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Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: one-minute review
The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo is an exceptionally small capsule coffee maker, which brews espresso using the company’s own A Modo Mio pods. These vacuum-packed capsules are available in a wide variety of coffee types, roasts, and blends, but unlike Nespresso capsules, there are no elaborate brews with added flavors to choose from.
That’s no bad thing in my opinion, because the Jolie Evo produces some of the best espresso I’ve had from a pod machine, and flavored coffees often tend to taste artificial.
The Jolie Evo is very reasonably priced too (considerably less than the A Modo Mio Smeg and A Modo Mio Deséa), though you’ll need to pick up a standalone milk frother too (I recommend either the Smeg Mini Milk Frother or Philips Baristina Milk Frother) if you want to make lattes and cappuccinos.
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The controls are extremely simple, with just a single button and a large lever. However, bear in mind that there’s no timer, so you’ll need to manually tap the button to stop the flow once the machine has dispensed the right amount of coffee.
Overall, it’s an excellent compact espresso machine. For me, the only real drawback is that the plastic pods aren’t particularly easy to recycle. They can only be dropped off at designated collection points, which can be scarce outside big cities.
Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: specifications
|
Name |
Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo |
|
Type |
Capsule coffee maker |
|
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
4.9 x 8.3 x 13 inches / 124 x 210 x 330mm |
|
Weight |
5.7lbs / 2.6kg |
|
Water tank capacity |
20.3oz / 600ml |
Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: price and availability
- List price £99 / AU$129 (about $190)
- Widely available in UK and Australia
- Listed on Lavazza’s US site, but not available at the time of writing
The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo has a list price of £99 / AU$129, which is about $133, but at the time of writing the machine doesn’t seem to be available to actually buy in the US — even though it’s listed on Lavazza’s site. So it may become available in the future.
If you’re in the UK, you can get the coffee maker for £49 if you subscribe to Lavazza’s coffee capsule delivery service.
Even at full price, that’s very reasonable for a good quality capsule coffee maker. For comparison, the Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg is £249 / AU$349 (about $350), while the Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa is £249 / AU$349 (about $330) — though the latter machine also has a built-in milk-frothing system.
If you want to make lattes and cappuccinos with the Jolie Evo, you’ll need a standalone milk frother like the Lavazza MilkEasy Plus, which is priced at £79 / AU$119 (about $150) — or the Smeg Mini Milk Frother or Philips Baristina Milk Frother I mentioned earlier.
Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: design
- Ideal for small kitchens
- Only two controls (lever and button)
- Lever is ergonomic and easy to use
The Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo is easily one of the smallest coffee makers I’ve tested, measuring a mere 4.9 x 8.3 x 13 inches / 124 x 210 x 330mm (W x H x D). That’s even tinier than the diminutive Nespresso Vertuo Pop, which is 5.3 x 9.8 x 16.7 inches / 136 x 250 x 426mm. It’s ideal for slotting into small spaces, and you can even route the power cable right or left underneath the machine if you need it to sit against a wall.
The Lavazza machine looks classier than its Nespresso counterpart as well, with a smart matte finish and a large chrome handle on top. Pulling this handle up opens a slot on top of the machine. so you can slide a coffee pod inside.
Pushing it back down closes the drawer and pierces the pod, and pulling it up a second time will drop the used capsule into a small bin behind the Jolie Evo’s drip tray. The bin has a grille at the bottom that allows the pods to drain so they’re dry when you remove them for recycling, which is a thoughtful touch.
The large lever is easy to grip and requires barely any force to move, which makes this a particularly good option for people with limited strength or mobility in their hands.
The drip tray has a plastic grate that can be removed for easy cleaning, and is just the right height for an espresso cup. A standard size cup or mug will fit neatly under the dispenser with the drip tray detached.
Other than the handle, there is just one control on the Jolie Evi: a button on top of the machine, with a white light to indicate the machine’s current status: blinking means heating, and white means ready to brew.
It’s available in black and white in Australia, with a gray option also offered in the UK. It was sold in green and red too when it launched in the US.
Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: performance
- Extremely simple to use, but there’s no timer for the coffee dispenser
- It makes delicious espresso in moments
- Its pods can be hard to recycle compared to Nespresso aluminum ones
What makes the Jolie Evo different from all other capsule coffee makers I’ve tested to date is its lack of a timer for brewing different sized drinks. Once you’ve pressed its single button, the little machine will continue dispensing coffee (or hot water, if there’s no pod inside) until you either tap the button again or the tank is empty.
This isn’t ideal if you want to leave your coffee maker to handle itself while you’re preparing the rest of your breakfast, but making a double espresso takes less than a minute so it’s no real hardship.
I would recommend using a measuring cup as your recepticle, though, at least until you’ve got your eye in, because it’s easy to under or over-estimate the output. You could use a coffee scale to a perfect measure, but it would be overkill; this entry-level machine makes a very good espresso, but it’s not intended for real aficionados.
It uses Lavazza’s own A Modo Mio capsules, which are excellent value compared to most coffee pods. Different types command different prices, but you can pick up 80 Qualità Rossa pods direct from Lavazza for £24.50 (about $30 / AU$50). That’s just over 30p per drink, compared to 49p for the cheapest Nespresso Vertuo pods.
Unlike Nespresso, the Modo Mio selection doesn’t include elaborate flavored drinks; there are various beans, blends and roasts to choose from in Lavazza’s store, but each pod contains only ground coffee with no extras. That’s no bad thing, in my opinion — coffee capsules with added flavors can taste unpleasantly artificial.
I tested the Jolie Evo with three of Lavazza’s coffees: Qualità Rossa, Passionale, and Qualità Oro. Each comes in a box of 16, and is marked with an intensity score out of 12 to give you an idea of what to expect. The first is a blend of robusta and arabica beans, while the other two are 100% arabica.
My personal favorite was the Qualità Oro, which produced one of the best-tasting espressos I’ve had from a capsule machine and is described as “Sweet and delicate taste, with an intense and fragrant aroma”.
It goes particularly well with milk in a white americano or (if you also pick up a milk frother) a creamy latte.
The problem with these pods, delicious though they are, is that they can be difficult to recycle. Nespresso pods are made entirely from aluminum, which is relatively easy to process once the coffee grounds are removed, and there’s almost certain to be a location nearby where you can drop off the used capsules. If not, you can mail them off for recycling with a pre-paid bag.
By contrast, Lavazza A Modo Mio pods are mostly plastic and can be recycled in the UK through the company’s partnership with Terracycle, but collection points are few and far between.
If there’s nowhere to drop off your pods, your only option is to start your own collection point, accepting pods from other people and sending them for processing yourself. Individuals can’t send their pods in the mail.
South England is relatively well-served, but at the time of writing there are only four drop-off points in Scotland, and none at all in Wales or Northern Ireland.
Should you buy the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
The most affordable A Modo Mio coffee maker, though not currently available in the US. |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
Stylish and super compact, with ergonomically designed controls. |
5/5 |
|
Performance |
Brews delicious espresso, but lacks a timer to stop flow, and pods can be hard to recycle. |
4/5 |
Buy it if
Don’t buy it if
Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo: also consider
If you’re not sure whether the Jolie Evo is the right espresso machine for you, here are two others to think about.
How I tested the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo
I used the Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo in place of my usual espresso machine for two weeks. I used three different types of A Modo Mio capsules (Qualità Rossa, Passionale, and Qualità Oro), drinking it neat as an espresso, and using the Jolie Evo to add extra hot water to make an americano.
I set up and cleaned the machine following the directions in the instruction manual, and allowed the components to air-dry before reassembly.
