This sleek, brushed-steel appliance comes with Sage distinctive quality and user-friendly. It preheats after switch-on, and brews an aroma-packed espresso or a slightly longer lungo in just 30 seconds.
In contrast to bean-to-cup machines models take the most messed-up aspects of coffee making out of your hands, including grinding and dosing grounds.
1. Rapid
Pod machines can be installed and used more quickly than espresso machines. The majority of them can make a cup of coffee in 30 minutes. The pre-portioned pods that are used in these machines are typically more costly than freshly roasted coffee beans and a lot of them are not recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ has one of the fastest pod machines available due to the barcode scanner which scans each compatible pod’s code prior to brewing. This ensures that you get consistently high-quality coffee, every time. There is almost no possibility of getting a poor drink. The machine is one of the lightest and slimmest available. It doesn’t require an additional milk container and its compact size allows it to be easily incorporated into the tiniest kitchens.
The CitiZ isn’t the most efficient machine to minimize the environmental impact. The CitiZ isn’t equipped with an automatic descaling feature. You’ll 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 to replace it with a fresh one. This can be costly for certain users.
The Tassimo Vivy 2 is another quick machine that comes with a customisable button and the option of using ground coffee or ESE pods, which are pre-dosed and tampered with grounds compressed between filter paper. This model is B-Corp Certified. It is committed to reducing the negative impact it has on the surroundings and its workforce. Its only downside is that it takes a little longer to warm up, but once that occurs, it can make the cup in about 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 simple to use but also comes with an ice cream wand, a stainless steel jug, and milk frother.
2. Removable parts
The simplicity of pod coffee makers is a major benefit. The top models are easy to operate. The majority of machines utilize the same general method to make your cup the water is heated in an internal reservoir, then pressured through the chosen capsules and extracted to produce rich hot java. Most brands offer a range of sizes for drinks to meet different requirements, and you can save custom settings for a variety of models to streamline the process even further.
Keurig K-Cups are the biggest brands available on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also have a wide selection of capsules made by the most popular roasters. Certain pods can be used only once before they are discarded, while others can be used multiple times. You’ll need a plan to dispose of your used pods to avoid them ending up in landfill.
The sleek SMEG model we tested has a removable water tank that’s easy to fill, and the machine automatically dispenses a fresh capsule coffee maker once the previous one has been chilled. It brews espresso and lungo drinks, and comes with eight different blends that provide plenty of options. This brewer is a great choice for coffee drinkers who want to move away from drip coffee.
In our testing we found that the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most enjoyable to use. Its sleek design is an eye-catching addition to your counter and opens with a simple tap to reveal a hidden compartment for your empty pods. The machine also has the added benefit of an filtration system for water, which is ideal for areas with hard water.
This machine is easy to use and can brew regular coffee (240ml), ristretto, and lungo espresso drinks. The controls are simple to operate, with switches that resemble airplanes, which can be easily pulled back and a lever that retracts to reveal the opening to drop into your coffee maker. It requires a little force to close, but our test subjects, even those with limited mobility and hand strength felt comfortable.
3. Size
The best coffee pods machines pod machines take the mess of making coffee out of your hands. You simply need to load a pod, hit an icon and make coffee. You’ll still need 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 bigger counterparts which means they can be placed on the countertop and be kept out of view when not in use.
Whether a coffee pod machine is the right choice for you is based on your preferences and what you want to gain from it. All pod machines are easy to use, but certain models offer more customization options than others. Pod variety, brew size options and milk frothing capabilities are all important to determine the best coffee pod machine for you.
The most popular pod-based coffee machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However there are a few newer competitors that may be worth looking at. One of them is Bruvi which makes use of its own pod system, called B-Pods, which can only be used by its machines. The pods are equipped with a barcode on the underside that the machine scans to automatically adjust the brewing settings.
This approach means the machine eliminates all the guesswork of brewing a cup and makes sure that each drink is perfect every time. It is even able to save custom drinks to a separate button, allowing you to create them at the touch of a single button.
Other machines, like Sage’s My Way, offer more control over your coffee than others, letting you choose the right size and temperature for each beverage. It’s a little more expensive than many other models but it offers the polished stainless steel construction and top-quality customer service that’s synonymous with the brand and is a great choice for those who need something more from their pod-based coffee maker.
While most people will be using a pod-based machine to make single-serve beverages, there are some larger models that can make longer shots, referred to as lungos, also. Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg, a perfect example, blends retro fifties styling from SMEG and Italian coffee maker Lavazza. It’s difficult to use due to its toggles that resemble airplanes and a manual lever, but it’s incredibly easy and incredibly satisfying to operate the lungo is made in less than 30 seconds and the used pods are put into an internal bin with the click of the button.
4. Customization
One of the main reasons the pod coffee maker might not be the right choice for you is its lack of customizability. If you don’t have an alternative milk frother, then the only way to add more flavor or creaminess is to use a hot tea or chocolate option in your mug or to manually add milk to your coffee. For most people, this won’t be a problem however it could be a nagging issue for those who prefer a fully automated experience in the morning.
Bosch’s Intellibrew technology uses barcode scanners to scan each capsule coffee maker and automatically pre-wet, infuse, and give the correct amount of coffee that is appropriate for the type of pod. It’s a simple, hands-off machine which does a great job but isn’t able to customize drinks or altering the strength of brew. Some customers might be disappointed by this, however others will find the convenience and variety of cup sizes (espressos, lungos and mugs) to be exactly what they are looking for.
The coffee maker is extremely low maintenance. It only requires you to refill the tank with water, and decaffeinate the reservoir each and every so often. It dispenses short espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs effortlessly and, as previously mentioned, used pods are ejected into a concealed receptacle that keeps your kitchen clean. It is also excellent at delivering full-bodied espressos with crema-topped tops.
This machine is part of Smeg’s 1950s-style range. It’s user-friendly with simple buttons and can accommodate both ground coffee and ESE pods. The only drawback is that it doesn’t come with an indicator to let you know when it’s time to descale and the maximum water level can’t be set which is an 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 a convenient and attractive appliance that is able to serve at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for more variety, a wide range of third-party capsules are available for this model and it’s also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.