Coffee "pod" machine - help pls.

[Deleted User] · 30/06/13 - 22:24

Ok, so a budget of £100 max to get a half decent "pod" based machine. I love espresso with a nice crema, she loves latte and hot choc, so must do all those.

Whats the difference between Tassimo, Nespresso and Dolce Gusto pods then? Saw this nice Bosch machine on Amazon, seems a good price and a friend already has a Tassimo so raves about them - they particularly like the Costa pods.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-TAS2002GB-Tassimo-Beverage-Machine/dp/B005UND9DC/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1372609153&sr=1-1

Any good-value online sources for pods? I think they do them at Costco, so I'll maybe have a look next time I'm in there.

Would welcome your thoughts and experiences please, learned DS members...

Cake_Nibbler · 01/07/13 - 00:41

I recently got a Bosch Tassimo Machine and I love it.

The Macciato is my favourite but also get the lattes, cappucinos and the Kenco Crema ones.
There's also a chai latte tea which is nice, if a little odd.

I think the cheapest might be the tassimo website as you often get discounts and vouchers ( they recently sent me a £10 off voucher) and when you first get your machine, you automatically get £20 off your first order when you register it.

The nice thing about going directly to the Tassimo website if you get so much more choice as well compared to the supermarkets.

alanwarwic · 01/07/13 - 00:58

LCDMAN wrote: »

Any good-value online sources for pods?

Get a machine that also accepts ground coffee not in a pod.

That way you are not stuck in being permanently a 'Nescafe grounds only' and such like fan.

[Deleted User] · 01/07/13 - 01:55

alanwarwic wrote: »

Get a machine that also accepts ground coffee not in a pod.

Go on then, suggest one within my budget ....

[Deleted User] · 01/07/13 - 02:27

We have the dolce gusto and have been really impressed. Coffee pods aren't too expensive either.

I've also heard good things about the costa machine

alanwarwic · 01/07/13 - 02:30

Any that accept the 'out of patent' ESE pods usually let you use just grounds instead.
I think De'Longhi made that highly rated Which best buy Lidl Expresso machine. It means you can also use illy pods.

I now use a simple drip machine and rotate my coffees so as not to get bored. I got bored with my French Press and am not fond enough of Expresso to want a pressure machine.

noise747 · 01/07/13 - 04:30

For just over the ton you can get this machine

you can use ESE pods and also ground coffee. i got a Gaggia Classic, a great machine and makes great coffee, never used pods with it mind you.

Pod machines are ok, I got both the Dolce-gusto and the Tassimo. The problem is the price of pods, but they are good for a quick semi-decent cup of coffee.

I must admit I do prefer the tassimo because it got more choice and milk based drinks are better, but the dolce-gusto makes a better espresso.

occasional post · 01/07/13 - 21:57

I'd say nespresso is the best pod coffee, but the machines are expensive and unless you buy the really expensive ones, just really make espresso. if you want latte/capucciono then you have to use their (or a third party) milk foamer.

noise747 · 02/07/13 - 13:26

Nespresso is a posh version of the Dolce-gusto. I noticed very little difference in the tastes of the coffee.
The one major problem with the nespresso is that you have to buy the coffee online, ok so there is a limited range in Sainsburys now, but it is limited.

TBH, the best way is to get a espresso machine and use the ESE pods for quickness and then beans for a better coffee.

[Deleted User] · 05/07/13 - 03:40

I have a dolce gusto and I love it. The mochas are my favourite, and I like the lattes as well, especially the flavoured ones. I thought the espresso was alright, but as you can probably tell, I'm more into the flavoured and sweet coffees so maybe not the best person to give advice to a 'coffee purist'!

Paulie Walnuts · 05/07/13 - 05:44

We've had a De'Longhi EC330S for a couple of years now and it's fantastic. You can use it with your own ground coffee or with ISE pods that can be purchased very cheaply on Ebay. The espresso machine is currently £80 on AMazon, I paid a little more.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000C3MLJS/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I prefer latte and the steam arm is great for frothing up milk, I also have a stainless steel milk jug and milk thermometer as well.

MarzBar85 · 05/07/13 - 16:10

I've had the Bosch Tassimo.

The discs can get expensive, but they are nice. Shop from the website if you can - there is a minimum spend (£25) on it, free delivery after £35, but £40 worth of capsules keeps me going for quite a while. I missed my morning latte when I was away recently!

Anyone who likes Tassimo Costa lattes - I found a pack of 3 (so 48 discs/24 drinks) in Costco yesterday for £11.99 after tax. Bargain!

katie · 06/07/13 - 12:05

I have a Dolce Gusto and am addicted, usually have 3 cups a day, Skinny Latte Macchiato and Skinny Cappuccino are my favourites, but also like the Mocha and the Chocochino. The Dulce Gusto website is a good place to buy the pods and also nice mugs and glasses. Average cost in the supermarkets is £3.77 for a box of (16 pods to make 8 cups). Sometimes Costco sell a triple pack for around £11.

I wouldn't be without mine

noise747 · 06/07/13 - 14:51

Paulie Walnuts wrote: »

We've had a De'Longhi EC330S for a couple of years now and it's fantastic. You can use it with your own ground coffee or with ISE pods that can be purchased very cheaply on Ebay. The espresso machine is currently £80 on AMazon, I paid a little more.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000C3MLJS/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I prefer latte and the steam arm is great for frothing up milk, I also have a stainless steel milk jug and milk thermometer as well.

