Top 5 compared
The best pod coffee makers
A fresh cup in about a minute with nothing to measure.
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The top 5 at a glance
A pod coffee maker brews one cup at a time from a sealed capsule: drop it in, press a button and the machine pushes hot water through it. The capsule decides the drink. K-Cups make an everyday drip-style mug, plus tea and hot cocoa; Nespresso’s Original capsules make a short, strong espresso or a longer lungo, the base for a cappuccino or a latte.
Nespresso makes Original and Vertuo capsules, and the Nespressos here take Original only. Some machines come with a frother for milk drinks, either built in or as a separate frother in the box. Ninja’s machine brews ground coffee as well as K-Cups, with the filter basket it needs included.
What matters
- Several cup sizes, and a strong setting for a bolder mug.
- A removable tank: the bigger it is, the fewer refills.
- Width, for a small countertop or a dorm room.
- Room under the spout for a tall travel mug.
#1Keurig K-Elite Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker
$75–$100
Five cup sizes from 4 to 12 oz, a Strong button for a bolder cup and an Iced setting that brews hot over ice, with a 75 oz tank that holds about eight cups between refills. A separate button runs hot water for tea, oatmeal or instant soup.
What owners say: Owners like how fast it brews, the spread of cup sizes and the hot water button. How long it lasts is the sticking point, with some machines giving out within months.
A closer look: For something closer to a shot, choose the 4 oz size and press Strong; for iced coffee, fill a tall glass with ice and use the Iced setting. The water filter in the box fits inside the tank, and the machine reminds you when it’s time to descale.
- Hot water on demand
- Water filter in the box
- Descale reminder
- Takes 7.2 in travel mugs
- Brews at 187–192°F
Best for: Bold cups, iced coffee and tea
- Pods it takes
- K-Cup pods
- Milk
- None
- Cup sizes
- 4–12 oz, 5 sizes
- Strong setting
- Yes
- Water tank
- 75 fl oz
- Size (W × H × D)
- 9.9 × 13.1 × 12.7 in
#2Nespresso Essenza Mini Espresso Machine by De’Longhi
$150–$200
The most compact Nespresso De’Longhi makes, about 3.3 in wide, turns out a 1.35 oz espresso or a 3.7 oz lungo at the press of a button, from a 19-bar pump. It’s ready in about 25 seconds, and both cup sizes can be reset to the length you like.
What owners say: It saves a daily trip to the coffee shop, in many owners’ eyes, with a strong, full-flavored espresso in under 30 seconds from a machine that takes almost no counter. Temperature is the one split: hot enough for some, not for others.
Heads up: It takes only Nespresso’s Original capsules, not Vertuo ones or K-Cups, so look for Original on the box when stocking up.
A closer look: Run a lungo of plain water with no capsule into the cup first, and the espresso that follows stays hot for longer. The 20 oz tank lifts out for filling at the faucet, and with just two buttons, one per cup size, there’s nothing else to learn.
- Ready in about 25 seconds
- 19-bar pump
- Both cup sizes programmable
- Standby after 9 minutes
Best for: Espresso in a small kitchen
- Pods it takes
- Nespresso Original
- Milk
- None
- Cup sizes
- 1.35 and 3.7 oz, 2 sizes
- Strong setting
- No
- Water tank
- 20 fl oz
- Size (W × H × D)
- 3.3 × 8 × 13 in
#3Nespresso CitiZ Espresso Machine by De’Longhi with Aeroccino Milk Frother
Over $300
Nespresso’s Original espresso and lungo from a 34 oz tank, enough for several cups between refills, with the Aeroccino frother in the box to whip hot or cold milk foam at one press. Cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolate need nothing else.
What owners say: The coffee and espresso win owners over, and the frother handles almond milk as well as dairy. It’s quick and easy to keep clean; the price is where they part ways.
A closer look: Start the frother first and let it work while the espresso runs. The Aeroccino is a separate electric frother, so it can sit beside the machine or go back in a cabinet, and a rinse right after each use stops milk from drying onto the whisk.
