Watch Out: How Best Coffee Pod Machine Is Gaining Ground And What We Can Do About It
Watch Out: How Best Coffee Pod Machine Is Gaining Ground And What We Can Do About It
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The Best Coffee Pod Machine
The most sleek pod machine we've seen this brushed-steel model offers the trademark Sage quality and ease of use. It warms up after switching on, and makes an espresso with aroma or a slightly longer lungo in about 30 minutes.
Models for pods are an excellent alternative to bean-to cup machines. They take the clumsiest aspects of making coffee off your hands, such as grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Speedy
Pod machines can be set up and used faster than espresso machines. Most of them can 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 aren't recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ has one of the most efficient pod machines available, thanks to the barcode scanner that scans every compatible pod's code prior to brewing. This makes it easy to ensure consistent high-quality, high-end coffee every time, with virtually no chance of a drink coming out horribly wrong. It is also among the tiniest and lightest available and does not require an additional milk jug, and a small footprint making it easy to fit in even the tiniest of kitchens.
However the CitiZ isn't the ideal machine for those who want to minimize their 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. When the filter cartridge wears out, you'll need replace it with a new one. This can be costly for certain users.
Tassimo Vivy 2 is a quick machine with customizable buttons. It can be used with either ground coffee or ESE pods that are pre-dosed, tampered grounds compressed in between filter paper. This model is B-Corp Certified. It is committed to decreasing the negative impact it has on its environment and workforce. Its only downside is that it takes a little longer to warm up, but once that is done, it will be able to brew a cup in around 35 seconds.
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 simple to use, but it also comes with an ice cream wand, stainless steel jug and milk frother.
2. Removable parts
The user-friendliness is a big selling point, and the best models are a breeze to operate. The majority of machines use the same basic mechanism to brew your cup the water is heated inside a reservoir, and then pushed through the chosen capsules and extracted to produce rich hot coffee. Most brands offer different sizes of drinks for different needs. You can also save your own settings to streamline the process.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two biggest brands on the market, however each has a variety of capsules from popular roasters and brands. Some pods are designed to be used once and get thrown away, whereas others are meant for multiple uses. You'll need a plan to dispose of your used pods to avoid them from being thrown away.
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 eight different blends to give you variety. This brewer is a great choice for coffee drinkers who want to move away from drip coffee.
In our tests, the Tassimo My Way 2 proved to be the most enjoyable to use. Its sleek design looks great on your counter and opens with just a touch to reveal the hidden compartment that houses empty pods. It has an integrated water filter that is ideal for areas that have hard water.
The machine can brew a standard cup of coffee (240ml) as well as ristretto and lungo espresso-style drinks and is extremely fast. Its user-friendly controls are easy to navigate using the switches that resemble airplanes and a lever that retracts with a minimum of effort to reveal the area where you coffee pod machines drop in the pod. It takes a bit of force to close, but our test subjects, even those with limited mobility and hand strength felt comfortable.
3. Size
The best coffee pod machines take the mess of making coffee out of your hands. You simply put in the pod, press a button and make coffee. It is still necessary to clean your machine from time to time, but not as often as a bean-to cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are also smaller than their bigger counterparts, so they can fit on the countertop and be kept out of sight when not being used.
If a coffee pod machine is the best choice for you depends on your preferences and what you're hoping to get out of it. The majority of pod machines are easy to operate, however, some offer more customization options. Different pod types, brew sizes options, and milk frothing features should all be considered to determine the best coffee pod machine for you.
The most well-known pod-based machines are Nespresso, Keurig and similar brands. However there are more recent competitors that are worth a look. One of them is Bruvi which makes use of an exclusive pod system called B-Pods that can only be used with its machines. These pods have an underside barcode that machines scan to automatically adjust the brewing settings.
The machine will take all the guesswork out of it and ensure that every drink is perfect every time. It can even save customized drinks to a specific button so you can create them at the touch of a single button.
Other machines, such as Sage's My Way offer a more granular level of control over your coffee that allows you to select a specific temperature and size for each cup. It's more expensive than other models, but it comes with the polished stainless steel construction and the excellent customer service that is which is synonymous with the brand. It is a great option for those looking to get something more from their pod-based coffee maker.
While most people will use pod-based machines to make single-serve drinks There are some larger models that can also make longer shots, referred to as lungos, also. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a fantastic example of this. It combines the retro fifties styling of SMEG with Italian coffee maker, Lavazza. It's a bit intimidating initially due 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 only 30 minutes.
4. Customization
One reason a pod coffee maker may not be right for you is its lack of customizability. If you don't have an alternative milk frother then the only way to add flavor or creaminess is to make use of hot tea or chocolate option in your mug, or to manually add milk into your coffee. For most people, this shouldn't be a problem however it could be a problem for those who prefer an automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew uses a barcode scanner to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wettes and infuses the right amount of coffee for the specific kind of pod. It's a hassle-free, hands-off machine that does its job well, but it doesn't have any options for making drinks that are customized or varying the strength of brew. Some customers might be disappointed by this, however others will find the ease of use and the variety of cup sizes (espressos, lungos and mugs) to be exactly what they're searching for.
Aside from filling up the tank with water and decaffeinating it occasionally the coffee maker will not need a lot of maintenance. It can dispense short espresso shots and tall travel mugs easily and, as mentioned the pods that are used are ejected into a hidden receptacle which keeps your kitchen spotless. It also excels in delivering full-bodied coffees that have a crema-topped top.
This machine is part of Smeg’s 1950s-style range. It's easy to use via simple buttons, and it can handle ground coffee as well as 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 cannot be set, which is a minor issue. It is also necessary to purchase the brand's capsules which can be expensive. But, it's a great pod coffee maker for those looking for a beautiful and functional appliance that will serve them well for a reasonable price. For those who want more variety, a wide range of third-party capsules are available for this model and it's also compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.