title_body: Capsule coffee machine for home for one person: is it worth it to go for an expensive one?
upvoted_answer: If saving money is a priority, you can get a single-serving capsule coffee machine for about $20. This will do fine for a cup or two a day. You have to add water to the machine before brewing each cup, which may be a bit repetitive for more than a few cups a day. It does, however ensure you put fresh water in there for each brew as opposed to letting the water sit in the reservoir going stale.
  
  If you like larger servings, make sure your machine supports more than just the usual 12 ounces per brew; many machines offer 12 ounces as the "large" serving.
  
  If you want your brew made for you automatically at a specified time (waking up to a fresh cup of coffee is certainly a plus in the morning), your expenses will start going up for machines with clocks and timers.
  
  If refilling the single-serving water reservoir becomes a chore due to increased coffee consumption, get a model that has a larger reservoir, so the only thing you have to attend to is the capsule. The machine will tell you when it needs the water tank refilled.
  
  Some machines add more bells and whistles such as a milk frother; if those extra features and accessories appeal to you, you are looking at spending in the three digit price range.
  
  I recommend getting a machine that can make both capsule-based and ground coffee. This will provide more flavor options as not every coffee is sold in capsule form.
  
  As far as quality is concerned, the aforementioned cheap single-cup machines tend to be made from cheap plastic parts and they may start malfunctioning sooner. The lid mechanisms are the first ones to go (moving parts usually are), and if you have a dual-purpose machine, the cheap plastic filter may start to deteriorate.
  
  Do not neglect to change the water filter in the reservoir at the manufacturer recommended intervals.
  To answer the other part of your question, with the same amount of water and the same capsule, you will be hard pressed to notice any differences in taste when going up in price.