Coffee drinkers help me please!

[Yorkshireteaformethanks]

Hi all, long time lurker, first ever post but need your help as I'm sure a lot of you are coffee drinkers. I'm wanting to buy one of those coffee machines that you buy the 'pods' to go in for DH, he's recently started drinking coffee again (I've never been able to drink it but adore the smell and bizarrely love coffee cremes and cake!) DS has a 'proper' coffee maker but the faff/mess of that isn't for me and please don't slate me DH is not a coffee connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination. Just enjoys a coffee or latte the odd time so thought I'd get him one but I've no idea where to start as there's lots out there. Are some total shite? Would ideally be able to buy the pods in M&S or Morrisons as they're our nearest/usual shops (Amazon?) Thank you in advance!

What's your budget OP? I'd really recommend any of the original Nespresso machines (not vertuo). You can get the pods from Nespresso, supermarkets, independent coffee companies like GRIND etc so super easy to find coffee.

I have a Creatista pro which sounds very OTT for what you're after, but pod wise I get them from Starbucks, supermarkets Nespresso so basically everywhere. It's my fourth Nespresso machine and I really rate them for being mega easy to use and tasting good!

@pawz
Thank you, my budget would be up to £250 I'm not sure he drinks enough to warrant more. I've not had a chance to google the Nespresso since I've read your reply but will do now. Easy to use sounds like a good contender to me!

We used to have a pod machine (a Nespresso) but when it packed up, we replaced it with a "bean to cup" machine (lots available at different prices). You pour beans in the top, rather than using a capsule. I think it tastes the same, and the beans are much cheaper than the capsules. Maybe something to look at?

If you definitely want a pod machine then, as above, the original capsule Nespresso is what you need.

Dont get the Nescafe dolce gusto, i got rid of mine as the coffee just wasnt hot enough for me. My friend has nespresso and I find it much nicer.

We had a nespresso machine which was absolutely fine. Used to buy proper nespresso pods online when feeling flush and also used own brand ones from Lidl that were compatible. There's lots of supermarket ones that are able to be used in their machines.

@PhotoDad does it make it a messy job each time with the beans? I was thinking pods for convenience as DS used to leave me a sink full of ground beans every time. Thanks for the reply.
@SofiaSoFar @Hotvimto3 @WedonttalkaboutMaureen Nespresso sounds a good popular choice then - I wouldn't have known about the compatible pods too. Thank you.

Can only recommend my Nespresso pixie machine (I just drink black coffee). Small, nest, does the job well. Pods can be bought from Nespresso directly online and M&S do compatible ones as well.

I like Nespresso as they bring out different types of coffee & the pods can be recycled.

Bean to cup definitely. The pods are so wasteful.

I would also encourage a bean to cup machine. The coffee is freshly ground and no wasteful capsules

I have a machine from aldi that takes both the nearest style coffee pods, and the dolce gusto style pods that DDs love for hot chocolate. I'm not a connoisseur by any means though (prefer tea but developed an intolerance to it...)

I use a cafetiere with ground coffee when there's more than me.

Aeropress. Cheap, takes up no room, no energy (apart from kettle), very quick to clean (unscrew base and pop out grounds & paper filter direct to bin/recycling), cheaper than pods as can use any ground coffee he likes. Can control temperature to what he prefers as uses water from kettle. Easy to make espresso and americano in less than 30 seconds. If he likes latte he would need a milk steamer/frother so probably not ideal for those.

I’ve got a bean to cup and love it, but it does take a small amount of upkeep (cleaning cycle and emptying the grounds into the food waste/compost)

sounds like a pod machine might be what you are interested in though?

dh has a tassimo the price ranges but ours was about £50. Downside is at present there aren’t other compatible capsules you have to used branded. There is a recycling scheme for the pods, not perfect but better than chucking in wheelie bin. I find the tassimo (we use the kenco americano pods and put normal milk in) to make reasonable coffee, we are happy with it.

This scheme recycles the main pod brands (I’m aware that it’s not as eco friendly as just using beans of course)

Aeropress is a good shout if he's an occasional coffee drinker.

We have a Lavazza pod machine. Perfectly good. But there are very few alternate pods for it. The pods are compostable but still wasteful.

Nespresso definitely has more pod options, and the pods are recyclable. Again still wasteful vs a bean to cup, cafetiere, or Aeropress.

If you have £250 you can get a pretty good bean to cup machine.
They make really goid coffee and are cheaper to run and better for the environment, much less waste.

The grinds go into a container that you empty into the foid waste bin and rinse out. If you are concerned about cleaning get one with a wand for steaming the milk rather than a container you put it into, there is less cleaning.

I had a bean to cup machine but tbh it was an absolute faff! I definitely prefer the ease of a pod.

The GRIND pods are compostable, Nespresso are aluminium so recyclable (and they offer free recycling bags and you can drop them off / have them collected!). I always recycle / compost my pods - when I use my Nespresso and don't drive all of the miles to Starbucks each day it's definitely more eco friendly 😂

Aeropress, makes the best coffee and won't sit on your counter taking up space and costs what £30? A milk frother if he takes milk for £50. And spend the rest of good quality coffee.

I don’t know how a bean to cup is a faff? Turn it on, press a button - done!

I couldn't be bothered sorting the beans, getting the settings right for each different type of bean / grind / amount, tamping it and adjusting the pressure of the extraction etc. It was so inconsistent and took about twice the time.

Much simpler and more consistent popping a pod in!

There was something published recently on environmental impact, which said pods are better than other methods because they use/waste less coffee. The plastic is less of an issue than the growing of the coffee apparently. Counterintuitive, but there you go.

Ahh I see. Mine is a proper bean to cup, it grinds the beans, tampers it, does all the extraction without me even seeing it. It’s been a revelation! I love it. All I have to do is keep it filled up with water and pour the beans (about once a week).

You can get refillable pods too.

@Kranke

That sounds much simpler! Mine was one of those sage ones that makes you feel like an underpaid overworked barista in your own kitchen 😂 😂

We had one of those and felt the same!!