Top 10 Best Coffee Capsule Machines

Samuel J Tan Coffee Capsule Machines, Home & Kitchen, Kitchen, What's Hot 0

Made famous by George Clooney and his string of adverts on TV, coffee capsules have gone mainstream. You can now find wall hanging or table standing, exclusive tray, holder and dispenser accessories to proudly display your collection of coffee capsules.

Coffee capsule machine represents a sort of chic and cool lifestyle for those that doesn’t care for the fuss and mess in grinding, measuring and preparing a cup of coffee.

By simply popping a prepacked capsule containing the coffee of your choice into a capsule machine, you can get your cup of joe just the way you like it within seconds.

These coffee capsules contains coffee that is grounded, roasted, tamped and sealed into a plastic or aluminium case to preserve its freshness.

When in the machine, steaming water is forced through the pod at high bar pressure, creating a rich drink, full of flavour topped with a thick layer of crema to make that perfect cup of espresso.

You can also find capsules or pods for drinks other than coffee or decaffeinated coffee. There is hot chocolate, tea, milk and specialty beverages depending on your chosen capsule range.

Table of Contents

Know Your Coffee Capsules

The world of coffee capsule machines is dominated by a few big names like Bosch, Krups and Delonghi. But what are coffee machines without its capsules, just like what are printers without its ink (that may be a bad analogy). It’s actually not as complicated with coffee capsules. There are only three main producers.

In one corner there is Nespresso and in the other, Nescafe (marketed under the Dolce Gusto label) ,then there is Tassimo in the third corner.

So depending on the machine you get (or the capsule label of your choice) you are pretty much tied down to the range of drinks available from the capsule producer. Yes, they are not interchangeable, the machines will only accept the type of capsule it is designed for.

Just note that Tassimo prefers to call their capsules, the Discs Pods, or T-Discs, it is essentially the same idea, just different packaging.

Capsule producers are using their capsules to deliver other hot beverages and even cold drinks (see below). The list of drinks is growing to include hot chocolate, tea and more.

Which Capsule; Nespresso, Dolce Gusto from Nescafe or Tassimo

Nespresso focuses on the different specialty coffee capsules depending on the intensity, size of cup and the aroma. You can choose from mild to strong (1-13) coffee or between a very small cup of Ristretto, to Espresso to a cup of Lungo (long coffee). Then there is the aromatic family where you can find fruity, balanced or intense coffee to suit your taste.

Together, there are 23 different capsules available and depending on your preferred recipe, yes you get to be creative with your coffee, you can customise your own cup of cappuccino, latte or more. A quick look on the recipe pages, there are mango coffee, apple iced coffee, chestnut coffee, strawberry coffee and iced caramel cafe.

Nescafe under the Dolce Gusto brand has a wider variety of drinks under the following categories; espresso, cappuccino & latte, cold drinks, chocolate, lungo grande, americano and tea. Under each of those categories, there are different beverages and blends to suit everyone’s taste. At the time of writing there are up to 34 different varieties.

For espresso, there is espresso intenso, standard espresso, espresso decaf, espresso barista, espresso ristretto, espresso caramel, espresso macchiato and espresso macchiato decaf. Under cappuccino & latte, there is cappuccino, skinny cappuccino, latte macchiato, skilly latte macchiato, caramel latte macchiato, vanilla latte macchiato, latte macchiato unsweetened, cafe au lait, espresso macchiato, espresso macchiato decaf and cappuccino ice.

Under the cold drinks category, there is cappuccino ice, Nestea peach and Nestea lemon. Under chocolate, there is chococino, choco caramel and mocha. While in the larger Lungo Grande & Americano category, there is Americano, grande caffe crema, grande intenso, grande mild, lungo, lungo intenso, lungo mild and lungo decaf. Finally, in the tea category, there is the inevitable chai tea latte, tea latte and marrakesh style tea.

In the Tassimo world, things get a little more interesting. Instead of carrying house brands, Tassimo works with other beverage producers such as Carte Noire, Cafe Hag, Kenco, Jacobs, Twinnings, Milka, Suchard, Cadbury and Costa to bring you your favourite brands and drinks in disc pods you can use in the Tassimo machine.

New brands are working with Tassimo to come up with their own drinks, the latest being Oreo with their exclusive Oreo cookie drink. Together, there are 37-40 different variety of drinks in the following categories; coffee, decaf, cappuccinos and lattes, tea, chocolates and specialties.

Now that we have got the world of coffee capsules broken down for you, let’s take a look at the different machines available for each of producers.

The Best Coffee Capsule Machines

Here is our top 10 best coffee capsule machines line up:

Let’s take a look at each of them in detail.

