In 2008 Nescafe launched their lines of Dolce Gusto coffee makers, created by Krups. This year they launched new models which focus on design as well as performance.
At the press launch event March 31, 2011 Kahi Lee, host of HGTV’s Design on a Dime, explained that these machines use “function as fashion.” With the trend these days of open cabinets and open kitchen areas, the Dolce Gusto coffee machines fit into any home décor and are designed to be seen as well as used. She said the Dolce Gusto “takes function and turns it into fashion.”
Every one of the models use 15 bars of pressure, which is like the coffee house machines. What does this mean? Simply, that the coffee in your cup is as close to a coffee house coffee as possible with all the froth of an expensive drink.
The machines use individual capsules allowing users to make their own selection. Instead of one big pot of coffee, everyone gets to choose what kind of beverage they prefer at any given time.
The Flavors
Do you want a latte, cappuccino, espresso, macchiato, mocha, hot chocolate or maybe a refreshing glass of peach iced tea? There are a variety of flavors available, including a skinny cappuccino. At the press event I expressed my desire to be able to make any of the flavors “skinny” and the representatives said they were considering that idea. Currently, with the exception of the Cappuccino Skinny flavor, the others use milk powder and sugar whereas the Skinny beverage uses skim milk. It would be nice to be able to “skinny –up” any one of the beverages.
For those who like flavored coffee there are various flavors and for people who don’t drink coffee but enjoy a good, robust cup of hot chocolate, they can make their own with these machines.
The flavor that caught my attention was the peach iced tea. Perhaps it was because it was a very warm day, but even so, the beverage tasted like I was drinking a fresh peach.
More flavors will be coming out and hopefully they will include the option to make skinny beverages.
The Models
There are four different models of Dolce Gusto machines. The Piccolo is the smallest of the group. It’s designed for dorm rooms, small apartments, and for those users who do not want or need a larger machine. If you only drink one cup of coffee a day, this is all you need with its water tank of 21 ounces.
The Melody 2 is an interesting machine. Someone at the launch event commented it looks a lot like a character in the Disney/Pixar film Wall-E. Like all of the machines, the Melody 2 creates hot and cold beverages in a quick amount of time. This model holds 51 fluid ounces so one filling can make between 6-10 cups of coffee/tea/chocolate, depending on the size of the cup. This machine won the 2010 Product of the Year award.
The Circolo was the 2010 International Forum Design Winner. It’s the most modern-looking in the Dolce Gusto family and looks like something they would use on the Starship Enterprise. The futuristic-looking machine has a water tank size of 44 fluid ounces for 4-6 cups of beverages.
The top of the line model is the Creativa which is basically the Melody 2 on steroids. It’s energized with digital LCD and is programmable, meaning it remembers how you like your coffee – strong, weak, more milk, etc.
Currently these models come in only a few colors. At the press event I suggested they bring them out in a variety of colors and the product representatives told me they would think about what other colors consumers would enjoy. Personally I would like to see some pastel colors and white. Presently they are available in reds, black and titanium.
How to Use
Using these machines to create your perfect beverage is easy. It might take you a time or two to perfect just the right beverage for your taste. For those drinks that use milk as well as coffee there are two capsules. First insert the milk capsule and when you have enough in your cup you stop the machine, remove that capsule, and then insert the coffee capsule. Start the machine again and your beverage completes itself and finishes with a nice frothy top. The Creativa is programmable so once you find the perfect combination of milk and coffee it will remember and instruct you accordingly.
The Nescafe Dolce Gusto is like having your own coffee house in your kitchen. Instead of stopping at the local coffee house on your way to work, simply make your own in a couple minutes and take it with you.
- Quote Source: Nescafe Dolce Gusto Press event March 31, 2011 in Los Angeles
