Finding Coffee Nirvana
In a One-Cup Machine

Is there such a thing as a coffee-potato?

It certainly seems so, given the recent slew of automatic one-cup coffee makers aimed specifically at the home -- the latest indicator of just how low the Starbucks generation has sunk into caffeine slothfulness.

In the boom years it was all about elaborate, hissing Italian espresso machines and fancy French presses. Now, it seems to be about no grinding, no measuring and no muss.

I'm a case in point. Almost every day I grumble while forking over a shameful amount of money for a simple cup of joe. I have nothing to blame but my own laziness about firing up the drip machine or wrestling with an espresso maker. Plus, the grounds get everywhere, or I make too much and throw a lot of it away, or it takes forever.

The single-cup devices, which use individual one-serving packets of coffee to brew each cup, have been infiltrating the workplace for some time now, trying to solve the burnt-pot problem that plagues office kitchens everywhere. So it was a natural step that a downsize version would be sold for home consumers.

Melitta One: One. Price: $50. Coffee format: Java-pod. Price per cup: About 28 cents. Comment: Inexpensive and the lightest in weight—but also the lightweight among the one-cup brewers.

In search of coffee nirvana -- a fast, delicious and mess-free morning cup -- I put several of the new gizmos to the test in recent weeks. The results were decidedly mixed, with each machine having pluses and minuses depending on what you care about the most from your coffee. One machine, for example, had a too-small water tank that required constant refills (adding hassle to what's supposed to be a hassle-free product). Another, although it brewed a decent cup for its low price, felt flimsy. A third device, which incidentally, made the best coffee, was annoyingly pricey. And one, lovely in design, periodically made scary dragon-like steam noises that alarmed my dog.

For cowinsistency, I tested only machines that employ what's called a closed system -- the coffee (or sometimes tea) is prepacked into single-use packets. Steam or air forces hot water through the packet, brewing a cup in under a minute. Only one was capable of making fancier drinks like the ones popular at places like Starbucks.

Flavia SB100. Price: $99. Coffee format: Brew-by-pack. Price per cup: 39 cents. Comments: Cranks out coffee, tea, even hot chocolate, at a reasonable price.

One downside of these machines: Since there's no standard design for the packets, each device uses a different style, holding you hostage to buying the manufacturer's style of prepacked coffee. Regular loose ground coffee won't work.

The least pricey unit and probably the one most easily available, both online and in retail stores, is called the One:One and is made by Melitta, a unit of Salton. It's the smallest and lightest of the ones I tested, and is handsomely shaped like a rocket ship.

To use it, you take a "Java-pod" -- a sealed pack that looks a lot like coffee in a tea bag -- and press it into a small spoon-like holder. Snap down the hatch and press the button for either stronger European style coffee (5 oz. of water) or the milder American version (8 oz.). Water is held in a plastic jug that easily detaches for filling. If you don't use the unit for an hour, it turns off and takes about two minutes to heat up.

The $50 Melitta is a good choice if you don't want to spend a lot on the machine. Its Java-pods are also relatively inexpensive at 28 cents apiece.

But it has some drawbacks. The unit felt flimsy, with parts that seemed like they could break with too much jostling. And its water tank was the smallest, holding only 28 oz. of water, so I had to fill it a lot more. Finally, there are now only six kinds of coffee and three teas to pick from. The coffee made from each of them was decent, though never spectacular.

Nespresso D290. Price: $499. Coffee format: Capsule. Price per cup: 45 cents. Comment: The high-concept machine made a robust jolt of coffee, but you pay for the privilege.

On the very expensive side ($499) is Nestle's Nespresso D290 FlowStop machine. While some people might appreciate the round and bold lines, I thought it looked like a pit bull ready to pounce.

That image was made worse by its teeth-lined "jaws" where small, metal, coffee-filled "capsules" -- they look like the cream thingies you get with your coffee in a diner -- get inserted. After the beast is done with the capsules, it niftily shoots them into an area in the back that you empty out periodically.

I liked the Nespresso a lot, especially the excellent selection of nine coffee types (from intense espresso to a milder decaf). It tasted the most robust and fresh of the products tested and in fact rivaled what you'd get in a coffee house. While the nearly 41 oz. plastic tank was still too small, its quick removal made it easy to refill. But this is a minor quibble. Also on the downside, each coffee pod (available only online or by phone) runs 45 cents, the second-highest per cup. And it doesn't do tea.

The best-looking device, with its sleek casing and cool blue lighting, was the Keurig B100. Available online at keurig.com, but not yet in stores, it will set you back about $250 for the maker (and 60 cents per cup for coffee). Its big 80 oz. water tank isn't detachable.

Keurig B100. Price: $250. Coffee format: K-Cup. Price per cup: About 60 cents. Comment: It's got a sexy blue light and a sleek look, but the coffee occasionally lacked some punch.

The best and worst part of the Keurig was the coffee itself, which comes from a range of brand-name roasters like Gloria Jean and Green Mountain, along with well-known tea brands Celestial Seasonings and Bigelow. Keurig uses a "K-Cup," a larger plastic version of the Nespresso capsule and was the most idiot-proof. Some of the coffees that came out of the unit were watery and thin, while others tasted just fine. Unfortunately, the Keurig had only one setting for coffee, not allowing you to fine tune the brew with less water. Plus there were the dragon noises.

Ultimately, my favorite was the Flavia SB100, sold by the giant Mars candy company, and available only online (flavia.net) or via limited distributors like coffee service companies. Not as pretty as the Keurig, it is still a handsome appliance that resembles an overly large automatic drip maker. Best of all, the Flavia holds 102 oz. of water, meaning less refilling -- though it also doesn't have a removable tank. Its cup area is also smaller, limiting your ability to use taller containers like portable car coffee cups.

Flavia uses unusual looking flat coffee packs with a little plastic tip dangling off one end -- one friend said the packaging reminded her of units of blood. You clip it into the dispenser, then simply press down a lever almost like you are setting off a bomb.

While blood and bombs may not be appealing, the Flavia consistently made good coffee, and was watery only once or twice. And because it had settings for stronger or less strong coffee, as well as a simple ability to add even more water, problems were easily fixed. It can make hot chocolate, eight teas and 15 different kinds of coffee, from a simple Breakfast Blend to a more interesting Sumatra.

On the downside, you can buy the maker and the coffee only from Flavia. But at $99, with each pack running you 39 cents a cup, it was my choice for the best overall value. I found myself turning to it the most, finding it easiest to use and maintain, while drinking more cups of coffee than ever -- definitely enough to get a coffee-potato like me off the couch and out the door for the day.

Email your comments to rjeditor@dowjones.com.