capsual coffee machines road test

[orbeas]

With the price of coffee getting more expensive, i am looking for suggestions for a capsual coffee machine that has been road tested and you enjoy

[lump_a_charcoal]

I have a Delonghi Latissimma+, and it is fairly good.

I think the Nespresso cofee is OK, but it is never as good as from a proper machine.

Most stores let you try them before purchase, I know HN does.

[skull]

I don't understand the concept of coffee machine at home to save money.

When out and I want a coffee I don't go home, I go to the nearby cafe. When at the end of a bunch ride and I want to chat with the group and have a coffee I don't invite them back to my place to use a machine at home. I also don't carry the machine around with me so I can make my own coffee where ever I am.

If at home I make a coffee at home (instant - plunger - or machine)
When out buy one.

It doesn't save me any money having a machine at home, in fact it becomes an additional cost. However it is nice when at home and being able to have a good coffee over an instant.

[Just*managing]

I originally bought the Delonghi Citiz. Its simple but a great little machine. Coffee is always consistent, thats what I like most about these, no guessing water or milk temperatures. The only problem with the Citiz was that you really could only make one Milk at a time and needed to wash it through before making the next coffee. Fine if you are on your own but if you have a party of people round, its a real pain. Then I got the Lattissima. This has a jug for the milk which means you can continually make coffees without having to stop and clean between each one. However, the milk is frothier than I would like (Fine for Caps but I prefer flat white and I think the overall build quality is not as good. The Citiz was brilliantly made and cleaning of everything was really quite simple and well thought out. There was a drain from the pod dispenser so that when you through the pods out there was no water with them, The Lattissimma collects the water that drains frome the pods and so you need to empty that before dumping the pods or risk leaking rubbish bags. Small thing but it does make a difference. If I had my time again, I think I would buy the Citiz and a second milk frother so I could be using one whilst washing out the other and it would be cheaper than the Citiz
Anyway, thats my 2c worth

[Just*managing]

I don't understand the concept of coffee machine at home to save money.

When out and I want a coffee I don't go home, I go to the nearby cafe. When at the end of a bunch ride and I want to chat with the group and have a coffee I don't invite them back to my place to use a machine at home. I also don't carry the machine around with me so I can make my own coffee where ever I am.

If at home I make a coffee at home (instant - plunger - or machine)
When out buy one.

It doesn't save me any money having a machine at home, in fact it becomes an additional cost. However it is nice when at home and being able to have a good coffee over an instant.

For me its not about saving money, its about good quality coffee although less than $1- per cup is pretty good and soo much better than instant

[ozzymac]

I don't understand the concept of coffee machine at home to save money.

When out and I want a coffee I don't go home, I go to the nearby cafe. When at the end of a bunch ride and I want to chat with the group and have a coffee I don't invite them back to my place to use a machine at home. I also don't carry the machine around with me so I can make my own coffee where ever I am.

If at home I make a coffee at home (instant - plunger - or machine)
When out buy one.

It doesn't save me any money having a machine at home, in fact it becomes an additional cost. However it is nice when at home and being able to have a good coffee over an instant.

Can't see it mentioned anywhere about saving money.

But a coffee machine at home is nice, haven't tried the capsule type as I think if your going to have a machine you might as well be able to grind your own beans, the fresher is always better.

On saying that the convenience of a capsule would be ok for a quickie

Sent from my thingimy chig using that other thing:-)

[orbeas]

i agree with the above posts i love cofee from the coffee shop outlets too, and didnt imagine looking into capsual machines.
$10-12 for a jar of moccona espreeo style coffee is pushing the limmit..
Taste IS a concern from the capsual brands for sure
just* managing is the way im thinking

[skull]

Can't see it mentioned anywhere about saving money.
)

With the price of coffee getting more expensive,

With the opening sentence it is easy to draw my conclusion, "coffee getting more expensive, buying a pod machine to save money".

Not brain science.

[bigfriendlyvegan]

One of the people at work bought an Aldi one for the staff room, since the coffee shop downstairs was closed during campus break. I tried the Aldi capsules and quite liked them. Since my wife works for woolies, I got one of the woolies machines before christmas. They take the aldi brand capsules as well as the woolies brand and several other brands as well. Much better than instant.

I still go to the coffee shop, but that's for the experience. When I'm at home and want a coffee, the machine is much better than instant when I'm in the mood for a latte.

We bought one for the canteen at the velodrome and made the money back on it in one day!

[lucky7]

We have a Delonghi/Nespresso machine at home. Better coffee than plunger or stove top; and i won't drink instant.

You certainly won't mistake it for a 'fresh' espresso, but it does the job

[orbeas]

Can't see it mentioned anywhere about saving money.
)

With the price of coffee getting more expensive,

With the opening sentence it is easy to draw my conclusion, "coffee getting more expensive, buying a pod machine to save money".

