time. It is able to save your customized drinks to a button so that you can create them with a single button.
Other machines, such as Sage's My Way, offer greater control over your cup of coffee than most models, allowing you to select a specific size and temperature for each beverage. It's more expensive than other models, however it has the polished stainless-steel build and excellent customer support synonymous with the brand. This is a good option for those wanting to get an extra bit of quality from their espresso maker that is based on pods.
While most people will use 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, too. Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a great example, combines retro style of the fifties from SMEG and Italian coffee maker Lavazza. It can be a little intimidating to use thanks to its toggles that resemble airplanes and a manual lever, but it's quick and incredibly enjoyable to use the lungo is made in just 30 seconds and the used pods are put into an internal bin with the click of a button.
4. Customization
The lack of customization is a major reason it might not be the best choice for you. If you don't have an auxiliary milk frother, then the only way to enhance flavor or creaminess is to use a hot tea or chocolate option in your mug, or to manually add milk into your the coffee. This won't be an issue 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 makes use of a barcode scanner to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wettes and infuses the right amount of coffee to the particular type of pod. It's an easy-to-use hands-off device that does an excellent job, but lacks options for customising drinks or for varying the strength of brew. Some buyers will be annoyed by this, but many will find the convenience and variety of cup sizes (espressos, lungos and mugs) to be exactly what they're searching for.
This coffee maker is low-maintenance. It is all you need to do is to refill the water tank and decaffeinate the reservoir each and every time. It can dispense short espresso shots and tall travel mugs easily and, as previously mentioned the pods that are used are ejected into a concealed receptacle which keeps your kitchen spotless. It also does an excellent job of delivering full-bodied, crema-topped coffees.
This machine is part Smeg's 1950s style range. It's user-friendly with a simple control panel and can be used with ground coffee or ESE pods. The only issue is that it doesn't come with an indicator to let you know when it's time for descale. Also, the maximum water level can't be set which is a minor inconvenience. You will also have to buy the capsules of the brand, which can be expensive. This is a good pod machine for those who want an attractive and convenient appliance that will serve well at a reasonable cost. For those who want some variety, a broad selection of third-party capsules are available for this model, and it's also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.