Coffee Machine Recommendations

[WingingIt101]

Hello!

Hoping the collective MN mine can help with a recommendation please.

The last few months have been really tough and my parents have helped us hugely. They already do regular childcare and generally are wonderful but I want to do something for them.

They never treat themselves and whilst they both love coffee (dad americanos and mum lattes) they'd never dream of buying a coffee machine for themselves. I'm not a coffee drinker so this is all new to me!

I don't have loads to spend and so will keep an eye on Black Friday. I've missed the couple of suggestions on the Christmas bargains thread unfortunately!

I'd like for it to be (other than not especially expensive!)

• simple to use
• fairly compact
• able to take a selection of capsules / pods (I've read that some will only take their own specific expensive pod!)
• if it can also do hot chocolate pods that would be a bonus as they enjoy this with the grandchildren occasionally!

Thank you in advance!

Would they actually like pod coffee? If so then I think the nespresso pods don’t have the artificial powdered milk in. So just coffee. And then you can add your own fresh milk which is probably nicer. A friend has one and she likes it. I think some have milk frothers or you can buy an independent frother.

i have a delonghi bean to cup machine which is great but no pods.

If I were going to go back to a pod machine I'd get a Nespresso, something like this, I just did a quick search -

www.johnlewis.com/nespresso-citiz-platinum-coffee-machine-by-magimix-chrome/p111912644

Not the Vertuo ones as they can only take Vertuo pods, but the one linked you can buy supermarket compatible pods which are easily recyclable. Not sure about hot chocolate though.

The Tassimo machine is cheap and uses various Costa coffee pods and other brands, and Cadbury's hot chocolate pods but it was a pain to recycle and the pods became expensive. I wasn't fussed for the coffee either.

I moved on to a Delonghi bean machine but still have my Nespresso in the cupboard in case the Delonghi breaks in the meantime (I'd be devastated!).

I'd go original Nespresso with a separate milk frother too, we had a Tassimo and the coffee was rank plus the pods were hard to recycle, you can recycle Nespresso pods. We had the Nespresso with integrated mill frother and it was a PITA to clean.

https://donaghybros.co.uk/delonghi-en510-w-lattissima-one-nespresso-coffee-machine-white.html?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADhi9mkPJjswh0GaC_igZK6A7TZdR&gclid=Cj0KCQiA88a5BhDPARIsAFj595ii2jgaqyNQHoeHtGrAKbc7IQQ5ytGUuENY6JoLKL6fNSyoibVhsjIaAnxCEALw_wcB

the difference it makes to not have a separate frother is amazing.

You’ve not given a proper budget (and coffee machines can easily run to thousands) but I’d look at the Sage Creatista machines. The Pro has a dedicated hot water spout so best for Americanos. They look similar to my Sage machine which I love except they take pods and not ground coffee. They take the old Nespresso pods and not the new proprietary ones - so are available from many vendors.

It meets all your essential criteria, and though it doesn’t (as far as I’m aware) have a hot chocolate pod, I use the steam wand on my machine to make hot chocolate, and you can choose lower temperatures if it’s for small children and I assume this machine can be used in the same way. If it can steam milk, it can steam milk with chocolate in - I just make sure the wand is clean after and water is flowing through all the jets.

Thank you all - really helpful info and some considerations that hadn't crossed my mind!

I have a DeLonghi bean to cup machine, it’s a few years old and can’t see the exact model now. It was around £300 and is great. I have decaff in one side and caffeinated in the other plus a milk steamer. DH had a pod coffee machine at work, I can’t remember the brand but it just wasn’t as nice.

I don't know much bout the pod machines but consider how easy they are to clean as well as the coffee pods you can get. Tassimo only have their own pods, no other pods can fit. I only know this from a holiday stay so didn't have to clean it either. At home we have a bean to cup Delonghi but the cleaning is a little more effort than the pod machines.

We have a Sage and whilst it is really good, it is not easy to use for an older person. Everyone I know who has a Nespresso loves it - great coffee and easy to use. Pods can be bought in Aldi.

Pods aren't very nice imo.

All you really need is a way of making decent coffee (beans and a mill grinder, ideally) and an aeropress or filter method.
And then for a latte, the milk frother jug made by nespresso works well and is simple to use and easy to clean.

Why on earth wouldn't it be easy to use for an older person? These are people who regularly undertake childcare so they aren't weak, and presumably they still have their mental faculties!

Does it have to be a pod machine OP? Ours is similar to this, we've had it for years and it makes a really decent cup:

www.delonghi.com/en-gb/products/coffee/manual-espresso-machines/dedica/c/manual_espresso_makers-dedica

If you get an original Nespresso pod machine (and not the Vertuo) you can get the pods anywhere - nearly every supermarket sells compatible versions. The Nespresso pods average around 45p/52p a pod so I tend to bulk buy from Amazon instead - the Starbucks ones are nice, as are the Lavazza ones and much cheaper. Your best bet as an introduction would be a small machine with the separate milk frother. I've got a Sage machine and I spend more time faffing/descaling/cleaning it than I do drinking coffee....

Tassimo do their own range of pods including milk and hot chocolates but they're not great... very sickly and taste artificial. Same with Dulce Gusto machines - you can get compatible pods but again they are quite artificial - the cafe latte pods for example are made using instant coffee and milk powder, so def not for coffee lovers.

The original nespresso machine (not the veurtuo). Can buy compatible pods from most major supermarkets from a range of brands inc. L'or, Lavazza, Starbucks etc.

We have the smeg milk frother too, makes the perfect latte!

We have the most basic nespresso machine. I like the L'Or pods and bulk buy when they are on offer. Have a john lewis own brand milk frother alongside, which will also do hot chocolate and can froth cold for a milkshake. Happy with the coffee, although not the warmest sometimes.
This combo is very compact and doesn't take much kitchen space. They sit on an Amazon basic pod storage drawer which can hold 50 pods. Had this set up over 2 years with no issues, just need to descale often as hard water area,

I can recommend the Jura E6 bean to cup

We have the L'Or coffee machine - it takes any original nespresso style pods. Last year around this time they had great deals!