Pour your drink into our sleek, slim travel mugs and enjoy it in your car, whilst commuting, or at the office. Nespresso has two varieties of pods: the classic type used by the majority of its machines, and larger Vertuo pods specific to the Vertuo line-up. L'OR Barista System allows you to brew two cups of espresso or a double espresso in a single cup thanks to the exclusive L'OR Barista double shot capsules. Height-adjustable drip tray: If you like to vary your cup size between a short shot and a longer mugful, look for a stable drip tray that can be moved up or down to minimise splashing. Baristas tend to use between 15 to 26 grams, depending on the machine, the roast of the coffee and the type of drink they’re making.

Cafetières / French press coffee makers are not actually ‘machines’ but represent another, more affordable way to make great-tasting coffee at home. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. L’Or, for example, has its own line of Nespresso-compatible pods, and some coffee roasters produce their own ranges of compatible pods too.It’s easy to turn on simply by pressing your coffee button of choice and has an auto-shut off feature after one minute to save energy. Using an in-built barcode reader, it scans compatible pods and adjusts its settings to suit each drink. It takes ground coffee as well as “easy serve espresso” or ESE coffee pods – which look similar to tea bags but are filled with coffee – Nespresso pods and Dualit’s own eco-friendly compostable coffee pods.

It can make two coffees at once and has “Thermoblock” technology designed to keep it at a consistent temperature, but I did find that on occasion this machine took a while to heat up and then re-heat between making drinks. If you’re fond of a cappuccino, note that the automatic steam wand can be used to texture milk while your coffee is extracting, meaning no waiting around for the system to heat up again – a real stand-out feature. Manual espresso machines will be best suited to hobbyists keen to really get into coffee making, who are willing to invest time, money and energy, whereas a pod or capsule machine will be better suited to someone who wants a quick and convenient way to make coffee on the way out of the door to work. Those more drawn to the ease of a pod coffee machine might prefer our best value choice in position two, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop.There's a quick-start guide with QR codes that link to videos, all of which are clear and well-explained. It’s highly versatile, with the capability, via its brew head and adaptors, to make drinks using various capsules, pods and even ground coffee. The coffee it produced, however, was excellent, with rich flavours, a creamy, thick crema and no bitterness. Available in three matte colourways, SMEG’S new BCC02 is altogether more contemporary-looking than the cheaper ECF01BL above. Read more about the condition New: A brand-new, unused, unopened and undamaged item in original retail packaging (where packaging is applicable).