Coffee Machine Reviews Blog

Review by Jessica Capuozzo:

I received this machine as a christmas gift, I like having the option to make expresso/cappacino but it just didn’t work well from the start. It leaked water from the bottom and now it has just stopped working. This is my second Delonghi that stopped working after about 8 months of ownership.

Review by JanFla:

I purchased this item April 27th – the espresso portion never worked right – the temperature of the espresso was lukewarm at best. The coffee maker worked fine until about a week ago. Now the coffee maker has stopped working completely after less than 90 days!

Review by bnpttc:

I previously purchased a B40 for my office. The convenience and selection of coffees immediately made it a favorite among co-workers and myself. Of course this meant that I wanted one for home. One problem with the B40 is the noise. Not bad for an office environment but unforgivable first thing in the morning at home. When the B30 was announced and promised to be quieter, that was just what the doctor ordered. This thing is VERY quiet in comparison. I only drink one cup in the morning prior to going to work so the lack of a reservoir is not an issue. If you want multiple cups 30 seconds apart this is not the machine for you. If you don’t mind the extra step of dumping a cup of water in a hole and waiting 2 1/2 minutes after you press the brew button (if you own the B40 you were already doing this when you turned the power on) then this machine is great. Oh, and the small footprint means you can be very flexible in where you decide to put it. No major concessions in the countertop usage arena. Bottom line, quiet convenience in a small package makes this a winner.

Review by Thomas Price:

After enjoying my full-size B60 at home for about a year now, I really wanted to get one for my office. However, I didn’t see the need to buy another B60, or a B40 for that matter, since I’d only be using it a few times a week (I’m not “in” my office that much). Once I heard about the Mini 30, my curiosity was peaked.

I think most negative reviews will be from people who plan on using this as their main K-cup brewer, and that’s a shame, because this most certainly is not meant for that job. Reasons why:

1) It has a long brew time (usually around 2 minutes for the 8 oz it holds) and has to be filled with water for each cup.

2) It has only one cup size (8 oz).

3) It has no adjustable temperature setting (but the default is perfectly fine at about 192 degrees).

It has some odd quirks too. For example, there’s a separate “power” button that’s located quite distant from the “brew” button, and the unit will automatically turn itself off after brewing a cup. So for multiple cups, you have to turn it on, then after loading the k-cup and water, press brew. For each cup. Additionally, the light on the power button is not easy to see if the machine is below eye-level, so I have to squint to see if I pressed it on or not. A more powerful LED (like the blue ones on the B60) or a beeping noise might be helpful to know if it’s on, or at least relocate the power button by the brew button!

While not as heavy as, say, a Kitchen Aid mixer, it is quite well constructed. It doesn’t have the metal trim of the B60, but chrome finished plastic for the handle on the head, and the grate for the overflow plate. The machine opens and closes with sturdy hinges, so it seems durable for the future. The size is great and the little beauty sits right on my desk with plenty of room for my computer monitor!

Coffee tastes just as good as with my larger K-cup brewer, though with the smaller water volume the darker roasts have more “punch” – especially darker ones like Coffee People Black Tiger, and Caribou Coffee’s Mahogany. I’m sticking mostly with medium roasts like CP Donut Shop and GM Nantucket Blend with good results.

P.S. – While there’s black and white versions on Amazon, you can get the cool “fire engine red” one is from Keurig direct

Review by M. Steed:

I have had this machine since February and use it nearly every day. This is definitely one of the best coffeemakers I have ever owned, and I haven’t had one single problem with it.

When I was deciding whether or not to buy it, some of the negative reviews had me a little skeptical. But I am SO glad that I took a chance. It was absolutely worth it for me.

I honestly don’t see how some of the reviewers have had some of the problems that they have. Reviewer ‘Joan of Arc’ seemed to have quite a bit of leakage problems. It must have been a defective machine, because ours hasn’t leaked one time — not even a little drop. I’ll go over a few of the issues she and some others had:

- The removable water reservoir (or “bucket” as she called it) for the coffeemaker is easy to remove and replace. If you don’t want to take it out to fill it with water, just pour water into it. It is marked clearly and is easy to read even when stationed on the machine. No problem.

- The showerhead over the filter basket swivels outward to allow you to change the coffee filter. When you’re done, you just swivel it back into place. I don’t see how you can forget to do it, because the lid is designed so that you can’t even close it if the showerhead isn’t moved back into place. It really isn’t even something you have to think about.

