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Best Pod Coffee Machine – Simple & Fast, Great Taste – Detailed Reviews & Comparison
Best Pod Coffee Capsule Machine
Top 5 Machines Compared
Whether you want nothing but instant coffee in the morning or you’ve reached the point where you can’t take a flat white at a local café anymore, a pod coffee machine is the ideal solution. Perhaps you want to enjoy a variety of barista-quality coffee at home – you can’t go wrong with a pod coffee machine.
The good news is, there are plenty of coffee pod machines in the UK market. The bad news, choosing the best coffee pod machine UK can be confusing, with so many models and styles on offer. Thanks to us, we have simplified the search process for you in a straightforward buying guide and narrowed down the best pod coffee machines into five.
If you want to replace or add another coffee machine to your home brewery, jump straight into our best pick just a little further down. If you’re starting out on pod coffee machines, then don’t miss a single word throughout this review. Our coffee pod machine reviews highlights the features, pros and cons of various models and it’s important that you know each machine’s best application.
Allow us to introduce the Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine, which is our best pick as we think it is the best coffee machine for most people thanks to its excellent features, welcome pack to get you started and of course because of the great tasting coffee it can brew.
Our top 5 recommended pod coffee machines that are included in our review:
- 1Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine - BEST PICK - Our score 4.8/5
- 2NESPRESSO by Krups XN760540 Citiz and Milk Coffee - RUNNER UP - Our score 4.9/5
- 3Bosch Tassimo Vivy Multi Beverage Coffee Pod Machine - Our score 4.5/5
- 4Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 3 Coffee Machine - Our score 4.6/5
- 5Nespresso XN300540 Pixie Coffee Machine - Our score 4.6/5
Our Buyers Guide
The likes of Nespresso and Tassimo coffee machines are popular because they provide the quickest, most effortless route to a homemade java. Yet, the machine you choose determines the kind of coffee you can have, and the prices can vary to a great extent. Therefore, careful research is worth your time before going into your pocket.
In this buying guide, we will look at the general pros and cons of pod coffee machines, things to consider and FAQs about pod coffee machines.Advantages of Pod Coffee Machines
Disadvantages of Pod Coffee Machines
Things to consider when buying a pod coffee machine
FAQs about pod coffee machines
Why do I need a pod coffee machine?
A pod coffee machine offers the fastest and easiest means to a cup of coffee. Just pop in your pod, select your settings, and the machine does the job for you. For those who love variety, you can find a wide range of pods in the market.
How many varieties can a coffee pod machine make?
It depends with the type of machine. Nespresso makes 24 flavours, Dolce Gusto make over 30 flavours, while Tassimo make more than 35 flavours.
How much do capsules cost?
This is also dependent on the machine but generally the price range from £12 for around 38 to £25 for around 100 coffee pods.
Do pod machines use milk?
Not all pod coffee machines integrate a milk container. For the few that have, the milk can vary. Nespresso use fresh milk, Dolce Gusto powdered milk and Tassimo use UHT milk. One thing to keep in mind – most Tassimo and Dolce Gusto pods require a separate milk pod.
What should I be aware of when buying a pod coffee machine?
Just be sure to check what types of pods or capsules are compatible with the machine you want to buy. You’ll not want to purchase a machine that doesn’t make your favourite drinks and flavours.Never buy junk again.
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Top 5 Pod Coffee Machine Reviews
Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine
OUR BEST PICK
Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine
Our rating:
PROS
CONS
The Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine is another compact machine with a trim profile that would fit into the smallest of spaces. The Inissia is only 12cm wide, tinier than most other models in its price range, and that means no countertop would be too small for the machine to squeeze onto.
It has a water tank capacity of 0.7 litres, which can make up to 9 coffees in one fill. The water sizing is automatic and programmable for enhanced convenience. The tank has a lid that prevents spillage between tap and coffee machine. This pod coffee machine takes only 25 seconds for the machine to make a cup of coffee. Furthermore, there’s no waiting for the machine to heat up before you make a cup selection. At the touch of a button, you choose the cup size you want to serve via a programmable espresso and lungo buttons.
A removable drip tray allows you to shift between normal sized cups and large mugs or tall glasses. There’s also an internal bin for collecting used pods, meaning several cups can be made before it needs emptying.
Another impressive feature of the Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine is its high pressure pump and heat control system. The machine offers a flawless barista-style coffee each and every time due to its practical one-touch operation combined with patented extraction system, which delivers a maximum of 19 bar pressure. It comes with a useful 0.8m cable, which gives so much flexibility on where it’s positioned. It’s also worth noting that this machine has a power of 1200W.
