The best coffee and espresso pod machines you can buy

Why you'll love it: Illy's Y3.2 iperEspresso Machine is the slimmest, most compact espresso and coffee pod machine we've tested, and Illy's pods also contain some of the best grounds we've tasted from any pod.

I keep Illy's Y3.2 Espresso Machine on my desk at work, much to the chagrin of my nearby colleagues who have to hear its subtle but still very audible and distracting hum however many times a day (I'm a little too ashamed to count).

Illy's pods, while too complex for third-party alternatives or compostable solutions, are packed with some of the tastiest pod grounds we've tried, and the company offers both tins of espresso and packages of coffee, both sealed airtight for freshness. Our favorite at Insider Picks, however, is the Arabica Selection, and especially the Ethiopian and Colombian blends.

Consumer Reports also calls the Y3.2 the best of the Illy iperEspresso machines, and all around, I agree. If you do want to dole out for a slightly better espresso, and a much prettier machine, however, consider the Illy X7.1 by FrancisFrancis!, which, admittedly, is more than twice the price, but looks and works slightly more like an espresso machine. It's also cute as a button and comes with a warming rack on top.

Amazon reviews are mostly positive, though many point out how pricey the pods are, which makes sense: They're much more complex, and therein lies their greatest issue. While they probably work better than simpler Nespresso or Keurig Cup pods, a lot of plastic is required to make them, and it would be extremely difficult for anyone to reproduce them, especially in any biodegradable form.

Like Nespresso, Illy does have a pod recycling program. If you're looking for the most eco-friendly version, this is most certainly not it, and you might rather consider the Nespresso Pixie by De'Longhi.

Pros: Affordable, some of Illy's pods are the best-tasting we've tried

Cons: Not eco-friendly, not likely to find third-party compostable or reusable options, pods are expensive

Buy Illy's Y3.2 iperEspresso Machine on Amazon for $99 (originally $149) Buy Illy's X7.1 iPerespresso Machine by FrancisFrancis! for $228 Buy a tin of 21 Etiopia, Brasile, or Decaffeinated blend iPerespresso pods on Amazon for $17.99 Buy a tin of 21 Colombia blend iPerespresso pods on Amazon for $17.99 Buy an 18-pack of Illy Arabica coffee pods on Amazon for $15.68

Why you'll love it: The Nespresso Latissima One is a slightly more powerful answer to the Pixie, with a detachable, easy-to-clean frother for macchiatos and cappuccinos.

De'Longhi's Nespresso Latissima One is only slightly larger than the more baseline Pixie, but it has a bit more power (1300 watts vs. the Pixie's 1260) and a milk frother, so if you like cappuccinos or lattes, this is your pod machine.

The biggest difference, though, is the price. Usually selling for close to $400, this is an investment, and for a lot of people, it's a hard expense to justify, especially when there are some perfectly good espresso machines that sell for just a bit more or even less.

But, again, if space and time are your main constraints to your morning caffeine ritual, you could do worse. The De'Longhi also goes on sale on Amazon frequently, making it a much more reasonable purchase.

Australian review blog Pickr put the Latissima One through its paces and found that while the frother is a bit of a pain to clean, it's best for kitchens that lack counter space but want quick and easy pod drinks and are content with pod coffee.

Oprah included it in her list of favorite things of 2018, and almost 80% of the 50-odd reviews on Amazon are four-star ratings and above.

Pod machines with frothers can be finicky things, and their price can lead many to pause and wonder whether a hundred dollars more or so is worth a proper espresso machine.

But when time and space is of the essence, and a cappuccino is a must, the De'Longhi Lattissima One is our top pick.

Pros: Small, pretty, milk frother with optical view

Cons: Price, no self-cleaning

Buy the De'Longhi Nespresso Lattissima One on Amazon for $379.99

Why you'll love it: If a cup of coffee is all you want out of your machine, but you still want to be able to use reusable pods, the basic Keurig K50 is all you need.

Espresso pod machines tend to carry a higher price tag because they require more power to generate the pressure required to push through fine espresso grounds. If it's just coffee you're after from your pod machine, look no further than the Keurig K50 — You don't need anything else.

Don't expect too much out of the K50. It's a simple machine, but it has an astoundingly loyal following for good reason. There's not much that can go wrong, though the K200 (2.0 series) is about $50 more and a slightly more powerful machine. It'll enable you to control the strength of your brew through a water pulsing process that lets your coffee steep longer, as opposed to the single stream produced by the K50. Stepping up further, the K-Cafe Special Edition comes with a frother attached for about $200.

Auto shut-off after two hours might be a little long, but it's a feature similar machines don't offer at all, which is worth noting. And while more features would be nice, this one-trick pony does its job swimmingly.

Best Buy reviews are encouraging, as are the 60-odd reviews on Amazon. Nearly 2,700 reviews on Best Buy rounded out to a 4.7-star rating, which is remarkable for any product. While we'd hope you trust out testing, 2,700 people can't be wrong, either.

The Keurig K50 is a Spartan but reliable setup that offers nothing more or less than a good cup of joe.

Pros: Takes up little counter space, makes acceptable coffee in a flash, compatible with reusable pods

Cons: Doesn't brew the strongest coffee in the world

Buy the Keurig Classic K50 Single Cup Pod Coffee Maker from Best Buy for $119.99 Buy the Keurig K200 Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Pod Machine from Best Buy for $79.99 (originally $139.99) Buy the Keurig K-Cafe Special Edition with Frother from Best Buy for $199.99 Buy the Keurig My K-Cup Universal Reusable Ground Coffee Filter for $7 or $8.97 (depending on your model)

Why you'll love it: Handpresso Hybrid Auto Set compactly tucks into a tidy carrying case so you can take it anywhere there's a 12-volt battery or generator.

There's not a ton of competition on the portable espresso machine market, but if there were, it would likely be difficult to improve upon the Handpresso. It delivers coffee that's akin to what you get from a Nespresso machine, but you can put your own favorite coffee in it, which I much prefer.

Everything you need to prep yourself for a day's worth of espresso-making on the fly comes in the case — except the water.

If you're using the refillable pods and making more than one shot at a time, things can get to be a nuisance if you don't invest in one of Handpresso's "Domepod" cases so you can have a few shots in the till.

The pouches make things a little easier, but if you're picky like me, you'll probably find yourself grinding beans every morning anyway.

"I’m not sure how else to say this: I’m a coffee addict and I have a Handpresso Auto problem," writes Digital Trends.

Ten Amazon reviews only tell so much, and it might be discouraging that three of them are one-star ratings — two products were defective and another had clearly been used.

I've had mine on the boat, splashed saltwater on it, knocked it around in the back of my car, and not cleaned it once, but it's still going strong.

I also have the Handpresso Outdoor Set, which is completely manual but also reaches 16 bars of pressure and has worked without a hitch for several months now.

Pros: Fresh espresso on the go, quick, convenient

Cons: Price, can be messy in the car

Buy the Handpresso Auto on Amazon for $229 Buy the Handpresso Outdoor set from Backcountry for $169.99 (originally $199.99)

The best espresso machine you can buy

True espresso only comes from high-end machines, but now you can have your very own espresso machine at home.

We've researched everything you need to know about buying a shiny new espresso machine for your home and we've combed through the details and reviews for dozens of machines so you don't have to.

Here are our top picks for the best espresso machines:

• Best overall: Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine
• Best machine for $400: Gaggia Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker
• Best machine under $100: De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso Maker
• Best pod machine: Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Maker
• Best machine if money is no object: Breville Barista Touch Espresso Machine
• Best manual machine: Flair Espresso maker
• Best lever machine: La Pavoni Europiccola