I have the previous version of the Delongi Primadonna[1]. Fully automatic - you attache the milk frother, pour some beans in, it grinds them and makes the coffee.

Previously I had the Nespresso Lattissima Premium[2] (the top-of-the line pod machine). I liked the Nespresso coffee fine, but the Primadonna makes better coffee and is no more trouble to use (It's also twice the price...).

The clean up is exactly the same for both machines - you press a button to run steam though the milk frother, detach it and put it in the refrigerator. You press the "rinse" button and it runs water through the coffee system to clean that.

~Once a week you empty the grounds container or the empty pods container.

The one trick is to only put as many beans as you a planning on using immediatly in the bean dispenser. It can take a lot more, but as they get exposed for longer they get more bitter.

[1] http://www.delonghi.com/en-AU/products/coffee/coffee-makers/...

[2] http://www.delonghi.com/en-AU/products/coffee/coffee-makers/...

I have a manual grinder and an Aeropress. Making one cup at a time is easy, and the taste is superior to pod-style coffee in my opinion.

The time I spend grinding the coffee is part of the enjoyment.

Which ones have you tried? Any Jura machine will do the job and produce better, fresher coffee than a pre-ground pod. The upfront cost is substantially more, however; they start at about $800.

what's the freshest you can have your coffee? If a could have my way (which frequently I can) I'd always have 1-2 day old beans. I'd take beans still warm from roasting over those older than 3-4.