Top 6 compared
The best pod coffee machines
A fresh coffee at the press of a button, with no grinding, tamping or mess to clean up.
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The top 6 at a glance
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#1Best overall
Tassimo My Way 2
£99.999.3/10
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#2Runner-up
Dolce Gusto Genio S
£50–£759.2/10
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#3Slimmest machine
Nespresso Essenza Mini
£100–£1509.1/10
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#4Best budget
Tassimo Suny
£39.998.8/10
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#5Best for two cups
L’OR Barista Sublime
£114.998.8/10
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#6Best with fresh milk
Lavazza Jolie & Milk
£169.008.7/10
A pod coffee machine brews coffee from a sealed pod or capsule: drop it in, press a button, and the grounds stay inside for the bin. Most machines take only their own system’s pods. Some systems have milk pods for lattes and hot chocolate, others stick mainly to coffee, and a machine with a built-in frother handles fresh milk.
Pod ranges carry names such as Costa, Cadbury and Starbucks, so it’s worth checking a favourite comes in the system you choose. The L’OR is the exception to the one-system rule, taking Nespresso Original capsules as well. For a machine that grinds fresh beans, see our bean-to-cup coffee machines list, and for a manual machine, our espresso machines list.
What matters
- Cup size you can set, for a big mug or a short espresso.
- Room under the spout for your tallest mug.
- A narrow body if worktop space is tight.
#1Tassimo by Bosch My Way 2 Pod Coffee Machine (TAS6507GB)
£99.99 RRP
Tassimo’s fuller machine: like every Tassimo it reads each T-Disc’s barcode, but it also lets you set the temperature, strength and cup size to taste, and a BRITA filter in the 1.3-litre tank treats the water for every drink.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use, say it makes lovely frothy cappuccinos, like having a choice of temperatures and reckon it works out cheaper than the coffee chains, though a few had a machine that played up from the start.
A closer look: The settings sit on top of what each T-Disc already does, so a Costa latte can come out a touch hotter or a long coffee a little stronger, and the machine still rinses itself between drinks. At about 23cm wide and 29cm tall it takes more room than the Suny, so check the gap under the wall cupboards.
- Set temperature and strength
- BRITA water filter
- Reads each T-Disc’s barcode
- Rinses itself between drinks
Best for: Drinks set to your taste
- Pods it takes
- Tassimo T-Discs
- Milk
- Milk T-Discs
- Coffee size
- Set by the T-Disc, adjustable
- Two cups at once
- No
- Water tank
- 1.3L
- Size (W × H × D)
- 23 × 29 × 32.5cm
#2Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio S by De’Longhi (EDG226.A)
£50–£75
At just over 11cm wide it fits a narrow gap on the worktop, with a 15-bar pump for a proper crema and an XL setting for a longer drink in a big mug. It makes hot or cold drinks from more than 40 Dolce Gusto pods, Starbucks among them.
What owners say: Owners like the coffee and the price, say it pours at the right temperature and barely takes up any worktop, though they’re split on whether it runs quietly.
A closer look: For an iced coffee, choose cold and brew into a glass over ice. The drip tray adjusts for an espresso cup or a tall mug, and the grounds stay sealed in the pod, so a rinse of the tray is most of the cleaning it needs.
- 15-bar pump
- More than 40 pod drinks
- Adjustable drip tray
- Switches off when idle
Best for: A slim machine, hot or iced
- Pods it takes
- Dolce Gusto
- Milk
- Milk pods
- Coffee size
- Set by the pod, plus XL
- Two cups at once
- No
- Water tank
- 0.8L
- Size (W × H × D)
- 11.2 × 27.3 × 28.8cm
#3Nespresso Essenza Mini by Krups (XN110840)
£100–£150
At 8.4cm wide it’s the slimmest machine here, easy to tuck beside the kettle, yet it has a 19-bar pump and two buttons, espresso and lungo, that stop the pour by themselves. It takes Nespresso Original capsules, for espressos and long coffees without a milk system.
What owners say: Owners rate the coffee and the tiny footprint, about the size of a large book, which suits a small kitchen, and find the two buttons straightforward.
A closer look: Lifting and closing the lever after each coffee drops the capsule into the box at the back, which holds only five or six, so empty it daily. For lattes, pair it with a separate milk frother, and if it switches off too soon between cups, Nespresso’s settings stretch the auto-off from 9 to 30 minutes.
- 19-bar pump
- Heats up in seconds
- Auto-off set 9–30 minutes
- Holds 5–6 used capsules
Best for: Small kitchens and espressos
- Pods it takes
- Nespresso Original
- Milk
- None
- Coffee size
- Espresso or lungo, programmable
- Two cups at once
- No
- Water tank
- 0.6L
- Size (W × H × D)
- 8.4 × 20.4 × 33cm
#4Tassimo by Bosch Suny Pod Coffee Machine (TAS3102GB)
£39.99 RRP
Pop in a T-Disc and it reads the barcode printed on it to brew that drink as it should be, from a Costa latte to a Cadbury hot chocolate, with no wait for it to heat up.
