The Best Coffee Pod Machine

This sleek, brushed-steel machine offers the Sage brand's distinctive quality and ease of operation. After turning on, it warms up and brews a fragrant espresso or slightly longer lungo in just 30 seconds.

Unlike bean-to-cup machines, pod models take the messiest aspects of coffee-making out of your hands - including grinding and dosing grounds.

1. Fast

Pod machines can be set up and operated faster than espresso pod-making machines. Most of them can make a cup in 30 seconds. But they come at some cost as the pre-portioned pods of coffee that are used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted beans and many are also not recyclable (though some companies are now offering free recycling bags and prepaid UPS labels to return 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 ensures that you get consistently top-quality coffee every time. There is virtually no chance of having a bad drink. The machine is one of the tiniest and lightest available. It does not require a separate milk container and its compact size allows it to be easily incorporated into even the tiniest kitchens.

However, the CitiZ isn't the ideal machine for those looking to reduce their environmental impact. It doesn't have an automated descaling function and you'll need to descale it yourself once every 300 cups if live in hard water or 1200 cups in soft water areas. Once the filter cartridge is out, you'll need replace it with a new. This could be expensive for some users.

Tassimo Vivy 2 is a speedy machine that has customisable buttons. It can be used with either ground coffee or ESE pods, which are pre-dosed, tampered grounds that are compressed between filter paper. This model is B-Corp Certified. It is committed to reducing the negative impact it has on its environment and its employees. Its only slight drawback is that it takes longer to warm up, but once this is done, it will be able to brew the cup in about 35 seconds.

If you're looking for an elegant, sleek machine capable of handling a range of different drink sizes and styles then you should look no further than the Vertuo Creatista from Nespresso. This sleek machine designed in collaboration with Sage is not only easy to use, but also comes with an ice cream wand, a stainless steel jug, and a milk frother.

2. Removable parts

The user-friendliness is a big selling point and the best models are a breeze to operate. Most machines utilize the same mechanism to brew the perfect cup of coffee: water is heated inside reservoirs, then moved through capsules to make rich hot coffee. The majority of brands offer a variety of drink sizes to suit different requirements, and you can save your own settings for a variety of models to streamline the process even further.

Keurig K-Cups are among the top players on the market. However, Nestle Nespresso VertuoLine capsules also offer a large selection of capsules made by the most popular roasters. Some pods are designed to be used only once before being be thrown away, while others are intended for multiple uses. You'll need a plan for your used pods to avoid them from being thrown away.

The sleek SMEG model we tested comes with an ejectable water tank that's easy to fill and the machine automatically dispenses fresh capsules after the previous one has cooled. It can be used to brew espresso and lungo drinks, and has eight different blends for variety. This brewer is ideal for those who love coffee and want to move away from drip coffee.

In our tests, the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most enjoyable 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. It also comes with the added benefit of a water filtration system, which is perfect for areas with hard water.

This machine is quick and brews regular coffee (240ml) as well as ristretto and lungo espresso drinks. Its intuitive controls are a joy to use, thanks to aircraft-style toggles as well as a lever that retracts with a minimum of effort to reveal the space which allows you to drop the pod. It requires some force to close, but the majority of our testers even those with weak hand strength and mobility, were able to use it comfortably.

3. Size

The best coffee pod machines take all the messy parts of making coffee out of your hands - you simply load in one of the pods, press a button and brew. It is still necessary to clean your machine occasionally, but not as often as a bean-to-cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are smaller than their bigger counterparts and can be stacked on the counter when not in use.

The best coffee machine for you will be determined by your personal preferences and the goals you'd like to achieve. All pod machines are simple to operate, however, some provide more options for customization. Consider the coffee pod variety, brew sizes and milk options for frothing when selecting the best machine.

The most popular pod-based coffee machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However, there are some newer competitors worth taking a look at. Bruvi has a custom-designed system of pods called B-Pods, which 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.

The machine will eliminate all the guesswork and ensure that every drink is perfect every time. It can save your custom drinks in a single button to allow you to create them with only one button.

Other machines, such as Sage's My Way offer a more precise level of control over your coffee pods machine, allowing you to choose a specific temperature and size for each drink. It's more expensive than other models, but it has the polished stainless steel construction and superior customer service that is synonymous with the Sage's My Way brand. This is a great choice for those looking for an extra bit of quality from their pod-based espresso maker.

While most people will be using pod-based machines to make single-serve drinks however, there are a few larger models that can also create longer shots, also known as lungos, also. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is an excellent example of this and combines the retro fifties styling of SMEG with Italian coffee brand, Lavazza. It's not easy at first thanks to the toggles that look like airplanes, but once you've gotten used to it, the machine is quick and easy to use. A lungo can be brewed in just 30 seconds.

4. Customization

One reason a pod coffee pods machine maker may not be the best choice for you is its lack of flexibility to customize. If you don't have an auxiliary milk frother then the only option 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 coffee. This shouldn't be a problem for many people, but it could be an issue for those who like a fully automatic experience in the morning.

Bosch's Intellibrew technology utilizes barcode scanners to scan each capsule coffee machines and automatically pre-wet, infuse and disperse the right amount of coffee for that particular kind of pod. It's a simple, hands-off machine that does its job flawlessly, but does not have any options for making drinks that are customized or varying the strength of brew. Some buyers will be annoyed by this, however others will appreciate the ease of use and variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they're searching for.

This coffee maker is low maintenance. It's all you have to do is to fill up the water tank, and decaffeinate it every so often. It can make short espresso shots or tall travel mugs with ease. As previously mentioned, used pods are ejected into an unnoticed container that keeps your kitchen tidy. It is also excellent at delivering full-bodied coffees with crema-topped tops.

This machine is part Smeg's 1950s style range. It is easy to use with a simple control panel and can be used with ground coffee or ESE pods. Its only flaw is the lack of a gauge that will let you know when you should descale, and the inability to set the maximum level of water. You'll also have to purchase the brand's capsules, which can be pricey. 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 is available for this model. It's compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.