PLS explain coffee capsules to a non coffee drinker.

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I'm a bit baffled.

Mrs WW is a big coffee fan so I was thinking of getting her a machine for her birthday and that's easy enough as there are lots to choose from but I'm baffled by the capsules. A couple of machines say they take 30 and 54mm capsules but looking on Amazon there's plenty of capsules but they don't seem to say what size they are, like 30 or 54mm or anything else so how do I know what'll fit and what wont?
 
Have you considered a bean to cup machine? Less waste and far better coffee, not had a coffee from a machine that uses capsules that doesn't taste a bit artificial IMO.
 
I hadn't considered them as I didn't know they existed :D

I just had the idea last night when I saw an ad for a coffee machine using capsules. Looking at Amazon there seem to be bean to cup machines that are about the same price or just a bit more so that's doable but one advantage of the capsule ones is that I could get her a selection box of coffees and I don't know if that's possible with a bean to cup machine, is it?

I don't like and have never liked coffee and no one I know AFAIK has a machine like these so I'm a bit stuck for info so if anyone has the time and the energy... pls explain what's best, bean to cup v capsules and what's available... and that capsule size question too...

PS.
All she has at the mo is an expresso moka pot.
 
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I have a sage espresso m/c and a separate grinder. I like cappucino's so I need to use the frother attached to the machine.
It's a slower process than capsule machine, but I'm retired. The coffee tastes better than capsules.

Amazingly, my son and DIL bought me a Nespresso coffee maker for Christmas! They use theirs a lot and if you are working it is faster to make and and easier to clean.
There is a large range of Nespresso capsules, experimenting has given me a taste I find acceptable. Not quite as good as "real" coffee but not far off.
It also takes up less space on the kitchen worktop.

There a lots of different beans available -all the main supermarkets sell them, as well as specialist shops. They are usually graded in strength.
Again trial needed to find one that suits. Beans are cheaper than capsules.
 
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She doesn't work but is mad on classes and goes to school three days a week so mornings on school days can be a bit of a rush so that could be a factor.

I see you can get 80-100 capsules for £20-£30 so that doesn't look too bad but part of the problem is I just don't like coffee so don't really know what I'm looking at so whatever I get (machine wise) would just be accompanied by a selection box of coffees and after than she's on her own to choose :D

Hmmm... I don't know what to do now...
 
You can choose your own selection. Try a few different strengths.

Nespresso run a capsule re-cycling system.
 
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woof woof said:
I hadn't considered them as I didn't know they existed :D

I just had the idea last night when I saw an ad for a coffee machine using capsules. Looking at Amazon there seem to be bean to cup machines that are about the same price or just a bit more so that's doable but one advantage of the capsule ones is that I could get her a selection box of coffees and I don't know if that's possible with a bean to cup machine, is it?

I don't like and have never liked coffee and no one I know AFAIK has a machine like these so I'm a bit stuck for info so if anyone has the time and the energy... pls explain what's best, bean to cup v capsules and what's available... and that capsule size question too...

PS.
All she has at the mo is an expresso moka pot.
Click to expand...

I just have a Delonghi Magnifica 4200. Not the best machine by far, but makes good coffee. Can adjust the grind, amount of beans and amount of water.

No selection boxes as such, but most decent coffee roasters these days will have a selection of coffees, or you can get a subscription where they send you a pack of beans each each week / fortnight / month depending on how much you drink.

Bit bigger than capsule coffee makers, but definitely makes better coffee. You're also getting freshly ground coffee every time you make a cup :)

Only con vs capsule machines is a tiny bit of inconvenience of emptying the hopper that collects the spent coffee IMO.
 
Sky said:
The comparison is simple to me. Pod coffee tastes like the crap you get out of vending machines. :puke:

If she likes and knows her coffee - go with Andy's advice above. (y)
Click to expand...

I was being polite by calling it artificial tasting, but that's pretty much what I meant haha
 
Her dream job would be to be a barista... this is a woman who was a business woman with a couple of hundred people under her and her dream is to make coffee :D so I assume I'd better go for a bean to cup machine.