When you buy the Inissia model, you get a welcome set of 16 capsules, each of different taste. The Inissia capsule system delivers great tastes and aromas owing to the preparation of top notch coffees in hermetically sealed and reusable aluminium capsules for coffee enjoyment at the best level.
What’s more? This machine features an energy saving mode, which auto switches the machine off after 9 minutes without use. There’s also a drip tray designed to hold larger cups and it can drop down automatically in order to remove your mug and catch drips.
Another thing we appreciate is Nespresso’s customer support. While it’s not something that directly relates to the performance of this machine, it highly impacts on the company’s service delivery. Should you have any problem with your Nespresso Inissia Coffee machine, you can call Nespresso by telephone any time, any day of the week. If you join the Nespresso Club, you also benefit from free capsule recycling service.Thoughts and Recommendations
The Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine is a reasonably priced machine for the features. It barely takes up any room and the machine is very easy to use. The variety of colours means at least everyone can pick what matches with their décor, while the welcome set of capsules is a huge bonus. We also like the flexibility in terms of tastes and cup delivery.
As good as it sounds, the machine is made of what seems like flimsy plastic and that raises questions on durability. The water tank is also quite small for coffee addicts. Nonetheless, the Nespresso Inissia is a smart choice as far as pod coffee machines go and all things considered including the price helped it win our 'Best Pick' award and become our top recommended model. With over 1500 reviews on Amazon.co.uk its easy why even Amazon have it as their 'Amazons Choice' at the time our hour review.Bosch Tassimo Vivy TAS1402GB Coffee Pod Machine
Bosch Tassimo Vivy TAS1402GB Multi Beverage Coffee Pod Machine
Our rating:
PROS
CONS
The Bosch Tassimo Vivy TAS1402GB Coffee Machine is an upgrade of the Bosch Tassimo Vivy, which was also highly rated. This new model is showing some positive reviews and we would like to think that it addressed any concerns of the previous coffee machine.
The Tassimo Vivy boasts a sleek, compact design owing to its footprint of only 17cm which is amazingly slim. The machine fits into any kitchen and catches the eye with its striking silver and black look. It has a removable water tank with a capacity of 0.7 litres and an impressive power of 1300W. The tank is easy to fill straight from the tap every other time you will need to.
Preparing delicious hot drinks is so easy with this Tassimo. Simply insert a T DISC and push the entirely automatic preparation using a practical one button operation, and you hot drink will be ready in a flash. You can make lots of different types of coffee for you and your loved ones, keeping in mind that people have different tastes.
The machine allows you to prepare over 40 specialties for famous brands, including Cadbury, Costa and Kenco giving you plenty of choice. Whether you want luxurious latte macchiato or full bodied espresso, tea or hot chocolate, the choice is yours!
You will love the speed of this coffee machine thanks to its innovative flow-through heater, which ensures no pre-heating of water is required. You also don’t need to heat up between drinks, either.
The Tassimo Vivy makes use of INTELLEBREW™ technology to achieve perfection in coffee preparation. Each individual T-DISC has a barcode that helps the machine measure the perfect amount of water, temperature and brewing time for your coffee, resulting to the perfect taste. If you want add extra water, you can press and hold the button, however, you must be sure to have the right cup size on the cup holder since the initial amount of water is automated.
Speaking of the cup stand, Bosch made it adjustable so as to allow you fit cups and glasses of different heights. There are only two slots, though, for fixing the removable cup stand but they are quite useful. You can even remove the cup stand completely if you want to use tall latte glasses or travel mugs which is perfect if your just about to go out and want to take it with you.
Upon purchasing the Tassimo Vivy, you also receive a service T DISK, which includes the appropriate barcode required to clean the brewing system and perform the auto descaling function. It informs you when to descale the coffee machine, this basically means descaling is super easy.
For increased convenient use, there’s an LED user interface that provides the current information about the status of the machine. The information on the display include Standby mode, Automatic mode, Manual mode, Refill water tank and Descale. The Standby mode, especially, helps you to save energy and make savings in your household expenses.
Thoughts and Recommendations
The Bosch Tassimo Vivy Coffee Machine is a decent pod coffee machine that stands out of the crowd because of its compact design and really affordable, no wonder is one of the amazons most popular models. The appearance is also very appealing wirt its sleek design. We like the variety of drinks it can make and technology behind brewing coffee to perfection. In addition, it has some convenient modes and the Standby one, especially, can save on energy budget. You also won’t have headache of when to clean the machine as the Descale function will let you know.
What we don’t like, however, is the water tank capacity as we find it on the smaller side. Some users have also complained that the start button takes a few prices to power the machine, this however it just a few out of thousands of customer reviews we found online. We assume this is not a problem that may occur now and then, and should not make you think twice about this unit.
