A debate that’s growing more common recently.
What’s better: the classic, timeless filter coffee machine or the new, exciting single-serve coffee maker?
Both of them have things to love.
But as I say constantly, coffee is all about personal preference.
Depending on the person, one of these two is going to be a much better fit.
What we’re going to do is look at each of these two separately, see what they’re good at and what aren’t good at so that you can make a decision for yourself.
By Marcelo.
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Filter coffee machines: the best and the worst
The best:
Making big batches of coffee. Oh, man!
There’s just no other type of coffee maker that lets you make big batches of coffee like this one.
Pod coffee makers? 1 cup at a time.
Espresso machines? 1, 2 cups at a time at a time.
With the filter coffee maker, you can make enough coffee for the whole morning – day, in just one go. With just one button.
Another great thing about filter coffee machines is how low-maintenance they are.
These little machines rarely need to be cleaned, let alone descaled regularly like with single-serve coffee makers.
By the way, have you had a look at our deals page yet?
The worst:
They don’t make the best coffee.
It’s a classic case of sacrificing quality over quantity, surely, although many of us would rather have a lot of coffee throughout the day than just one cup of delicious coffee.
There are times for good coffee, and there are times you just need coffee.
Flavor be damned.
So yeah, a filter coffee machine won’t make good coffee. Like really good coffee.
It just can’t happen, no matter how hard you try – buying the good stuff won’t even make a difference. If you want to enjoy coffee-shop-level coffee, just don’t use one of these.
Pod coffee makers: the best and the worst
Also called capsule coffee makers or single-serve coffee makers (why can’t we just agree on one name? It’s confusing!)!
These seem to be slowly becoming the most common coffee maker in America – dethroning filter coffee machines, which have been our favorite way to make coffee at home for decades.
The best:
They are super convenient. If you want to make espresso at home, even with an actual espresso machine, it’s a whole dance.
You’ve got to learn how to use the portafilter, tamp the coffee just right. I’ve been doing it for more than a decade and it’s still a pain in the ass sometimes.
A good pod coffee maker, though, does the same thing (sometimes better, sometimes worse) just by inserting a capsule and pressing a button.
These beauties have made my life much easier, as someone who doesn’t drink anything other than espresso.
The worst:
They are wildly more expensive than a filter coffee maker.
Filter coffee makers are already complex machines that come with a ton of features (and a carafe!), and still are several times cheaper than a single-serve.
On top of the machine being more expensive, the coffee capsules you need to make coffee with them are also way more expensive than what you would usually get.
There’s always the option of getting reusable capsules and using your usual ground coffee, but they don’t feel the same.
Sure, it’s better coffee, but it’s way more expensive. And like I said earlier: there’s times when you just need coffee.
So for many people I’m sure that this huge difference in price just isn’t justified enough.
There you have it: the best and the worst of these two machines which are, really, two sides of the same coin.
The way I see it, single-serve coffee makers will soon become the new filter coffee machine, unless the latter reinvents itself – which, there have been a few (unsuccessful) attempts already, but it doesn’t seem like it’s happening.
So look at their pros and cons and think about which one is better for you.
Photo by Thirdman
