The Best Coffee Pod Machine

This sleek, brushed-steel appliance provides the Sage distinctive quality and ease of operation. It preheats after switch-on, and makes an espresso with aroma or a little longer lungo in 30 seconds.

Pod models are an excellent alternative to bean-to cup machines. They take the messiest parts of coffee making off your hands, such as grinding and measuring grounds.

1. Rapid

Pod machines can be set up and operated faster than espresso machines. They can typically make a cup in 30 minutes. But they do come at some cost: the pre-portioned coffee pods used in these models are generally more expensive than freshly roasted beans and many are also not recyclable (though certain companies now offer recycling bags for free and UPS labels for returning them).

The Nespresso CitiZ has one of the fastest pod machines available due to the barcode scanner that scans every compatible pod's code prior to brewing. This allows you to ensure consistent high-quality, high-end coffee every time, and there is virtually no chance of a drink coming out badly wrong. This machine is among the tiniest and lightest on the market. It doesn't require an additional milk container and its compact size makes it easy to fit into even the smallest kitchens.

The CitiZ is not the best machine to reduce the environmental impact. The CitiZ isn't equipped with 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. Once the filter cartridge is out, you'll need replace it with a fresh one. This can be costly for certain users.

The Tassimo Vivy 2 is another speedy machine with customisable buttons and the option to use ground coffee pods machine or ESE pods that are pre-dosed and tampered grounds squeezed between filter paper. It is also B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to lessening its negative impact on the environment as well as its workforce. Its only slight drawback is that it takes longer to heat up, but once this happens it can brew the cup in about 35 seconds.

If you're after an elegant, stylish machine that can handle a variety of different drink sizes and styles, look no further than the Vertuo Creatista from Nespresso. This sleek machine, created in collaboration with Sage is not only easy to use but also comes with an ice cream wand, an stainless steel jug and milk frother.

2. Removable parts

The ease of use of a pod coffee maker is a major selling point. The best models are easy to operate. The majority of machines utilize the same basic process to make your coffee the water is heated in an internal reservoir, then pumped through the capsules you choose and extracted to produce rich hot coffee. Many brands offer a variety of drink sizes to suit various needs. You can save custom settings on a number of models to simplify the process further.

Keurig K-Cups are the biggest players on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also come with a variety of capsules made by the most well-known roasters. Some pods are able to be used once before being thrown away and others can be used multiple times. In either case, you'll have to plan ahead for the way you'll dispose of your spent pods so they do not end up in the garbage.

The SMEG we tested has a water reservoir that is easy to fill. It also automatically dispensates another capsule coffee makers after the previous one cools down. It can brew lungo and espresso drinks and has eight different blends for variety. This brewer is perfect for coffee lovers who want to switch to drip coffee.

In our tests, the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most satisfying to use. Its sleek design looks great on your counter, and it can be opened in a matter of seconds to reveal the hidden compartment that stores empty pods. The machine also has the added benefit of a water filtration system, which is great for hard-water areas.

This machine is able to make the standard cup of coffee (240ml) and also serves as ristretto and lungo espresso-style drinks and is extremely fast. The controls are simple to operate, with airplane-style toggles that can be retracted easily and a lever which retracts to reveal the opening for dropping in your coffee maker. It requires some force to close, but the majority of our testers, including those with weak hand strength and mobility, felt comfortable.

3. Size

The best coffee pod machines take all the messy parts of coffee making out of your hands - you simply put in a pod, hit the button, and then make coffee. You'll still have to clean your machine every now and then but not as often as a bean-to cup or espresso maker. Pod machines are also smaller than their larger counterparts and can be tucked away on the countertop and be stored away from view when not being used.

The best pod coffee machine coffee machine for you will be determined by your personal preferences and what you want to achieve. The majority of pod machines are easy to use, however some offer more customisation options than others. Take into consideration the variety of coffee pods, brew sizes and milk options for frothing when picking the right machine.

The most popular pod-based coffee machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However, there are some newer competitors that may be worth looking at. One of them is Bruvi which has a bespoke pod system called B-Pods that can only be used by its machines. The pods have a barcode on the underside that machines scan to adjust the brewing settings automatically.

The machine will take all the guesswork and ensure that every drink is perfect every time. It can save your custom drinks on a button so that you can make them by pressing one button.

Other machines, like Sage's My Way, offer greater control over your coffee than the majority models, allowing you to select the exact size and temperature for each beverage. It's more expensive than other models, but it comes with a polished stainless-steel build and excellent customer service that is synonymous with the brand. This is a good option for those wanting to get an extra bit of quality from their pod-based espresso maker.

While most people are using the pod-based machine to create single-serve drinks There are some larger models that are able to make longer shots, referred to as lungos, too. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a fantastic example of this, and it blends the retro-fifties style of SMEG with Italian coffee maker, Lavazza. It can be a little intimidating to use thanks to its airplane-style toggles and manual lever, but it's easy and incredibly satisfying to operate - a lungo is brewed in just 30 seconds and the pods that are used are put into an internal bin with the click of the button.

4. Customization

One of the main reasons pod coffee makers might not be the right choice for you is its limited customization. Unless you purchase an additional milk frother, the only options to add flavor or creaminess are to use an in-mug hot chocolate or tea option, and then add milk manually to your coffee. This won't be an issue for most people, but could be an issue for those who like an entirely automated experience in the morning.

Bosch's Intellibrew technology makes use of barcode readers to scan each capsule and automatically pre-wet, infuse and dispense the correct volume of coffee required for that type of pod. It's a user-friendly and hands-off machine that does an excellent job, however it isn't equipped with options for customizing drinks or altering the strength of brew. Some customers might be disappointed by this, however others will find the ease of use and variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they are looking for.

This coffee maker is very low-maintenance. It is all you need to do is to refill the water tank and decaffeinate it every so often. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs effortlessly and, as we mentioned the pods that are used are ejected to a hidden receptacle that helps keep your kitchen clean. It is also great at delivering full-bodied coffees with tops that are topped with crema.

This is a beautiful-looking machine and is part of Smeg's fifties-style range. It's user-friendly with simple buttons and can accommodate ground coffee as well as ESE pods. It's only downside is the absence of an indicator that tells you when to descale, and the inability to set the maximum level of water. It is also necessary to buy the brand's capsules which can be costly. However, this is an excellent pod coffee maker for those looking for a beautiful and convenient appliance that will provide them with a great service at a reasonable cost. If you're looking for more variety, a broad selection of third-party capsules is offered for this model and it's also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.