Nescafe Dolce Gusto - Mini Me product reviews

I have wanted a coffee machine for a long time but one that does hot chocolate as I don't drink coffee, but when I have people over for coffee I would like to treat them to a nice coffee. For Christmas I opened up my present and there sits a Nescafe Dolce Gusto - Mini Me, needless to say I was actually excited for an appliance. I also got nesquick pods to go with it as my partner couldn't find the chocolate ones at the time, which is fine as I love nesquick. The box was very appealing and I would of picked it off a shelf myself.

I read the book and instructions were clear. Once the pod is in everything is simple, you turn it to the strength you want (but the pod will tell you the best strength line for that drink) your all set, then push over to hot or cold and off it goes, you don't even have to stand there, it will stop when it needs to, if you want another shot you can do it over again with a new pod, only problem I have found so far the pod only does half a mug so I have to use two.

The machine is simple to fill with water, simple to clean and my 7 & 8 year old can use it no problem. You have less chance to burn yourself, even removing the pod the pull out the tray and then tip into the plate I have sitting next to it as it seems to run water as you are taking it to the bin which burns. I have yet to try other drinks but with everything on the pods you can't go wrong. Other drinks look like they have very small strength of coffee in them so I might give them a go. I'm very pleased I got this machine, it sits on the bench taking up next to no room.

This is one of my favourite appliances in my kitchen. I have used this everyday for over a year and it is so easy to use. The hardest thing is deciding what flavour coffee I am going to have. Then it is just a case of making sure there is water in it. Putting the capsule in the machine and selecting the correct setting which is on every capsule, which really makes it easy for anyone to use.

I like that the Mini Me is safe enough for my daughter to use, and she is able to make me a coffee, but also now with the range of flavours she is able to get herself a drink both hot and cold. She also enjoys using it as she knows that there is very little chance of burning herself.

One of the reasons we got the Mini Me was that it had the Hot Chocolate capsules as well as the range of coffee so it would suit everyone in the family. Now there is even more choice of flavours it is now being used by every member of the family. The clean up is easy just tip the capsule out and all the grinds are contained in the capsule so it is just a case of wiping the machine down from any splashes. The Mini Me doesn't take a lot of space on the bench so works well in a small kitchen.

My daughter recently got a Nescafe Dolce Gusto - Mini Me coffee machine. Knowing of my addiction to caffeine and also that I am considering purchasing a coffee machine myself once funds allow, she offered me a cup. This was my first experience with this particular machine - I have tried others, and found the quality of the product to be quite variable. I certainly enjoyed what was to be the first of many cups courtesy of that machine!

I liked the foolproof controls - they are straightforward and simple enough for my three-year-old grand-daughter to give me a demonstration (although, I need to add, she is not allowed to use the machine unsupervised - it is well out of reach). The only issue I encountered was in refilling the water tank; it is quite small and you have to pull the machine forward in order to access it. Cleaning is a breeze; you just wash the drip tray!

There is a range of products you can make; as well as espresso coffee, which is my personal favourite, you can also make lattes and hot chocolate (ideal for the children). There is a choice of setting so you can personalise the strength of the drink. I tried two flavours - Espresso Intenso and Americano - and enjoyed both of them although on balance I would go for the Americano as it is smoother. I also tried the hot chocolate but did not like that so much; I will leave that for the children!

The size is perfect for a smaller kitchen. Price-wise, the espresso I would make for myself is not too costly as I don't drink milk, so I would get 16 drinks per pack. But if you factor in the milk as well it does work out more expensive because you then end up using two capsules for each drink. However, it still compares favourably with a commercially produced drink. I would certainly recommend the Dolce Gusto Mini Me and will keep it in mind when I go shopping!

I was lucky enough to get to test this at a recent KIWIreviews event. My first thought was that this looked like a strange machine, I didn't like the size as I thought that it was too big. When I had a chance to use it I found it easy to use even if it is a bit noisy. This is an automatic machine so I don't have to stand and watch it as it stops when t h e required amount of water has gone through the pod. I like how I can customise my drinks by using the scroll bars and hot or cold water.

