Coffee Maker - can you recommend one???

coconutaddict

Hi. I have recently discovered coffee and am looking to get a coffee machine for home. I have used a Philips Senseo at a friends house and like the taste of it, but would like to know what others think.
Amazon do the Philips Senseo Quadrante for a good price compared to comet (which was £102)
Are pod machines any good..?
Thanks folks

Violetta_2

I'd be lost without my senseo coffee machine. I have the older style & more than 1 friend has bought 1 themselves after having a cup. I usually get my pod's in Asda the mug sized pack of 20 pod's are usually £3 there but over £4 elsewhere.

santer_2

Comet have two, one with a frothing arm, that one gets a lower user rating, and if it only has a frothing arm in addition to the other one, it is a lot to pay for the option IMO

http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Coffee-Makers/buy-PHILIPS-HD7814/60-BLACK-Coffee-Maker/185086

http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Coffee-Makers/buy-PHILIPS-HD7850/60-Coffee-Maker/504637

http://www.coffee-maker-guide.com/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkpicturegalleries/6711374/Ten-of-the-best-coffee-machines.html

http://www.bestcoffeemaker.net/

russ331

Pods for machines like Tassimo, Nespresso, etc use proprietory pods at about £4 for 16 pods. That's 25p a cup. Say 2 cups a day. That's £182 a year.

I recommend this Espresso machine http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4233268/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CKitchen+and+laundry%7C14418476/c_2/2%7C14418476%7CCoffee+machines%7C16527134/c_3/3%7Ccat_16527134%7CEspresso+coffee+machines%7C16528262.htm

It's a Which? 'Best Buy'. 2 filter baskets, one for loose coffee, one for generic pods. I buy such pods at £1.49 for 18... http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/4179_21272.htm . That's 8p a cup. Say 2 cups a day. That's £60 a year. A £122 saving. As a free bonus, Espresso machines make better-tasting coffee than the Tassimo, Nespresso, etc machines.

Eric_Pisch

you dont need to spend a fortune on fancy machines and capsules

a £10 cafeteria and decent ground coffee (£3-4 a bag) will make superb coffee very quickly

russ331

I've had cafetiere coffee many times at friends' homes, & never enjoyed a single cup. The black coffee grounds sediment at the bottom of every cup puts me right off, & the flavour & aroma lacks something.

On the upside, cafetieres make better-tasting coffee than filter machines, though filter machines that use paper filters avoid the sediment at the bottom of the cup.

Once you've experienced coffee from an espresso machine, there's no going back. The flavour, the aroma, the crema...

Eric_Pisch

russ331 wrote: »

I've had cafetiere coffee many times at friends' homes, & never enjoyed a single cup. The black coffee grounds sediment at the bottom of every cup puts me right off, & the flavour & aroma lacks something.

On the upside, cafetieres make better-tasting coffee than filter machines, though filter machines that use paper filters avoid the sediment at the bottom of the cup.

Once you've experienced coffee from an espresso machine, there's no going back. The flavour, the aroma, the crema...

i have an espresso machine, just too lazy to use it

russ331

Eric_Pisch wrote: »

i have an espresso machine, just too lazy to use it

I'm lazy too. I indulged my laziness with a Tassimo machine 5 years ago, which is very easy & convenient to use, & to keep clean.

With the ever increasing price of Tassimo pods, I calculated that an espresso machine would pay for itself within months, which it has. It is also easy & convenient to use, & to keep clean. If it wasn't, I would have reverted to using the Tassimo, irrespective of the cost of using it.

xbrenx

russ331 wrote: »

Pods for machines like Tassimo, Nespresso, etc use proprietory pods at about £4 for 16 pods. That's 25p a cup. Say 2 cups a day. That's £182 a year.

I recommend this Espresso machine http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4233268/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CKitchen+and+laundry%7C14418476/c_2/2%7C14418476%7CCoffee+machines%7C16527134/c_3/3%7Ccat_16527134%7CEspresso+coffee+machines%7C16528262.htm

It's a Which? 'Best Buy'. 2 filter baskets, one for loose coffee, one for generic pods. I buy such pods at £1.49 for 18... http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/4179_21272.htm . That's 8p a cup. Say 2 cups a day. That's £60 a year. A £122 saving. As a free bonus, Espresso machines make better-tasting coffee than the Tassimo, Nespresso, etc machines.

Very interesting! I've talked myself out of a Tassimo countless times but these generic pods I don't recall seeing - are they available in most supermarkets?

I_luv_cats

It's worth considering what drinks you like as the different systems have their own variety of pods.

I have a Krups Dolce Gusto coffee pod machine. It was the bargain offer price (December 2010) that influenced me and a number of MSE'rs. (£36 I think then-now £110 @ Argos but cheaper around)

I am fairly happy with the machine and some coffee flavours although it would be nice for some more varieties to come on board.

santer_2

Does anyone keep the coffee beans in the freezer and only grind enough for the amount of coffee they are going to drink there and then. Any thoughts on how long to keep coffee warm before the taste goes off?

http://www.johnlewis.com/230552772/Product.aspx