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- Handsome and sturdy
- Produces tasty long shots
- Can fit cups of all sizes
- Very expensive
- Tendency for the own-brand pods to stick
- No extra features or functions
If you saw the title of my Grind Two review and wondered why you recognised the brand, it’s probably because you’ve paid one of their cafés a visit. Hundreds of trendy London coffee shop brands are duking it out on the daily, vying for the attention of the capital’s caffeine-addicts, but Grind stands out from the crowd as one of the more successful and recognisable outfits.
With its signature soft-pink colour scheme, sustainability-focused marketing and wide range of coffee offerings, Grind has managed to expand beyond its mere physical locations in the city as it launches its second coffee pod machine.
The Grind Two, as you might have inferred, is an upgrade on the brand’s original coffee pod machine, the Grind One. This follow-up has been given a few internal tweaks, with the addition of a pre-infusion process, higher pressure brewing and a flow metre, as well as an external makeover, being a little sleeker now and, somehow, even a little shinier. But all that chrome doesn’t come cheap and, with a near-£300 asking price for an otherwise fairly basic pod machine, I found that every flaw in the Grind Two just ground my gears that bit more.
What do you get for money?
The Grind Two has hit the digital shelves with the pretty steep launch price of £295. So, what do you get for that money? Well, upon opening the box, you’ll find the machine itself, packed with thirty free coffee pods – you choose whichever flavour takes your fancy when you purchase the machine – which is a very welcome bonus, not to mention a bit of a financial salve.
Unpacking the machine and setting it up on my counter, I was struck by the fact that, physically, the Grind Two is very handsome and well-designed. Its cuboid shape is all nice lines and straight edges, with little in the way of lumps, bumps or unsightly protrusions, and it’s plated top-to-bottom in highly-polished chrome.
The boxiness and metallic exterior of the Grind Two does mean it’s a little larger and heavier than you might expect for a coffee pod machine. It measures 13.7cm x 26cm x 26cm (WDH) and weighs 4.6kg – and, with most machines, I’d call this as a negative, but with the traditional coffee machine aesthetic and sturdy feel that the Grind Two is obviously going for, it just feels right. Other physical features of note are its roomy 1l water tank, which sits flush with the back of the machine, the interior pod bin, which fits around a dozen used pods, and an adjustable drip tray on the front.
Moving on to the Grind Two’s controls, I found it very straightforward, as is the case with most pod machines. The Grind Two has an on/off switch to the right of its spout and two buttons on the left – one for standard espresso shots and another for longer shots. On the side, there is a lever with a grippy textured handle, which you raise to open the pod receptacle on top and lower to lock the pod into place.
The Grind Two is compatible with Nespresso Original pods and any similar-sized third-party options, including the Lavazza Oro capsules and Assembly coffee caps that I used as my testing yardsticks. But Grind also has their own wide and intriguing range of coffee pods, with options ranging from their standard house blend, dark roasts and decafs, to Bailey’s, pumpkin spice, mocha and other flavoured pods. Plus, as Grind takes great pains to point out, their plant-based coffee pods are compostable (though not recyclable), giving them some eco-friendly cachet.
To get a sense of the kind of value-for-money being offered by the Grind Two, we can look at where it sits among our other favourite coffee pod options, and see that it occupies a bit of an awkward middle-ground. For a fraction of the price of the Grind Two, you could secure the Nespresso Vertuo Pop (£99), a small, brightly coloured option still capable of pouring coffees of various lengths; the Lavazza Jolie Evo (£89), a very straightforward and easy-to-use machine; or the L’Or Barista Sublime (£110), our preferred pod machine, with its dual-spouts and compact size.
At the other end of the spectrum, we encounter premium pod machines like the Nespresso Vertuo Lattisima (£379), whose automatic milk frothing allows it to make cappuccinos at the touch of a button, and the Nespresso Vertuo Creatista (£578), a sleek stainless steel machine with a multi-setting steaming wand. For the money its asking, the Grind Two has to compete against competent espresso machines like the Sage Bambino (£280) or fully-fledged bean-to-cup machines like the De’Longhi Magnifica S Smart (£330).
What’s it like to use?
The Grind Two required little-to-no set-up before being ready to operate and the carry handles on the top of the machine made it easy to unbox and move around my kitchen, despite its relative bulk. Though the manual didn’t specifically say so, I gave the removable parts a quick wash with soap and water first. And then I ran it through a few cycles without a pod, which is the manual’s suggested method to flush out the system.
After flicking the satisfyingly tactile ‘on’ switch, the Grind Two heats up in a very speedy fifteen seconds, and its lights stop flashing to signal it is ready to go. Then, from the two options available, you can either pour a shot of espresso or a longer 100ml shot of coffee at the touch of a button. Of course, before it’s ready to pour, you have to fill the machine’s capacious 1l water tank; however, I have to admit I found it a little awkward to slot it in and out of its flush resting position and I would’ve preferred if the tank had a fully removable lid, rather than the letterbox-style of opening.
