Someone in the old fashioned way brews coffee in a Turk, someone — in a slightly more advanced geyser coffee maker. But there are also automatic coffee machines that do almost everything for you. Which is better — capsule or classic? We understand what is better and more convenient to use and easier to maintain.
Raw materials for making coffee
The fundamental difference between classic and capsule coffee makers is what kind of coffee is used for preparation. In classic machines — regular ground coffee. Most models have a built-in coffee grinder, so you can take coffee beans, and all that is required of you is to fill in water, add beans and select a mode. Capsule coffee machines require specialized coffee capsules. The capsule contains roasted and pressed ground coffee in a single serving.
Work speed
The classic coffee machine makes a lot of noise during grinding, then transfers the ground coffee to the brewing unit, presses it into a tablet. After that, it heats the water, builds up pressure and spills water through the pressed coffee. At the end of the cycle, the coffee machine dumps the waste coffee into a special compartment.
The capsule coffee machine does basically the same thing, but ignoring the coffee preparation. Since a ready-made compressed tablet is loaded into it, the speed of operation is noticeably reduced, and coffee can be ready within a minute after switching on. The coffee machine itself cuts holes in the capsule, selects the desired program and brews. So the capsule coffee machine is the leader here.
Maintenance of the coffee machine
It is not difficult to guess that the capsule coffee machine wins here too. The classic one requires more careful care — you need to clean the compartment from used tablets, periodically rinse the brewing unit. The coffee dust itself settles on all compartments and nodes — from time to time it needs to be removed, otherwise the load on the mechanical components increases, and as a result they can break. As a standard, you need to do a complete maintenance of a classic coffee machine once a week.
The pod coffee machine doesn’t have a grinder, so you don’t have to catch coffee dust. It is enough to pull out and throw away the spent capsule and sometimes do general maintenance of the machine. Absolutely all coffee machines must be periodically cleaned of scale and coffee oils, and the cappuccinatore should be washed daily, if any.
Advantages and disadvantages
The capsule machine is simple and convenient. Capsules, thanks to hermetic sealing, preserve the rich aroma and taste of ground coffee. Another significant plus is that it is impossible to make a mistake with the dosage and make coffee too weak or too strong. If you are not very versed in coffee recipes and preparation technology, then a capsule coffee maker is your option, it will definitely make the perfect cup of coffee. The capsule coffee maker is quieter, cleaner and faster. It would seem, why then the classic?
The capsule coffee maker is capricious in the choice of capsules. When buying a coffee machine of a particular brand, you will be forever tied to capsules of a similar production, since coffee machines and capsules of different brands are incompatible with each other. Capsules are much more expensive than coffee beans — a kind of retribution for comfort. The range will also in any case be limited to only what the brand offers you.
The classic coffee machine opens up space for coffee flavors and recipes. You can experiment with bean varieties, roast levels. Adjust grinding, pitch strength, proportions. You can prepare unique coffee blends, create new recipes.
In addition, capsule coffee machines rarely have a cappuccinator. More often, instead of it, manufacturers offer capsule milk — another additional and unjustified cost.
What is the result?
The capsule machine is good for busy people and those who are new to the art of coffee. With it, you save a lot of time and effort, do not worry about recipes, finding coffee at all, and practically do not work on maintenance. But for this you literally pay with money — the cost of a cup of coffee in a capsule is much more expensive than from standard coffee beans. In addition, the choice of coffee itself is also limited. However, if you are not going to delve into the art of a barista — why not.