Best Black Pod Machines
The best black pod machines, ranked by our review scores. Black is the finish that hides coffee itself best - splashes, staining round a drip area, scorch on a hotplate - and hides dust and fingerprints worst. The decision inside it is matte or gloss, and makers rarely say which: matte forgives handling, gloss shows every touch and every water spot. The one thing to check is the material under the colour. Black anodised aluminium and powder-coated steel hold their finish for years; black ABS plastic goes chalky under UV, and a machine that lives on a sunlit counter will show it.
Ranked by our review score, which is worked out from the specifications each maker publishes rather than from opinion, so you can open the arithmetic on any product page. Anything commercial is labelled and sits outside that order, and how we score explains what each criterion measures.
Ranked, and why
scored on what the maker publishes · open a row for the working1
Nespresso Lattissima One8.0- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 8.7
- Capsule System & Choice
- 8.5
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 7.8
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 6.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 6.0
- Machine Value for Money
- 9.6
Weakest link: Build Quality & Reliability — 6.0 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
2
Keurig K-Mini Single Serve Coffee Maker7.2- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 6.3
- Capsule System & Choice
- 8.5
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 7.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 4.5
- Machine Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Maintenance & Cleaning — 4.5 of 10, carrying 10 of the 87 points scored here.
3
Keurig K-Classic7.0- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 5.0
- Capsule System & Choice
- 10.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.0
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 4.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 5.0
- Machine Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Build Quality & Reliability — 4.5 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
4
Keurig K-Express Single-Serve7.0- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 5.0
- Capsule System & Choice
- 10.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.0
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 4.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 5.0
- Machine Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Build Quality & Reliability — 4.5 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
5
Ninja Single Serve Coffee Maker PB0516.9- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 6.7
- Capsule System & Choice
- 8.5
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 6.5
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Build Quality & Reliability — 5.0 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
6
Keurig K-Elite Single Serve Coffee Maker6.8- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 6.3
- Capsule System & Choice
- 8.5
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 6.5
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Build Quality & Reliability — 5.0 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
7
Famiworths Single Serve Coffee Maker6.7- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 6.3
- Capsule System & Choice
- 10.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 4.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 3.5
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Maintenance & Cleaning — 3.5 of 10, carrying 10 of the 87 points scored here.
8
Nespresso Inissia6.6- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 6.3
- Capsule System & Choice
- 8.5
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.0
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 4.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 6.0
- Machine Value for Money
- 5.5
Weakest link: Build Quality & Reliability — 4.5 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
9
Keurig K-Supreme6.5- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 6.3
- Capsule System & Choice
- 7.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 4.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 5.5
- Machine Value for Money
- 6.6
Weakest link: Build Quality & Reliability — 4.5 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
10
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio Coffee Maker6.4- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 5.0
- Capsule System & Choice
- 8.5
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 6.5
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Drink Quality (pump pressure not published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 20 of the 87 points scored here.
11
Nespresso Citiz6.3- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 6.7
- Capsule System & Choice
- 7.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 6.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 5.0
- Machine Value for Money
- 2.9
Weakest link: Machine Value for Money — 2.9 of 10, carrying 8 of the 87 points scored here.
12
Cuisinart SS-10P1 Single Serve Coffee Maker6.1- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 4.3
- Capsule System & Choice
- 8.5
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 10.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 4.2
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 6.5
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Ease of Use & Speed — 4.2 of 10, carrying 14 of the 87 points scored here.
13
Nespresso Vertuo5.3- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 8.7
- Capsule System & Choice
- 0.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 0.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 8.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 6.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 8.0
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Capsule System & Choice — 0.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 87 points scored here.
14
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima4.9- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 10.0
- Capsule System & Choice
- 0.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 0.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 9.5
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 4.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 4.0
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Capsule System & Choice — 0.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 87 points scored here.
15
Nespresso Vertuo Plus Deluxe4.7- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 8.7
- Capsule System & Choice
- 0.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 0.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 9.0
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 4.5
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 5.0
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Capsule System & Choice — 0.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 87 points scored here.
16
Bosch Tassimo T55 Beverage System3.9- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 4.0
- Capsule System & Choice
- 1.8
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 2.5
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 5.0
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Capsule System & Choice — 1.8 of 10, carrying 18 of the 87 points scored here.
17
Lavazza Blue Classy Mini3.7- Drink Quality (pump pressure not published)
- 5.7
- Capsule System & Choice
- 0.0
- Running Cost Per Cup (cost per cup not published)
- 0.0
- Ease of Use & Speed
- 7.0
- Build Quality & Reliability
- 5.0
- Maintenance & Cleaning
- 3.0
- Machine Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Capsule System & Choice — 0.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 87 points scored here.