I like the box and that it has great information, if I was in a shop looking for coffee machines this box would definitely catch my attention. I like that the water tank capacity is clearly marked on the box and it's great to know so my mum can go shopping for the harder to find pods.

I would recommend this machine to my friends as even with special needs it is really easy to use. My mum got to take this machine home and we have used it every day and even bought extra pods as some of the flavours are very popular in our family.

I have never used any coffee machines so when the opportunity arose to try some out I thought it would be a good time to see what all the fuss is about. I was looking at size as I might have a big kitchen but a small family so no real need for large machines.

I like how clear the instructions are on the box and that the water tank capacity is clearly marked on the box. I like how it is automatic so I can press and do something else and know the mug is not going to over flow. The water tank is easy to fill which is great since it can't be filled while in use. The buttons are easy to find and I found the scroll bar was easy to use but when opening to change the pods from milk to coffee the bar could be bumped easily so have to check it each time. I like how you can choose hot or cold water so adults can have a hot drink and kids can be cooler so they are not getting burnt on their drinks and I see from the box that there are a range of iced teas available so that will be great in summer.

Overall I am impressed with how easy the machine is to use as even my 7 year old can use it and how easy it is to clean. I will be inviting some friends over for a coffee and am confident that this machine will make great coffee easily.

While attending a review meet up for three Nescafe Dulce Gusto machines I got to trial this machine with a couple of different pod flavours. Firstly I really like the look of the Mini Me, it's supposed to be the smaller version of the Melody but I actually preferred the more compact style of this machine. It holds 0.8L of water which is around 4 full cups of coffee.

I found the bar indicator was quite sensitive and at one point when I closed the pod lever it accidentally moved the bar down which meant less water came through than I wanted but it wasn't a massive issue because I just ran another level of water through the pod to get what I wanted but I did have to wait for the light to stop flashing first so it took longer than expected.

Out of the three machines we tested I thought this one made the most noise but to be honest it was so close it was hard to tell. This was also the cheapest machine out of the three we trialled but to be honest I think it was on par with the Jovia for functionality so I'm not sure how they came to be different prices. I had the choice of choosing this machine or the Jovia to take home but I chose the Jovia purely because I liked having more control over the water lever and levels.

This machine is as it is named; mini. A rather compact pod machine that takes up little room. The simplicity and convenience of this machine led me to choose this one as my favourite between the 'Mini Me', 'Melody', and the 'Jovia'. Even with such a small size, the water reservoir holds 800mL (enough for 3-4 drinks) and must be detached to refill. While it does seem slightly inconvenient, it is the consequence of it taking up so little bench space, so I'm not fussed.

It has an open design (no sides) so you can fit a variety of vessels underneath. The quantities of water it provides is set on the top with a manual slider, and has pictures that correspond with the pictures on the pods themselves, so it's very easy to figure out. The machine automatically stops at the setting selected, so there is no risk of overfilling. Similar to the 'Melody', you can flick the switch to the middle to stop it short if you want it to customise the concentration of the drink.

Very easy to use, and takes up very little space. Ideal for all homes, and has a relatively cheap price ticket. A clear favourite for me.

The Mini Me was the smallest of the three machines that I got to trial at our KIWIreviews meet up but can still make four or five cups of nice hot drink, again as with the others this is all dependant on how strong you make your drinks etc. This machine has a bar that you move like a lever, up and down, depending on how many bars you are wanting for your drink (this regulates how much water gets put through the pod) but I was worried at times that it wasn't that strong enough and I would be worried about breaking it in the long run.

It wasn't too hard to fill up in my sink and can hold a total of 0.8 litres. I loved the box for this as it displayed a good amount of information, enough in fact that you could easily figure out to do just by looking at the box if you couldn't find the booklet instructions. This one seemed to be the quietest of the three which I thought would be really good for when you want to make a drink but not make too much noise and wake everyone up.

I liked this machine and would be happy to use it in my house.

At the Dulce Gusto coffee meet we had last weekend, this was the third machine that we tried. It was the cheapest model in the range that we had for testing purposed. It was actually my favourite.

