Coffee Pod Machines use Coffee Pods – vacuum sealed, pre dosed, pre tamped single portion of coffee. The Pod Machine uses a preset quantity of water so you get a perfect cup of coffee every time, in about a minute, with no messy coffee grounds.

Pound for pound Coffee Pod Machines tend to be a little more expensive than traditional coffee machines and cheaper than automatic coffee machines however the coffee pods are a little more expensive than buying ground coffee or fresh beans - though they can quickly pay for themselves if you're in the habit of buying your drinks at the local coffee shop.

There are numerous different designs and styles of Coffee Pod Machines on the market however the basic idea is the same in each case. The ground coffee is sealed inside a disposable plastic pod with a small piece of filter paper inside. You put the pod into the machine, where it's locked in place. When you switch on the machine, water heated to the ideal temperature is forced at high pressure through the coffee pod, releasing the flavour into the cup below.

In some pod machines, you put in a coffee pod followed by a milk pod to make a perfect cappuccino or latte; in others, you add the milk or cream separately just as you would with any other coffee-making method.