Coffee pod machines. What's the best?

[MsMarvellous]

We have a tassimo that was bought as a gift years ago and it's finally giving up the ghost.

Before I wander out into the wonderful world of coffee machine buying what are the best options these days. I found the price point on tassimo pods/discs acceptable so something with ongoing costs in that region would be great.

I know fresh coffee machines are generally considered superior but I like the lack of mess and simplicity of the pod type, so really after one of those.

What do you have? Do you like it?

We have a Nespresso and LOVE it.

What happens to the plastic pods? Are they reusable or just yet more plastic waste?

The inventor wishes he had invented them as they are so environmentally shite. Please don't.

We have a nespresso. The pods are aluminium rather than plastic and are sent back to nespresso for recycling.

@tempytemp I have a Tassimo and use the pods, there is a place about 7 miles from me that will recycle them. I save them all up then take them over. The pods were the only thing that put me off getting a machine so I was glad when I discovered this.

Nespresso on subscription. Love it.

Why not a bean to cup machine?

Much better for the environment as there's no plastic waste, cheaper to run and you don't have to faff about taking the pods to be recycled.

Please don't get a pod machine. Even if the pods are recyclable, the materials used to manufacture/recycle them and the environmental impact of those processes makes them a terrible option. Why not get a coffee'machine that takes grounds instead?

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages do you have one? Which do you have? I'm happy to consider it.

Are there any that keep mess minimal. We had a reusable aeropress but they only do one cup at a time and I found the grounds still quite messy.

You can buy reusable pods.

@LoafofSellotape interesting. Which machines can you do this with. Nespresso?

Currently googling 'bean to cup'

You can buy reusable pods.

What on earth is the point of that?!!! What, you fill individual pods up again with coffee?

Honestly don't bother with another pod machine, they really are shit for the environment, imagine generating a piece of plastic every time you want a coffee.

We bought a cheapo cafetiere and cheapo coffee grinder and have fresh coffee whenever we want.

There's a DeLonghi bean to cup that seems to do what I need. Do they last well? It's expensive but I guess compared to the cost of pods it works out better over its life financially as well as reducing plastic use.

I love my nespresso! It's fab and makes proper coffee - but totally unethical. Because Nestle and because pods. (the Nestle pods can be avoided, there are good 'fakes', but those pods are mostly plastic.
Keen to hear about bean to cup experiences too. Had a normal espresso machine before the nespresso, but the mess of spilt coffee grounds on the surface around it drove me nuts (dh seemed blind to this on a dark worktop - so nespresso saved a few arguments!)

@NewLaptop it's my DH's inability to see coffe grounds anywhere, even in the white sink, that makes me hate grounds too. But given that I've reduced plastics elsewhere in my home I guess PP are right and this is a good time to embrace a change in my coffee ways.

We have a cafetière. I'm not a fan of the coffee it makes. Regardless of the coffee we use!

What on earth is the point of that?!!! What, you fill individual pods up again with coffee?

Honestly don't bother with another pod machine, they really are shit for the environment, imagine generating a piece of plastic every time you want a coffee or not,if you use reusable pods.

We have a De Longhi espresso machine, and I love it. It just uses ground coffee to make shots of espresso, then you top up with hot water or frothy milk. Easy, piping hot coffee. You do have to put the ground coffee in one cup at a time, and then empty into the bin, but I don’t find it particularly messy, certainly less than a cafetière.
www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-EC685M-Traditional-Espresso-Machine/dp/B06WGTZ874?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Less plastic waste than a pod machine, and cheaper and smaller and hotter coffee than a bean to cup - just another option to consider!

Tassimo here use it all the time

And I’d rather wipe up a bit of dry, ground coffee than have to buy and recycle a load of expensive and environmentally troubling pods!

We have a Senseo machine and love it. The pods are just paper, so as environmentally ok as tea bags, I suppose.

@ToftheB that one looks good. Thanks for the link. I might show that one to DH. Sensible price too.

Warning coffee snob incoming
Nespressos etc are not proper coffee but I see why people like the convenience.
We have a sage coffee grinder to grind whole beans (buy the best you can afford and check the roast date was within the last 2 weeks) and use a pour over to get amazing filter coffee. Super quick and easy and you actually get to taste the coffee. But yes I agree you sometimes have to clean up a few grinds, worth it for me and so much better for the environment.

You can get reusable filters and the only thing you throw away is the ground beans which are compostable anyway.

PSA: don't store your coffee beans in the fridge! Source: DP is a coffee roaster.

These threads always without fail have a whole bunch of people lecturing about the environmental impact of these machines. I don't get it - why pod machines specifically? You don't seem to get this level of environmental concern about say, having a fourth child, buying a new car, flying long haul etc, which are arguably far worse for the environment. I don't get it.

I got the Delonghi bean to cup as it had lots of positive reviews. I was also fed up of grounds everywhere, tho that's me.

It's fine, nice coffee, easy to use & grounds come out in a bin as dry pressed discs, so straight into the compost bin.

DH didn't want to pay for capsules.