Want great coffee, fast? I'm a trained barista, and these are my top 4
capsule coffee makers from Nespresso, Keurig, and more

Date:
Fri, 29 May 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Description:
Capsule coffee makers get a bad rap, but if you choose the right one, you can enjoy great-tasting drinks at home in two minutes flat.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Capsule coffee makers get a bad rap, but if you choose the right machine and the right pods, you can enjoy genuinely delicious espresso drinks at home in two minutes flat. I'm TechRadar's resident coffee expert, and I've put together a list of the top four capsule machines I recommend if you need your coffee in a hurry.

When picking a capsule coffee maker, it's important to consider not only the price of the machine itself, but also the ongoing cost of the pods, as some brands are much more expensive than others, and unless you pick one that
takes Nespresso Original style capsules (the ones shaped like a top hat), you'll be tied into a specific brand. More on that shortly. Also take a look at the types of pods available for each machine. Some will include lots of fancy flavors, while others will just give you different espresso beans and roasts. Latest Videos From You may like The 3 best budget-friendly coffee makers recommended by a barista The 3 best coffee makers for lattes, recommended by a barista The 3 best coffee makers with grinders, recommended by a barista

Finally, consider how easily you'll be able to recycle the pods. Capsules
made of aluminum are much easier to process and will be more widely accepted than ones made from plastic, or a combination of materials. Nespresso Ninja Prestige DualBrew System Image 1 of 8 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) I test over a dozen coffee makers every year here at TechRadar, and the Ninja Prestige DualBrew System (known as the Ninja Espresso and Coffee Maker
Barista System in the US) is one of the most versatile I've ever used. If you're an omnivorous coffee fan who loves both filter and espresso, it's a great option (albeit a little large).

On one side you have a fully-featured drip coffee maker, complete with timer (ideal for busy mornings), a large glass carafe, a drip-stop valve, and a smart hotplate that keeps your brew warm without stewing it. There's even a flip-down drip tray behind the carafe so you can brew directly into your travel mug in the morning.

On the right, you have a capsule espresso machine, which uses Nespresso Original capsules and can brew in various different sizes. Nestl no longer owns the patent on this style of pod, so you can get them anywhere; I used
the DualBrew System with pods of fresh decaf from one of my local coffee roasters, and it was almost as good as brewing with beans. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The milk whisk around the back of the machine isn't as good as using a proper steam wand (it whips in air, but doesn't heat the milk) but the rest of this capsule coffee maker is so good, I wouldn't dock it points for that. You
could always pick up a standalone milk frother like the Philips Baristina
Milk Frother or Smeg Mini Milk Frother if you're a latte-lover.

Read our full Ninja Prestige DualBrew System review Today's best Ninja Prestige DualBrew System deals 179.98 View 249 219 View deal 249.95 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Keurig Keurig K-Mini Mate Image 1 of 8 (Image credit: Future, edited by Gemini) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Keurig is one of the biggest names in capsule coffee makers in the
US, and the K-Mini Mate (a US-exclusive model) is its smallest machine to date. It's slim enough to fit into even the tiniest kitchen (and tuck into a cupboard when not in use), but still generates enough pressure to extract full-bodied, tasty coffee from K-Cup pods. What to read next The best coffee maker 2026: espresso and filter made easy I'm a certified barista, and these are my top 3 Smeg espresso machines The best bean-to-cup coffee maker 2026: quick and convenient espresso machines tested

When we tested the K-Mini Mate, we were pleasantly surprised by how rich its coffee tasted, even though it took less than two minutes to prepare from
start to sip. It's very reasonably priced as well, and although it has a list price of around $90, it's often on sale for as little as $60.

This is really a coffee maker for one person, and you'll need to refill the water tank between drinks if you're brewing for a group, which can be a hassle. We also noticed some splashing as the coffee poured into our cup, but not enough to be a serious issue. If you like the sound of the various
coffees and roasts available in K-Cup form, this could be the machine for
you.

Read our full Keurig K-Mini Mate review Today's best Keurig K-Mini Mate
deals 100.46 View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Lavazza Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg Image 1 of 8 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Lavazza is known for its great quality coffee, and Smeg for its
iconic retro-style designs. Put them both together and you get a cute little capsule coffee maker that looks fabulous and brews a superb espresso in two minutes flat.

This is one of the more expensive coffee makers in this roundup, but the Lavazza A Modo Mio pods are much cheaper than some other brands. Lavazza doesn't offer fancy flavors like cinnamon bun or gingerbread just a good selection of different beans and roasts for you to experiment with.

For me, the biggest downside of this cute little coffee maker is the fact
that the pods are harder to recycle than K-Cups or Nespresso pods. Although they are compostable, they can only be processed at specialized facilities, which are relatively rare.

Read our full Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg review Today's best Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg deals 249 View 249 View No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Tassimo Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly Image 1 of 8 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Capsule coffee makers are always easy to use, but the Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly is even simpler than most thanks to its orange 'maintenance disc', which makes backwashing the machine effortless, keeping it clean and hygienic.

That's particularly important because unlike most coffee pod machines, the Finesse Friendly can create rich foam using pods of long-life milk. You can get plain milk for regular cappuccinos and lattes, or capsules of flavored milk designed to pair with a particular coffee capsule (like cinnamon roll latte, for example). I'm not usually a great fan of flavored coffee capsules, but Tassimo pods are genuinely tasty, and not overwhelmingly sweet.

The Finesse Friendly is cheap too, and is often discounted to 49.99 (about
$70 / AU$100). The downside is that the capsules can be quite expensive, particularly for drinks that require two pods (one for coffee and one for milk). It still works out cheaper than an elaborate takeout habit, but bear
in mind that this machine isn't currently available outside Europe.

Read our full Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly review Today's best Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly deals 89 39 View 118.99 39.99 View 40 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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