This is a great machine. Really great. It is simple and does what it does very, very well. If you love a great cup of coffee - a better cup of coffee than you've gotten with any of your previous coffee machines, don't hesitate to pick one of these up. So easy to use and so focused on making a great cup of coffee, not just a quick cup. Ninja has dialed in the process while making it incredibly easy for the human who selecting the variables. Size of pour, type of brew, iced or hot - those things are well designed and integrated, but again, what makes this machine stand out is how great the coffee is that it produces. I have not used pods and don't plan to because using ground coffee is so easy and produces such a great cup. I am very satisfied, if you can't tell.