I have previously owned a Nespresso machine and I am therefore used to the idea of capsule coffee machines. This one seems to fit more into the everyday family market than with high end coffee drinkers. There are a huge range of capsules available for the Dulce Gusto machines and they allow for consumers who like hot drinks other than coffee. The drinks which require milk have capsules of milk powder as well as the coffee/chai/hot chocolate capsule. This is rather handy as the milk gets heated through the machine as well as the coffee. With children, I found that it was really easy to do half the drink hot by pulling the lever to the hot side and half the drink cold by pulling the lever to the cold side. We typically have done the hot chocolate part hot and the milk part cold. It seems to make the drink perfect for our young ones.

The Mini Me machine is attractive and looks good on my kitchen bench. The capsules are easy to put into the machine and there are magnets to allow the capsule holder to stay firmly in place. It is easy to work out what setting to put the machine onto as each capsule comes with a bar rating on it. It is then easy to set the number of bars on the machine to make that drink. The number of bars directly reflects how much water goes through the capsule - more bars equals more water. Something to watch when changing capsules is that it is easy to slide the plastic slider by accident, so it is a good idea to check the slider before you start the machine for the next coffee.

When each capsule has been used, you need to take the capsule holder out and empty the capsule out. I have found that in some of the capsules, there is still quite a bit of hot water in them. I found it best to tip the capsule out into the sink without touching it. I let them cool down and drain excess liquid out and then I popped them into the bin.

I was lucky enough to walk away from the coffee meet with this machine and a range of capsules. Since then, I have put it through its paces. In fact, the day I came home with it we were going to friends for dinner. Our job was to bring dessert and in addition to that, we through that we would add on some tasty hot chocolates to share. The machine was nice and portable to take with us and it was a great discussion point. In fact, the other family was very interested in it.

Since owning the machine, the only two issues I have with it are that it is a bit on the splashy side when the coffee is going into the cup and I have found that the water container is a bit on the small side for a family of four (with the odd visitor requiring a drink as well!). Not major issues but worth noting. With the size of the water container in mind, this machine would be best suited to a single person or a couple rather than serving lots of drinks to the whole family. We got around it by filling the water a couple of times during the course of making each round of drinks! We did find that we really wanted to ensure that there was enough water in the container before starting each drink as the machine just stops when it runs out of water and you have to guess a bit to know how much water has already gone through. With regards to the splashing, there are three levels you can adjust the drip tray to. It would be important to set this to the correct height for the cup as this minimises splashing.

Miss 3 and Mr 5 have really enjoyed being part of the hot drink making experience. They have enjoyed being able to make their own drinks (with support of course). It is very straight forward for the children to learn to use and much safer than handling a boiling jug!

Overall, we love this machine and after using it a lot over the past week, we would recommend it as a good option to provide a range of different drinks.

The Mini Me is a sleek little machine that doesn't look like it takes up much space at all, perfect for if you have a small kitchen or simply don't want to fill up too much of your precious bench space. It is a rather nice design, compared to the Jovia I liked it more but compared to the Melody I prefered the Melody. The Mini Me has a 0.8 Litre water capacity, which, when you stick to the designated amounts on the pods then it can do about six drinks (all depending mostly upon which drink you make and if you add extra water or not).

Looking at the box for this drink, I have to say that I like its design the most of the three and had a really nice picture of all the drinks range, showing each made up, in the suggested cup size and telling you what the name of it is, which certainly caught my eye and has me wanting to try a few of them so I'm hoping my grocery store stocks them. The water tank is easy enough to refill, not too awkward to do so and worked well with my kitchen tap.

This machine has a small lever to push between off, hot or cold, which also automatically switches off when it has let out its quota of water. Unlike the Jovia, this has a bar system so you can follow the suggestions on the packets ie. the Chocoletto says 3 bars for the chocolate and 3 bars for the milk, so for some drinks such as the Chai Tea Latte this works out very well. This machine also worked out to be the quietest of the three machines, though by a very small amount.

This is a nice little machine and does just what you would expect it to do, makes a nice drink.

