POD coffee machine - which one

POD coffee machine - which one

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Discussion

uncinqsix

3,239 posts

209 months

Monday 24th November 2014
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Ben Jk said:
Ooooh. I've used Francis Francis Illy capsule machines in the past within the hotel industry but didn't know they did them for home use now! Might have to take a look!
I bought a FrancisFrancis X1 12 years ago, so they've been in the domestic space for at least that long. Mine was used mainly in the ground coffee mode, but I used the pods for a while when I first got it and remember them being not too bad.

As a matter of interest, I timed myself making my morning Espresso earlier. From start to finish, including weighing the dose (full geek mode), grinding and doing all the pre-shot faffing about needed with the E61 machine (cooling flush etc), it took me 2 minutes 50 seconds. Add another 90 seconds clean up after the wife has made her coffee and that's it for the day. Obviously more time and effort than a pod, but I enjoy it.

Ben Jk

1,591 posts

165 months

Monday 24th November 2014
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uncinqsix said:
I bought a FrancisFrancis X1 12 years ago, so they've been in the domestic space for at least that long. Mine was used mainly in the ground coffee mode, but I used the pods for a while when I first got it and remember them being not too bad.

As a matter of interest, I timed myself making my morning Espresso earlier. From start to finish, including weighing the dose (full geek mode), grinding and doing all the pre-shot faffing about needed with the E61 machine (cooling flush etc), it took me 2 minutes 50 seconds. Add another 90 seconds clean up after the wife has made her coffee and that's it for the day. Obviously more time and effort than a pod, but I enjoy it.
Yeah, its not that bad, but I have 3 espressos before leaving the house!

Do you do a dose/grind check every morning? Seems a bit excessive?

uncinqsix

3,239 posts

209 months

Monday 24th November 2014
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Ben Jk said:
Yeah, its not that bad, but I have 3 espressos before leaving the house!

Do you do a dose/grind check every morning? Seems a bit excessive?
I find one tweak of the grind with each new bag of beans is fine. I just weigh each dose (16-17g each time) to keep things consistent.

Himself

483 posts

146 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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25% off if anyone fancies a machine. http://www.espressocrazy.com

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Those with a Nespresso machine...

Lidl’s Bellarom do a range of coffee pods that are very cheap and taste very good.

Also this weekend they are all 1/2 price so it works out at 8.9p per pod.

vladcjelli

2,962 posts

157 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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So after seeing this thread, it sparked a bit of interest for me to look into these machines.

I'm an instant coffee heathen, don't drink at Costa/Starbucks or whatever, but have had the opportunity to sample a few decent cups here and there.

Day to day, only drink black coffee, might go cappuccino if out and about.

If I was looking for a cheap way in to half decent pod type coffee at home, where should I be putting my meagre cash?

The machine must be capable of knocking out a reasonable hot chocolate in order to get past Mrs Cjelli too.

Black Friday is throwing a delonghi mini me dolce gusto device priced £29.99 at me. Is it worth an entry level punt?

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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vladcjelli said:
So after seeing this thread, it sparked a bit of interest for me to look into these machines.

I'm an instant coffee heathen, don't drink at Costa/Starbucks or whatever, but have had the opportunity to sample a few decent cups here and there.

Day to day, only drink black coffee, might go cappuccino if out and about.

If I was looking for a cheap way in to half decent pod type coffee at home, where should I be putting my meagre cash?

The machine must be capable of knocking out a reasonable hot chocolate in order to get past Mrs Cjelli too.

Black Friday is throwing a delonghi mini me dolce gusto device priced £29.99 at me. Is it worth an entry level punt?
All my friends swear by the Nespresso... they have a deal on so that the £179 model now costs £109 using £70 cashback.

vladcjelli

2,962 posts

157 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Du1point8 said:
All my friends swear by the Nespresso... they have a deal on so that the £179 model now costs £109 using £70 cashback.
Nice, but way beyond my exploratory funds.

Just seen a Bosch tassimo one on Amazon for £39.

Different types all very confusing.

