- Maximum 15 bar pump pressure for coffee shop quality
Dolce Gusto are in competition with Tassimo at the budget end of the coffee machine market with the capsules for both being widely available in all supermarkets so whichever one you decide to go for you won’t have any hassle getting the pod’s.
If you want a cheap coffee machine but you also want a brand name that you can trust then it’s worth knowing that Nescafe make the capsules that go into these machines.
Nescafe are themselves owned by Nestle who sell more coffee than anyone else in the world so you are in pretty good hands if you decide to go for one of these machines.
The first Dolce Gusto machines were launched in 2006 and they are going from strength to strength. Millions of these machines have been sold since proving that these machines.
This is the cheapest of all of the budget pod coffee machines that we have reviewed so if you want to try out a coffee machine for the first time or maybe give one as a gift to someone else then you can start here.
It’s a cheap coffee machine but does it make good coffee?
Overall Score 8.6/10
Design 8/10
For something so cheap it is very surprising that you get a product that looks so good. We have tested many products at double this price where no thought has gone into how it looks. In our opinion that’s important because it is going to be permanently on display in your kitchen.
When you look at it, it appears to resemble something that has been cut in half to reveal what is inside.
It’s been cleverly done with the two-tone colour effect of black and grey mixed in well together to create a modern-looking appliance that will only take up a very small area which is perfect for a smaller kitchen that doesn’t have much space
This is a compact machine measuring in at 31.5cm tall, 24.5cm deep and 18.0cm wide. Whatever worktop size you have, this will fit fine.
Functionality 9/10
If you are looking at a coffee machine that takes pods or capsules then the number one thing you will get is no hassle coffee.
You pay a bit more for the pods than you would if you were to grind your own coffee beans or use ground coffee but if you wouldn’t know where to start with that and have no intention of learning how to then a pod machine is the way forward.
You are definitely not going to need to take any lessons to learn how to use this coffee machine. It’s very straightforward to use.
Turn it on and wait for the power button to turn green which will take around 40 seconds whilst the machine is warming up.
The main thing to consider with a Dolce Gusto coffee machine is whether to go for Manual or Automatic.
With a manual machine, you will stop the flow of coffee when you are happy with the amount in your cup and with automatic the machine will do it for you.
This Oblo machine is manual. If you are looking for automatic then you may want to look at the Mini Me.
To make a coffee simply lift up the lever on the top and open the capsule drawer. Add a coffee pod of your choice and click the lid back down.
Place a cup or glass underneath and flick the lever on the top to the right to start pushing water through the capsule and coffee into your cup. When you are happy with the amount flick the lever back into the middle to stop.
The drip tray has three positions. Low, medium and high to suit depending on the size of cup you have. For espresso move it into the high position to avoid any coffee splashes and for tall glasses for Latte keep it in the low position.
At 0.8 litres the water tank is quite small but will still be fine for 4 drinks before needing to be refilled. This is no bad thing because you should keep the water as fresh as possible anyway.
Ease of use 10/10
This is pretty much the simplest coffee machine that we have tested.
You pop in a POD and move the lever to the right. 1 minute after turning it on you have a coffee. No mess either.
Incredibly, the speed and ease of use of this machine makes it quicker to make a coffee with this machine than it does a cup of instant as it will take a lot longer to boil the kettle than it will for this machine to heat up (40 seconds).
Quality of coffee 6/10
This is convenience taken to a whole new level but you do need to understand that the pods are not fresh coffee. They have been vacuum packed as soon as possible to retain freshness but it is not the same as freshly ground coffee like you get in the coffee shop on the high street.
Another thing to be aware of is that if you want a milk-based drink such as a cappuccino or a latte then you will need an extra milk pod which is of course powdered milk, not fresh milk. Nothing wrong with that but it’s not going to be the same as a coffee shop coffee.
These machines are incredibly popular and all of the different flavoured pods are available at all of the major supermarket chains so you can grab your favourite as part of the weekly shop and not need to worry about replenishing online when you run low.
Value For Money 9/10
This is the cheapest pod machine that we have come across and when you combine the price with convenience and the ability to buy the replacement capsules in the supermarket then this becomes an extremely good value for money purchase.
- Maximum 15 bar pump pressure for coffee shop quality
Last update on 2024-10-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
