[Closed] Which small cheap good pod coffee thingy for holidays?

You can get a standard Tassimo for about £30 plus £20 of free coffee vouchers through regular promotions - either on the Tassimo/Costa FB pages or get a Costa card and email promo's.

I've got 3 now - one at work, one at home and one at wife's work. Does alright, and portable enough to stick in car/camper van for a trip.

Depends how much of a coffee snob you are! Tassimo won't make a proper espresso.

Nespresso makes the best espresso (and that's all it's good for) out of all the pod machines IMO. Never used an Inissia (I think that's a newish model) but I have a Pixie and it's very good (and small).

thought the Illy pods were supposed to be the best for espresso.

Only to make espresso when away from my proper grinder and coffee machine. [b]Needs to make good espresso[/b]. Needs to be fairly portable. Inissia any good? Thanks.

Can't be arsed fiddling with handpresso like gadgets. [b]And stove tops / aeropress don't make proper espresso.[/b]

A stove top makes something nearer to a proper espresso than a pod machine.

Depends how much of a coffee snob you are!

To quite a large degree.

A stove top makes something nearer to a proper espresso than a pod machine.

Really? How so? Stove tops don't generate nearly enough pressure to extract the necessary oils for espresso. Stove tops just make a strong coffee. Are pod machines no better? At least some claim to generate the required pressure.

May pop down JL and see if they can do me a demo of the inissia.

A lot of people who slate Nespresso have never drunk one and/or don't realise that unlike most other pod systems (e.g. Tassimo) it does generate high pressure so yes it is proper espresso. This is why it ONLY makes espresso and nothing else.

As you say pop down to a Nespresso concession and try one for yourself.

Travelling where/how?

And stove tops / aeropress don't make proper espresso.

No, but it's damn fine coffee, the best coffee/faff/portability ratio imo.

For travel, you want cold brew: http://boingboing.net/2013/07/20/cheap-easy-no-mess-cold-brew.html

Travelling where/how?

On holiday, rented houses usually. Enough space in the car for a fairly compact machine. Proper kitchen and electricity so nothing primitive like that cold brew required.

No, but it's damn fine coffee, the best coffee/faff/portability ratio imo.

+1

Pod coffee tastes like pod cofee, stovetop tastes like stove top, espresso tastes like espresso.

Why not look at the small/cheap espresso machines, gagia baby etc.

Why not look at the small/cheap espresso machines, gagia baby etc.

I could do, but then I'd want to take a portable grinder... starts to get more bulky and expensive. May as well just pack up what I've got.

I'll see if I can go try one of the nespresso jobbies and see if it makes a passable espresso. Tried one at a mates place a few months back and it wasn't that nice, but it was quite an old machine.

Handpresso isn't much fiddling - 40- strokes of the pump and it's up to pressure, add water, fit pod and skoosh. New ones take ground coffee, mine's is older and uses ESE pods, a more than decent range of which is available from [url=www.coffeeroyale.co.uk]coffee royale[/url] Izzo 100% Arabica Neapolitan roast being my hit of the day. Very portable, no electricity required only hot water.
EDIT - I think the faff quotient might increase if you use ground coffee though. I'm happy with the right pods (right being the ones I'm using now having been through a couple of mixed packs to find the ones I like best)

Really? How so? Stove tops don't generate nearly enough pressure to extract the necessary oils for espresso. Stove tops just make a strong coffee. Are pod machines no better? At least some claim to generate the required pressure.

May pop down JL and see if they can do me a demo of the inissia.

Have you ever tried a stovetop?

Have you ever tried a stovetop?

Yes. A lot. Is my current holidaying solution but miss a proper espresso too much.

A friend has a handpresso, I'll see if I can borrow it and give it a go. May also improve the camping coffee situation too!

A stove top makes something nearer to a proper espresso than a pod machine.

I thought stove tops made moka?

nothing primitive like that cold brew required.

You're failing at being a snob.

Pod coffee tastes like pod cofee, stovetop tastes like stove top, espresso tastes like espresso.

Just like a potato will taste different if cooked differently, coffee tastes different if brewed differently.

