Best Coffee Pod Machine: 11 Thing You're Leaving Out
Best Coffee Pod Machine: 11 Thing You're Leaving Out
Blog Article
The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel model offers the Sage trademark quality and user-friendly. It preheats after switch-on, and brews an aroma-packed espresso or a little longer lungo in just 30 minutes.
The pod models are an excellent alternative to bean-to-cup machines. They take the messiest components of making coffee off your hands, like grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Rapid
Pod machines are generally easier to setup and use than espresso machines, with the majority capable of making coffee in only 30 seconds or so. But they come at an expense in that the pre-portioned coffee pods used in these models are generally more expensive than freshly roasted beans and they are not recycled. (though certain companies now offer free recycling bags and prepaid UPS labels for returning the pods).
The Nespresso CitiZ is one of the most efficient pod machines that you can find due to its built-in barcode scanner that scans the code of each compatible pod before making it. This ensures consistently top-quality coffee every time. There is almost no chance of having a bad beverage. The machine is also one of the slimmest and lightest available and does not require an additional milk jug, and the smallest footprint, making it easy to fit into even the tiniest kitchen.
However the CitiZ isn't the best machine for those who want to minimize their environmental impact. The CitiZ doesn't have an automatic descaling feature. You'll have to manually descale the machine every 300 cups for hard water, and every 1200 cups for soft water. You'll also have to put the filter cartridge once this runs out and can be expensive for certain 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 and tampered grounds compressed in 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 longer to heat up, but once this happens it can brew one cup in just 35 minutes.
Vertuo Creatista is a stylish sleek machine that is able to make a variety drinks in different sizes and styles. This sleek machine, designed in collaboration with Sage is not just easy to use, but also comes with an ice cream wand a stainless steel jug, and a milk frother.
2. Removable parts
A pod coffee maker's user-friendliness is a major draw, and the best models are a breeze to operate. Most machines rely on the same basic mechanism to brew your cup by heating water inside a reservoir, then pumped through the chosen capsules and extracted to create rich hot coffee. Many brands offer a variety of sizes of drinks to meet different requirements. You can also save custom settings to streamline the process.
Keurig K-Cups are the biggest player on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also have a wide selection of capsules by famous roasters. Some pods are designed to be used once and discarded, while others are intended to be used multiple times. You'll need a plan to dispose of your old pods to prevent them from ending up in the garbage.
The sleek SMEG model we tested has a removable water tank that's easy to fill, and the machine automatically dispenses fresh capsules after the previous one has been chilled. It can be used to brew espresso and lungo drinks, and has eight different blends to offer various options. This brewer is perfect for coffee drinkers who wish to move away from drip coffee to drip.
In our tests of the Tassimo My Way 2 proved to be the most enjoyable to use. Its sleek design looks stunning on your counter and can be opened in a matter of seconds to reveal the hidden compartment that stores your empty pods. It has an in-built water filter system that is ideal for areas with hard water.
This machine is able to make an ordinary cup of coffee (240ml), as well as ristretto and lungo espresso-style drinks, and is surprisingly quick. Its intuitive controls are easy to navigate with the help of aircraft-style toggles as well as a lever that retracts without much effort to reveal the opening that allows you to insert your coffee maker. It does take a little force to close but our test subjects, even those with weak hand and mobility were able to use it comfortably.
3. Size
The best coffee pod machines remove all the messes of coffee making out of your hands. You simply load in the pod, press an icon and prepare to brew. You'll still have to clean the machine from time time however not as often as you would with a bean-to cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are smaller than their bigger counterparts, so they can fit on the counter and be stored out of sight when not in use.
The right coffee pod machine for you will depend on your personal preferences and what you wish to achieve. All pod machines are simple to use, however some have more options for customization than others. Pod variety, brew size options, and milk frothing capabilities should all be considered to find the ideal coffee pod machine for your needs.
The most popular pod-based machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However there are newer competitors worth a look. One is Bruvi, which uses a bespoke pod system known as B-Pods that can only be used in conjunction with its machines. The pods are marked by a barcode which is scanned by the machine to adjust the brewing settings automatically.
The machine will eliminate all the guesswork and make sure that every drink is perfect every time. It is able to save your customized drinks to a button, so that you can create them with one button.
Other machines, like Sage's My Way offer a greater degree of control over your coffee, allowing you to choose the right size and temperature for each drink. It's more expensive than other models, however it comes with a polished stainless-steel construction and the excellent customer service that is synonymous with the Sage's My Way brand. This is a good choice for those looking for something more from their pod-based espresso maker.
While the pods coffee machine majority of people will use a pod-based machine to make single-serve beverages, there are some larger models that are able to create longer shots, also known as lungos, too. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is an excellent example of this. It blends the retro-fifties style of SMEG with Italian coffee maker, Lavazza. It's a bit intimidating at first thanks to the toggles that look like airplanes, but once you've gotten used to it, it is quick and satisfying to use. A lungo can be brewed in 30 minutes.
4. Customization
The lack of customization is a major reason it's not the best choice for you. Unless you purchase an additional milk frother, the only methods to add extra flavor or creaminess is to make use of a hot chocolate in-mug or tea option and to add milk to your coffee manually. For many people this won't be a problem but it could be a problem for those who prefer a fully automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew technology makes use of barcode readers to scan each capsule, and automatically pre-wet, infuse and give the correct amount of coffee that is appropriate for the type of pod. It's an easy-to-use hands-off device that does an excellent job, but lacks options for customising drinks or varying brew strength. This will irritate some buyers however for others, the easy automation and variety of cup lengths (espresso lungo, espresso and mug) will provide exactly what they need.
In addition to filling up the tank with water and decaffeinating the reservoir on occasion, this coffee maker will not need a lot of maintenance. It can dispense short espresso shots and tall travel mugs with ease and, as mentioned the pods that are used are ejected into a hidden receptacle that helps keep your kitchen clean. It also does an excellent job of providing full-bodied, crema-topped coffees.
This is a stunning machine that is part of Smeg's fifties style range. It's easy to use via a simple panel of buttons, and it can handle ground coffee as well as ESE pods. Its only flaw is the lack of a gauge that tells you when you should descale, and the inability to set the maximum level of water. It is also necessary to buy the capsules of the brand, which can be costly. This is a great pod machine for anyone who wants a convenient and attractive appliance that will serve well at a low cost. This model can be used with a variety of capsules from third party manufacturers and is compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo range.