Coffee pod machine

outtatune

I don't understand the lure of these pod machines.

If you drink a lot of coffee then a couple of hundred £ on a low end bean to cup machine will save money in the long run and make far better coffee.

If you only drink the occasional cup, then £15 on a basic cafetiere will save money in the long run and make far better coffee.

GDB2222

outtatune said:

I don't understand the lure of these pod machines.

If you drink a lot of coffee then a couple of hundred £ on a low end bean to cup machine will save money in the long run and make far better coffee.

If you only drink the occasional cup, then £15 on a basic cafetiere will save money in the long run and make far better coffee.

I've been eyeing up a £200 bean to cup machine, but I'll probably just finish up the pods I have, then go back to the aeropress.

cerebus

I'm different I prefer instant coffee over milky coffee 
Or filter coffee , if I find myself in Starbucks it's a filter coffee 

I just find milky coffee is just too heavy to drink all day 

Emmia

coffeehound said:

I see you can get refillable pods now; no idea if they are any good

They're not unfortunately, it's tricky to get the coffee grind and seal right.

Emmia

outtatune said:

I don't understand the lure of these pod machines.

If you drink a lot of coffee then a couple of hundred £ on a low end bean to cup machine will save money in the long run and make far better coffee.

If you only drink the occasional cup, then £15 on a basic cafetiere will save money in the long run and make far better coffee.

They're compact, which in our small kitchen is key, I'd like a bean to cup but at the moment I'm happy with my Opal One, and Cru Kafe capsules.

twopenny

Always wanted some sort of coffee machine. Preferably a De,longhi but thats not going to happen.

I've been put off getting any sort because I've never seen how much they cost to run for one.
Any idea?

I'm using Romburts one cup filters - 35p a cup but now I can't get the Italian or 4 strength it's not that exciting.

Grumpy_chap

twopenny said:

Always wanted some sort of coffee machine. 

I've been put off getting any sort because I've never seen how much they cost to run for one.
Any idea?

Grumpy_chap said:

I think with our pod machine, the cost is typically about 50 pence per drink.

We recently looked at the Velvetiser.  £1.50 per drink 

GDB2222 said:

I bought this machine because the pods that came with it cost about 40p each, and the machine was 'free'.

MattMattMattUK said:

A Lor coffee pod costs 37.5p each, ground coffee costs around 8-12p per cup, beans that one would grind at home 6-12p, Nespresso pods are 50p or more. 

Do these comments upthread help?

twopenny

Yes thank you Grumpy...........but I wasn't sure that included fuel cost.

For one person that's the clincher, boiling water and coffee cost.

Grumpy_chap

twopenny said:

Yes thank you Grumpy...........but I wasn't sure that included fuel cost.

For one person that's the clincher, boiling water and coffee cost.

I don't think the comments I posted include the "fuel" cost (for a moment I thought I'd slipped into the Motoring boards).

The costs mentioned refer to only the cost of the coffee pods.
The water costs extra.
The energy to heat the water costs extra.

Obviously, the water and energy to heat the water is still required to be paid for even if using instant coffee.
The way our coffee pod machine works, I suspect the energy cost for the water is less than the energy cost for instant coffee because the pod machine only heats the amount of water needed to make the coffee, not whatever residual is left in the kettle as well.

As we are delving into the deep costs, one saving is that the 50 pence per drink that our pods cost includes the milk (for those that like coffee with milk).  No need to pay for the milk extra, unlike regular instant coffee.  [I acknowledge some instant sachets are available that include whitener.]  Obviously, this consideration is irrelevant for those that like coffee sans cow juice.

twopenny

Thanks Grumpy, that's what I thought.

I remember the days when all items had the running costs on the box. Now they don't like to say because they are selling a gadget/lifestyle.

As I now use a whistling kettle on the gas hob (saved £10 a month less the gas cost ;-) I did consider a stove top coffee maker but would have to learn a whole new skill + washing up.

I didn't know that the machines under discussion only heated just one cup of water. They seem to come with a biggish tank.