- Some people have had problems with the carafe lid. It doesn’t open fully, but opens wide enough for me to clean it with little problem. We haven’t had any problems with it dripping or leaking at all. It’s like any other carafe that I’ve used over the years.

- ‘Joan of Arc’ mentioned that it was easy for her to forget to put the 1st lid on the espresso side before putting down the second lid. I’m not exactly sure what she was referring to, but I think she meant the water reservoir cap and lid. Again, I don’t see how you could forget to screw the cap back on after you fill it with water. I suppose it’s a learning curve. The first few times I used the machine, I referred to the instruction manual to make sure I did everything right. Now I can crank out good espresso and cappuccino in minutes without really even thinking about it. It just takes a little practice, like with anything else.

- Some people wished for a frother that was a little more accessible to make it a little easier to froth milk in a larger pitcher. That would have been a nice feature. It isn’t too difficult to use, however, and seems to work just fine. The milk is always steaming hot, and the froth doesn’t get cold for us.

- The coffee and espresso COULD be a LITTLE hotter. I don’t like scalding hot coffee anyway, so it doesn’t bother me too much, but for someone that does, it might be a small issue. Again, it doesn’t seem like a deal-breaker, though.

- A clock or timer would have been a nice addition as well, but not having it doesn’t affect the quality of the machine. It would have made a good product even better.

We have used both the coffee side and espresso side many times, and have yet to have any problems. I think some people may have received defective machines, but any product can be purchased defective. Some issues can easily be resolved with a little practice in getting used to the controls and operation of the whole machine, but once you do, it’s more than easy to make good quality coffee and espresso.

I would definitely have to say that I got a great deal on a sleek, stylish machine that also works very well and makes good quality coffee. If you ‘get what you pay for’, then I made out like a bandit. Perfectly satisfied and VERY happy I bought it.

Review by Sabad One:

I purchased this coffee maker a few weeks ago, and I enjoyed many good coffees since. I am Italian, and I find the espresso as good as a good espresso prepared with a moka. This is good enough for me, but don’t expect a REALLY good espresso, the kind you can have in that special little bar in a hidder corner of an Italian city. I did not have any trouble with leaks anywhere, so far (as some reviewer complained about). Only small complain, the espesso sometimes has a “metallic” flavor coming from the high temperatures reached by the water container. But no big deal, overall I am happy I purchased this product so far.

P.S. I posted the review in May 2007 and I am writing this PS one year later, in April 2008. The machine still works perfectly, with no leaks. I have also used the milk frother several times, and it makes a pretty good cappuccino! Maybe I should upgrade my rating to 5 stars!

P.P.S. In February 2009, everything still works fine!

P.P.P.S. In February 2010, this appliance is still working great. Indeed I tried to update my rating from 4 to 5 stars but the web site doesn’t let me do it. Oh, well!

Review by R. E. Kraus:

2/15/07 – Received coffee maker with minor outside box damage but eveything seemed intact. Made several pots of very good coffee and espresso but after 4 days the main switch and digital readout went crazy and the water heating element for the coffee side refused to turn off. I had to unplug the unit fearing a fire. I am returning the unit to Delonghi. I will review the new unit after I have had it for a while.

4/2/07 – I recieved the new unit in good condition and set it up with some trepidation (see earlier review). All the functions work fine and the coffee/espresso maker has been chugging along fine. It has made more than 50 pots of very good coffe and about 30 pots of espresso that even my Cuban colleagues enjoy. Based on my experience with the new unit so far, I would increase my rating to 4 stars, however Amazon will only allow one review per person.

7/15/08 When I first started using this product, I must admit that I was impressed. It packed a lot of funtionality in a reasonably priced product. I have now had this machine a little over a year and I can no longer use the coffee side of the machine because it leaks water all over my counter. Since it was out of warranty, I disassembled the machine to find out what was leaking. There was a fitting at the top of the machine where the water was pumped from the reservoir to the sprayer. I could not take that fitting apart because all of the screws were rusted completely. They just fell apart when I tried to unscrew them. I would think that a company such as this could afford to spend a few extra cents per machine to put in stainless steel screws! Is this another example of planned obsolescence? Based on this experience, I would downgrade my rating to one star.

12/18/09 Well now a little over a year after the coffee side went belly up, the expresso side has now bitten the dust as well. Into the trash bin it goes. Wow! for 0 you would think you should get more than two years use out of a coffee machine. DeLonghi… Never again!!! Definately downgraded to one star, if that.

