"Are these machines radically more convenient than the alternatives?" Yes. Drop the capsule in the machine, press the button, come back a minute later. A notic

"Are these machines radically more convenient than the alternatives?" Yes. Drop the capsule in the machine, press the button, come back a minute later. A noticeable difference in effort when you drink a lot of coffee. Slightly less convenient than instant granules, but radically better tasting than instant granules. It's generally not quite as good as traditionally-made espresso coffee, but it takes a lot less effort too. All in all, it's a good benefit for very very little effort. And some capsule manufacturers do at least offer capsule recycling.