Coffee Machines

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Quick, Simple, Compact and Perfect for Espresso Lovers
By C. Green
The 'Krups Kp150040 Nescafe Dolce Gusto Genio' (or 'Krups Genio' for short) is the first 'capsule' coffee maker I have owned and had I not been offered it via the Amazon Vine Programme I would have quite happily stuck with my very reliable and durable Krups K2 XP402040 Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, Black and Chrome, 1.2 Litres. The few minutes it took to spoon coffee grounds into the bowl and insert it into the machine and the minimal washing up required afterwards hardly counted as a chore. Spending more on individual pots of pre-packaged coffee and on a whole new machine to insert them into to save a few minutes of time didn't seem worth it.However, when grated the chance to try the out the Krups Genio for free I didn't feel able to pass up the opportunity. I do like a decent espresso after a meal, and I was interested to see how one from a capsule compared to one made by hand.Having now spent several days putting the Krups Genio through its paces, which has involved trying out a wide selection of beverages, including espresso, double espresso, cappuccino, machiato and hot chocolate (or 'chocachino' as Nescafe insists on calling it), I can make the following observations:Positives:1. Size - The Krups Genio is extremely compact. For anyone with a small or already cluttered kitchen it would be ideal, occupying about a third of the space of a typical traditional espresso machine. Its also small and light enough to be easily put away in a cupboard between uses if you like to keep surfaces clear.2. Ease of Use - The Krups Genio is about as idiot-proof as its possible to be. Setting it up took about three minutes. Making any sort of beverage takes no more than about six simple, repetitive steps and the results are the same every time.3. Build Quality - Having owned a Krups previously I can testify that they make well built and reliable coffee machines. Whilst I can't tell after a week's use how reliable the Krups Genio will be it feels solidly built.4. Noise - My old Krups machine and the Gaggia I had before that were both relatively noisy when actually making coffee. By contrast the Genio is whisper quiet.5. Looks - This is entirely subjective. To me it looks a bit like a shrunken soda-stream from the early 1990's, but its not unattractive. Its small size also helps it disappear into the background.6. Speed - Making drinks with the Krups Genio is a very quick process. From switch on to producing a first cup of coffee takes no more than five minutes, and if you're producing multiple drinks you can rattle them out mere seconds apart. If you're into your cappuccinos or lattes it is definitely a great deal quicker than having to foam milk by hand.Negatives:1. Cost - Considering all the positives above the Krups Genio itself isn't too expensive. However, buying one does lock you into buying Nescafe's Dolce Gusto pods, and these are a lot more expensive than the equivalent ground coffee in a can or jar. Plus, with different capsules making different types of drink if you want to swap between espresso, cappucino and lattes, you need to buy various different types of capsules.2. Nescafe - By buying a Krups Genio you're locking yourself into using Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee. There's no opportunity to grind your own or swap to Illy or Starbucks if the fancy takes you. If you don't like the flavour or blend of Nescafe's coffee you're out of luck.3. Milk - To make cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolates the Krups Genio uses powdered milk in capsules. It means the process of making the drinks is very quick, but the flavour isn't quite the same as a coffee made with real milk and a steamer. Personally I don't mind the taste of powdered milk and also I'm not a big drinker of cappuccinos or lattes, but it might not be to everyone's taste.4. Water Reservoir - Due to its compact dimensions the water reservoir on the Genio isn't large. After two long coffee or three to four espressos it will need refilling. This isn't a great problem, but there are capsule machines out there, including others by Krups, with bigger reservoirs.5. Environmental Impact - Every time you make a drink you're throwing away a plastic and foil capsule rather than just used coffee grounds. Currently those capsules cannot be recycled in the UK, so if environmental impact is important to you this might not be the machine for you.Of course the relevance of all these observations is dependent on the answer to one simple question; does the Krups Genio make a decent cup of coffee? The answer to that question, as the four stars suggests, is a Yes, albeit a qualified one. The Krups Genio makes great espressos, double espressos and long coffees (Cafe Lungo as its known). I'd also assume it Americanos are pretty good too, although I haven't tried one. Personally I also like the flavour of the Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee, which is rich and bitter enough for my tastes.Where the Krups Genio is less successful is with milky coffees. As mentioned above the reliance on powdered milk will not be to everyone's taste and whilst I don't mind the odd cappuccino or latte made this way I will admit that drinks made with real frothed milk do taste better. The size of the longer drinks can also leave something to be desired, with the typical Krups Genio latte filling about two thirds of a decent sized mug. You can make drinks bigger by increasing the volume of water used, but obviously they get weaker if you do. Alternatively you can use more capsules, but that increases the cost and amount of waste involved.So, if like me you're a lover of espressos or rich black coffee, the Krups Genio is a great little machine. However, if you tend to like your coffee with foamed milk you might want to try before you buy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Only a short association so far, but I love it.
By J. W. Chew
This is a SERIOUSLY nice bit of kit. I'd never actually used a Dolce Gusto coffee machine before, but I suspect this example will be HEAVILY used from now on.OK - so far I've only run the supplied "samples pack" through it. One Cappuccino, one Latte Macchiato, one Espresso and one Caffe Lungo.So were these like the similar products I'd bought from coffee shops when out and about?Well ... in the case of the black coffee varieties (Espresso and Lungo), yes - I'd say they were very comparable. In the case of the white coffee varieties (Latte Macciato and Cappuccino), hmm - perhaps a little less so. Ultimately there IS a difference between REAL milk that has been heated or frothed, and the concentrated variety that you get in a Dolce Gusto "pod" and is reconstituted with boiling water.That said I still found both the Cappuccino and the Latte Macciato very pleasant to drink, and certainly far more pleasant than the combination of instant coffee, milk from the fridge and boiling water from the kettle which has been my usual "home coffee fare" (until now).The other thing about this machine is just how damn fast it is. I walk up to the machine (assuming the water tank is full of water) with pod(s) in hand, and 30 seconds later I have my cup of coffee. Boiling a kettle for "instant" coffee is by no means "instant" by comparison.All in all, then, a damn good machine - even if it does look suspiciously like a small penguin sitting on my kitchen work surface.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Just drink it!
By B. Paszylk
So you're stuck with the Nescafe tubs when you buy this, huh? This might have been a serious drawback had these Nescafe coffees (or some other drinks you can buy in such tubs) been inferior to similar drinks offered by other companies, but thankfully they are anything but it. The one star lost in the above rating is due to the not-exactly-cheap price of the tubs, but otherwise buying Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto Genio you are treating yourself to daily doses of truly tasty coffee which is easy to make and comes from a machine that makes your kitchen all the more handsome. A free set of starter tubs is added to the package.