title_body: Time to bin Pod machines?
upvoted_answer: I got a Delonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 bean to cup machine recently. It grinds the beans, makes the coffee, and cleans itself.  It is as easy as pods, but I get to use any coffee beans I want, without pods.
  
  The Magnifica costs about $525 US, which is about as expensive as the Breville.  However, when you do the math, it is not that bad, except that it requires a larger up front investment. Plus, you do not need to buy a grinder.
  
  I compared to a Keurig machine which will cost around $100 US, and uses pods that cost between $0.50 or $0.90 per cup. My favorite coffee beans sell for about $12 for 2 lbs (thank you, Costco), which translates to about $0.10 per cup in the Magnifica.
  
  I computed that the Magnifica initial and operating cost will break even with the Keurig cost in much less than a year.  No pod waste either. No coffee grounds all over my counters due to static electricity from a separate grinder.
  
  So far, I love the machine. I get great crema and a lovely cup at the push of a button.
  
  The machine has a dual block system to ensure that the manual steam wand is ready to go.  However, I do not know enough to tell you if the frothier produces appropriate microfoam for latte art.  It makes good cappuccino and latte, as far as I am concerned, but I am not an artist about it. 
  
  My sister has had this machine for over 10 years with no problems, so I am confident in the reliability of grinder, infuser, and overall system.
  
  If you can find a store than carries them, you might see if you can get a demo.