Bosch TAS2002GB Tassimo Amia T20 Hot Beverage Machine, Gloss Black

Bosch TAS2002GB Tassimo Hot Drink Machine

As its name suggests, this is a Tassimo machine, meaning you have access to more drinks from names that you are familiar with such as Twinings, Costa Coffee, Cadbury and Kenco.

You will learn at the end of this post that all Tassimo machines are from one manufacturer only, Bosch. This here is the Bosch Tassimo Amia (T20). With two other Bosch machines featured in this line-up, there are altogether 13 Tassimo machines in the market. Bosch’s machines are bar code driven, the Tassimo capsules or T Discs will have bar codes on them to let the machines know what to do to create the perfect drink.

What You Need to Know

Intellibrew technology with no heat up time, ready immediately to make your drink as soon as you turn it on
Single button action – fully automatic drink preparation with a press of a button
Self cleaning programme – easy and automatic cleaning and descaling and dishwasher safe removable parts
1.5 litres removable water tank for easy refilling
Adjustable and removable cup stand
Dimensions L x W x H (cm) 37.0 x 26.5 x 31.5

Bosch TAS1202GB Tassimo Vivy T12 Hot Beverage Machine – Black

Measuring just 17cm in width, this is a super small Tassimo machine. It has all the features of its bigger siblings but being small and space saving meant, more refilling of empty water tank. The tank only takes 0.7 litres of water. If you have decided on a Tassimo system and need to squeeze every inch from your kitchen or small apartment, this is Tassimo Vivy is the one for you. Also available in white.

Intellibrew technology with no heat up time, ready immediately to make your drink as soon as you turn it on
Single button action – fully automatic drink preparation with a press of a button
Self cleaning programme – easy and automatic cleaning and descaling and dishwasher safe removable parts
0.7 litres removable water tank for easy refilling
Adjustable and removable cup stand
Dimensions L x W x H (ins) 11.7 x 6.7 x 9.8

Nespresso CitiZ and Milk by KRUPS XN730540 Coffee Machine – Fire Engine Red

Let the Nespresso CitiZ and Milk prepare your perfect cup of expresso or lungo or use the machine to programme the coffee volume just the way you like it. The fitted Aeroccino will, the black cylinderical apparatus next to the machine can be used to create both hot and cold milk recipes to complete your lattes, cappuccinos or more. This retro-modern design in fire engine red is sure to capture everyone’s attention.

What You Need to Know

Powerful 19 bar pressure pump system
Patented extraction system with the right water pressure, temperature and extraction duration for exceptionally thick and smooth crema
Automatic (espresso or long coffee) and programmable water volume
Auto eject used capsule into capsule container for up to 12 capsules.
Energy saving mode

See also Nespresso CitiZ and Milk by Magimix M190 Coffee Machine which is essentially the same machine with a different spout design.

Nespresso by KRUPS XN300540 Pixie Coffee Machine – Titanium

The Nespresso Pixie Titanium by KRUPS is a stylish and compact coffee machine. Quick heat up time meant the machine is ready in 25 seconds and the auto-off mode maximises energy efficiency. Also available in red, aluminium and brown.

What You Need to Know

Powerful 19 bar pressure pump system
Patented extraction system with the right water pressure, temperature and extraction duration for exceptionally thick and smooth crema
Fast heat up time, 25 – 30 seconds
0.7 litre removable water tank with water level detection and water level indicator using interactive lights seen through the capsule container to let you know when to top up
Automatic (espresso or long coffee) and programmable water volume
Auto eject used capsule into capsule container for up to 10 capsules
Recycled aluminium side panels in different finish and colours
Dimensions and Weight: 11.1 x 23.5 x 32.6 cm 3kg
Energy saving mode, auto power off after 9 minutes and the unit has cable storage built-in to keep things tidy.

NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Mini Me EDG305.B Automatic Play & Select Coffee Machine by De’Longhi – Piano Black

A stylish and compact machine for Nescafe Dolce Gusto pods, the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Mini Me is easy to use and requires virtually no cleaning. Simply wipe down the machine and rinse the capsule holder once every few weeks.

The powerful 15 bar pump pressure ensures that your coffee is prepared with a full-bodied flavour and the all important, velvety crema finish.

What You Need to Know

Powerful 15 bar pump pressure, variable pressure set automatically depending on the pod used
Fast thermoblock system for quick heat up time
Easy to use and clean with automatic Play and Select volume selector to set your drink size or use the pod’s recommended volume
Cold or hot drink selector
0.8 litre removable water tank
Adjustable drip to fit different cup size
Available in three colours: Piano Black (seen here), Black and White and Red and White

Nespresso inissia by KRUPS Coffee Capsule Machine with Aeroccino3 – White

Nespresso positions the inissia as the entry level or first Nespresso machine in the range. While the inissia we picked is from Krups, there is a similar model with the same name from Magimix. While we also chose to include the Aeroccino3, you can buy the inissia on its own.