All things considered, the Bosch Tassimo Vivy Coffee Machine is ideal for quick coffee cups for a small family. We are also convinced that the price is just right for what you get and as such you will struggle to find a better model within its price range.Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 3 Manual Coffee Machine
Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 3 Manual Coffee Machine
Our rating:
PROS
CONS
If you want to make a statement about your coffee, here comes the Krups Gusto Melody 3 Manual Coffee Machine.
Beyond its impressive design, the Melody 3 has a maximum pump pressure of 15 bar, which can create your favourite drinks in a matter of seconds. This bar pressure delivers the golden crema like the one you get in a shop quality coffee.
There’s no cleaning required either because the coffee grinds stay in the pod. But, it’s recommended that you wipe down the machine and rinse the capsule holder every few weeks. To keep your machine working in top level, you should descale after every 3 to 4 months or in other words, after 900 uses.
Preparing your drink with the Melody 3 only takes three simple steps. Start by popping in a pod, move the lever to hot or cold, then stop the water when you are ready. There’s an adjustable drip tray that can move up or down in order to fit any cup size. In addition, an on/off button with eco mode function enables you to save energy and in turn reduce household electricity bills.
Every pod has been created with carefully selected ingredients in order to achieve a perfect taste for different drinks. The pods have been thoughtfully designed on the idea that different drinks need different amounts of pressure to get the perfect flavour. Therefore, they regulate pressure depending on the kind of drink you want. With over 25 coffee varieties to choose from, it simply means you can your coffee your way.
The Gusto Melody 3 comes with a variety of roast and ground coffees, which allow you to create delicious chocolate and coffee drinks. The coffee pods are sealed after the roast has been ground in order to maintain maximum freshness help achieve tasty aroma and flavour.
Thoughts and Recommendations
The Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 3 Manual Coffee Machine is an appealing offer because of the capsules on offer. We also like the larger 1.3L tank capacity, which makes up to 25 espressos in one go which means less time refilling the tank. Then there’s the flexibility of cup size plus a variety of over 30 flavours. With no frequent cleaning required, the Melody 3 is just perfect for everyday brewing.
Despite a few other flaws, we find the Melody 3 ideal for large, busy families and office use because of infrequent refilling and ease if use. Its a little more expensive than some of the other models we have reviewed but we feel it still offers excellent value for money and gives you plenty fo choice when it comes to the capsule choice you have.Nespresso XN300540 Pixie Coffee Machine
Nespresso XN300540 Pixie Coffee Machine
Our rating:
PROS
CONS
At the higher end of prices comes the Nespresso XN300540 Pixie Coffee Machine, which edges the Nespresso Inissia model in a few aspects. First, the Nespresso XN300540 Pixie is more energy efficient than the Inissia. Another thing, the Pixie features empty water tank detection – something that’s absent in the Inissia model. Are these the only upgrades that contribute to the huge difference in price between the Nespresso Pixie and the Inissia model? Let’s take a look at what else the Pixie has to offer.
The Nespresso Pixie comes with a water tank capacity of 0.7 litres. Its pump pressure is 19 bar, which is created from Nespresso’s patented extraction system. The high-pressure pump allows you to create barista-quality coffee whilst unlocking the true flavours and premium aromas of every coffee capsule during brewing. We can call this machine super-fast because the heat control system reaches the ideal temperature in a matter of 25 seconds.
At just 11cm wide, the Pixie is quite compact and would fit in any small urban kitchen effortlessly. In addition, this model is available in a variety of colours and comes in two finishes. There are two one-touch buttons that show cup capacities, espresso and lungo, so it’s up to you to decide the volume of coffee that you want. It also has a folding drip tray which accommodates cups of different sizes for espresso and milk coffee enthusiasts alike.
One impressive thing about buying Nespresso coffee machines is the welcome set of capsules supplied with their appliances. The Pixie model is no exception as it comes with 16 free capsules of different flavours. Just try each one of them to find your favourite flavour.
The best part of the Pixie is its smart alert system, which lets you know when water is almost running out in the tank. There’s additionally a power save mode, which automatically switches the machine off after every 9 minutes of inactivity, thus consuming less energy. Another impressive figure is the machine’s power of 1260W.Thoughts and Recommendations
The Nespresso XN300540 Pixie Coffee Machine is a top rated machine for some obvious reasons. The selling point here include empty water tank alert yet even its compact dimensions are something to go for. The ability to switch between large and small coffee volumes along with the adjustable cup stand make this a very versatile unit.