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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vladcjelli said:
Du1point8 said:
All my friends swear by the Nespresso... they have a deal on so that the £179 model now costs £109 using £70 cashback.
Nice, but way beyond my exploratory funds.

Just seen a Bosch tassimo one on Amazon for £39.

Different types all very confusing.
Nespresso machine for £79 and get £75 worth of vouchers for nespresso making it almost free

http://www.johnlewis.com/nespresso-inissia-coffee-...

BrownBottle

1,365 posts

135 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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vladcjelli said:
Nice, but way beyond my exploratory funds.

Just seen a Bosch tassimo one on Amazon for £39.

Different types all very confusing.
Not sure on your budget but I just ordered a Krups Nespresso U for £70 from amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Krups-Nespresso-XN250A40-C...


Sy1441

1,113 posts

159 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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sirbadger said:
What makes you say the aeroccino better? I have a latissima and love the simplicity of just getting the milk tank from the fridge, plugging it in and pressing one button for a latte. Only complaint I have is that it makes quite a lot of foam even on its lowest setting.
Have owned both. Aerocino gives you more flexibility over how much milk you use, makes a better foam also. Its also easier to clean.

Kudos

2,672 posts

173 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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Du1point8 said:
All my friends swear by the Nespresso... they have a deal on so that the £179 model now costs £109 using £70 cashback.
It's not cashback, it's £25 off each of the next 3 purchases of pods

Max M4X WW

4,788 posts

181 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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Kudos said:
Du1point8 said:
All my friends swear by the Nespresso... they have a deal on so that the £179 model now costs £109 using £70 cashback.
It's not cashback, it's £25 off each of the next 3 purchases of pods
How much do you have to spend?

Himself

483 posts

146 months

Saturday 29th November 2014
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Max M4X WW said:
How much do you have to spend?
£25, but if you buy 200 pods you get free P&P.

Max M4X WW

4,788 posts

181 months

Saturday 29th November 2014
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So you actually have to spend £75 to get £75 back!

Himself

483 posts

146 months

Sunday 30th November 2014
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Max M4X WW said:
So you actually have to spend £75 to get £75 back!
No, you place an order for £25 and you pay £4.00 p&p, so your outlay for £25 of pods is £4, if you choose to be sensible and order 200 pods you'll pay around £37 instead of £60.

hornetrider

63,161 posts

204 months

Sunday 30th November 2014
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Du1point8 said:
Nespresso machine for £79 and get £75 worth of vouchers for nespresso making it almost free

http://www.johnlewis.com/nespresso-inissia-coffee-...
Got to thank you for this one chap. Bought on Friday, picked up from Waitrose at lunchtime today. The coffee is absolutely superb and the aeroccino is simplicity itself. I'm over the moon with it!

QROPS

2,769 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th November 2014
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If anybody needs help with their nespresso machines just ask away as I give technical support for the machines.

QROPS

2,769 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th November 2014
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sirbadger said:
C0ffin D0dger said:
That's what I've got. Very good for Espresso, Latte and Cappuccino and you can make a long coffee with it too (I run the program twice on the Lungno pod).

But, it's a Nespresso so you have to buy the pods online, and it won't make hot chocolate although on the latte setting you could get it to make you a fairly large cup of frothy milk removing the cup before the water comes through for the espresso shot, then add you chocolate.
Instead of rumning the program twice for a lungo you can program the button to supply more water by holding it down and releasing it when you have enough coffee.

Also, if you want just hot milk you can press the latte button again just before the espresso shot comes through and it stops the machine.
If you hold down the button to reprogram, then basically you are over extracting the coffee and you can end up with a burnt taste and the chance of blocking your pyramid plate.

Edited by QROPS on Sunday 30th November 20:32

QROPS

2,769 posts

183 months

Sunday 30th November 2014
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okgo said:
I must be doing it wrong. I've got a nespresso machine at work which takes the flying saucer shape discs rather than the pods the domestic machines use and I can't get on with the coffee it makes.

My usual is 2 of the weaker pods with two shots of hot milk. Yet when I go to my local coffee shop (Fleet street press) the stuff they do is 10x better.

Am I doing it wrong?
You have a B2B machine and there's only 7 grand crus available