Review by unknownsomethingelsedifferent:

I loved this coffee maker for the first 11 months…then it broke (leaks water EVERYWHERE). Delonghi customer service is awful! This item was a gift, and they are refusing to repair the item and they require me to ship it to them at my cost — not reimbursed. This is one of the most frustrsting consumer experiences that I have ever dealt with, and the Delonghi reps whom I have spoken with have complete disregard for the situation. It is sad because this has the potential to be a great product, but it is not backed-up by the manufacturer who is making repair or replacement impossible. Buyer beware…

Review by Katrina728:

I received this machine as a gift (thankfully, ‘cuz I wouldn’t have been able to afford it for myself). Before this I had a Capresso CoffeeTEC machine. The Magnifica is so easy to use and to clean, it’s great not to have to deal with filters, grinders, frothers, etc. My husband is a stickler for using freshly ground coffee beans for his coffee. It’s such a joy not to have to sweep up the coffee grinds from the floor now! Anyway, here are some things I like about it:

- Amazing tasting coffee; freshly ground at the touch of a button. Several people have told me that it tastes better than Starbucks coffee

- Machine rinses itself after turn on and before turn off

- Tells you when to clean the coffee grind container (makes ‘em into little hockey pucks)

- Wide range of coffee strengths from which to choose: extra mild, mild, regular, strong, extra-strong

- 3 cup sizes from which to choose. You can change the settings so the cup sizes are customized for you. I use the “Long” setting. If you press it twice quickly, it will make 2 ‘long’ coffees for you

- Love the frothing pitcher. Just attach it, press the cappuccino button, sit back and watch it make you a steaming hot cappuccino with thick froth. Frother puts frothed milk directly into your cup and then makes the espresso and puts it in the cup.

- There’s a pre-ground “bypass” button. I use it when I want to have decaf. I add ground decaf beans and use the frother to add frothed milk.

- Machine tells you everything that it “needs.” “Fill Beans container, descale, add water…etc.”

- You can use the water spout for instantaneous hot water for tea, hot chocolate, etc.

- Starbucks will sell you bottles of their flavored syrups, so I bought several of my favorite flavors for my little “at home cafe”

Update Sep 2008: About a month ago I opened the front door of the machine and it was empty. I thought to myself “who would’ve broken into my house and only stolen the infuser to the coffee machine?” I examined the machine and was able to see that the infuser was stuck in the housing at the top of the machine. An internet search showed that other people had had the same problem but no solutions were posted. I called DeLonghi and went through a few troubleshooting steps with a friendly customer service lady. Finally we gave up and she said I had to send it in to get it fixed. They sent me the boxes, labels and packing materials, which was nice. I sent it to an appliance place in NY. After 3 weeks I called to check the status and they said, “It’s on the shelf; we’ll get to it.” Within a day or two the machine was delivered and working again. It was a bummer to have to ship it out to get it fixed (took a month) and my other gripe is that it came back dirtier than when I sent it (coffee grounds everywhere, etc.). Would’ve been nice if they wiped it down. Anyway, DeLonghi customer service handled it well.

Review by Ute Roesner:

Let me express my extreme unhappiness with the handling of a replacement part order by DeLonghi itself, not Amazon.

Two weeks after we received the coffee maker, one of the three O-rings broke which means that the frothed/steamed milk feature is deactivated ever since.

I ordered three replacement O-rings three weeks ago from their web page, get a link that tells me that I can always “find out the current status”, which is total bogus because the status never appeared on the web page.

I sent an email to this same address 1 week after the order (Dec 11) to inquire what the status is. On the web page and in the phone message under the service number DeLonghi prides itself that any email would be answered within 1 business day. I have not received any reaction to my email.

I called the DeLonghi customer service number on 12/15 to inquire the status of the order. I was told that there are not 3 O-rings available at this point and this caused my order to be blocked. I was told that 1 or 2 O-ring are in stock and that I would get at least 1 O-ring shipped that same day.

I called the DeLonghi customer service number again on 12/20 to inquire the status of the partial shipment. The person on the phone was unable to find out about the real status, was unable to find the supervisor but promised me that she would personally ask the supervisor for help with an expedited shipment when (s)he becomes available again.

Another phone call today, 12/27, resulted in more of the same, more postponing, no explanations.

The DeLonghi web page trumpets the following:

White Glove Service Guarantee (Available in U.S. Only)

“Your choice of the Magnifica super automatic espresso machine reveals that you have the highest standards, and we at DeLonghi strive to always exceed those expectations. Our specially trained DeLonghi espresso experts are here to serve your needs in any way we can.”