The problem I see with a lot of Espresso machines is that thhey got a crema device in, i think it is because people complained that they can't get a crema on their coffee.

Well a good crema is important, also the flow rate, grind, temping and quality of coffee is also. Temperature is as well, but most machines sort that out.

So people see they have a good crema and don't learn how to use the machine to make great coffee.

That is why I replaced the crema device on my Gaggia within a few days.

noise747 · 06/07/13 - 14:54

katie wrote: »

I have a Dolce Gusto and am addicted, usually have 3 cups a day, Skinny Latte Macchiato and Skinny Cappuccino are my favourites, but also like the Mocha and the Chocochino. The Dulce Gusto website is a good place to buy the pods and also nice mugs and glasses. Average cost in the supermarkets is £3.77 for a box of (16 pods to make 8 cups). Sometimes Costco sell a triple pack for around £11.

I wouldn't be without mine

Once or twice a day i use either to Dolce-gusto or the Tassimo, when I need a drink and don't have much time to muck around with the espresso machine.

The mocha is pretty good i must admit on the dolce-gusto.

Price is a problem with these pod machines and also very wasteful, all those plastic pods going into landfill.

ESE pods that can be used in many espresso machines is different as I think they are made of paper, like a tea bag, but not sure as i have never used them/

alanwarwic · 06/07/13 - 19:27

Not really, the ESE ones use a paper filter top whilst Nespresso uses aluminium foil that is perforated when inserted in the machine thus making the patent.

There are no real claims that Nespresso is better though they are sealed even when removed from the packet. I don't think it undergoes traditional 'canning'.

I'm not sure if any ESE ones also come individually sealed for occasional coffee drinkers.

[Deleted User] · 06/07/13 - 20:40

alanwarwic wrote: »

I'm not sure if any ESE ones also come individually sealed for occasional coffee drinkers.

I've had some Lavazza ESE pods in the past that came individually wrapped.

Paulie Walnuts · 06/07/13 - 21:16

The ESE pods I use, purchased on Ebay for about 15p each, are individually sealed in foil pouches.

noise747 · 07/07/13 - 04:09

The other problem with Pods and any other coffee you buy from a supermarket is that it is not really fresh. Some of it been on sale for months, so you will never get the best coffee.

but for a quick semi good coffee they are ideal.

stargazer61 · 07/07/13 - 06:08

noise747 wrote: »

Nespresso is a posh version of the Dolce-gusto. I noticed very little difference in the tastes of the coffee.
The one major problem with the nespresso is that you have to buy the coffee online, ok so there is a limited range in Sainsburys now, but it is limited.

TBH, the best way is to get a espresso machine and use the ESE pods for quickness and then beans for a better coffee.

Have had a Nespresso machine for over 15 years and they are brilliant.

You can also order the capsules by phone 24/7...not just online

Very rarely really recommend a company but Nespresso has one of the best customer service set-ups I have come across. The staff are excellent, helpful and courteous.

noise747 · 07/07/13 - 15:37

stargazer61 wrote: »

Have had a Nespresso machine for over 15 years and they are brilliant.

You can also order the capsules by phone 24/7...not just online

Very rarely really recommend a company but Nespresso has one of the best customer service set-ups I have come across. The staff are excellent, helpful and courteous.

Nespresso is part of Nestle, which is why I said tit is just a posh Dolce-gusto, I have tasted Nepresso coffee and it is not that much different to dolce-gusto. granted the milk drinks will be as Nespresso machines uses fresh milk.

The machines like Tassimo and Dolce-gusto are produce by different companies, so how good a machine is depends who produces it.

I am not knocking Nespresso as I have had it's coffee, but I don't think they are really worth the money.

alanwarwic · 07/07/13 - 20:37

Looking at it the Nespresso sytem is the older so the newer patent of Dolce Gusto is maybe their future.

noise747 · 08/07/13 - 03:58

alanwarwic wrote: »

Looking at it the Nespresso sytem is the older so the newer patent of Dolce Gusto is maybe their future.

Not really, the dolce-gusto is a budget machine. the problem I have with the DG is that I forget it is not automatic unlike the tassimo and have on a few cases forgot to turn it off and had coffee spilling all over the place

I did say I would never get a pod machine and now I got two and in between them I got the espresso machine. I am not going to get another one.

alanwarwic · 08/07/13 - 05:37

Coffee wars.
I wonder what came of it all .

Seems Senseo sold far more machines "But the real gold mine is in pods."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/21/business/global/21coffee.html

noise747 · 08/07/13 - 14:02

alanwarwic wrote: »

Coffee wars.
I wonder what came of it all .

Seems Senseo sold far more machines "But the real gold mine is in pods."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/21/business/global/21coffee.html

I don't know, i never realised all that was happening. It is about time that pods was produced in a way so they can be recycled or they don't hang around for years in landfill. I am not really a eco freak, but you would have thought something would have been sorted by now.

Nespresso have got a recycling system going, so why not the others?

Anyway, I am not so sure about Senseo, i know someone who have got one and the coffe is ok, but I still think the Dolce-gusto is better and yet the Senseo uses dowe egberts coffee, which I love.

Someone do need to come into the market and produce cheaper pods, maybe then the official pods may come down in price, but then it did not work with printers cartridges.

Anyone here who have a Tassimo machine, is it me or have their range dropped on their website?

alanwarwic · 08/07/13 - 14:29

noise747 wrote: »

Nespresso have got a recycling system going, so why not the others?

I thought that was what our blue bins were for.

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Coffee "pod" machine - help pls.

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