Coffee at home: drip machine or pods?

Pod machines are fast; drip machines are cheap and taste better. Which one you pick depends on how many minutes you have in the morning.

Cost per cup

Pods cost three to five times as much as beans. For someone drinking two cups a day, the yearly difference buys a machine.

Prep and cleaning

Pods: one minute, no cleaning. Drip: five minutes and a paper filter in the bin. For rushed mornings this decides it.

Taste

Freshly ground beans always win; if you will not buy a grinder, the drip machine's advantage shrinks.

Verdict

One person in a hurry: pods. Two people and slow weekends: drip plus a small grinder.