Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG coffee machine review - an espresso lover's dream

The Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG pod coffee machine is the lovechild of two incredibly well-renowned brands. While one is loved for its coffee, the other is the king of swish appliances. It's, therefore, no surprise that testing this machine resulted in plenty of delicious-tasting drinks and looked absolutely wonderful while doing so. Capable of bringing both espressos and longer drinks into your kitchen, this machine is ideal for those who want a taste of Italy from their morning coffee.

SMEG appliances are undoubtedly a thing of beauty, but their price tag can often put consumers off. Refreshingly, this machine isn't an exorbitant price, with an RRP of £249.00 and the frequent opportunity to find it online for less during sales periods. 

For that price, absolutely no user expertise is required. Instead, all you need to do to get quality espressos at home is fill your water tank and press one button. As a complete coffee machine novice, this was the best introduction to this type of appliance I could've hoped for.

I liked almost everything about this machine, from the sleek unit to the pods that come along in the box. There are some issues when it comes to cleaning that anyone thinking of buying should look out for, but overall I can see how this is a standout choice as one of the best pod coffee machines on the market. 

Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG coffee machine specifications

• Model name: Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG
• Capacity: 09. litres
• Material: Chromed metal
• Wattage: 1250W
• Guarantee: 2 year 
• Dimensions: H290 x W157 x D366mm
• Recipes: Espresso, Long Espresso

Molly Cleary

Molly is the Ecommerce Editor for Ideal Home covering small appliances and floorcare. She loves testing new launches at her home in West London, and also at the Future testing facility in Reading too, which has a much prettier kitchen. Molly tested this pod coffee machine out for a number of weeks before coming to a verdict on it, getting through (far too) many coffee pods in the process.

Unboxing the Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG coffee machine

The Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG isn't a big machine (4.25kg), meaning that the delivery and unboxing of this product were undertaken without issue. It was delivered in a larger unmarked box, with a smaller SMEG/Lavazza branded box inside. The machine came with capsules to try out, which were the Qualitá Rosso and the ¡Tierra! Bio Organic Capsules. Also in the box was a small laminated setup guide, illustrated with pictures and a full user information booklet. 

The unit itself is unbelievably sleek. I tried it out in red, but you can choose from cream, and black too. The entire back of the machine is made up of the water tank panel, which you can easily pry out and then slot back in once you've been to the tap. On the top you'll find the lever and the opening for the pods. Then there are just two buttons (a godsend for those who hate complicated home appliances), with drawings of a short coffee and a longer coffee. The front is emblazoned with that trademark SMEG lettering and hosts the cup grid, used capsule drawer, and removable drip tray. In just one look at this machine, you'll be able to figure out how it works.

Getting started 

When plugging in this machine I noticed that the power cord is quite short. I only have a tiny kitchen, but if you have a bigger space then you might run into issues. Consulting the start-up guide, I was instructed to allow the water from the tank to run through the machine once before inserting a pod. There are a few reviews on Amazon that say they can't get this machine to work, and I think this step might be the reason behind some of those annoyances. If you don't run a whole tank of water through this machine when you first use it, it can't start to operate.

Once that's done, insert your chosen pod by lifting the lever, popping it in and then lowering the lever back into place. You'll feel the pod sink down to where it needs to be and be punctured. Then select either the espresso or the espresso lungo button, and the light on your chosen coffee type will start blinking. That's all you need to do in terms of operation, leaving you to the important job of watching your coffee start to dispense.

Making espresso in the Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG coffee machine 

The charm of pod coffee machines when choosing from the best coffee machines is the total ease of use, and there's truly not much that can go wrong when it comes to making espressos here. In order to watch the full effect of your espresso forming, I'd recommend investing in these adorable Transparenza Espresso Cups Set too, which I now can't live without. 

The taste of the espressos from this machine converted me into drinking short coffees, something I'd truthfully never done before, and the crema that is created on top looks divine. The Rosso pods are so full-bodied and delicious that you can't help but go back for more. I was less keen on the fruitiness of the compostable capsules, but the joy with this machine is the entire range of Lavazza pods you can try out in order to find your favourite. I've got my sights firmly set on the A Modo Mio Delizioso Capsules next. 

In terms of sustainability, all of the capsules I tried out were part of Lavazza's Eco Caps range, which in simple terms means that they deliver a serving of coffee in a compostable container. When I came to emptying my machine, all I needed to do is add the used capsules to my separate food waste bin, which will then be sent for industrial composting. While this is the system that worked for me, you should always check your own local council's recycling rules.

There's no feature that enables you to steam milk with this machine, and Lavazza doesn't sell capsules for lattes or other milk-based drinks, like other machines such as the Bosch Tassimo My Way 2 do. It depends on what your preferences are as a coffee drinker as to which kind of machine you'll pick up, but what I can say is that the espressos from this machine are enough to convert a latte drinker for good.

Cleaning

Getting to the capsule drawer is really easy with this machine. The drip tray comes out without effort, and then there's a ring that you can pull to get the drawer out. At first, I wasn't fully using the capabilities of the drawer. I was pulling both out, and then being confused as to how to extract the pods from swimming in the espresso-y water. Then I consulted the guide and found out that if you pull the first section up, then it sieves out the water and leaves you just with the pods to put into your food bin. I find it's good to always give the drip tray and capsule drawer parts a good clean by rinsing them and scrubbing off any dried-out coffee before popping them back in.

Should you buy the Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG coffee machine?

If you love drinking espressos, or you want to get into drinking espressos then I can't imagine a better machine for you than the Lavazza A Modo Mio SMEG. There's no assembly required, meaning as soon as you take this machine out of the box, you'll essentially have access to Italian-quality coffee at home straight away. If you like to mix it up between espressos, lattes or cappuccinos, then you could even accompany this machine with one of the best milk frothers. My personal choice would be the Smeg Milk Frother. They would make a very enviable pair on your kitchen countertop. 

If the price tag is understandably too steep for you, then look out on the Lavazza website for sales, where I've seen the price for this machine drop to as low as £124.50 at points. Another option that I have spied on the Lavazza website is the A Modo Mio Machine and Capsule Subscription service. For £1 you can get this machine delivered to your house with free delivery. What you'll pay for instead is for the delivery of nine batches of capsules (you can change the times you'll receive them), containing 10 boxes of pods each. If you know you're prone to getting through a lot of coffees, then crunch the numbers on this service and see if it could save you money, as it sounds like a great catch.

About this review, and this reviewer

At Ideal Home, how we test products is of crucial importance so that you know we're telling you exactly what we think of the products we feature. Molly has been trying this machine out at home for almost two months, giving her enough time to see how it performed consistently and to try out a number of capsules from the Lavazza range. While she's now learned to love espressos, the main benefactor of this machine is her boyfriend, who is single-handedly fuelling the work for his Ph.D. with coffees from this machine. A mark of his love of this machine is just how quickly he gets through the capsules, which are now being bought frequently to keep up with demand.