What You Need to Look for in a Coffee Machine

We have a little kuerig / pot coffee machine that we use DAILY. Anyone who knows me also knows that I run on coffee lol. I love it! And I even consider myself a “real” coffee drinker because I absolutely prefer it black. I cant stand sugar or cream in my coffee though I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up to a lovely vanilla cappuccino. Lodi, the sweetheart that he is, gets me a cup ready to brew every morning before he heads to work so I have something wonderful to look forward to!

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

Whether you’re looking to simply make a good drink in the morning, you consider yourself an artist of the ground bean, or you’re running a café or restaurant, getting your coffee machine right is important. It might seem easy to begin with, but when you’re met with the various choices that will inform your decision, you might find it takes a little bit of forethought to land on the right one. If you’re having trouble deciding between beans or pods, read our guide.

Pod versus beans versus ground?

There are pros and cons to all of the three main forms of coffee making. You have pods, beans and ground coffee.

Pod coffee machines are made to make the process as easy and hands off as possible, and are considered the affordable option, with prices as low as $40. However, the price per drink comes out as more when compared to ground coffee or beans, and they’re not a good option if you worry about the environment, as the pods create waste. Plus, you can be limited to a brand of coffee, as the pods and the machines are usually tailored to the brand.

Ground coffee machines allow you to use any coffee as long as it matches the grind level, and you can make as much or as little as you want, whether you fancy an espresso or a cappuccino, but it’s not the user-friendly option, and will take some work to get the hang of.

Bean coffee machines offer the freshest option, since you’re getting as close to pulling them out of the ground as you can get, and most automate the process, but don’t expect to make your coffee without waking up the little ones. They’re bulky and noisy and therefore are more suited to cafés.

How easy is it to clean?

If you’re looking for a coffee machine, that means you love your morning cup of Joe like a piece of art and are not about to take knowing just how often it needs cleaned. So, when you’re using it every day it needs to be easy to clean.

If you’re going for a bean-to-cup coffee maker, this can be more difficult. You will need to have a decent descaler to keep your coffee machine in tip-top shape. You should descale your brewer every 1 or 2 months, so you don’t slow down brew times or end up with a lukewarm or worse – a cup of cold coffee.

When looking to buy your machine, you’ll want to look out for easy access to all the knobs and buttons that result in a good brew.

Long term versus up front price

When the media is telling you the reason you can’t afford a mortgage is your morning Starbucks, price becomes a bit of a factor in choosing your coffee.

Whether you are actually saving money becomes a matter of perspective. Pod machines cost usually around $100 but the pods can be roughly $1 each, resulting in about $500 out of your account a year. It’s still cheaper than grabbing one from a coffee shop which can reach an eye watering $2,500 a year.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)