With these I assume you can make all the different types? Like those small almost liquore sized cups of industrial strength ones and the big cups of milky frothy ones? Hope you know what I mean as I really don't know what I'm talking about but I know she drinks a few different kinds :D
 
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woof woof said:
Her dream job would be to be a barista... this is a woman who was a business woman with a couple of hundred people under her dream is is to make coffee :D so I assume I'd better go for a bean to cup machine.

With these I assume you can make all the different types? Like those small almost liquore sized cups of industrial strength ones and the big cups of milky frothy ones? Hop you know what I mean as I really don't know what I'm talking about but I know she drinks a few different kinds :D
Click to expand...
Yes.
The problem with capsules is they won't taste as good as what she makes with her moka pot but they are quick to make.
I found the kenco capsules tasted the best
 
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Ta.

The machine could be the easy bit. I'll have to look for some sort of little gift set of different coffees for her to try.

Any recommendations for either a ready made little gift set or for a few bags of beans I could make a gift set up with?

Oh, another question... Those different types of coffee, small strong cups and big cups of frothy stuff, are they the same type of coffee just made/brewed differently?
 
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woof woof said:
Ta.

The machine could be the easy bit. I'll have to look for some sort of little gift set of different coffees for her to try.

Any recommendations for either a ready made little gift set or for a few bags of beans I could make a gift set up with?

Oh, another question... Those different types of coffee, small strong cups and big cups of frothy stuff, are they the same type of coffee just made/brewed differently?
Click to expand...
Yes they are.
I make an espresso with my machine then add steamed milk if I want a latte.
I like the ritual of weighing and grinding beans etc.
I use a Delonghi Dedica that I picked up for £40.
I've modified the portafilter and the steam wand and it does a good job.
Will do until I can pick up a Gaggia Classic machine.
Bean to cup can do everything from start to finish automatically if you want and some can also be used manually as well.
 
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Great stuff.

It's getting easier :D

I need a bean to cup machine and a selection of coffees.

Any suggestions for a selection of coffees?

I know she drinks a Kenko Rich but that's about all I know.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
Yes they are.
I make an espresso with my machine then add steamed milk if I want a latte.
I like the ritual of weighing and grinding beans etc.
I use a Delonghi Dedica that I picked up for £40.
I've modified the portafilter and the steam wand and it does a good job.
Will do until I can pick up a Gaggia Classic machine.
Bean to cup can do everything from start to finish automatically if you want and some can also be used manually as well.
Click to expand...
Ah. So I need to make sure that the machine steams milk... or do they all do that?

PS.
Where did you find one for £40?
 
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woof woof said:
Great stuff.

It's getting easier :D

I need a bean to cup machine and a selection of coffees.

Any suggestions for a selection of coffees?

I know she drinks a Kenko Rich but that's about all I know.
Click to expand...
The sage barista gets good reviews.
Many coffee suppliers do smaller samplw bags so you can try a few.
I've used a few different suppliers and have settled on these guys....
coffeelink.com

Grounds & Beans

At Coffeelink we take pride in sourcing the widest range and highest quality of coffee beans from around the world, hand roasting them in small batches to retain optimal flavour and uppermost freshness, which we proudly pack into every bag and delivery speedily to your door. Free Delivery on...
coffeelink.com coffeelink.com
 
Budget = Between £100-£200. If I spend more she'll complain.
 
That doesn't seem a lot to me. Is it a big faff on compared to auto ones or is it relatively easy? What's the drawback?

PS.
You need a separate grinder?
 
woof woof said:
That doesn't seem a lot to me. Is it a big faff on compared to auto ones or is it relatively easy? What's the drawback?

PS.
You need a separate grinder?
Click to expand...
You don't need a grinder if you buy pre ground beans.
I grind the beans for myself but my wife uses pre ground so she doesn't need to use my grinder.
My wife thought it would be a real faff, but she uses it every day now and loves the coffee.

View: https://youtu.be/kzB7U-3u7nY
 
Coffee grinders seem plentiful and cheap so I could always get her a manual machine and a grinder just in case she watch to use unground coffee.

I can't really see any great downside to that manual machine v the more expensive others but I'm a tea drinker. Am I missing something? Can the manual one still do the small strong or big frothy coffees?
 
woof woof said:
Coffee grinders seem plentiful and cheap so I could always get her a manual machine and a grinder just in case she watch to use unground coffee.

