Grind One espresso pod machine review: Stylish and simple
As someone who spends an inordinate amount of time making espresso – and reading about making espresso and buying espresso-related paraphernalia – I long ago grew out of the Nespresso pod machine that used to sit on my desk.
There’s something meditative about the process of making espresso: weighing out exactly 18 grams of beans, dialling in the correct grind size for the style of roast, lovingly preparing the puck and watching the amber-brown liquid flow from the portafilter over the next 25-30 seconds (or, occasionally, just splutter all over the place). The process, which takes a full five minutes including clean-up, has become part of my morning routine, occupying that liminal space between rolling out of bed and fully waking up.
This is not, however, something I can spare the time to do throughout the day, nor can it reasonably be done in a busy office given the noise and mess it creates. So when I saw the espresso pod machine from Grind, my interest was piqued. It uses Nespresso compatible pods – although these ones are fully compostable – but the machine itself borrows its styling from classic Italian machines, with its boxy, chrome body and nifty little cup warmer. Crucially it’s also compact enough to fit on my desk at work and gives off only a gentle rumble as the coffee is dispensed.
But what about the coffee itself? Grind was a coffee roaster before it got into the pod and machine business, so it knows a thing or two about beans. The machine takes around 30 seconds to pour an espresso, squeezing it out of the pod at 19-bar of pressure, resulting in decent-looking liquid with a light, foamy crema. If you’re used to drinking Nespresso-branded pods – or, dare I say it, instant – this will almost certainly be a step up. If you’re more of an espresso aficionado, it’s a totally drinkable shot, a little thin and lacking in nuance, but enough to get you through the afternoon.
Functionality is so simple that the instructions are essentially superfluous: pods go in the top, lever goes down, flick a switch and wait till the flashing light goes solid. Releasing the lever drops the pod into an internal chamber, with room for 20 used pods, and the 1.2lt water tank means you won’t be refilling it every five minutes.
There are a variety of pods available, including light, medium and dark roasts, all of which taste noticeably different. There is no steam wand or other milk frothing device (Grind sells one separately), although on a machine like this I’d count that as a positive given how finicky frothing can be even on high-end espresso machines.
There isn’t much more to say: it looks great and the coffee tastes good. It’s one of the more expensive pod machines on the market but who can put a price on their daily caffeine fix?