Not brain science.

Looking at the big picture, anitial outlay for a machine under $100 then less than 50c percup i drink quite a bit of coffee so would pay for it self in a short while
cost x taste + conveinance = enjoyment

[skull]

Oh I agree, it is nice having barrista style coffee at home.

[orbeas]

One of the people at work bought an Aldi one for the staff room, since the coffee shop downstairs was closed during campus break. I tried the Aldi capsules and quite liked them. Since my wife works for woolies, I got one of the woolies machines before christmas. They take the aldi brand capsules as well as the woolies brand and several other brands as well. Much better than instant.

I still go to the coffee shop, but that's for the experience. When I'm at home and want a coffee, the machine is much better than instant when I'm in the mood for a latte.

We bought one for the canteen at the velodrome and made the money back on it in one day!

+1 for the woolies brand machine, heard they taste ok too

[ikm]

Having one at work saves me ~$3.50 every day. Over the past year that pays for itself nicely.

At least the taste is consistent, sometime our local shop is not all that yummy. But they are still not quite as good at the proper machine at home.

I even bought a pod machine to take camping. Nothing better than real coffee when you wake up on the beach or in the desert.

[warthog1]

I've got an Aldi machine and milk frother at home and at work. $5.99 for a pack of 16 pods, can't go wrong. The coffee is nice, I like the tauro pods. It makes better coffee than some I have bought at cafes.

[gabrielle260]

We love our Nespresso DeLongi Citiz machine. We take the machine camping and to self catering apartments when on holiday. The range of Nespresso pods is great and although our favourite is one of the more expensive ones, it is still only 10c more a pod than the regular ones.
Great idea about getting a second milk frothier posted earlier... In retrospect we would have done that too.
Like others we go to cafes for the whole experience but the Nespresso is fantastic for that coffee that you would have bought as a takeaway.
Some tips -
1. The flavour is improved by regular descaling.
2. Experiment with different pods to find the one you like best.
3. The quality of the milk makes a big difference.
4. The taste of the milk of a given brand varies amazingly.
5. The proportion of milk to coffee impacts taste significantly.

I agree - a Nespresso latte will never be as good as a good latte from a cafe but it is consistently better than a bad one!
(And, yes, I freely admit to being a coffee snob!!)
Andrew

[Cruiserman]

Sorry but pod machines = crap coffee, why? simple stale coffee. If you want decent coffee get a decent machine start with a least a Sunbeam EM6910 or better a Rancillio Silvia and a Rancillio Rocky grinder - from there the sky is the limit. Get quality coffee and grind it yourself. Suggest a trip to coffee snobs.com.au buy your beans through Andy preroasted or go green and roast yourself. The only problem is that it is hard to buy coffee out because it is usually pretty poor in comparison to what you will soon be doing yourself. By the way coffee machines are like bikes it is n+1

Current machine listing is a
Diadema Unico Splendor - a nice prosumer heat exchange unit


San Marco Practical - single group commercial


San Marino Lisa - two group commercial


La Pavoni - two group commercial


Boema - two group commercial


Feama - single group commercial undertakng rebuild


Grinders

Rancillio Rocky


Mazzer SuperJolly


Boema X 2



Cant remember the other one.

So beware it is very much like cycling it is a slippery slope on which you are thinking of embarking with upgraditis just around the next corner.

[Cruiserman]

The Diadema has traversed much of the country with us camping and visiting family with the Super Jolly in tow. With a generator when necessary. Yes I do like a good coffee. Off to roast some now in fact. I usually have a supply of around 40kg of green beans on hand at any one time. For a great choice of green or roasted beens check out http://beanbay.coffeesnobs.com.au

[Mulger bill]

Got the real thing at home. Can't texture milk for love nor money but the GLW is a gun
Got an Aldi unit at work, does the job quite nicely. It'll never produce as good a shot as those made by my barista daughter but I only have to walk into the back room instead of a couple of kms each way to get it.

[MarkG]

I still use my cafeteria which I got in the old county years ago. I also have a fully automatic Saeco at home, and we get our coffee from Italian roasters in the Swan Valley.
I bought capsules and machine for my guys at work, and the coffee isn't nearly as good.

[Whorl]

Coffee capsules may be stale, but they still taste loads better than instant! Old man got a Woolies one for xmas, I've been using it a lot. It's a cheap machine and cheap pods, but for the outlay they are a bargain!

[MarkG]

Yeah, I'd take capsules over international roast any day of the week.!

[Mulger bill]

Yeah, I'd take capsules over international roast any day of the week.!

I suspect that, like me you'd take a cup of warm Yarra water over International Roast

[Cruiserman]

Sorry what is this international roast you speak of?

[Mulger bill]

Freeze dried and pulverised Yarra River mud