PHILIPS L'OR BARISTA Sublime Coffee Capsule Machine, for Double or Single Capsule, Volume Personalization, Adjustable Tray, 2 Cups, Compatible with Nespresso, Black (LM9012/60)

Product Information

You can choose from three different drink sizes, temperatures and coffee strengths, or you can simply let the machine read the barcode on the pods and automatically pour the perfect cup. Despite there not being a huge range of capsules to choose from, the selection is nicely varied and most are from recognisable brands such as Kenco, Costa, L’Or and Cadbury’s. For noise, we measured the L’OR Barista Sublime at 52dB on our noise meter, which is somewhere between moderate rainfall and normal conversation. It wasn't loud, but you will hear it in operation, especially if there aren’t any other appliances running. There’s no messing around with programming drink sizes either – though you can do this if you want to customise your machine. Simply pop the pod in and the machine will read the barcode on the pod, automatically dispensing just the right amount of water for the type of coffee inside. With 29 different capsule options available and new ones being added all the time, there’s plenty to choose from too.

Nevertheless, if you’re after a simple, affordable coffee capsule machine that won’t take up too much space, the Jolie is a fantastic option.That depends entirely on the machine you choose. Most manufacturers use one standard pod type which is unique to the brand. Nespresso has two varieties of pods: the classic type used by the majority of its machines, and larger Vertuo pods specific to the Vertuo line-up. Removing the drip tray provides access to the bin in which used capsules drop. We found this bin could comfortably hold around a dozen capsules, so depending on how many cups of coffee you drink, it will need emptying every, or every other, day. With so much capsule variety, a great design and bundles of customisation, this is simply one of the best pod machines you can buy right now.

The instructions state that you can also adjust your drink volume by pressing down the ristretto button for four seconds. To be honest, this is not something we found beneficial or attempted more than once – as there is such a variety of single and double volume sizes to choose from we didn’t feel the need. Like the Vertuo Next, the pint-sized Vertuo Pop has a simple, single-button setup and uses Nespresso’s Vertuo pods to create delicious espresso and long coffees. With the Vertuo Pop, you can enjoy a variety of drink sizes including espresso (40ml), double espresso (80ml), lungo (120ml) and mug (230ml). We did need to refer to the manual to ensure we had the right setting, however, but once we’d mastered it the process was straightforward and the results satisfactory.

As is sometimes the case with capsule machines, quite a lot of water gathers in the tray beneath the used-pod drawer. Also, the twin-spout group head drips coffee for a few seconds after extraction. I haven’t found this to be the case with my favourite Nespresso machine, the Grind One, so I guess it’s a design thing. The only downside to this machine is that it does take a little longer to pour coffee than most of its rivals, even if you’re using the customisable buttons. All in all, though, this is a well-designed machine with some stand-out features.