What You Need to Know

Powerful 19 bar pressure pump system
Patented extraction system with the right water pressure, temperature and extraction duration for exceptionally thick and smooth crema
Fast heat up time, 25 seconds
0.7 litre removable water tank for up to 9 drinks
Automatic (espresso or long coffee) volume control
Auto eject used capsule into capsule container for up to 11 capsules
Dimensions and Weight: 12 x 23 x 32.1cm 2.4 kg
Energy saving mode, auto power off after 9 minutes
Folding drip tray for tall Latte Macchiato glass
Includes Aeroccino3 milk frother for light and creamy milk froth to go with your cappuccinos and lattes.
Available in White, Grey, Orange, Blue, Green, Cream, Red and Black

Also available, similar model from Magimix

Nescafe Dolce Oblo Coffee Capsule Machine – Black by KRUPS

Award winning design, the Dolce Oblo does not only look good but performs well too. With its powerful 15 bar pump pressure for cafe quality drinks and ease of use, it is bound to win over the hearts of those with their minds set on a Dolce Gusto machine.

What You Need to Know

Hot or cold drink selector
On/off switch with eco mode function
Fast heat up with thermoblock system that produces a maximum of 15 bar pressure
0.8 litre removable water tank with water level visible from the front of the unit
Adjustable drip tray, move it up or down to fit different cup sizes
Virtually no cleaning, just wipe the machine down and rinse the capsule holder once every few weeks
Colour choices: Black, White, Orange, Red

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 3 by De’Longhi EDG420.B Coffee and Beverage Machine – Black

What You Need to Know

Hot or cold drink selector
On/Off switch with eco mode function
Powerful 15 bar pump pressure
Thermoblock heating system with no preheating or heat up time
1.3 litre removable water tank
Adjustable drip tray, move up or down to fit cup different cup sizes
Easy and convenient to use and clean. Descaler kit available separately and descaling is recommended every 3-4 months or 900 uses.

Also look at Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody 3 Play and Select by Krups

Nespresso Lattissima Plus by Delonghi, 1 Litre, 1300 Watt – Black

Save

The Nespresso Lattissima Plus will not only prepare your drink, it will also automatically ejects your used capsule and keep this in a used capsule collection tank. It also has a patented Instant Froth Dispenser (IFD) system from De’Longhi that makes milky drinks such as Latte and Cappuccino as simple as pressing a button. You get with this Nespresso Lattissima Plus a free Nespresso Welcome Kit consisting of 16 different Nespresso coffee blends to start you off.

What You Need to Know

Powerful 19 bar pressure pump, with A-class energy rating and auto power off.
Fast 40 second heat up time with Advanced Thermoblock heating system.
Patented single touch with instant froth dispenser for Cappuccino and Latte Macchiato.
Removable 0.35 litres milk carafe that can be placed back into the fridge.
Removable 1 litre water tank.
Illuminated keys and automatic controls to choose your favourite drink; Espresso, Long Coffee, Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato.
Clean button for automatic washing cycle and automatic descale alert and program.
Quiet operation with noise isolation.
Adjustable drip tray to carry different cup sizes.
Dimensions: 16.7 x 31.9 x 25.3 (L x W x H in cm)
Available in black, silver, red and white

Also look at: Nespresso Lattissima Pro by Delonghi

Bosch TAS5542GB Tassimo Charmy T55 Multi Hot Drinks Machine, Black

The third Bosch Tassimo in the line-up, here is a machine with an award winning design. It uses the same Intellibrew technology as the others but has extra features such as the advanced water filtration system and a unique strength adjustment setting. The Tassimo Charmy takes on the task of brewing your coffee, tea or hot chocolate with style.

BRITA MAXTRA Water Filtration Technoloy with replaceable filter (1 included)
Intellibrew technology with no heat up time, ready immediately to make your drink as soon as you turn it on
Single button action – fully automatic drink preparation with a press of a button
Self cleaning programme – easy and automatic cleaning and descaling and dishwasher safe removable parts
1.5 litres removable water tank for easy refilling
Adjustable and removable cup stand
Dimensions L x W x H (cm): 30.0 x 25.5 x 32.0

Decision Time

To make choosing your coffee machine easier, we would recommend first deciding on the capsule producer, then the price point your are comfortable with. Here is our list again arranged by the type of capsule it uses. For the most up to date prices, please click on the links below: