Lakeland 2-in-1 pod coffee machine review

• No milk frother
• Not particularly stylish

Star rating: 4/5

Read our round-ups of the best coffee pod machines and the best coffee machines.

The design of Lakeland’s 2-in-1 machine and the materials used are more practical than pretty. Brands like Lavazza and Illy can afford to turn a bit less of a profit on their pod machines, since they know they can expect to make long-term income from the pods they sell for use with them.

This is not the case for Lakeland, which doesn’t produce coffee pods of its own, and may explain why it doesn’t look quite so fancy relative to its price.

Its selling point is the capability to brew an extremely wide range of coffees, from Nespresso and Dolce Gusto to all the third-party brands that make pods compatible with these two systems. It works effectively, producing flavourful coffee at a length to suit the user.

You can set the amount of water for each drink by pressing the plus and minus buttons – as far as controls are concerned, that’s about it.

There’s no milk frother, nor are there any other auxiliary features – it’s all about the brewing functionality. On the plus side, its simplicity makes it especially easy to assemble and use.

We were impressed with the packaging, which was minimal and 100 per cent recyclable, save the tiny plastic tie around the power cord.

Whether or not Lakeland’s machine proves to be an environmentally-friendly choice will depend on the user’s choice of pods. There are recyclable options available in both the Nespresso and Dolce Gusto pod types.

Photo: Alice Ostapjuk

It’s particularly easy to store, with one of the smallest and most efficient footprints of all the machines tested. It wipes clean very easily, and the water tank is simple enough to remove from the back for refilling.

One maintenance consideration is that there’s no compartment for used pods: you’ll have to remove them from the holder after each use. This could be something of a blessing in disguise for people who use their coffee machine relatively infrequently, as it can be all-too-tempting to leave used pods festering, out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Star ratings
Functionality: 4/5
Results: 3.5/5
Ease of cleaning: 4.5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Overall rating: 4/5

Specifications
Supported pods: Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, other compatitible brands
Tank capacity: 0.8L
Milk frother: no
Power: 1400W

Coffee recipes and tips

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This review was last updated in May 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.