Being someone with quite a collection of mugs, in all shapes and sizes, I was very happy with the high pouring spout and removable drip tray on the Grind Two. These features meant I could fit everything from an espresso cup to a large mug or even a pyrex measuring cup under the Grind’s spout, something which certainly isn’t the case with every coffee pod machine.
Using the machine to actually make coffee, I found the Grind Two’s lever worked pretty smoothly and that it accepted third-party pods without any fuss. In fact, it was Grind’s own pods that were the sole source of trouble – the first few times I used the Grind pods, I found the pod had become stuck when I went to raise the lever (the machine’s mechanism for moving spent pods into the internal pod bin), and I had to reach into the machine and flick at it with my finger until it fell into the bin. Grind does warn their customers against leaving the pods sitting in the machine after use, as they can dry and get stuck, but for this to happen within just a minute or two, while I was adding milk to my coffee, was a real annoyance.
In terms of settings, there’s not much else to add, except to note that you can access a ‘customisation mode’ by holding down both of machine’s buttons for five seconds, then holding down either the short or the long button until you’ve reached your desired shot length, which will then be saved as your default preferred size. However, I was pretty happy with the two standard lengths, and I don’t think I gained anything from playing around with the setting and eyeballing different amounts of coffee.
Maintenance-wise, tending to the Grind Two is simple and fairly standard. The drip tray, water tank and pod bin need cleaning with warm, soapy water when they get dirty, while the exterior can just be wiped clean with a damp cloth. The inclusion of the pod bin itself is very welcome, helping to minimise mess and fuss by collecting up to around twelve spent pods before it needs to be emptied. Aside from this, the Grind Two, like any pod machine, will need the occasional descale. Handily, the manual includes instructions for running descaling fluid through the machine – which it suggests doing every 500–1,000 cycles, depending on the hardness of your water
As you may have noticed, I have made no mention of milk frothing thus far and that is because the Grind Two is solely an espresso maker. If you want to make lattés, cappuccinos, or the like, you’ll need to purchase a separate milk frother or invest in a pod machine with milk frothing capabilities, like the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima.
What’s the coffee like?
To put the Grind Two’s coffee making to the test, I tried it out with a trio of pods: Lavazza Oro capsules from the supermarket, Assembly coffee caps from a local independent coffee shop and the Grind House Blend pods which were included in the package I received.
I started with a Lavazza Oro pod and brewed a single shot. The Grind Two accepted the pod without any hassle and produced an espresso in just ten seconds. I don’t think much of these Lavazza pods – I find they tend to taste only coffee-ish and work best when topped up with some frothed milk – and the Grind Two didn’t do anything to change that, producing a standard iteration. Next, I brewed an espresso with Grind’s own house blend, which I found quite enjoyable – it had a visible crema and a pleasant taste, pairing some bright notes with a nice earthy flavour. Finally, I fired up the machine using one of Assembly’s artisan coffee caps – my current favourite brand of coffee pod – and this shot came out with a nice, thick crema, a pleasant, fruity tang and an overall rich taste.
I rounded out my tests by repeating them on the longer setting. Usually, I find these long, or “double espresso”, settings to be a bit of a waste of time. By simply using more water, they tend to further dilute shots that are already stretched a bit thin by the paltry amount of grounds you get in the standard coffee pod. However, I have to give the Grind Two props here: it performed well, producing some nice long coffees that didn’t lose too much flavour in the process.
It’s hard to say how much of an effect the Grind Two’s stated upgrades have had – whether pre-wetting the grounds in the pod, adding an extra bar of pressure or adding a flow metre can really make pod coffee taste like anything other than pod coffee – but the Grind Two consistently pulls commendably tasty shots, so long as you use the right pod, and it does have a better long setting than most of its rivals, so it deserves some kudos.
Should you buy the Grind Two Coffee Pod Machine?
Ultimately, I find the Grind Two Coffee Pod Machine difficult to recommend. With its shiny chrome plating and trim design, it’s certainly a stylish and sturdy coffee pod machine – definitely a step-up from the usual dinky, plasticky models – and it does make a solid espresso when paired with the right pod, but I don’t think these facts alone would convince me to part with nearly £300.
Perhaps if it frothed milk, or offered some other extra functionality, then Grind would be on to a winner. But currently, in its simple bare-bones state, I found myself furrowing my brow at such small inconveniences as stuck pods and awkward water tanks, unable to think of anything but the hefty price tag.
Anyone looking for a great all-round pod machine could save themselves a pretty penny by opting for the L’Or Barista Sublime (£110) instead, while those on the hunt for a premium pod option would be more thoroughly served by the cappuccino-ready Nespresso Vertuo Lattisima (£379), or even a well-priced bean-to-cup machine like the De’Longhi Magnifica S Smart (£330).
If you’ve fallen in love with the Grind Two’s aesthetics, or if you’re a die-hard fan of the brand, then I can’t say it won’t serve you well, but I would suggest you at least wait for a generous sale before giving it any serious consideration.
