It’s hard being a coffee snob. Thankfully, in the years since leaving the coffee industry, I’ve relaxed my expectations around drip—a little bit, anyway—but espresso is difficult. Most of it does not ...

In addition to plastic and aluminum pods, there are also a few grounds-based coffee makers that specialize in one-cup-at-a-time brewing. So if you’re interested in the ease of pod machines, low-volume ...