A Proactive Rant About Best Coffee Pod Machine
Wiki Article
The Best Coffee Pod Machine
This sleek, brushed-steel machine offers the Sage trademark quality and user-friendly. After turning on, it heats up and makes a delicious espresso 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, like grinding and measuring grounds.
1. Rapid
Pod machines are generally easier to install and use than espresso machines, with most capable of making a cup of coffee in 30 seconds or so. The pre-portioned pods used in these machines tend to be more expensive than freshly roasted coffee beans and many of them are not recyclable.
The Nespresso CitiZ is one of the fastest pod machines that is available due to its built-in barcode scanner that scans the code of each compatible pod prior to making it. This ensures you get consistently top-quality coffee every time. There is almost no possibility of getting a poor beverage. The machine is among the tiniest and lightest available. It doesn't require a separate milk container and its compact size makes it easy to fit into the smallest kitchens.
The CitiZ isn't the best device to reduce the environmental impact. It doesn't have an automated descaling feature, and you'll have to descale it yourself once every 300 cups if you reside in hard water areas or 1200 cups in soft water zones. Once the filter cartridge runs out, you'll need replace it with a new. This can be costly for some users.
The Tassimo Vivy 2 is another speedy machine with customisable buttons and the option of using ground coffee or ESE pods, which are pre-dosed and tampered grounds compressed between filter paper. The model is B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to reducing its negative impact on the environment and its employees. Its only minor drawback is the time it takes to heat up. Once it's done it, it can make one cup in about 35 seconds.
If you're after an elegant, stylish machine that can handle 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 it also comes with an ice cream wand a stainless steel jug, and a milk frother.
2. Removable parts
A pod coffee maker's ease of use is a big selling point, and the best models are simple to operate. Most machines use the same basic mechanism to brew the perfect cup of coffee: water is heated inside reservoirs, then pushed through capsules to create rich hot java. Most brands offer a range of drink sizes to suit different requirements, and you can save your own settings on a number of models to simplify the process further.
Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two biggest players in the market, however both offer a variety of capsules from popular roasters and brands. Some pods are made to be used once and be thrown away, while others are intended to be used for a variety of purposes. Either way, you'll need to plan out how you'll deal with the pods you've used up so that they don't end up in landfill.
The sleek SMEG model we tested features a removable water tank that's easy to fill, and the machine automatically pours a fresh capsule once the previous one has cooled. It can brew espresso and lungo drinks and comes with 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 testing of the Tassimo My Way 2 was the most enjoyable to use. Its sleek design makes it an eye-catching addition to your counter, and it can be opened with a gentle tap to reveal a hidden compartment to store your empty pods. It has an in-built water filter system which is perfect for areas with hard water.
This machine is able to make the standard cup of coffee (240ml), pods coffee machine as well as lungo and ristretto espresso-style drinks, and is surprisingly quick. The controls are easy to use, with airplane-style toggles that can be retracted easily and a lever that retracts to reveal the opening to drop into your pod. It requires a bit of pressure to close, however the majority of our testers who have limited hand strength and mobility, were able to use it comfortably.
3. Size
The best coffee pod machines eliminate all the mess that comes with coffee making - you just load a pod in the machine, press a button, and let it be brewed. You'll still have to clean your machine from time to time however not like a bean-to-cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are also smaller than their bigger counterparts and can be tucked away on the counter and be kept out of sight when not being used.
The right coffee pod machine for you will be determined by your preferences and the goals you'd like to achieve. All pod machines are easy to use, however some have more options for customization than others. Take into consideration the variety of coffee pods, brew sizes and milk options for frothing when selecting the best machine.
Many people think of pod-based machines as the likes of Nespresso and Keurig, but there are some newer competitors on the scene that are worth a look. Bruvi utilizes a unique system of pods, called B-Pods that can only be used in its machines. The pods are marked by a barcode which is read by the machine to adjust the brewing settings automatically.
The machine will eliminate the guesswork and ensure that every drink is perfect every time. It is able to save your customized drinks to a button to allow you to make them by pressing one button.
Other machines, like Sage's My Way offer a more granular level of control over your coffee and allows you to select a specific size and temperature for each cup. It's more expensive than other models, however it has the polished stainless steel construction and superior customer service that is a hallmark of the Sage's My Way brand. This is a great option for those who want a bit more out of their pod-based espresso maker.
Certain models are larger and can make lungos. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is an excellent example of this. It is a combination of the retro style of SMEG with the retro-fifties design of SMEG Italian coffee brand, 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 the pod coffee maker might not be right for you is its lack of customization. If you don't buy an additional milk frother, the only ways to add flavor or creaminess is to use an in-mug hot chocolate or tea option and to add milk manually to your coffee. For many people this won't be a problem but it could be a nagging issue for those who prefer a fully automated experience in the morning.
Bosch's Intellibrew makes use of a barcode scanner to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wets, infuses and dispenses the correct amount of coffee for the specific kind of pod. It's a hassle-free, hands-off machine that does the job very well but lacks any options for customizing drinks or for varying the strength of brew. Some buyers will be annoyed by this, but others will find the ease of use and the variety of cup sizes (espressos and mugs, lungos and espressos) to be exactly what they are searching for.
In addition to filling up the tank with water and decaffeinating the reservoir on occasion, this coffee maker will not require 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 container which keeps your kitchen spotless. It is also excellent at delivering full-bodied coffees with a crema-topped top.
This is a stunning machine that is part of the Smeg fifties range. It's easy to use with a simple panel and can take ground coffee or ESE pods. Its only flaw is the lack of an indicator that tells you when to descale, and the inability to set a maximum water level. You will also have to buy the capsules of the brand, which can be expensive. This is a good pod machine for those who want an easy-to-use and stylish appliance that will serve well at a reasonable cost. For those who want a little more variety, a wide range of third-party capsules is offered for this model. It's compatible with the Nespresso Vertuo line.