I could do, but then I'd want to take a portable grinder... starts to get more bulky and expensive. May as well just pack up what I've got.

Whilst I applaud your dedication to coffee snobishness, I think you need to accept that whilst camping, some luxuries may just be beyond you, either that or go all in and fit a bean-to-cup machine in the campervan. Personaly I'm happy with my (admitedly quite posh stainless, not aluminium) stove top and illy ground coffee when I've not got access to mains lecky and 3ft of countertop needed to produce the perfect 32ml shot of espresso.

Thanks TINAS, the stovetop will probably still be the camping solution unless I get a handpresso and a porlex. Though for weeks away with the family (and two small kids who don't always sleep well) I'm hoping nespresso is passable.

Aeropress >> stovetop for convenience and taste.

molgrips, thanks, just makes strong coffee. I want an espresso.

I want an espresso.

If your requirements are so exacting, buy the right kit.

I suspect what you really need are better holidays where you worry less about the nuances of your caffeine delivery format.

There's no shortage of condescending bell-ends here on STW but that comment must surely put you on the top tier! Congrats!

Amused me 🙂

I have to say that I *almost* started a thread speculating whether there would be a coffee machine in my holiday cottage! Just had to check the brochure. 😀

So ... for me that means I'm taking the electric filter coffee machine as well as the cafetiere. 😳

Clearly have ideas above my station. 😆

mrblobby - just do what you have to do to satisfy your addiction. 😉

There's no shortage of condescending bell-ends here on STW but that comment must surely put you on the top tier! Congrats!

*takes a bow* 😀

Come on - it's a first world problem at its most ludicrous.

Seriously though, if it has to be an espresso, then get an espresso machine.

Oooooooooooh, mustn't forget the teapot. 😆

I bought a stove top recently while on holiday in France. It makes damn fine coffee, not espresso, but damn fine all the same. To say it's not a faff though is stretching it a bit. If you just want a quick coffee you're screwed, and there is a lot of cleaning/washing up afterwards.

Nespresso shots are ok as are Tassimo, but I think Illy pods are the nicest of the pod machines, But it's subjective of course.

Seriously though, if it has to be an espresso, then get an espresso machine.

... which is what the nespresso machines are meant to be. And why I was asking for recommendations of good, cheap, small ones.

mrblobby - just do what you have to do to satisfy your addiction.

Thanks CG. Had a few very bad nights with the kids last holiday and craved the comfort of a fine espresso the next day 🙂

Illy pods, hmm shall check them out.

The problem with illy pod machines is their price. The difference with them vs. Nespresso and Tassimo is that the coffee is tamped in the pod rather than loose coffee in the pod.

Yes. A lot. Is my current holidaying solution but miss a proper espresso too much.

I can't help you with a recommendation for an espresso machine but maybe a recommendation for a sense of perspective... It's just coffee at the end of the day. Stove top is fine.

jamj1974 - Member
Yes. A lot. Is my current holidaying solution but miss a proper espresso too much.
[b]I can't help you with a recommendation for an espresso machine but maybe a recommendation for a sense of perspective... It's just coffee at the end of the day. Stove top is fine.[/b]

Easy there or you'll be joining me in the[i] top tier.[/i] 😆

Blimey, all I asked for was a recommendation for a small, cheap, good pod machine!

What i love about this place is that people with no recommendation to make still make the effort to open and read the thread then post questioning the OPs taste and preferences 🙂

Interesting point about the Illy pods though, I didn't know that. Shall investigate.

The OHs parents have a nespresso machine, it makes good espressos. Think I'm in similar position as you, I only drink espresso & when I go away racing for the weekend the aeropress is a poor substitute for proper espresso & I miss it.

I can't help you with a recommendation for an espresso machine but maybe a recommendation for a sense of perspective... It's just coffee at the end of the day. Stove top is fine.

Apologies for my above comment OP. It was rude and unnecessary. You didn't ask for a critique of your coffee drinking preferences.

Sorry,

Jay

I got a Bialetti Brikka 2 cup stove top for just such occasions. Seems to work really well including producing a reasonable crema if the beans are fresh. More info here: http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/machines/220503