Must be able to do hot chocolate. Put another way, there must be chocolate only pods available (misses can't stand the taste of coffee…pah!!)

Looking at a few
Philps senseo – nice and cheap, but is it any good?
Krups Dolce Gusto – seems to have better reviews, bit more expensive than senseo. But worth it?
Tassimo – more expensive than the others. Larger than the other machines, filling the worktop?

So whats the STW recommendation?

So whats the STW recommendation?
a non-pod machine. sorry…

Perhaps for a coffee connoisseur but I'm along way from that
They can't be all rubbish

My friend has a Tassimo and seems to like it. His average time to make coffee for 3 or 4 people is about the same as mine with a normal coffee machine.

Tassimo generates empty plastic pods which don't recycle but the coffee tastes ok

Senseo (sp?) uses 'tea bags' which you can compost but you have to use 2 bags to make it taste of anything.

Overall I prefer a Cafetiere or a stove top Expresso.

We've got a Dolce Gusto job and it's fine.

It doen't make the best coffee in the world but I'm not sure any pod machine would. But it's quick and simple, there's quite a range of stuff it can make and the wife uses it quite bit.

I'd like to get a bean to cup one day but it's quite a way off 🙁

Get a espresso machine with a milk frother so your wife can do hot chocolate – most here would recommend the haggis classic

A pod is like a tea-bag. The other machines make their drinks with a capsule, either aluminium (Nespresso) or plastic (Tassimo, Dolce Gusto etc..).

As far as i know, the Dolce Gusto is the best at making a real variety of drinks from coffee to chocolate. As mentioned, their coffee isnt rated the highest, but by far from the worst. The capsules are however a large plastic lump, and are expensive.

If you wanted a coffee only 'capsule' machine, then Nespresso have come out best in consumer reports for the quality of their coffee, its just the capsules for the moment are aluminium..also not good for the environment and are expensive for you the consumer..also only available through their online store.

If you are the only one to drink coffee, personally i would use a Bodum or a stove-top for you (and any guests) and either the microwave or a pan of milk for your missus..

just my 2p…

As above – don't buy a pod machine. You pay a huge amount for inferior coffee, very limited choice of supplier, and generate lots of plastic waste. Get a Gaggia Classic or Baby and use the frother for the hot chocolate

don't buy a pod, get a gaccia classic.

Lol just saw the auto correct – gaggia came out as haggis 🙂

It's so annoying isn't it when you say "I don't want X, I want Y, what's the best Y?" and people still tell you that X>Y.

Anyway… I've used 'pod' machines in self catering apartments etc and they're poor. All of them. Don't buy a pod machine. Buy a proper coffee machine and use the steamer for the hot chocolate.

I too would recommend the 'Haggis' Classic. I'm on my 2nd 'Haggis' Coffee Deluxe which I would recommend if it was still available as it's been excellent. Mine is no longer available but the internals are the same as the Classic.

As you are not into coffee (OP) why do you actually want a machine – just curious?

If it for convenience and less faff, then with a machine like the dolce gusto you have sth that gives you various drinks, even ice coffee (it has hot & cold water, you still need to supply the ice).

I personally dont like the design of the dolce gusto's but there is a new dolce gusto machine about to come out that does exactly the same things, just takes up less work-top space..

if you want more info send me an email..

To answer the original question: we have a Bosch Tassimo and it makes great drinks very quickly. The Espresso is fab and Mrs. S loves the Suchard hot chocolate.

Thanks guys
So it's a stove top jobbie, until I can offered a Gaggia
The misses will have to do with instant. Serves her right for not liking coffee in the 1st place 🙂

I think the main advantage is that they are easy to keep clean so suitable for offices. Because the senseo is "bags" they go stale very quickly. Nespresso pods are aluminium sealed so stay fresh. The one I tried tasted OK. But it's a lot of alu. I always liked the coffee from lavazza machines with the plastic pods, but it's a lot of plastic.