I can't really see any great downside to that manual machine v the more expensive others but I'm a tea drinker. Am I missing something? Can the manual one still do the small strong or big frothy coffees?
Click to expand...
Cheap grinders won't grind fine enough for espresso.
The manual one will do the same coffees as the auto ones
I was going to buy one from here before I picked one up on gumtree.
www.directvacuums.co.uk

De'Longhi EC685.M Pump Coffee Machine Espresso Maker Dedica 1350w 1L Silver

Manufacturer Refurbished - 1 Year Guarantee For Complete Peace Of Mind
www.directvacuums.co.uk www.directvacuums.co.uk
 
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Bobsyeruncle said:
Cheap grinders won't grind fine enough for espresso.
The manual one will do the same coffees as the auto ones
I was going to buy one from here before I picked one up on gumtree.
www.directvacuums.co.uk

De'Longhi EC685.M Pump Coffee Machine Espresso Maker Dedica 1350w 1L Silver

Manufacturer Refurbished - 1 Year Guarantee For Complete Peace Of Mind
www.directvacuums.co.uk www.directvacuums.co.uk
Click to expand...

Soz to be slow on the take up... but what's the advantage of going for an auto one? Is it just the ability to put unground beans in and leave it to it? The manual machine seems so cheep in comparison I'm just looking for the downside.
 
Peter123 said:
I have a sage espresso m/c and a separate grinder. I like cappucino's so I need to use the frother attached to the machine.
It's a slower process than capsule machine, but I'm retired. The coffee tastes better than capsules.
Click to expand...

Can you put any model numbers to these Peter?
 
All you really need to make a decent cup of coffee is one of these pots and some ground coffee :)
 

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We drink quite a lot of coffee, always black and without sugar, and have always used a cafetiere. I think it cost about £10. Simple and straightforward. Buying beans and grinding them yourself is probably best, but buying freshly ground coffee is fine providing you use it up before it goes stale.

​

 
woof woof said:
Can you put any model numbers to these Peter?
Click to expand...

Ok here goes.
Originally (a few years ago) I decided to purchase this one https://www.lakeland.co.uk/17962/Sage-The-Barista-Express-Bean-To-Cup-Coffee-Machine-BES875UK

It was quite a bit cheaper then. However, it would not fit on the kitchen worktop in my wife's designated place as she had some drawers fitted under the wall cupboards so the bean hopper sat too high. At the time they also sold a Sage machine exactly the same but without the top hopper and grinder, (cheaper of course) so I bought that and a grinder.
One of these https://www.lakeland.co.uk/70000/Sage-The-Smart-Grinder-Pro-Coffee-Bean-Grinder-BCG820UK- but I am sure it cost not much more than £100.

With these types of machines you still need to place the basket under the grinder part, then when full remove it, tamp the coffee down and place the basket under the water pump outlet.
Not really a lot of effort.

Nespresso machines are cheaper, but cost more to run as beans are a lot cheaper than capsules.
 
Thanks for the simpler suggestions but I want her to be able to do the strong stuff and the frothy stuff so I assume I need the more complex and expensive makers.
 
I can guarantee no matter what the coffee snobs here say, you will not tell the difference between a Nespresso and a "proper" espresso from a machine.
Back a few years back, we did a blind taste test with 40 coffee enthusiasts and a World champion barista using a world class espresso machine making the coffee

We made 40 shots using the £15000 espresso machine and 40 shots using the Nespresso and got people to blind taste them. The Nespresso won.

If you are just a normal person, and Im assuming your wife is if she drinks kenko instant, buy her a Nespresso machine and a pod selection pack.
You can get a milk frother from them too for lattes etc.

And yes, I own all the gear, professional grinders and machines, v60s, aeropresses, mock pots and expensive filter machines. I still use the Nespresso 90% of the time as its so quick and easy.

If you have a espresso machine or bean to cup, you have to spend hours calibrating the grind for each bean (the people who say you don't, obviously aren't proper coffee snobs as each bean batch is slightly different and therefore will need minor adjustments to the grind to get the proper espresso pour". Nespresso takes 2 minutes from start to finish every single time, not half an hour like an espresso machine will by the time its heated up, you've calibrated the grinder, drawn some test shots and finally made the drink.
 
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