You can find thousands of sites promoting coffee by simply entering the term “pod coffee machine” into the search engine. Just by seeking a little more you will be able to find many articles about why people adore them. After all, most people put up a site and write articles to advertise products. Telling people that the product their trying to sell isn’t perfect for everyone visiting their site or reading their article is counter-productive. Don’t get me wrong, I love mine. However, its not for everybody, so try to know the true fine points before buying.

Perhaps the most surprising drawback to consumers is the fact that many of these machines are closed systems.

Manufacturers design their machines so that only their pods will work in their machine. This gives them control over the price of the pods. One example is Tassimo, they only use pods by the same manufacturer. There is a special bar code on the top of these pods that can tell whether you put in a coffee pod or espresso then tailor the brewing process accordingly. Had the manufacturer enabled the consumer to select a setting on the machine, instead of having the machine read the pod, it might have been possible for consumers to use something other than the patented T-Disk.

Manufacturers are becoming aware of this issue therefore they are trying to come up with a solution. Keurig has put out the Perfect Pod Holster which makes it possible to fit any type of pod in their machines. They also offer a reusable filter that enables user to brew their favorite coffee grounds in the pod holster.

Using the reusable filter though reduces the convenience of the pod coffee unit. Because the pods are specially made, they are more expensive than traditional ground coffee. If you want to minimize cost then it is probably best to join a monthly auto-ship program.

The noise these machines make takes almost everyone by surprise. Although the noise in the professional coffee shops is common knowledge, few make the connection when buying a coffee machine for their home. What makes the noise is the water pump, if you have ever heard a jet engine then you will notice that they sound exactly the same. Let’s face it, it’s loud but it’s not that loud. Have these people been to the airport recently?

Quieter options are available. If you go for the less expensive coffee makers then you might notice a big difference in the noise level. If you are looking for a machine with more options, Keurig has come out with “special edition” models that have what they have coined as “quiet brew technology.”

In a final note, a thing that people dislike is that pods can only be used for single coffee makers which ofcourse only make one cup of coffee. One pod makes one cup of coffee. If you and your spouse happen to be in a hurry for work then this can truly become an inconvenience. It can also be troublesome if you have a large dinner party where you have to brew many cups at once. Buying a high-wattage machine will decrease the brew time, and opting for one that has a water reservoir will also save time. Two brands that will help with time are Mr. Coffee and Cuisinart because they can brew two cups at a time. These are a good choice if this issue is a concern however the models available at this time may have limited features.