Given the history of my order of 3 little O-rings, this sounds like an extremely bad joke.

We are happy with the machine (even though we did not expect its first flaw of a broken O-ring to happen so soon) but extremely unsatisfied with the worst customer support we have experienced in a long time. A real shame given that we paid 00 for a coffee machine “with the highest standards” and I shudder at the thought that I would ever have to ask for more significant customer service than a little black O-ring.

We will never again buy another DeLonghi product!

Review by Bill Rhodes:

About a year ago I wanted an espresso machine that was easy to use, however I was unwilling to pay 1k or more for a fully automatic machine. The Capresso turned out to be an excellent value, providing ease of use with semi-automatic ground disposal and a reasonably sized water container.In fact, we have experienced only two problems with the Capresso since we bought it: a torn o-ring and clogging. The o-ring tore because I did not clean the rotation mechanism for several months. The accumulated grounds eventually tore into the o-ring, breaking the pressure seal. However, when I called the Capresso help line to discuss our broken o-ring, the help desk agent immediately sent us two replacements in the mail with no questions asked. Total down time for the machine was a mere two days. The clogging was fixed with a complete cleaning, and if truth be told, it did say in the instruction booklet not to use very finely ground coffee.Our last espresso machine, besides breaking after two years, was so difficult to use and clean we only made espresso on special occasions. The Capresso is convenient enough that we use it all the time. In fact, we have used our Mr. Coffee only twice (note the broken o-ring comment above) since we bought the Capresso.After a year of use, I can still strongly recommend this product.

Review by :

I bought this machine after looking around for the perfect one for quite some time. This Espressomaker is unique because of a clever semiautomatic mechanism that doesn’t require the usual, messy tampering and cleaning innate to traditional machines. This device comes at a fraction of the cost of the fully automated ones, but is almost as easy to use. The only little flaw I noted is that the frother will spill a relatively large amount of water (5cc or so) during the first couple of seconds before the full steam gets going. Usually no big deal, but if you froth a small amount of milk, you may want to “catch” these first cc’s first. Otherwise, this machine is perfect. The pump is very strong 18bar, I think) and the crema is excellent. Baseline: If you want a traditional machine, go for a Gaggia or something similar; if you are a (lazy) millionaire, consider one of the fully automated machines (00-2000). Otherwise, there is currently no alternative to the “Ultima”.

Review by T. Hartrich:

Before purchasing the HB 43254 Classic Stainless 12 cup coffee maker I read the reviews like I normally do before making any purchase. I decided to purchase this coffee maker knowing that there may be some minor issues with it – what doesn’t these days? After many years of buying coffee makers I have found there is no “perfect” coffee maker that will make everyone happy. You just need to decide what is important to you and your family. That said, after about three weeks of use I found it to be exactly what I was looking for – it makes HOT coffee, the carafe DOESN’T drip and I didn’t need to use a manual to set up the clock and timer! If this is what you are looking for stop reading and purchase this unit now. Enjoy the coffee maker…

For those that really need to know more before purchasing continue reading:

- This coffee maker uses basket shaped filters. So you can give your neighbor your unused cone shaped paper filters you may still have.

- The water reservoir does have a rather small opening but it is not too small like some very expensive coffee makers I have seen. Some may find it easier to use a large cup a couple of times to fill the reservoir instead of using the carafe. Either way I never needed to turn the coffee maker sideways to fill the reservoir.

- The water spout does swivel to allow you to install the filter and add coffee. You only need to move it once that is if you fill the water reservoir first. When closing the lid it will move the spout back into the proper position so you don’t have to remember to do it yourself.

- I too had a defective carafe that leaked at the top between the plastic rim and glass. I called customer service, waited a few minutes, and spoke to someone in the USA. It was replaced within a few days at no charge. I sealed the original carafe until the replacement arrived.

- I never had an issue with pouring a cup of coffee using the auto pause and serve feature. Besides, how often do you really “need” to have a cup of coffee before it is done brewing? If you are that desperate, set the timer so it is done brewing before you get up in the morning.

Review by S. Moss-Ward:

I purchased the Hamilton-Beach coffee maker after reading all its reviews on Amazon, and reviews for other comparably priced appliances. I had owned a Cuisinart coffee maker that died, but had been problematic all along, and I was reluctant to buy another of the same. Most of the H-B reviewers agreed about the product’s benefits and drawbacks. The drawbacks were very few–there are some minor design flaws, but nothing egregious–and reviewers consistently agreed that the H-B made coffee at a very hot temperature and maintained that. That was what sold me on the H-B.