The only problem here is that the unit cannot handle a crowd due to its small tank capacity. But if you only have a few people, then you can’t go wrong with this pod coffee machine. Precision coffee brewing and a variety of flavours on offer. This model was nearly awarded our 'best pick', so why didn't it?, well one answer, the price. Its one of the more expensive models but we feel its still worth every penny, may not be within everybody's budget which is why the Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine has the edge.NESPRESSO by Krups XN760540 Citiz and Milk Coffee Machine
NESPRESSO by Krups XN760540 Citiz and Milk Coffee Machine
Our rating:
PROS
CONS
This is another pricey machine designed for both coffee and milk-coffee aficionados. The name is NESPRESSO XN760540 Citiz and Milk Coffee Machine by Krups. It has a tank capacity of 1 litre, which is just enough to serve a couple cups of coffee. With a 19-bar pressure pump, you can rest assured of receiving optimal flavour extraction. The high-performance pump also enables the machine to bring out the rich texture of every coffee capsule to you get that great coffee shop taste the big names are known for.
Forget about the long wait of using a conventional coffee machine, the CitiZ and Milk’s heat control system takes only 25 seconds to heat up to the ideal temperature. There are two programmable buttons for espresso and lungo coffee preparations and they feature automatic flow-stop for maximum control. Equipped with Aeroccino, the machine enables you to create a variety of milk-based coffee recipes effortlessly.
Whether a small or tall cup, the CitiZ and Milk serves them both alike thanks to adjustable drip tray. Along these lines, the two buttons for espresso and lungo can be customised to different volumes and they are back-lit for ease of use.
Each Nespresso CitiZ and Milk Coffee comes with a set of 16 Grand Cru capsules for instant enjoyment. The footprint of this machine is surprisingly conservative at roughly 14.5’’ x 9’’, which leaves plenty of room on your worktop.
The CitiZ and Milk coffee machine also features an automatic power save function which turns the machine off after 9 minutes of inactivity but this can also be progranmed to turn off after 30 minutes if needed. As a matter of fact, this model consumes 60% less energy than an appliance rated Energy Class A.
As far as aesthetics go, this machine is sleek with curved edges and it comes in two colour variations – cherry red and silver. We must say its design is beautiful and the product will look majestic in any kitchen. Finally, Nespresso’s customer support is always ready to help in case of any product concerns.
Thoughts and Recommendations
The NESPRESSO XN760540 Citiz and Milk Coffee Machine is perfect for making barista-quality coffee in your home. We think this Nespresso is best suited for milk-based coffee lovers and it will certainly do a great job at creating a variety of recipes but its also great for non milk coffee giving you plenty of choice. With its 19-bar pressure pump, the CitiZ and Milk Coffee machine extracts all delicate flavours and aromas from each coffee capsule in order to deliver optimum taste.
Surprisingly, and apart from making milk coffee, the CitiZ and Milk doesn’t ring any extraordinary bells and whistles to justify its hefty price. In any case, it’s user-friendly, eye-catching and delivers outstanding aroma for espresso drinks. If you can match the price, then go ahead and enjoy the espressos. if you looking for a model which incorporates the aeroccino which lets you prepare creamy hot milk froth then this is simply the best choice overall and the only model with a milk frother than made it onto our review.Our Final Conclusion
It’s obvious that if you want the taste of your favourite coffee-shop at home, then you need a pod coffee machine. These machines are in high demand because of their convenience and no-mess operation. The best pod coffee machine is one that suits your needs in terms of flavours and drinks, price notwithstanding. One of the units in our pod coffee machine reviews could be just what you need to brew instant cups at your own pleasure.
We trust this review enlightened you enough and that you can now shop with confidence.
Here’s a summary from the 5 models above:
Our Best Pick
After a tough comparison of the pod coffee machines in our list, we decided that the Nespresso Inissia Coffee Capsule Machine is the best coffee pod machine for most people looking for a good coffee machine overall. This machine is pretty much affordable and has the standard features you want in a good pod coffee machine. It’s probably the most popular pod coffee machine across the UK, with over 1,500 reviews on Amazon.co.uk at of the time of writing. Is it also the best coffee pod machine UK? We tend to think so anyway.
The Nespresso Inissia is compact and light, energy efficient, and features automatic and programmable water sizing. The kind of flexibility it offers in flavours and cup sizes is amazing, while its 19-bar pressure extracts full coffee flavours for your enjoyment. Simply choose the Nespresso Inissia colour that appeals to you and enjoy a variety of coffee at your convenience.
We hope you have found our reviews very useful as we have outlined 6 of the best models currently available.
If you have any questions or would like to leave a comment, please feel free to do so below in the comments section.
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