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

To see how well the Philips L’Or Barista Sublime Coffee Capsule Machine performs on a daily basis, the team here at Exceptional got to work drinking coffee – and more coffee. This is because it ejects the previous pod when you lift the lever and, if there’s a used capsule in the way of the mechanism, it could feasibly jam. Design-wise, the Sublime is available in black, deep red or cream and is pleasingly compact, measuring just 15.

Building on the legacy and heritage of the Saga brand, Exceptional exists to provide entertaining, insightful and inspirational content that inspires readers to make the most of every day.It works with classic Nespresso capsules but there are also plenty of third-party pods suitable for use too. The front is also where you’ll find the novel double spout, which allows you to simultaneously pour two shots into separate cups or pour a double shot into one.

Simply pop the pod in the top, switch the lever to hot, then move it back once you’ve poured as much coffee as you want. If personalising your drinks is important to you, then look out for machines with options to adjust drink sizes, temperature and coffee strength. That said, taking a speedy 25 seconds to heat up and operating nice and quietly, the Voicy is a handy and unobtrusive machine. It took just a few seconds for the water to heat up – it was slightly quicker on the Ristretto setting – but there’s no option to adjust the temperature, if you like your coffee piping hot, for example. Granted, you’ll get more coffee in your mug if you use the contents of the larger capsule for just one mug, but we usually had a recently boiled kettle on standby to top up our drinks with boiling water.Key specs – Pod type: Nespresso Vertuo pods; Drink sizes: Five (Espresso, Double Espresso, Gran Lungo, Mug, Alto); Bar pressure: N/A (uses centrifugal force); Water tank capacity: 1.

We wanted to know if its espresso crema matched anything we’d tasted previously – or was indeed superior.The pods are, in fact, easy to insert in the top of the machine and they simply drop down to the pod bin when you go to make another coffee. L’Or, for example, has its own line of Nespresso-compatible pods, and some coffee roasters produce their own ranges of compatible pods too. As many coffee pod machines function in the same way, what makes a good machine often comes down to personal preference. Design and functionality is also incredibly important when choosing a coffee pod machine, which is why we carefully consider the build quality and style of every machine we review. As is sometimes the case with capsule machines, quite a lot of water gathers in the tray beneath the used-pod drawer.

The cold setting can also be used to adjust the temperature of your coffee if you prefer it a little cooler. Founded in the Netherlands in the 1890s, Philips is now a household name selling everyday gadgets and appliances for your home and lifestyle.Functionality is smooth and it fits two espresso cups underneath the dispenser comfortably, but space for two standard coffee cups can be a squeeze. It’s easy to turn on simply by pressing your coffee button of choice and has an auto-shut off feature after one minute to save energy. There’s also a plastic drip tray stand, which can be removed to accommodate larger cups up to 12cm tall, though it doesn’t have any adjustability beyond that. We wanted to know if the L’Or Barista coffee capsules and this machine had the ability to produce full-bodied drinks to give us that much needed caffeine boost at elevenses. It wasn't loud, but you will hear it in operation, especially if there aren’t any other appliances running.