As the name of this machine suggests 'mini' is exactly what this machine is. This was the smallest of the machines that I tried at a recent KIWIreviews event. Although it is the cheapest design, personally I think it is my preferred design. The footprint of this machine is small but not much smaller than the Jovia. With a well sized adjustable drip tray there is no risk of overflow. It is quite open where you put your cup so you are not restricted to a certain shaped cup. Because of this however I found this machine to be quite splashy.

Rather than an on/off button like the Melody, the Mini Me has a lever which you move to either hot or cold to turn on the water. The amount of water however is controlled by the bar setting you have set it (dependant on the bar setting recommended on the capsule). This bar setting is a bar you push up and down, which I feel has less to go wrong with compared to the Melody which has a scroll. However I did find that when you unlock the pod that the bar moves, which means you need to make sure you check this each time.

The water reserve is quite small at 800mls (approx. 3 drinks) and the only way to fill this up is by taking out the reserve, no filling while n the machine. Filling from a tap is very easy though. Because of this small reserve of water I would like to see this machine fitted with a cut out switch that when water got low it told you. We were caught out when this machine ran out of water half way through a coffee.

This is definitely my preferred design due to its size and cost - which doesn't compromise its functions.

I recently tried the Nescafe Dulce Gusto - Mini Me at a KIWIreviews product meet along with two of the other Nescafe machines the Melody and the Jovia. I really liked the Mini Me and would recommend it to others. It is the smallest of the three machines and for this reason is ideal for those living alone (or the only one that drinks hot drinks) or somewhere that bench space is limited.

The water tank holds 0.8L so would make three drinks before needing to be refilled. We found the water splashed out a bit when it was being refilling due to the shape of the opening. I think with practice you would find the easiest way to fill it. The drip tray's height, although small, is adjustable which to cater for the different mugs that you may use.

This machine made both hot and cold drinks. Since the water was heated instantly I was able to make myself an iced tea straight after someone else had made a hot drink and there wasn't any warm water in it. This also means that you can make your drink as hot or cold as you wish which is very handy when making a hot chocolate for the kids.

The Mini Me has a lever that you adjust for the amount of water that flows through the pod and into your cup. This is very handy as you don't have to focus of what you are doing. You can continue that important conversation with the kids or daydream for the few seconds it takes for your coffee to be ready.

Recently Countdown had a one day special on this machine and it was only $50. I wish I had known how good this machine was then as I would have bought a few as gifts for parents and in-laws. At the recommended retail price of $119 it is still good value.

I don't drink coffee. Never have, never will. Because of that I wasn't too sure how I would react this this machine... but still, it made hot chocolates so I figured it was worth a try anyway. I ended up quite glad I gave it a go, because while I wouldn't go out and buy one of these, I will certainly throw my lot in to any competitions I see that have these as prizes.

The machine itself was actually really easy to figure out, simple to get up and running, and quite effective at what it did. Cold water in, pod inserted, cup in place, set the water level to push through by adjusting the slider on the front to match the number of bars indicated on the pod, push the lever left for cold or right for hot, and away you go! Not rocket science by any means, and I struggle to understand how some people can find these "...confusing and awkward to use."

Where this machine did fail to impress me though was the unfathomable design choice made to put the flow-amount selector on the front of the pod-unit locking lever. When you are doing the same, or similar, drinks time after time, it's a fairly thing to fall into the set-&-forget frame of mind. However, while locking down the pods during testing, a number of times the lever got moved by the locking action. Not that the machine moved it, it was seen to be moved by being bumped by the hand as the lock was brought down and engaged.

I was also surprised that the adjustable base plate didn't have an extra step higher up, to allow for those really short demitasse cups for the single-shot espresso-style coffees that were included in the flavours tried at the event. I feel a better spacing for the base plate would be a good item on the "things we need to reassess in the next design phase" list.

Overall, while not my favourite machine by any means, it wasn't one I would grow to hate either. The manual nature of the temperature selection lever allowed a lot more flexibility when it comes to getting the heat just-so... even if I did find it a little dull standing there holding a lever like a trained chimp.

