How we rate pod & capsule machines

What actually reaches the cup, which on a capsule machine is decided as much by the capsule system as by the hardware.

What we can actually read: Pump pressure, capsule system, milk system and drink sizes are published. Extraction quality itself is set by the capsule, which we score separately.

Scored from figures that predict it, because the thing itself is not published.

1 of the 4 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 3 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 20 of the category's 100 points.

• Pump pressurenot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 2.5 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  7 bar or less

  1 pt

  over 7 bar, up to 15 bar

  2 pts

  over 15 bar

  2.5 pts

• Capsule system3 of 10

  vertuo

  3 pts

  original, nespresso, illy

  2.5 pts

  lavazza

  2 pts

  dolce gusto, t disc, tassimo, k-cup, keurig

  1.5 pts

• Milk system2.5 of 10

  steam wand, integrated

  2.5 pts

  carafe

  2 pts

  frother

  1.5 pts

  none

  0.5 pts

• Drink sizes2 of 10

  Also read under Ease of Use & Speed, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  4 or more

  2 pts

10 of 10

The single most consequential fact about a pod machine, and the reason this carries more weight than build quality. An open format means competition on every cup you will ever buy. A closed one means one supplier, forever.

What we can actually read: Whether the format is proprietary, whether third parties make capsules for it and whether a refillable exists are all published or plainly checkable.

Scored directly from published figures.

The 3 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 18 of the category's 100 points.

• Not locked to one supplier3 of 10

  absent

  3 pts

• Third-party capsules3.5 of 10

  Also read under Running Cost Per Cup, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  present

  3.5 pts

• Reusable capsule3.5 of 10

  Also read under Running Cost Per Cup, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  present

  3.5 pts

10 of 10

The machine is the cheap part. Two cups a day for five years is thousands of capsules, and the difference between $0.70 and $1.40 a cup dwarfs the price of the machine.

What we can actually read: Cost per capsule where the maker publishes a box price and count, plus whether cheaper third-party or refillable options exist.

Scored directly from published figures.

1 of the 3 rules below are struck through in this category, because too few makers publish the input. The 2 that remain score this criterion out of 10 between them: a struck rule leaves the sum entirely rather than counting as a zero. That result is then worth 16 of the category's 100 points.

• Cost per cupnot scored here

  Fewer than one maker in four publishes this here, so its 5 points leave the sum rather than being guessed at.

  0.35 or less

  5 pts

  over 0.35, up to 0.55

  4 pts

  over 0.55, up to 0.75

  2.5 pts

  over 0.75, up to 1

  1.5 pts

  over 1

  0.5 pts

• Cheaper third-party pods2.5 of 10

  Also read under Capsule System & Choice, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  present

  2.5 pts

• Refillable option2.5 of 10

  Also read under Capsule System & Choice, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  present

  2.5 pts

10 of 10

Pod machines are bought to remove decisions. This measures how completely they do that: warm-up, shut-off, how many sizes, and whether milk is handled.

What we can actually read: All published, and unusually reliable because these are the features makers lead with.

Scored directly from published figures.

The 4 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 14 of the category's 100 points.

• Warm-up3 of 10

  15 s or less

  3 pts

  over 15 s, up to 30 s

  2.5 pts

  over 30 s, up to 60 s

  1.5 pts

  over 60 s

  0.5 pts

• Auto shut-off2 of 10

  present

  2 pts

• Drink sizes3 of 10

  Also read under Drink Quality, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  4 or more

  3 pts

• Milk frother2 of 10

  automatic, integrated

  2 pts

  aeroccino

  1.5 pts

  steam, manual

  1 pt

  none

  0.5 pts

10 of 10

Lighter weight than elsewhere, because a capsule machine is a pump and a heater in a plastic case at almost every price point.

What we can actually read: Weight, warranty and the used-capsule bin are published. The bin matters more than it sounds: a small one is a daily chore.

Scored from figures that predict it, because the thing itself is not published.

The 3 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 14 of the category's 100 points.

• Weight3 of 10

  2 kg or less

  1 pt

  over 2 kg, up to 4 kg

  2 pts

  over 4 kg

  3 pts

• Warranty4 of 10

  none

  0 pts

  up to 1 yr

  1.5 pts

  over 1 yr, up to 2 yr

  3 pts

  over 2 yr

  4 pts

• Capsule bin3 of 10

  Also read under Maintenance & Cleaning, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  8 or less

  1 pt

  over 8, up to 14

  2 pts

  over 14

  3 pts

10 of 10

Descaling, tank refills, emptying the bin, and whether the used capsules have anywhere to go.

What we can actually read: Descaling requirement, tank size, bin capacity and any recycling scheme are published.

Scored directly from published figures.

The 4 rules below score this criterion out of 10, and they add up to 10 exactly. That result is then worth 10 of the category's 100 points.

• No descaling programme needed2 of 10

  absent

  2 pts

• Tank3 of 10

  0.7 L or less

  1 pt

  over 0.7 L, up to 1.2 L

  2 pts

  over 1.2 L

  3 pts

• Capsule bin3 of 10

  Also read under Build Quality & Reliability, which asks a different question of the same fact.

  8 or less

  1 pt

  over 8, up to 14

  2 pts

  over 14

  3 pts

• Capsule recycling scheme2 of 10

  present

  2 pts

10 of 10

Points per pound against the category median. Read it alongside running cost: a cheap machine on an expensive closed format is not good value.

What we can actually read: Needs a published price here and on at least three rivals.

Computed from price, not from a rule list

Value is the only criterion here with no thresholds of its own, because it cannot be read off one product. It asks what else the same money buys in this category, so it needs the category. That result is then worth 8 of the category's 100 points.

Points already earned on everything else

out of 10

Multiplied by the category median over this price

median ÷ price

Capped at

10

No price published, or fewer than 3 priced rivals

5 of 10

Half marks is not a verdict, it is a refusal to guess: with nothing to compare against, a product is neither good value nor bad, and scoring it either way would invent a finding. It corrects itself as the category fills.