Coffee maker... help!

[Shantay]

So Christmas is looming and I'm trying to find a coffee maker for DH that will make fancy coffees. The kind you need to buy pods for.

There are so many!! Can anyone advise which ones are good? I have no idea where to start as I don't drink coffee...

Are the pods super expensive?
Are they easy to clean?

Thanks!

I've had a nespresso for years but I don't use it at all - I use an aeropress and a hand grinder, with fancy freshly roasted beans if I'm feeling flush but more often than not aldi beans (which make a decent cup of coffee as long as they are fresh ground).

My parents have a dolce gusto, but I think the milk pods are pretty rank, and the hot chocolates and tea capsules that are available seem a bit gimmicky - you can make instant hot chocolate and tea with a kettle.

IME Nespresso machines are a faff because you have to keep buying capsules (far more frequently than you do ground coffee or beans). Hence the high cost. And hassle emptying the capsule basket. And mess because the used capsules always drip dregs and coffee scum into the drip tray beneath the basket.

I guess all the plastic bits might be dishwasher safe though - anyone tried it?

Another vote for aeropress. My bf has a Miele bean to cup but it’s prohibitively priced

There are reusable pods for nespresso machine on amazon. Haven't tried them yet though

I've just sold my old Nespresso machine after 9 years of good service. Replaced by a BTC machine. Just wanted to add that you can get compostable pods for the Nespresso machine. I still felt guilty because of the manufacturing resources, but I did at least feel ok chucking the used pods on our garden compost heap! The ones we had were from the Eden Project, and Amazon sold them.

We got rid of our pod machine a few months ago. I couldn't handle the ongoing guilt about all the plastic waste! Plus the pods are expensive. Swapped it for a cheap and cheerful aeropress and haven't looked back! Also bought a small grinder and I now have fantastic, much more guilt-free coffee