No doubt you’re familiar with the Philips brand and most likely have a Philips appliance somewhere in your home. Founded in the Netherlands in the 1890s, Philips is now a household name selling everyday gadgets and appliances for your home and lifestyle. Its coffee machine range includes both bean-to-cup and pod machine designs that are attractive, reasonably priced and built for ease of use. When it comes to choosing small appliances, such as the best coffee pod machines, that are designed to be a permanent fixture on the worktop, style and functionality are key considerations.

One thing to know from the offset is that this coffee machine doesn’t come with a built-in milk frother, so if milky coffees are your preference you may want to opt for the similar, but more expensive, Philips L’Or Barista Original Latte Coffee Capsule Machine instead. Mind, since it takes about 30 seconds to warm up, it would be good to be able to preheat the boiler with a single tap while you pre-heat the cup or make a milky cappuccino froth using the Best Milk Frother, but you can’t have everything.L’OR might be best known for its coffee, but the brand’s recent foray into the world of coffee machines is particularly interesting. The Philips L’OR Sublime is the first pod machine with a dual spout, allowing you to pour two cups of espresso at the same time or one double shot in a single cup using its XXL capsules. We also made a 220ml double shot of lungo coffee using a XXL double capsule pod and were equally pleased with the taste of the longer coffee. The only mild complaint is that the selection of XXL double-shot capsules is rather limited at the moment, but I hope that will change in the future. Ultimately, if you’re after an affordable pod coffee machine with excellent capsule compatibility, there’s nothing better you can buy right now. READ NEXT: Our full roundup of the best coffee pod machines Philips L’OR Sublime pod coffee machine review: What’s good about it?

Launched in August 2022, the L’OR Barista Sublime has been created in collaboration with designer Khodi Feiz. It has a unique double-spouted design, which allows you to make two drinks at the same time, and it accepts the new and exclusive L’OR Barista XXL capsules, which contain twice the amount of the smaller capsules. The new coffee machine is also compatible with L’OR espresso single-shot capsules and most Nespresso Original pods, so it could now be up there with some of the best Nespresso machines, too.Overall, we found this machine easy to use to prepare short ristrettos to taller Americanos. We found the space between the dispenser and the drip tray a little tight, however, so if you want to use tall glasses for longer coffees you’ll need to remove the drip tray. The drip tray doesn’t raise and lower so you’ll simply need to remove it to allow for extra cup space. Designed to work with L’Or Espresso single shot capsules and L’Or Barista double shot capsules, as well as Nespresso Original single shot capsules