What owners say: Owners find it simple to use and like the range of pods, from coffee shop drinks to hot chocolate.
A closer look: A service disc in the box sits in the machine like a T-Disc for descaling, which a light signals when it’s due. Since it rinses itself between drinks, a coffee can follow a hot chocolate without the taste carrying over.
- Reads each T-Disc’s barcode
- No heat-up time
- Rinses itself between drinks
- Service disc for descaling
- Light shows when to descale
Best for: Coffee-shop drinks and hot chocolate
- Pods it takes
- Tassimo T-Discs
- Milk
- Milk T-Discs
- Coffee size
- Set by the T-Disc
- Two cups at once
- No
- Water tank
- 0.8L
- Size (W × H × D)
- 16.7 × 25.1 × 30.5cm
#5Philips L’OR Barista Sublime Pod Coffee Machine (LM9012/60)
£114.99 RRP
Its double-shot L’OR Barista capsules fill two cups at once, or one big double in a single cup, and it also takes L’OR Espresso and Nespresso Original capsules, which opens up a wide choice of coffee.
What owners say: Owners like the single-press buttons and the huge choice of capsules it accepts, and one has cut their coffee spending by about two-thirds.
A closer look: The tasting box that comes with it holds four L’OR Espresso and five Barista double-shot capsules, enough to find a favourite before buying a stock. Coffee length can be set anywhere from 20ml to 270ml, so a ristretto for two and a long morning cup come from the same machine.
- Up to 19-bar pump
- Double-shot Barista capsules
- Capsule tasting box included
Best for: Two coffees at once
- Pods it takes
- L’OR, Nespresso Original
- Milk
- None
- Coffee size
- Adjustable, 20–270ml
- Two cups at once
- Yes
- Water tank
- 0.8L
- Size (W × H × D)
- 15.7 × 27.6 × 40.2cm
#6Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie & Milk EVO
£169.00 RRP
The only one here that froths fresh milk itself, in its built-in frother, for a cappuccino without a separate gadget. Lavazza began in 1895 as Luigi Lavazza’s grocery shop on Via San Tommaso in Turin.
What owners say: Owners say the coffee comes out good and hot, and like how neat and compact it looks on the side.
A closer look: Both coffee buttons can be programmed, so the espresso and the lungo come out at the amount that suits the cups in use. A light shows when the used-capsule drawer needs emptying, and the cup rest lifts out to make room for a taller mug.
- Heats up in 35 seconds
- Both coffee buttons programmable
- Cup rest lifts out
- Light for full capsule drawer
- 33% recycled plastic
Best for: Cappuccinos with fresh milk
- Pods it takes
- Lavazza A Modo Mio
- Milk
- Built-in frother
- Coffee size
- Espresso or lungo
- Two cups at once
- No
- Water tank
- 0.6L
- Size (W × H × D)
- 22.2 × 33.1 × 21.7cm
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Tassimo My Way 2 | #2Dolce Gusto Genio S | #3Nespresso Essenza Mini | #4Tassimo Suny | #5L’OR Barista Sublime | #6Lavazza Jolie & Milk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Slimmest machine | Best budget | Best for two cups | Best with fresh milk | |
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Price | £99.99 RRP | £50–£75 | £100–£150 | £39.99 RRP | £114.99 RRP | £169.00 RRP |
| Pods it takes | Tassimo T-Discs | Dolce Gusto | Nespresso Original | Tassimo T-Discs | L’OR, Nespresso Original | Lavazza A Modo Mio |
| Milk | Milk T-Discs | Milk pods | None | Milk T-Discs | None | Built-in frother |
| Coffee size | Set by the T-Disc, adjustable | Set by the pod, plus XL | Espresso or lungo, programmable | Set by the T-Disc | Adjustable, 20–270ml | Espresso or lungo |
| Two cups at once | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Water tank | 1.3L | 0.8L | 0.6L | 0.8L | 0.8L | 0.6L |
| Size (W × H × D) | 23 × 29 × 32.5cm | 11.2 × 27.3 × 28.8cm | 8.4 × 20.4 × 33cm | 16.7 × 25.1 × 30.5cm | 15.7 × 27.6 × 40.2cm | 22.2 × 33.1 × 21.7cm |
| Best for | Drinks set to your taste | A slim machine, hot or iced | Small kitchens and espressos | Coffee-shop drinks and hot chocolate | Two coffees at once | Cappuccinos with fresh milk |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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