For a daily espresso made from beans, consider a grinder if you’re happy to keep it clean. Capsules or pods are better suited to making one drink at a time with minimal effort, provided you check they’re compatible. A portafilter gives you more control over manual preparation, while a filter coffee machine is a good choice for households that mainly make several cups at once. Whichever you choose, compare the drinks it can make, the supplies you’ll need to replace and the cleaning involved.
If you regularly make espressos, compare a grinder and a portafilter machine based on how much of the preparation you’d like to do yourself. If you mainly serve several cups of filter coffee in a row, look at filter coffee machines and their usable capacity.
A capsule or pod machine may suit your routine. First, choose the drinks you want, then check that the available supplies are fully compatible with the machine’s system.
Compare the drink settings, how the milk is prepared and the cleaning needed after use. A portafilter machine requires more hands-on preparation than an automatic grinder machine.
Start with the drinks you make each day and how many cups you need, then check the preparation steps, cleaning and supplies required for each machine.
| Criteria | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drinks | Check which drinks the exact model can make. Look at the milk system and the settings you’ll use. | Some of us prefer espresso, while others like filter coffee or milk-based drinks. I want to choose based on what we’ll actually make. |
| Number of cups | For filter coffee, check the minimum and maximum quantities and the carafe. For single-serve machines, check how many cups you can make at once. | If several people have coffee one after another, I’d rather choose a method suited to that routine than one designed for the occasional cup. |
| Preparation | Compare the manual dosing and extraction involved with a portafilter machine with the controls on an automatic grinder or a capsule or pod machine. | I’d like to be involved in making my coffee – or, on the other hand, keep the steps before each cup to a minimum. |
| Cleaning | Check the manual for instructions on rinsing the trays, cleaning parts that come into contact with milk and descaling. Que Choisir advises rinsing the trays in grinder machines regularly. | Cleaning needs to fit the time I can spare after making coffee during the day. |
| Supplies | Check which format the machine accepts, as well as the filters and cleaning products required for your model. For capsules, note the difference between Nespresso Original and Vertuo. | I want to know which capsules, pods, beans or filters I’ll need to buy regularly, and how to sort the waste. |
A drink being advertised for one system doesn’t mean its capsules or pods will work in another. Nespresso Original and Vertuo, for example, are separate systems.
Check the machine’s model number and compatible formats before choosing the drinks you usually have.
A grinder, a portafilter and a milk system all require different cleaning steps. Que Choisir recommends regularly rinsing the trays in a grinder machine, for example.
Check the manual for the model you’re considering to find out which parts need rinsing, how to clean the milk system and what the descaling instructions are.
The size of the carafe doesn’t tell you the smallest amount the machine can make for days when fewer people are drinking coffee.
Check the minimum and maximum quantities, the type of filter and how to clean the carafe.
The Magnifica Start range includes machines that make coffee from beans at the touch of a button, as De’Longhi states for the ECAM220.50.BG.
Philips offers bean-to-cup espresso machines and filter coffee machines, designed for different coffee-making habits.
Nespresso offers the Original and Vertuo capsule systems, among others. The Vertuo Pop belongs to the Vertuo range.
Sage’s Barista Express is an example of a portafilter machine with an integrated grinder.
Melitta offers filter coffee machines with an integrated grinder, so you can make filter coffee from beans.
These models show three ways to make coffee every day: from beans using a grinder, with capsules or with pods. To choose between them, think about the drinks you want and how much cleaning you’re happy to do.
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A bean-to-cup espresso machine to consider if your household wants to make coffee from beans and use a milk system. Check which drinks this version offers and what’s involved in cleaning LatteGo.
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This grinder machine is designed for households that want to make espresso from beans. If you also make milk-based drinks, check how to prepare the milk and clean the system in the manual for this model.
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This grinder with a LatteCrema system is worth considering if milk-based drinks are part of your routine. Check which recipes are available on the version being sold and how to clean its milk-system parts.
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A capsule option for making individual drinks. Its name indicates a 0,6 L tank and 1 200 W of power. Check which capsule system it’s compatible with and whether it makes the drink sizes you want.
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Worth considering if you prefer to make coffee with pods every day. Check which pods are compatible with the CSA260/91, how many cups you can make at once and the descaling instructions.
No, compatibility depends on the machine’s system. Check its model number and the format specified for the capsules you’re considering. Nespresso Original and Vertuo, for example, are two separate systems.
Rinse the trays and follow the model’s descaling instructions. Que Choisir recommends regularly rinsing the used-coffee and drip trays. If you make milk-based drinks, clean the relevant parts too, following the manual.
According to ADEME, aluminium or plastic capsules should go in the sorting bin, bag or container for paper and packaging. If you’re unsure about local arrangements, check your local authority’s guidance.
Take it to a collection point for electrical and electronic equipment rather than putting it out with your household rubbish. The French Ministry for Ecological Transition describes a collection and recycling scheme for this type of household equipment in France.