Capsule systems · review
A third capsule system worth knowing about, because A Modo Mio capsules are among the cheapest in Europe and the machine costs almost nothing. The coffee is Italian-roast dark and unapologetic about it.
The bottom line The lowest running cost here, if your shops stock the capsules.
Two capsule systems dominate the conversation and a third quietly undercuts both on the number that matters most.
A Modo Mio capsules are among the cheapest per cup in Europe, and Lavazza distributes them through ordinary supermarkets rather than a branded boutique. Over three years of daily coffee that difference is substantial — larger than the gap between any two machines in this guide.
The Tiny is the entry machine and it is exactly what the name says: twelve centimetres wide, half-litre tank, one button, no milk system, and a price that makes it an easy second machine for an office or a spare room.
Two caveats, and both are about the system rather than the machine. The range is overwhelmingly dark Italian roast — strong, chocolatey, low acidity — which is excellent if that is what you drink and monotonous if you were hoping to explore. And distribution is genuinely uneven: strong in Italy, France and Spain, thinner in the UK, Germany and North America. Check your usual supermarket shelf before you commit, because a capsule machine whose capsules you have to order online defeats the purpose.
At 70 £, it is the 1 cheapest of the 6 models in this category published here.
| System | Lavazza A Modo Mio |
|---|---|
| Width | 12 cm |
| Water tank | 0.5 L |
| Pressure | 15 bar |
| Milk | None |
Cost per cup, principally. A Modo Mio capsules undercut both Nespresso systems in most European markets, and Lavazza sells them in supermarkets everywhere it operates. The trade is far less variety — the range is overwhelmingly dark Italian roast.
Outside Italy, France and Spain it can be. The system is well distributed in southern Europe and thinner in the UK, Germany and North America. Check that your usual supermarket stocks them before buying the machine.
7.2/ 10
The lowest running cost here, if your shops stock the capsules.
Espresso in the Italian style, at the lowest running cost of any capsule system here.
Same category, nearest prices. Only the specifications every one of them states are shown — a half-empty column compares nothing.
| Model | Price | System | Water tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lavazza A Modo Mio Tiny | 70 £ | Lavazza A Modo Mio | 0.5 L |
| Nespresso Vertuo Pop | 100 £ | Nespresso Vertuo (centrifusion) | 0.56 L |
| NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Genio S | 110 £ | Dolce Gusto | 0.8 L |
| Nespresso Essenza Mini | 150 £ | Nespresso Original | 0.6 L |
A reference exists on these Amazon stores: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom. Listed is not the same as in stock — availability changes daily.
Details checked on August 8, 2026.
Specifications: manufacturer sheet and Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. No product on this site has been physically tested.
15 bar · hot & cold drinks · milk capsules
Makes hot chocolate, chai and iced drinks as well as coffee, using a separate milk capsule instead of real milk. Good at being a drinks machine, mediocre at being a coffee machine.
Best for: A household with mixed tastes where not everyone drinks coffee.
≈ $110 / £70 / 80 €
Original system · 0.6 L · 11 cm wide
Eleven centimetres wide, twenty-five seconds to heat, and it takes the Original capsules that dozens of brands make. The cheapest sensible way into the system that stays cheap to run.
Best for: A small kitchen, a studio flat, an office desk, or a second machine.
≈ $150 / £80 / 90 €
Centrifusion · 5 cup sizes · 54 % recycled plastic
The Vertuo machine with the full range of cup sizes, up to a 414 ml carafe. Same excellent long coffee, same single-supplier capsules, in a body made largely from recycled plastic.
Best for: Someone who drinks large black coffee and occasionally wants a carafe.
≈ $180 / £130 / 140 €
