Coffee is a pleasure and if it’s not good what pleasure is it? We could cite hundreds of quotes on the most consumed and most loved drink by Italians, but the substance is always the same: coffee must be good, tasteful and every sip must correspond to enormous pleasure.
With the forced quarantine now behind us, hopefully forever, we can certainly go back to enjoying the beloved drink in our favorite bars but this does not mean giving up a good coffee when we are at home. There are those who prefer the mocha, those who opt for one instead coffee machinewhich can be with pods, capsules or automatic or for bars.
In the market there really are all types and given our experience of more than ten years in the tasting of tasty nectar which allows you to bring dozens of original contents every day, we have decided to make your life easier, going straight to the point to allow you to choose the one that best suits you.
There are currently three types of coffee machines on the market in addition to the classic moka, which are always well accepted, especially during the cold winter mornings in which hearing the gurgling of the coffee that slowly comes out helps you wake up. These are machines with capsules, bar-type machines and machines capable of grinding coffee beans. Here are various options for each type.
The best pods, capsules and ground coffee beans
Caffè Borbone Pods Red Blend
Among the best ever, in terms of quality/price ratio and flavour, the Caffè Borbone pods must certainly be mentioned Red Blend version. The proposed package consists of 150 ESE 44 pods with undisputed aromatic quality, allowing you to enjoy coffee like the one you get at the bar. We undoubtedly recommend the purchase because they are the best ever, among the favorites of coffee lovers thanks to theirs strong and energizing flavour.
Caffè Borbone Black Blend Compostable Pod
Also in this case we are talking about pods, 150 compostable, belonging to the Black Blend of Caffè Borbone. It is coffee with an intense taste and a marked flavor, with a firm character capable of evoking the tradition of true Neapolitan coffee. These pods are the final product of a fine selection of blends, created for a dense espresso like that of the bar. The brand is adopting a pack for packaging the coffee in pods that is always sustainable, in fact the recently adopted material, thanks to the constant commitment to research and development of the quality and control department, makes the wrapper recyclable in paper, keeping the quality and the taste of the blends.
Selection of Nespresso capsules
If you are looking for Nespresso capsules, this selection is perfect for you. You will get well 100 Nespresso capsules: 20 of Florence Inspiration Arpeggio, Rome Inspiration and Genoa Inspiration Livanto and Ristretto Italiano Inspiration, 10 of Venice Inspiration and Naples Inspiration. These are coffees of various intensities, starting from the most balanced to the most intense and toasted ones. Last but not least, the brand takes care of selecting certified beans, planting trees in coffee plantations to rebalance ecosystemsie using, for the production of recyclable Nespresso capsules, only aluminum from sustainable and traceable sources.
illy Intense Roasted ground coffee for espresso
The illy blend 100% Arabica roasted coffee is characterized by an intense taste is characterized by enveloping notes of cocoa and dried fruit, light bitterness and consistent bodyand. Therefore, ideal for lovers of coffee with a full and dense flavour. Coffee grinding is specific for the preparation of espresso, so you can always savor the coffee you like with the ritual you are most fond of. Thanks to the pressurization process, the aromas of the blend are refined and enhanced over time inside the illy jar, maintaining a permanent fragrance which, upon opening, is released into the air like a perfect and intoxicating symphony. Furthermore, Illy takes care of cultivating a sustainable quality that aims for excellence to guarantee you a more informed shopping experience starting from the choice of products.
Lavazza Gold Quality Capsules 100% Arabica
Let’s go back to the capsules with these 100 Lavazza aluminum capsules, compatible with Nespresso Original machines. These are excellent capsules for a delicate espresso, with floral and fruity notes. 100% Arabica from Central and South America has a level 8 intensity and light roast to ensure you a masterfully blended symphony. Last but not least, Lavazza is committed to offsetting the emissions required throughout the product’s life cycle for zero CO2 impact.
How to choose the best pods, capsules and ground coffee beans
Obviously, as you will have understood both from the introduction and from the products we have told you about during this bestof, your personal taste and the type of coffee maker you have available are two fundamental elements to choose the best product for you. In this part of our guide, we will help you understand how to evaluate not only the brands but also the types of coffee on the market which, as you probably imagine, also greatly change the flavor of the final drink. But, without further delay, let’s get into the depths of this section dedicated to the various differences between the products on the market.
Cafe-style ground coffee
The bar-type coffee machines are equipped with portafilter, are easy to clean and need little maintenance. Depending on the model, they are compatible with both ground coffee and ESE pods. They are preferable for those who have little space, want to reduce waste deriving from pods made of aluminum or plastic, and prefer greater practicality of use and the possibility of being able to easily make a cappuccino, thanks to the special vaporizer. Naturally there are various flavours, those that start from a few tens of euros like this IKOHS Thera Retro up to more than several hundred euros like La Pavoni Gran Caffè.
In this case the choice of blend must satisfy personal taste. The rule is always the same: arabica gives acidity and has a very strong flavour, robust instead tends to be sweet and gives the coffee creaminess. Consequently, blends with 100% Arabica will have a stronger flavour, while blended ones will be more sweet. Difficult to please everyone, but here are our suggestions, which also include very special coffees, to consider if you want to try a unique experience:
Coffee pods or capsules
The pod machines are of the Nespresso, Dolce Gusto and A Modo Mio types, in addition to the ones already mentioned ESE. Then there are a series of machines with proprietary pods which however are more difficult to find and above all do not guarantee the variety of choice of the two mentioned above. It’s hard to prefer one or the other, as both offer a large selection of flavors and blends. The range of DolceGusto capsules also includes a series of soups and drinks, from carrot soup to creme brulee drink, while Nespresso is limited to traditional coffee shop products, varying for hot chocolate, tea and herbal teas. In this case the price range varies according to the offers. Nespresso and DolceGusto machines are quite accessible, with prices ranging between 40 and 70 euros depending on the model, but in some cases they can touch or exceed 200 euros, as in the case of the De’Longhi Nespresso Lattissima.
Coffee beans
They are definitely the more expensive ones of this list and also the most bulky. They often require demanding weekly maintenance and also various periodic procedures in order to maintain their effectiveness and preserve the taste of the coffee. However, they are the only ones able to guarantee the freshness of the coffee extracted from freshly ground beans, a taste that is too strong for some and indispensable for others. It is also necessary to know how to adjust the millstones to obtain a good grind, depending on the temperatures and humidity, factors which are overlooked but which substantially affect the final result. Among the most widespread are the Saeco/Philips models, available in many variants that also include various accessories such as the milk tank, to prepare practical cappuccinos, or other functions to better customize your coffee, including the possibility of be able to program the switching on and off.
What are the best coffee brands?
In addition to the differences that we have listed above, the proposals of the various companies must also be considered, bearing in mind some of the best coffee brands on the market. In fact, based on your preferences and your budget, you can turn towards one brand rather than another . The options are now really many, as coffee lovers have developed very different tastes, starting from more flavored proposals and details up to much more delicate and refined flavours. Obviously, it must be considered that by now all the large companies try to produce different types of coffee, not only from pods to ground figs, but also as regards the numerous flavors to embrace to attract as large a clientele as possible. Worth mentioning, among the brands that have a very wide and interesting product partner, as well as quality, Illy Coffee, Nespresso, Bourbon Coffee, Toraldo Coffee, Pellini Coffee, Vergnano Coffee, Segafredo Coffee and others.