- Hot or cold milk foam
- Cup support for tall glasses
- Both cup sizes programmable
- Heats up in 25 seconds
- Off after 9 minutes
Best for: Cappuccinos and lattes
- Pods it takes
- Nespresso Original
- Milk
- Aeroccino frother included
- Cup sizes
- 1.35 and 3.7 oz, 2 sizes
- Strong setting
- No
- Water tank
- 34 fl oz
- Size (W × H × D)
- 8.6 × 10.9 × 14.6 in (with frother)
#4Ninja Pods & Grounds Specialty Single-Serve Coffee Maker (PB051)
$75–$100
A K-Cup one morning and your own ground coffee the next: the pod adapter and a permanent filter basket both come in the box. Four brew styles (Classic, Rich, Over Ice and a concentrated Specialty) and a fold-away frother cover everything from a 24 oz travel mug to a homemade latte.
What owners say: Plenty who switched from a Keurig think it makes a better cup, and they like having pods and grounds in one machine, with a frother that’s easy to use. Reliability is the doubt, as some had one stop working within the first year.
A closer look: Switching is a matter of the holder: the pod adapter for K-Cups, or the brew basket and permanent filter for your own coffee, measured with the scoop. For a latte, choose Specialty, which brews a small, strong concentrate, then froth the milk and pour it over.
- Specialty brew for lattes
- Over Ice brew setting
- Permanent filter and scoop included
- Adjustable drip tray for mugs
- Storage bin for the adapter
Best for: Switching between pods and grounds
- Pods it takes
- K-Cup pods or ground coffee
- Milk
- Fold-away frother built in
- Cup sizes
- 6–24 oz, 7 sizes (pods 6–12 oz)
- Strong setting
- Rich brew
- Water tank
- 56 fl oz
- Size (W × H × D)
- 5.6 × 13.3 × 13.1 in
#5Keurig K-Express Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker
$50–$75
A slim Keurig at about 5 in wide that still has a Strong button for a bolder cup, three sizes from 8 to 12 oz and a 42 oz tank good for four 8 oz cups. It brews back to back without waiting to reheat between cups.
What owners say: Owners like how little counter it takes and how fast it brews, and find the size right for one person, with a cup they’re happy with every time. Some machines gave up within months, though, and views on how hot the coffee comes out and on value vary.
A closer look: The drip tray lifts out so a travel mug up to 7.4 in tall fits under the spout, and the tank comes off for a refill at the sink. Add a My K-Cup reusable filter, sold separately, to brew your own ground coffee on the days the pods run out.
- Brews back to back
- Takes 7.4 in travel mugs
- Off 5 minutes after brewing
- Takes My K-Cup reusable filter
Best for: Coffee for one on a narrow counter
- Pods it takes
- K-Cup pods
- Milk
- None
- Cup sizes
- 8–12 oz, 3 sizes
- Strong setting
- Yes
- Water tank
- 42 fl oz
- Size (W × H × D)
- 5.1 × 12.6 × 12.8 in
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Keurig K-Elite | #2Nespresso Essenza Mini | #3Nespresso CitiZ & milk | #4Ninja Pods & Grounds | #5Keurig K-Express |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for espresso | Best premium | Best for ground coffee | Best budget | |
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $150–$200 | Over $300 | $75–$100 | $50–$75 |
| Pods it takes | K-Cup pods | Nespresso Original | Nespresso Original | K-Cup pods or ground coffee | K-Cup pods |
| Milk | None | None | Aeroccino frother included | Fold-away frother built in | None |
| Cup sizes | 4–12 oz, 5 sizes | 1.35 and 3.7 oz, 2 sizes | 1.35 and 3.7 oz, 2 sizes | 6–24 oz, 7 sizes (pods 6–12 oz) | 8–12 oz, 3 sizes |
| Strong setting | Yes | No | No | Rich brew | Yes |
| Water tank | 75 fl oz | 20 fl oz | 34 fl oz | 56 fl oz | 42 fl oz |
| Size (W × H × D) | 9.9 × 13.1 × 12.7 in | 3.3 × 8 × 13 in | 8.6 × 10.9 × 14.6 in (with frother) | 5.6 × 13.3 × 13.1 in | 5.1 × 12.6 × 12.8 in |
| Best for | Bold cups, iced coffee and tea | Espresso in a small kitchen | Cappuccinos and lattes | Switching between pods and grounds | Coffee for one on a narrow counter |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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