Bean to coffee machines - what's coffee like compared to Nespresso?

[CruiseController]

Interested in investing in a bean to coffee machine, mainly as I'm fed up with pods and the waste they cause - the recycling service not always operating well.

I like the crema you get with Nespresso. Has anyone made the switch and if so how does the coffee compare? Do you still get crema or does it produce thinner coffee more like filter coffee?

Any other tips?

I have a sage coffee machine and a nespresso. The sage is ace and makes a fab cup of coffee though I do find myself getting obsessed by the pressure gauge and getting the needle to just the right place… it’s far more satisfying than the nespresso machine as you feel like a real barista when making coffee!

Ours lets you put in single scoops of pre-ground coffee as well as the beans.

BTC is incomparably better tasting than a pod type machine. The only downside is you’ll never want to have a pod coffee at a friend’s house again 🙂

We buy beans from a local roaster. There are small scale roasters all over the place so a good place to ask for recommendations would be a trusted local independent coffee shop.

I thought I’d find it a bit faffy but as a PP said the ritual of making coffee becomes a really lovely part of the day.

Lavazza beans 🫘 and a moka pot

De Longhi Magnifica here too. When it gives up I’ll look at the Beko.

Sage bambino plus and a separate grinder works for us. It has a really good milk frother and you can grind the beans separately or just use pre-ground. We had the Nespresso creatista and while the convenience was great there was no adjusting the coffee - plus all of the waste generated.

We had the big Sage bean to cup machine but have just got rid of it because I couldn't stand the faff, mess and cleaning!!! We replaced with a sage pod machine and buy Grind compostable pods: I much prefer the coffee it produces

@Hoppinggreen 👋 I haven’t tried Dark Woods, even though I don’t live far from there. I’ll have to nip across.

Thanks @prettybird that wouldn't work for us then as I only drink decaff and DH likes the full caffeine experience. We already have a grinder, I think possibly a separate espresso machine would be better for me, DH is happy using the aeropress but I much prefer espresso.

👋🏼
You can get it at Bolster Moor if it’s closer

@Hoppinggreen I’m HD9 so Dark Woods is probably closer, thanks 😊