Don't Buy Into These "Trends" Concerning Best Coffee Pod Machine
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The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel model offers the Sage trademark quality and ease of use. It heats up immediately after switching on and then brews a delicious espresso or a slightly longer lungo in just 30 seconds.
In contrast to bean-to-cup machines models take the most messy aspects of coffee making out of your hands, including grinding and dosing grounds.
1. Rapid
Pod machines can be set up and used faster than espresso machines. They can typically make a cup of coffee in 30 seconds. The pre-portioned pods used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted coffee beans, and a majority of them are not recyclable.
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 brewing it. This makes it simple to make consistent quality, high-end coffee each time, with next-to-no chance of the drink turning out badly wrong. This machine is among the tiniest and lightest available. It does not require a separate milk container and its compact size makes it easy to fit into the tiniest kitchens.
The CitiZ isn't the most efficient 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 is out, you'll need to replace it with a fresh one. This could be expensive for some users.
The Tassimo Vivy 2 is another quick machine that comes with a customisable button and the option of using either ground coffee or ESE pods that are pre-dosed, tampered and compressed between filter paper. The model is B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to lessening its negative impact on the environment as well as its workforce. Its only downside is that it takes longer to heat up, but once that occurs, it can make one cup in just 35 minutes.
If you're after an elegant, stylish machine that can handle a variety of different sizes and styles, you should look no further than the Vertuo Creatista from Nespresso. This glossy beauty, made in collaboration with Sage, is not only easy to use and quick to start, but also comes with a milk frothing wand and an stainless steel Jug.
2. Removable parts
A pod coffee maker's ease of use is a big selling point, and the best models are a breeze to use. Most machines rely on the same general method to make your cup by heating water inside a reservoir, then pressured through the capsules you choose and extracted to form rich hot coffee. The majority of brands offer a variety of sizes for drinks to meet various needs. You can save custom settings on many models to speed up the process even more.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two major brands on the market, however each offers a wide selection of capsules from popular roasters and brands. Certain pods can be used once before they are discarded however, others can be used multiple times. Either way, you'll need to think about how you'll deal with the pods that are no longer being used so they do not end up in the garbage.
The sleek SMEG model we tested has a removable water tank that's easy to fill and the machine automatically pours a fresh capsule once the previous one has been cooled. It can be used to brew espresso and lungo drinks, and comes with a set of eight different blends to give you plenty of variety. This brewer is perfect for those who love coffee and want to make the switch from drip coffee to drip.
In our tests, the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most satisfying to use. Its sleek design makes it an attractive addition to your counter and can be opened with a gentle tap to reveal a hidden compartment to store your empty pods. The machine has an in-built water filter system that is perfect for areas with hard water.
This machine brews a standard cup of coffee (240ml), as well as lungo and ristretto-style espresso drinks and is extremely fast. Its user-friendly controls are a joy to navigate with the help of airplane-style toggles and a lever that retracts with a minimum of effort to reveal the space where you drop in your coffee maker. It does take a little effort to close, but our testers, even those who have limited mobility and hand strength felt comfortable.
3. Size
The best coffee pod makers remove all the mess from coffee making. You just load a pod in, press a button and let it make coffee. You'll still have to clean your machine from time to time however not as often as a bean-to-cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are smaller than their bigger counterparts, and can be stored on the counter when not being used.
The right coffee pod machine for you will be determined by your personal preferences and the goals you'd like to achieve. The majority of pod machines are easy to use, but others provide more options for customization. Be aware of the different coffee pods, brew sizes and milk frothing options when choosing the right machine.
The majority of people think of pod-based machines as the likes of Nespresso and Keurig However, there are a few newer rivals which are worth looking into. One of them is Bruvi which makes use of a bespoke pod system called B-Pods, which can only be used by its machines. These pods have a barcode on the underside that machines scan to adjust the brewing settings automatically.
This approach means the machine eliminates all the guesswork the process of making a cup, and guarantees that every drink is made perfectly every time. It can save your customised drinks to a button, so that you can create them using only one button.
Other machines, such as Sage's My Way, offer more control over your cup of coffee than most models, allowing you to select a specific size and temperature for each drink. It's more expensive than some models but it offers the polished stainless steel build and the excellent customer service that is associated with the brand. It is a solid choice for those who need an extra level of quality from their pod-based coffee maker.
Some larger models can also create lungos. Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a perfect example, blends retro fifties styling 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 easy and incredibly enjoyable to use and brews a lungo in only 30 seconds, and the discarded pods are put into an internal bin at the push of the button.
4. Customization
The limited capabilities of a pod coffee maker's customisation is a major reason it's not the right choice for you. If you don't have an auxiliary milk frother then the only way to add more flavor or creaminess is to make use of hot chocolate or tea option in your mug or to manually add milk to the coffee. This shouldn't be a problem for many people, but could be a problem for those who prefer an entirely automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew technology makes use of a barcode reader to scan each capsule, and automatically pre-wet, infuse and dispense the correct volume of coffee for that particular kind of pod. It's a hands-free, easy-to-use machine that performs its job very well but pod coffee makers lacks any options for customizing drinks or varying the strength of the brew. Some customers might be disappointed by this, but others will appreciate the ease of use and variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they're seeking.
This coffee maker is low-maintenance. It only requires you to fill up the tank with water, and decaffeinate the reservoir each and every so often. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs easily and, as previously mentioned the pods that are used are ejected into a hidden receptacle that keeps your kitchen clean. It also excels at delivering full-bodied espressos with crema-topped tops.
This is a stunning machine and is part of Smeg's fifties-style range. It's easy to use with a simple control panel and can accommodate ground coffee or ESE pods. The only drawback is the lack of a gauge that tells you when to descale, and the inability to set the maximum water level. It is also necessary to buy the brand's capsules which can be costly. This is a good pod machine for those who want an attractive and convenient appliance that can be used at a reasonable cost. For those who want more variety, a wide range of third-party capsules is available for this model, and it's also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.