Coffee machine that takes non brand capsules

[KittyCatty20]

Hi,

I'd like to buy a coffee machine for DH for Christmas. I have a Which? Subscription but I'd like to buy one which can also use non branded capsules.

I know nothing about coffee machines at all - only that I'd like him to be able to make a few different types of coffees and definitely an espresso.

Please suggest good ones to look at! Would like to spend less than £100 if possible.

Thanks!

Meant to say - Which? subscription not useful for telling me whether it can use non branded capsules. Looking at prices I can see I might need to spend more than £100 so I'll say no more than £150 to allow for that!

You might be interested in this Nescafe coffee machine It's within your budget range and it makes lovely coffee.

Thanks - I'll have a look!

Thinking of this too - have a Tassimo but not really impressed. Are the Nespresso machines really expensive? There is a subscription offer at the moment whereby you get a machine for a low monthly figure and then use the money you pay for the pods. Understand its the delivery fee which is the killer, so would the own brand pods be much cheaper?

I also have that Which subscription but didn't think it was particularly helpful!

Nespresso delivery is free if you order 200 pods - costs me about 65-70 each time. We've tried two different unbranded pods and didn't like either.

We have a nespresso. It is making funny noises (7 years old). So dh bought this today!
ao.com/product/en521r-nespresso-by-delonghi-pod-coffee-machine-red-44364-64.aspx

You get 75 to spend at the nespresso shop to buy capsules. Our current one easily takes the lidl coffee capsules.

Shamefully we have both a Nespresso and a Tassimo coffee machine. The coffee is undoubtedly better from the Nespresso machine but when we bought it you could only buy the capsules from the Nespresso boutique or their online shop. This was expensive as you had to buy quite a large volume or pay a big p&p charge.

The Tassimo was a special offer where we bought the machine and some pods with a cash back than meant the thing only cost us £5. I have used it a lot, the pods can be bought at any supermarket and it's easy for everyday coffee.

Now though you can buy loads of varieties of non Nespresso branded pods that fit the Nespresso (in the supermarket as well as online) so If I was starting from scratch I'd go for Nespresso.

We have a nespresso, it takes Tesco and Aldi pods when we run low on nespresso however the coffee doesn't compare ...

You can get refillable Nespresso capsules, which I've switched to after seeing how much landfill we create with the (plastic) non-branded capsules.
It is a metal pod that you fill with coffee, and the put a paper sticker over.
The sticker is pierced when you put it in the machine, then you retrieve it from the capsule container and throw the sticker away, but keep the pod

Loads cheaper, doesn't create extra waste, and means you can try lots of different coffees!

Why not buy one that doesn't take capsules? You can use any coffee in it and you won't be creating piles of unnecessary waste.

Thanks for all the info. Do feel Nespresso is the way to go. Spare - sorry if I'm being dense but how does that work with the reusable pod thing? By 'loads of different coffees' what do you mean exactly? Sorry!

I have thought about landfill waste too. What is benefit of capsules v simple coffee one?

If you are using your own coffee, isn't it the same as making one in a mug as usual? Please don't laugh at me, not a huge coffee drinker so it's a new world to me!

Nespresso is the way to go - they were forced by the EU to open the capsule design up to third parties. French supermarkets have a particularly good selection Taylor's of Harrogate and Waitrose both sell Nespresso-compatible pods. You can get a basic machine (Pixie, Citiz) for well under £100, and I got a free milk frother after I bought so many capsules from the Nespresso website.

You send the used capsules off to Nespresso for recycling - the bags and postage are free.

Yes, if you have the time, inclination and money you could probably make a superior espresso with a decent expresso machine, fresh roasted beans that you grind yourself but frankly I can't be arsed with that any more. Drop capsule in machine, hit button, coffee in less than a minute. No clean up other than washing up a cup and it is extremely consistent. My 3 year old can easily make our coffee now.

Thanks verypunny- I think I am convinced about Nespresso and esp as you can send away capsules. Sounds good. Great to know about Waitrose etc capsules too. Just the machine model to figure out now then.

When you buy nespresso capsules from Nespresso, you have a choice of about 30 different types of coffee - strength, flavour, etc. It's a bit like wine that the different varieties taste different. But obviously you pay a lot more for the Nespresso capsules and you can only get them from the Nespresso shops or from their website in bulk.

When you buy the unbranded capsules, you have a very limited choice. Decaff, and then maybe 4 normal versions.

However, if you look at the packs of ground coffee in the supermarket, there are maybe 20 or 30 bags on offer.

So with the refillable capsules, you can chose from the bags of ground coffee and put them in your metal pods.
Not only is it a fraction of the cost of the ready-filled pods, but you can try lots of different types of coffee (and get beans and grind them yourself if you want to!)
Plus you aren't sending loads of plastic and/or metal to landfill every week

I have a Nespresso (can't remember which model, but it is a fairly basic one), and having just relocated back to the UK from abroad, I am using cheaper non-branded capsules (couldn't get those where I lived previously). I am using a variety - Waitrose own, Sainsbury's own, and Taylors of Harrogate. The coffees taste OK, but haven't found a favourite yet that I love. Also, the capsules don't seem to 'fit' as well as the actual Nespresso branded ones - more coffee/water seems to go into the tray at the bottom of the machine, and less into my actual cup. This means I have to empty the tray more often (every 8 cups or so, I think) and obviously I am missing out on a little coffee each time. Annoying, but not the end of the world. Something to be aware of though.

www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/small-kitchen-appliances/coffee-machines-and-accessories/coffee-machines/nespresso-by-de-longhi-lattissima-en520r-coffee-machine-black-red-10028175-pdt.html
I bought this machine last week, fantastic!
You get £75 of credit to buy capsules on nespresso website at the moment so you can try loads of different varieties of coffee.
Machine is very sleek, quiet, easy to use.
Highly recommend

Marks and Spencer do a great pod too. The Colombian one which came out top in Which tests. I use it in my Magimix Citz machine. Now I don't get pods from Nespresso , I'm wondering how to get descaling sachets for it. I'm sure any descaler would work but not sure of quantity/dilution. My machine has milk thing too but it's a lot less hassle to put mug in microwave with milk in it and heat for 1 minute on high.

We have a Sense, happy with it and you can put the pods in the recycling bin.

Svarte
Putting them into the recycling bin doesn't mean they are being recycled...
"The capsules can't be recycled easily because they are often made of a mixture of plastic and aluminium"

"The complexity of the packaging - often a mix of different materials - combined with the dregs of organic waste from unused ground coffee sitting in the bottom of the pod makes them difficult to process in standard municipal recycling plants."

Having had a Nespresso machine for yonks, I tried the "compatible" capsules, but thought they were no cheaper and much worse coffee. So I buy 200 capsules at a time, about once a year, and get the recycled pods picked up at the same time.