Best Coffee Pod Machine: What's The Only Thing Nobody Is Talking About The Best Coffee Pod Machine

This sleek, brushed-steel machine provides the Sage brand's distinctive quality and ease of use. It warms up after switching on, and then brews a delicious espresso or a slightly longer lungo in about 30 seconds.

Models for pods are a great alternative to bean-to cup machines. They take the clumsiest parts of coffee making off your hands, like grinding and measuring grounds.

1. Rapid

Pod machines can be set up and used faster than espresso machines. They can typically make a cup in 30 minutes. The pre-portioned pods used in these machines are generally more expensive than freshly roasted coffee beans and a lot are not recyclable.

The Nespresso CitiZ is one of the fastest pod machines that is available, thanks to its in-built barcode reader that scans the code of each compatible pod prior to making it. This ensures that you get consistently high-quality coffee, every time. There is almost no possibility of getting a poor beverage. It's also one of the slimmest and lightest on the market, with no need for a separate milk jug and a small footprint making it easy to fit into even the smallest of kitchens.

The CitiZ isn't the most efficient machine to reduce your environmental impact. It doesn't have an automated descaling feature, and you'll have to clean it yourself every 300 cups if live in hard water or 1200 cups in soft water areas. You'll also need to swap with a new cartridge when it runs out and could be expensive 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 packed between filter paper. The model is B-Corp Certified, which means it is committed to reducing its negative impact on the environment as well as its employees. The only drawback is that it takes longer to heat up, but once this occurs, it can make a cup in around 35 minutes.

Vertuo Creatista is a stylish, sleek machine that can create a variety of drinks with different sizes and styles. This sleek beauty, created in collaboration with Sage and Sage, is not just easy to use and quick to start, but also comes with an ice cream frothing wand as well as a stainless steel jug.

2. Removable parts

A pod coffee maker's user-friendliness is a big selling point and the top models are a breeze to use. Most machines rely on the same general process to make your coffee by heating water inside a reservoir, then pressured through your chosen capsules and extracted to create rich, hot coffee. The majority of brands offer various drink sizes for different needs. You can also save custom settings to streamline the process.

Keurig's K-Cups and Nestle's Nespresso VertuoLine series are the two major brands on the market, but both offer a variety of capsules from the most popular roasters and brands. Some pods are made to be used just once and then discarded, while others are meant to be used multiple times. You'll need a plan to dispose of your used pods to avoid them ending up in landfill.

The SMEG we tested has a removable reservoir of water that is easy to fill. It also automatically dispensates an additional capsule once the previous one cools down. It can be used to brew espresso and lungo drinks, and comes with eight different blends for the variety. This brewer is ideal for coffee drinkers who wish to move away from drip coffee.

In our tests in our tests, the Tassimo My Way 2 proved to be the most enjoyable one to use. Its sleek design makes it an eye-catching addition to your counter and opens with a simple touch to reveal a concealed compartment to store your empty pods. The machine also has the added benefit of an filtration system for water, which is ideal for hard-water areas.

The machine can brew the standard cup of coffee (240ml) as well as ristretto and lungo espresso-style drinks and is extremely fast. Its easy-to-use controls are a joy to use using the aircraft-style toggles as well as a lever that retracts with little effort to reveal the opening that allows you to insert your pod. It requires some force to close, but most of our testers even those with limited hand strength and mobility, found it comfortable.

3. Size

The best coffee pod machines remove all the mess from coffee making - you just add a pod the machine, press a button, and let it brew. You'll still have to clean the machine from time to time but not as often as you would with a bean-to cup or espresso maker. The pod machines are smaller than their larger counterparts, so they can fit on the counter and be kept out of sight when not being used.

Whether a coffee pod machine is the right choice for you depends on your preferences and what you're looking to gain from it. All pod machines are easy to use, but some offer more customisation options than others. Pod variety, brew size options, and milk frothing features must be taken into consideration to determine the best coffee pod machine for you.

The majority of people think of pod-based machines as the likes of Nespresso and Keurig however there are a few more recent rivals that could be worth considering. Bruvi utilizes a unique system of pods called B-Pods, which can only be used in its machines. These pods have a barcode on the underside that the machine scans to automatically adjust brewing settings.

The machine will eliminate the guesswork and make sure that each drink is perfect every time. It is even able to save custom drinks to a specific button so you can create them at the touch of a single button.

Other machines, like Sage's My Way, offer more granular control over your cup of coffee than the majority machines, allowing you to choose the exact size and temperature for each cup. It's more expensive than other models, however it comes with a polished stainless steel construction and superior customer support synonymous with Sage's My Way. This is a great choice for those looking for something more from their pod-based espresso maker.


While most people are using pod-based machines to make single-serve drinks, there are some larger models that can create longer shots, also known as lungos, too. The Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is a fantastic example of this and is a combination of the retro style of SMEG with the classic design of Italian coffee brand, Lavazza. It's a bit intimidating to use thanks to its airplane-style toggles and manual lever, but it's quick and incredibly enjoyable to use - a lungo is brewed in just 30 seconds and the discarded pods are deposited into an internal bin at the push of a button.

4. Customization

A pod coffee maker's limited flexibility is one of the main reasons it may not be the best choice for you. If you don't purchase an additional milk frother, the only methods to add extra flavor or creaminess is to make use of an in-mug hot chocolate or tea option and to add milk to your coffee manually. For most people, this won't be a problem, but it could be a nagging issue for those who prefer an automated experience in the morning.

Bosch's Intellibrew utilizes barcode scanners to scan each capsule. It then automatically pre-wettes and infuses the correct amount of coffee to the particular type of pod. It's a hands-free, easy-to-use machine that does the job flawlessly, but does not have any options for customised drinks or varying the strength of the brew. This might be frustrating for some customers but for others, the simple automation and variety of cup lengths (espresso lungo, espresso and mug) it gives precisely what they require.

This coffee maker is very low maintenance. It's all you have to do is to fill up the water tank, and decaffeinate it every time. It is able to serve espresso-style shots and tall travel mugs with ease. As mentioned earlier, the used pods are ejected in a hidden container that keeps your kitchen tidy. capsule coffee machine uk is also great at delivering full-bodied espressos with a crema-topped top.

This machine is part of Smeg’s 1950s style range. It's user-friendly with a simple interface and can be used with ground coffee or ESE pods. Its only flaw is the lack of an indicator that will let you know when it's time to descale, as well as the inability to set the maximum water level. It is also necessary to purchase the brand's own capsules which can be costly. However, this is an excellent pod coffee maker for anyone looking for an attractive and convenient appliance that will provide them with a great service at an affordable price. This model can be used with a variety of capsules from third party manufacturers and works with the Nespresso Vertuo range.