Wow! I love this little machine.I love this little machine. It is very fast and brews rich, dark coffee, espresso, and fancier coffee house drinks. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for something that is quick, convenient, and goes beyond just black coffee options. I was looking for a single brew system, because even a small pot of coffee can go wasted in our household. This system lets you brew one (small) cup at a time so you have fresh coffee when you want it. As a super-bonus, this one cup system allows you to make lattes, caramel macchiato, mochas, hot chocolate, and tea as well. This has virtually eliminated my daily Starbucks run. Here are a few things I think you should know before you make a decision to buy...
1. Brewing an 8oz cup of coffee takes only one capsule, and will cost you around 0.50 to 0.60 per cup.
2. Brewing a 7 to 8 oz coffee house drink takes two capsules, so it costs double. This is also true for the hot chocolate and chai tea latte.
3. The espresso...
Expensive investmentThis little machine spits out a nice cup of coffee. A nice small cup of coffee. If you look at the instructions for each variety it reads that they all are under 8 ounces. Some are closer to the 6 ounce mark. If you go over that then you're just brewing water because the capsules run out of coffee and milk after a certain amount of water flows through them. You'll actually see it flow clear. The machine itself brews quickly and hot. It does make fancy coffee drinks (mocha, latte, cappuccino, chai, etc), but these drinks can be very expensive. A single box of capsules for a latte drink is $9.99 and only brews 8 cups (8 milk capsules, 8 coffee capsules) and these are small cups. If you want a larger mug you're going to have to use two of each. It would be fun for an office or for a dorm if you have the money to keep buying the capsules. I'd think of it as more of a once in a while thing and not something to use daily.
Works Beautifully!I bought the Piccolo in black, which came with a box of assorted pods to get me started. It makes a very good espresso for a little, automatic maker. I still go to Starbucks when I want the best, but this funny looking contraption is my everyday espresso machine, and it keeps me satisfied.
I have used every pod they offer and made every drink possible, and they are all very good. I like that I can control the coffee to milk ratio, which lets me customize my drinks according to my mood. I use only water from my reverse osmosis system, which enables me to not have to use the descaling solution, and I am sure the coffee tastes better that way. The quality of the coffee and milk in the pods is very good.
One of my favorite drinks is the dark roast espresso. I make a dopio with a single pod, and the crema is wonderful. I can't say it is as good as Starbucks, but I also can't say that many other coffee house coffees are as good as the Dolce Gusto coffee. We...
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