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Pros
Sleek and small footprint, quick to heat up, easy to clean, user-friendly features
Cons
Unclear and poorly written instructions, drips a lot after brewing

Designed with speciality coffee pods in mind, the Opal One is slim and compact enough to live on the countertop. Available in white or black, the machine is paired back with three buttons on the control panel to choose your espresso from — short, normal and lungo. It uses a silicon brew chamber to produce a thicker espresso and avoid the diluted coffee which pod machines can sometimes make.

Read our full guide to the best coffee machines

How easy is the Opal One coffee pod machine to use?

The user-friendly nature of the Opal One was one of our favourite features when testing. Minimal setup is required and there is an on/off switch on the side of the machine in addition to the three buttons on the front. If you forget to turn it off it goes into an energy saving mode after 15 minutes.

As well as the three buttons on the front, there are also three temperature options which can be adjusted manually, depending on the ideal brewing conditions for the type of coffee pod you’re using.

The pods are easy to slot into the compartment and the water tank can be removed entirely or filled with a jug through the lid, with clear marks for the minimum and maximum amounts. The waste pods fall into an integrated bin with a separate compartment for any residual water which prevents unwanted splashing when emptying the pod bin.

The joy of using this machine is its compatibility with speciality pods as well as regular Nespresso pods. Some small coffee companies are selling the machine in bundles with their own pods, like Pact Coffee where you get a free box of 56 pods with the machine.

Results

We tested the Opal One with regular Nespresso pods and also with speciality Gesha pods from Colonna. The regular pods produced a decent espresso with good strength and a lovely, glossy crema, although the process was a bit messy with the machine continuing to drip after the coffee brewed.

But it was with the speciality pods where the machine really shone on test. The espresso was rich and dark in colour with a touch of acidity and a thick, glossy crema with notes of caramel.

olive’s take: should you buy the Opal One coffee pod machine?

If you’re looking for great-tasting, high quality coffee in the convenience of a pod, this coffee machine ticks a lot of boxes. The machine itself has great value for money, but high quality pods from smaller suppliers will add up, and you really need these to make the most of the Opal One.

All costs-to-run calculations were done against the variable tariff at the time of testing (16.6p/kWh), which may have since changed – read more on the current energy price guarantee rates.