Sip Better: Coffee Pod Machines for an Amazing Cup of Joe

Pod-based coffee machines offer an enticing promise: pop in a pod, press a button, and get your coffee. They’re hugely popular, and for good reason. Here are a few other things to know about these makers before you buy one.

One hack to get the best possible coffee out of your pod: avoid using larger size mugs. Coffee aficionados say that typical coffee pods don’t contain enough grounds for a perfectly balanced jumbo-sized cup (even if it’s offered as an option on the machine). Opt for a smaller size brew to get the best-tasting cup of coffee.

Pod-based machines are great for hurried mornings, because they quickly brew a single cup. But what about when you’re having people over for dinner or brunch and want to offer cappuccinos? Some makers now come with both a pod-based brewer and additional espresso-drink tools like a milk frother.

One of the biggest issues fans of pod-based machines have is that the pods aren’t always simple to recycle. But some companies have begun to combat this by creating widespread drop-off spots for used pods, or they can ship you a prepaid bag to send the pods away for proper disposal.

If you’re looking to create fancier beverages with your pod-coffee maker, look to an espresso machine. Espresso is, as its name suggests, meant to be brewed extremely quickly; espresso machines use high amounts of pressure to cut down on the amount of brewing time. If you don’t love drinking espresso straight, you can experiment with all kinds of different espresso-based drinks such as americanos (espresso with hot water), flat whites (espresso with hot milk) or cappuccinos (espresso with hot milk and foamed milk).