I have owned it for about six weeks now and have not been disappointed. I think the H-B coffee maker offers a good value and good design for its price. It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but for me that’s an advantage. I don’t want a coffee maker that buys and grinds the beans, fills itself , and makes coffee at precisely 7.45 a.m. Those sorts of appliances have too many flaws, in my opinion (viz. the Cuisinart), too many moving parts (hence things that can go wrong), and too many features that I never use. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a user-friendly appliance at a fair price.

Review by Vatsug:

I have the EAM3200, which is the previous model version. The differences are slight but noticeable to the newer. These machines are the best in class for price and performance, produce a great espresso, and are maintainable in ways that other manufacturers models are not. The coffee from the Delonghi is just as good as from Jura and even some manual models such as Expobar and Rancillo. It is very close to what you find in Italy – not quite, but for the price it is worth it. Great crema, hot temperature, rich flavor. And the best part is you can pull out the brew mechanism and clean it – VERY key. This will ensure sound operation and function for many years.

In order to keep this machine is fine working order, you need to do a bit of upkeep each week and use the right beans.

1. Only use non-oily, 100% Arabica beans. If you use oily beans it will clog frequently and attract rancid flavors. It will also shorten the life of the machine. I use Illy, but any espresso will do (I actually get the Illy dark roast – it has more flavor when brewing a larger “americano” cup).

2. Clean the brew mechanism once a week. Just snap it out and run it under hot water.

3. Use spring water instead of tap water. This will keep any weird flavors from your tap entering the coffee. It may build up minerals, but…

4. De-calcify the machine when it asks for it – don’t wait.

I, for one, would rather have manual controls over coffee amount, strength, etc. You are not losing out on anything by not having digital controls – other than not being able to have the machine automatically on and ready to go when you first wake up. As for the other models ability to do milk-based drinks at the touch of a button – how often do you really want a cappuccino? If it is every day, then get the 3500. If you are like me and need real coffee in the morning, then get this model. The milk canister can only sit in the fridge for so long. If you are planning to serve cappuccino at dinner parties, then you are committing Italian heresy – cappuccino is only served in the morning.

CONS

1. The cup warmer does not work very well, but get double walled cups and the temperature of the product will not be an issue.

2. You can’t have it turn on automatically at a certain time. But it only takes a few minutes to get up to temperature.

3. It is NOISY.

My espresso settings – coffee amount at 10 o’clock, strength at 3 o’clock, single cup dispense. Super double espresso in an espresso cup. I may have 2 of these on a saturday.

My wife’s “americano” settings – coffee amount at 3 o’clock, strength at 3 o’clock, double cup dispense. Full cup of rich coffee in a normal cup.

Bean grind at 5.

Review by Moore Paul Patrick:

[This review applies to the Magnifica 3200, this is the same as the 3300 with slight cosmetic differences.]

I bought this machine in 2006 after an almost-endless trawl through the internet reading owners’ reviews – after all, we are talking about the search for the perfect expresso here!

The coffee quality is indeed great. The only misgivings I would have about using it are that the knobs have no user markings, which means that if there are several people in the house using the machine, it is impossible to select the previously-selected individual settings. Also, the time before the machine performs an auto-switchoff is fixed at about three hours. I couldn’t find the power comsumption in the user manual when in “idle” mode, but I think it must be substantial since it keeps the boiler/cup-preheater hot during this time. Not that the preheater is any use – I warm my cups by first wetting them and then putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

More seriously, I have had the machine for three years and in this time it has broken down four times – the first time after six weeks, the second time after about 18 months, the third time after about 30 months, and again most recently last week. The first two times, the machine was fixed under guarantee, without any quibbles. I think the problem is that the environment these machines have to work under is probably the most severe to be found in the home: high-pressure boiling water, grinding, and the transport of the coffee grains within the machine. Maybe the build quality of the cheaper machines is such that they cannot cope?

While waiting this last time round for it to be picked up and repaired, I decided to open it up to check its build quality (I’m an engineer). De Longhi has used thin plastic wherever possible. The coffee transfer path is not well isolated from the rest of the machine – as a result coffee powder had dropped into the moving motorised assembly at the back of the machine (I think this was the reason why the machine ultimately had failed).

