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The best pod coffee machines
In need of a quick and easy coffee fix in the morning? A capsule coffee machine could be the answer. Here are the GHI’s top picks…
Pod coffee machines take the guesswork out of making a coffee. There are no barista skills required and no grinding, measuring, or tamping involved. Simply pop a capsule into the machine and you’re ready to go. Many models also feature a milk frother so you can make everything from lattes to lungos in a jiffy. And with a huge range of capsules available, you can taste your way around the world as you get your morning caffeine fix.
We set out to find the capsule machines that will please even the most discerning coffee connoisseur, making shot after shot of espresso then assessing the coffee for its aroma, crema, texture, and - most importantly - taste! We also made cappuccinos and lattes with the machines that had milk frothers, scoring each on the stability and the temperature of the foam.
If you're concerned about waste, consider a machine from a company such as Nespresso, which has its own recycling scheme, or a machine that uses 100% biodegradable pods.
Here are our top capsule coffee machines…
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Score: 91/100
This cleverly designed machine, with a milk jug that doubles as a cup, is Lavazza’s only model with pre-programmed milk drinks. There are five options, plus four coffee dose sizes. On test, it produced a technically excellent espresso, with a thick, glossy crema, and our taster reported spiced, malty notes with a subtle hazelnut flavour. The frother performed equally well on dairy and non-dairy options, making hot, velvety milks within a minute. Our only negative: unlike some of its competitors, there's no indicator for when the drip tray is full.
Score: 88/100
This compact machine is available in a choice of two fairly neutral finishes that would blend in with most kitchens. The water tank is tucked away out of view around the back of the machine and is easy to refill. It scored well on performance, producing a beautiful crema on every cup of espresso we made. Some of our testers found the coffee a little on the bitter side, though.
Score: 86/100
As you would hope at this price, the Creatista Plus is a very well designed pod coffee machine and put in a good performance across the board in our tests. The digital menu and buttons are easy to use, and you can adjust the height of the cup stand. The steam wand self-purges to ensure it stays clean and bacteria-free, and produced just the right amount of foam at just the right temperature. It takes a speedy 3 seconds to heat up!
De'Longhi Lattissima One EN500W Coffee Machine
Score: 80/100
This innovative, compact machine from the Nespresso/Delonghi’s collaboration has two coffee options – espresso and lungo – but the clever bit is that it’s designed to take a single serve of milk to reduce wastage. Lines clearly show how much to use for the two milk-based options and a sensor ensures there’s none left over. While it lacks the variety of programmed coffees of the Gran Lattissima, it’s a good option if cappuccino and lattes are your go-to. It performed consistently well on test; shot after shot had a great crema and was the ideal temperature. Our expert judged it well-balanced, with a woody flavour and had a good level of acidity, but felt the shot was a little bland overall. We also noticed that there was some dripping after pouring a shot and while the milk was on the whole, smooth and velvety, the machine consistently underheated and overheated the milk by a few degrees.
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