Product Review: Dolce Gusto

Meet the Piccolo, the smallest model of the Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto line of single serve coffee drink makers.

 

My only complaint on the packaging was that it was so hard to get out of the box without ripping everything.  I usually save boxes so I have them when we move, but this time it went in the garbage.

We were first introduced to this on the island.  They have been around for quite some time here and really started out in the European market.  While traveling with my mom over the summer, we were in a department store in Lisbon and they were giving out samples.  One sip and my mom was sold.  She was just moments away from buying one back on the island, but the machine was wired for European outlets.
With a little research, we discovered they sell these in the States, including Bed, Bath and Beyond, which means I think the coupons should work on this, but don’t quote me on that.  As soon as my mom and step dad returned home, they bought one.

A few months later, Ryan and I were at a local expo and they were on sale.  Did we buy one then?  Nope, the whole European plug and power thing stopped us too, but we did go home and order one on Amazon.

Once we had it out of the package, we set it up with the rest of our coffee goods.  We had been expecting this in the mail, so we bought some pods already.  I will admit these pods are pricey in the US and therefore cheaper in Portugal, but I honestly foresee this coming down in price as the product gains popularity.

Along with the machine we were sent a sample pack too.  This came with 4 flavors to try.  I also like that with your purchase you get a code for a free box of pods.

 

Flavors include:

Caffe Americano, Caffe Lungo (in regular and decaf), Cappuccino (regular and skinny), Cappuccino Ice, Chococino, Caffe Grande Intenso, Espresso, Latte Macchiato, Mocha, Peach Iced Tea and Vanilla Latte Macchiato.

Over here we also have a variety of espresso strengths and a Nesquik hot chocolate.  I started off with the Nesquik.  I like that this has only 85 calories.  The chococino is almost double that.  To make the drink you slide in a pod.

 

The back is a container for water, so that needs to be filled, and then there is a switch for hot and one for cold.  you simply flip the switch and it starts to brew your beverage.  The directions for the machine even come with directions for volume of each beverage.

Overall, we love this product and recommend it.  We even bought one for Ryan’s mom for her birthday.

As for the flavors, I have only tried a few, but here are my thoughts:

Nesquik- Very good if you are looking for a light chocolate beverage.  Like I said, I like that it is only 85 calories.

Espresso- I personally do not drink espresso, but Ryan does and he makes them in the morning as he heads out to work.

Latte Macchiato- Fantastic, and I can’t wait to try the vanilla.  I really like this, but because it is made with whole milk, I drink this occasionally.  The down side with milky beverages is that the box comes with 16 total pods, but 8 are the coffee and 8 are the milk, so you use 2 for each drink, versus the espresso for plain coffee.  I think in the end, it is probably still cheaper than Starbuck’s or whatever other coffee house you might go to.  There is also the option of steaming your own milk at home and then mixing in the espresso brewed from this machine.

Cappuccino-  There is a huge difference in flavor between the skinny and the regular, and since I always drink fat free coffee drinks, this doesn’t bother me a bit.  If I am looking for a richer drink, I grab the regular, but most often I go with the skinny.  In fact, it was the availability of the skinny product that helped my mom make her decision to buy one.  The skinny has 49 calories versus 84 in the regular, which is not all that bad either.

Chococino- If you are looking for an indulgence, this is it.  At a whopping 147 calories for about 8 ounces, this is pure decadence in a cup.  The chocolate is a deep chocolate that smells so good when it hits the cup, and then just a tad of milk tops it off.  This one I save for a treat, and my more often chocolate beverage is the Nesquik.

Peach Iced Tea- I have not tried this yet, but I wanted to mention that there are just over 20 calories in a serving of this beverage, and it is nice that there is a chilled beverage available.

Another fun feature is that each box comes with a code and these are worth points.  You can enter these online and collect the points which are usable on drink pods and other accessories.

So, if you are in the market for a single serve coffee maker and are looking for one that does more than just espresso, this may be the machine for you.  We couldn’t be any happier with our purchase.

QUESTIONS:  Have you ever seen this product?  Do you have a single serve coffee maker?  What is your favorite coffee drink?