What can a £349 pod coffee machine do? We tried The Morning Machine to find out

If you feel like your love of coffee goes beyond just using it to function on a sleepy-eyed day, then the Morning coffee machine might just be the buy that can meet all of your caffeine requirements. Tailored for those who love to get into the small details of coffee-making, this pick of the best pod coffee machines can do an unbelievable amount and looks unbeatable while doing so. 

Everything has been meticulously considered with the design of the Morning coffee machine, down to fixing up the quality of the water that's in your tank. Measurements can be taken down to the gram and you can access your custom brews on the paired app, too. 

If that sounds like the level of specificity you need from one of the best coffee machines, then keep reading to understand exactly how this machine works and whether it's worth the sizable £349.00 price tag.

Morning Coffee Machine | £349.00 at Origin Coffee
Elevate your pod coffee machine with the Morning, which combines a sleek design with an extremely detailed interface and controls.

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The Morning Machine product specs 

• Coffee type: pod
• Control type: digital (and app gives you further info)
• Water tank capacity: 850ml
• Pressure: 20 bar
• Pod holder capacity: 8 - 10 pods
• Dimensions: ‎40.2cm (L) x 10.2cm (W) x 25.5cm (H)
• Weight: 4.5kg

The Morning Machine first impressions

The first way that The Morning Machine will elevate your coffee experience is by adding mega-levels of style to your kitchen countertop. It is one of the prettiest coffee machines I've seen (perhaps even nicer than the SMEG Lavazza A Modo Mio, which takes some beating). 

It's available in a black or white casing, with an interactive OLED screen. To program, you twist the screen, which doubles as a dial. It's the most user-friendly coffee machine I think I've ever used - it even tells you to go and enjoy your cup of coffee when it's done.

Another interesting detail is that your Morning machine can receive new updates from the brand's development team over time so that if they add a new feature, you'll be able to access it. This is a nice sustainability touch and means that you shouldn't feel the need to keep upgrading your machine (especially not at £349 a pop). 

Other notable details include a built-in TDS (total dissolved solids) reader in the water tank so that you can keep an eye on the level that you're getting from your taps, and two extremely precise thermosensors to get brewing temperatures perfectly right. 

Making espressos in The Morning Machine 

In terms of ease of use, a pod coffee machine is usually the fastest and easiest type of coffee maker out there. The Morning Machine is indeed quick-starting (you just pop the Nespresso-compatible pods in the top to get going) but also has features than enable a LOT more curation than your usual run-of-the-mill machine, if that's what you want.

It begins with the 10 different 'Ready-to-Brew' preset choices on the dial, such as Long Light Roast, Short Dark Roast and the signature Bloom & Brew setting. The corresponding app can tell you even more about these options, with unbelievable levels of detail from experts going into each one.

Then, once you've chosen a preset, you can delve even further into the specifics if you want to. On the app, you can change the brew temperature, and the coffee yield as well as alters the addition of hot water and the pre and post-infusion pressure of the brew. This is as personalised as a pod coffee machine can get. 

Conversely, if that all sounds like far too much brain work before 9 am, then you can simply choose a preset and wait for your coffee to emerge, which doesn't take too long at all. The bottom line? This machine is as technical as you want it to be.

As I said before, this machine is compatible with any Nespresso pod (or Nespresso-shaped pods that might be a bit cheaper). For the espresso shot, I tried Morning's signature Bloom & Brew, which works by infusing the capsule with a small amount of water first in order to extract the maximum amount of coffee into your cup. 

This particular espresso was absolutely stand out in terms of taste - and that was during a testing day for coffee machines, where a copious amount of caffeine was consumed. It yielded a really luxurious and strong taste, with no nasty after-taste that you sometimes get with cheaper options.

You can make longer or shorter coffees with The Morning Machine, but there's no function to steam milk or make coffee shop favourites like lattes without buying one of the best milk frothers or similar separately. If you exclusively consume longer drinks then it might be wiser investment-wise to go for something with a steaming wand.

Cleaning 

Before you begin with your Morning machine you'll need to run a cycle of water to flush it out, which is standard pod-coffee machine practice. It has an easy to access compartment for used pods, and can hold up to 10 before a trip to the bin. Nice.

The exterior of this machine may be super slick, but it's easy enough to clean with a damp cloth. I love the mechanisms on this machine, and using it day to day as well as cleaning feels like you're using a luxury item, which makes sense with the very, very pricey RRP. 

How does it compare?

I tested this machine alongside a range of other pod-devouring options. The Morning Machine was one of the most expensive, and definitely stood out in the lineup thanks to the aesthetic. It brewed the most wonderful tasting cups of coffee and has the edge completely when it comes to customisation. 

If you're looking for a machine that can create longer drinks, however, you can definitely spend less in order to receive more. The Nespresso De'Longhi Latissima Touch has the capacity to hold and froth milk and regularly goes on sale for less than £200. And if all of the customisation sounds a bit much to you but you still just want a espresso maker, then I personally love the Smeg Lavazza option which has two buttons and causes me no confusion ever. 

Should you buy The Morning Machine?

If you're a coffee fanatic and you really love experimenting with different brews, then The Morning is going to be worth your investment for the hours of fun with customisation and excellent-tasting coffee you'll get out of it. You'll also get an unbelievably user-friendly and good-looking machine for your cash, and the chance to get lost in your app and receive updates to your machine over time. 

If you're a less in-the-know coffee drinker (like I am), then this kind of investment probably isn't necessary to make a lovely espresso at home that'll perk you up for the rest of the day, though it is well-made and easy to use buy, if you've got the money. 

Morning Coffee Machine | £349.00 at Origin Coffee
Elevate your pod coffee machine with the Morning, which combines a sleek design with an extremely detailed interface and controls.

View Deal