Others here have commented on the machine’s coffee-making ability. I agree, it makes great coffee. It’s a pity that, in my experience at least, it was let down by poor engineering.

Review by Kevin Barmish:

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2KAMUCI09DZ0L I want to love this machine. If you are considering purchasing the Dolce Gusto machine I STRONGLY suggest you sample the coffee first (I think Sur La Table has demo machines). Here’s what I like about the machine:

* The design is sleek.

* It’s well made and sturdy.

* The machine heats the water up really fast- once you turn it you’re ready to make coffee in well under a minute.

* The machine is incredibly easy to use. (see attached video for a demo of a cappuccino)

* No real cleanup required after each use.

Now for the bad…

* The machine comes with a latte macchiato glass, a cappuccino cup and saucer. Unfortunately the packaging was very poor (not enough bubble wrap) and the saucer arrived cracked.

* The coffee is horrible. As good as the physical machine is… it is only as good as the coffee it makes. All the milk based Dolce Gusto drinks are excessively sweet, taste artificial and have a ton of sugar and have anywhere from 3.5g-6g of fat.

*The non-milk drinks are very disappointing as well. Both the espresso and lungo aren’t very strong and taste very average.

I have posted video demonstrations for each of the drinks in my reviews of :

* Cappuccino

* Espresso

* Chococino

* Caffe Lungo

* Latte Macchiato

Review by David Hensley:

I’ve tried everything but the 0+ machines. Nothing gave me real high-pressure brewing and real steamed milk. Until now. The Dolce Gusto’s cappuccino, espresso, latte and coffee are among the best I’ve ever had. The hot chocolate alone would justify buying one. I can literally have a cup of excellent cappuccino within two minutes of walking into the kitchen in the morning. The unit is simple enough to use when half asleep, and is a snap to clean.

The heart of the Dolce Gusto is a 15-bar pressure pump coupled with a flash heater: water is ready for brewing instantly, and at espresso-making pressure. No warmup and no pressure tank to worry about. The pressure is so high that only a needle-sized hole in the top of the cartridge is required for brewing.

The cartridge is shaped such that the beverage never touches the machine.

I rinse the easily removed cartridge holder after every brew, but it’s not really necessary–nothing gets on it. Other occasional maintenance includes rinsing the drip tray and water reservoir as necessary, and examining/cleaning the injector needle periodically. The system is so well designed that the cartridges rarely drip after being removed from the holder.

Brewing is simple. For coffee, put the cartridge in the holder, flip the locking lever down, and push the water selector to the hot setting. Stop the water when the coffee is done to your liking. For milk-containing drinks (cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate and iced latte), it’s a two step process. The milk cartridge goes in first, the milk is steamed until the proper amount is in the cup, the coffee cartridge goes in, and the appropriate amount of coffee goes into the cup. Done. No preheat time, and no fixed cycle like some other cartridge brewing systems, so you can get the coffee exactly the way you want it.

An undocumented feature is that hot water can be obtained without a cartridge being installed: cups/mugs can be preheated before brewing, ensuring the coffee remains steaming hot, and hot water is instantly available for oatmeal or tea. Beats an expensive hot water dispenser.

The Dolce Gusto makes the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. It’s rich, dark, not too sweet, and it’s frothy, steamy, and completely smooth. My wife was sold by the hot chocolate even before she tasted the coffee. Apparently a mocha flavor is scheduled for 2009: a coffee cartridge and a chocolate cartridge. Yum.

There’s one nit, though. The cappuccino and latte drinks don’t come as decaf. The drinks are packaged as sets of coffee and milk cartridges together in a single box, so mixing and matching say, decaf espresso with a milk isn’t possible. This is a bit of an issue with me, since a late night cappuccino may result in my being wired all night. Not sure why Krups hasn’t addressed this, because I suspect it’s an issue for a lot of potential buyers.

The out of box experience is great. Krups includes 2 each of all available drinks, along with a latte glass and a cup. Having the latte glass is nice, because you can see that the coffee does indeed form a layer between the hot milk and the froth, just like in the picture. The cup and glass both have handles strategically placed to act as guides for the first few brews, and the brewing instructions are a picture for each type of beverage, showing the cartridges used, the order, and the approximate volume of milk and coffee to brew. No annoying manual to read before using the product. I was brewing coffee within minutes of unpacking.

We’re absolutely delighted with the Dolce Gusto. I’d given up on ever having real cappuccinos and lattes at home, and could rarely justify the drive to the local chain and the cost. Kudos to Krups for a breakthrough product.