De’Longhi NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Genio Single Serve Coffee Maker and Espresso Machine – 21oz Capacity – Capsule Based

It’s difficult to separate the review of the equipment from the review of the coffee since the machine would not exist but for the availability of the coffee. I’ve been searching a long time for decent coffee in the US and I had never heard of the Dolce Gusto system until a French friend of mine introduced me. For the record, I’ve tried: Illy iperEspresso capsules, Keurig K-Cups, Lavazza ECL, Lavazza Blue, Nespresso (including their new North American exclusive Virtuo line) and Tassimo. Lavazza Blue capsules blow all of the rest out of the water for espresso…. but both the machine and the capsules are near-impossible to find and the machine runs around $800.

The machine worked just fine after following the instructions on running two tanks of water through the system to get it primed and ready to go. I did not experience any of the issues that other reviewers said they had. I have zero problems. The reason why it’s 4 stars instead of 5 is that the vibration is a little harsh, not room shaking, but enough that you have to hold the cup in place or it will vibrate off the pedestal. Heat up time is quick (about 60-90 seconds) and then there’s only 6 seconds between making cups. I also like that it shuts off after 5 minutes automatically. Also, the pods can be a little messy if you’re not careful. Don’t try to take the pod out of the tray, you might push liquid out of it and onto your hand and/or floor… instead just take the pod holder over to the trash bin and toss it. There are no recycle programs that I’ve found for this, sadly.

Now, if you like a huge big gulp of coffee in the morning in a mug the size of a soup bowl, don’t even bother with this, go buy a Keurig or other machine specifically geared towards American coffee. The maximum you’ll get out of this is 8 ounces (for the record a standard US coffee measure is 6oz so when you’re drinking your 20oz grande, you’re having over 3 servings of coffee).

Buying into the Dolce Gusto system means: 1) you must order online (except in a few place in California), 2) you are bound to only Dolce Gusto capsules of which there are many varieties and variations by country, 3) you’ll be paying about $10 for 16 capsules if you stick to ordering from Nestle, more if you want to venture on to eBay or buy non US market capsules.

I’ve tried almost all the espressos, both the ones available in the US and a couple from overseas. The best one is the Ristretto Ardenza …. which is not available on the US website as of this writing. The espresso intenso is drinkable, but not nearly as tasty. I could go on and on, but taste is subjective. I can only say, that Keurig lovers, Starbucks lovers will hate this machine and the coffee (and vice versa). If you’re looking to replace your American drip coffee with this, you’ll probably be disappointed unless you make really bad coffee yourself. This coffee is made by shooting pressure through a small quantity of coffee. I’ve found them to be weak and lacking flavor (doctoring them with cream and sugar only makes them worse).

The milky drinks are better. But you’ll want to dial back the milk or you won’t taste any of the coffee. You’ll have fun experimenting with the different capsules and I think everyone should find something they like, but this machine will not satisfy all categories: espresso lovers, drip coffee lovers and cappuccino/milky drink lovers. You just can’t have it all!