In testing out three different Dulce Gusto machines this weekend, this was the last I tried and if you take price into consideration, it would also be my pick of machines. At $119 it would be something that I would seriously consider buying even as a non coffee drinker. It would look stylish on my bench (and I don't normally like appliances on my bench) and would mean I could make the perfect coffee for visitors plus be able to make a great range of drinks for myself as there is a delicious hot chocolate in the range, plus some lovely speciality teas.

This one being the cheapest, holds the least amount of water at 800mls, but unlike a jug it doesn't need to be boiled each time you fill it because the water heats instantly as it goes through the pipes. So it's no biggie to fill it as you go if you need to make quite a few drinks.

I tried a hot chocolate pod first in this machine and it made a beautiful rich dark hot chocolate which wasn't sickly sweet but also didn't need sweetener added. The hot chocolates require a milk pod too (also supplied) which means making your drink in 2 stages. This is not an issue at all - in fact the whole process is so easy and fun that I quite like being able to use 2 pods. I noted that the drink in this machine seemed to come out hotter than in the first machine I tested. It wasn't scorching hot though so do note that if you like your drinks on the super hot side, but for me it was a perfect temperature.

Unlike the Jovia machine, this one allows you to select your drink size (based on the number of bars that the pod suggests) and so allows you to make the perfect drink based on the pod you select. The drink did seem to splash a bit as it flowed into the cup, but the cup tray is adjustable so it's not an issue at all. There is a great range of pods available and although aren't cheap, they are much cheaper than buying drinks at a cafe. Even as a non-coffee drinker, I can highly recommend this machine as a worthwhile purchase both for looks and functionality.

The Mini Me was the third machine that we tried on the weekend as part of our Dulce Gusto meet up. This is the bottom range machine for the three we tried, and it has a 800 ml capacity. The Mini Me machine is basically a mini to the Melody machine I think, because it has a similar look. Though obviously it is smaller.

I thought that the machine was a bit noisier than the other two we trialed. It seemed to make a bit more of a splattering noise as the pods were being used. That said, I enjoyed using this machine a lot. It has a way to set the bars so you know your drink it going to be standardized to the instructions on the pods. This is important to me, because I want to be sure of a consistent flavour every time.

The first time I tried using it, I locked a pod in place and tried to move the lever into place on the hot side. It popped back into the middle after a couple of seconds so I thought I needed to hold it in place. However, after my second go I realised I just hadn't pulled it to the side enough. Once I worked that out, I was off and I made a couple of different drinks, using the hot and cold options. I loved most of the pods we got a chance to use. I had the peach tea cold and I thought with some ice cubes it would be a brilliant summer addition. The coffees were all yummy too.

I liked the machine overall, because it was so easy to use. I liked that even though it was a lower range machine the features were all there. Okay, it didn't have the fancy light up dials, but it worked just as good. The only down side I felt this machine had was it's capacity size. If I was living on my own or with one other, this machine would be fine. But I am in a house of four, who usually had 3 - 5 visitors come to my house twice a week. So although this machine was good, I felt a bigger machine would suit my family best.

I recently brought one of these when Countdown had a huge special on them after hearing my friends rave about them. I was thrilled with my bargain and took it home to give it a try.

I pulled out the machine and set it up on the bench top and was eager to start making a coffee. I grabbed the instructions from the box and began to follow them. I got frustrated quite easily with the instructions as they were just pictures - not words. I am normally a very visual person but these pictures didn't make life easy for me.It would have been nice if there were words under the pictures also.

After fumbling my way through the instructions I managed to get the first lot of water through the machine and cleaned out. From there on in it was quite simple. I was stoked to find a sample pack of flavours inside the box so I could have a coffee straight away. It was rather simple to make the coffee which I liked. Put the pod in, change the slider to the correct amount of "bars" as shown on the pod then push the hot/cold lever to the right for hot and wait.

It's a very fast machine which I like. I would say it takes under a minute (if that) to make a nice hot coffee every time. It is great for a busy Mum like me trying to get two kids ready and out the door before 8:30am - means I can walk past, flick on the machine and my coffee is made in a minute.

I am thrilled with my purchase and can't wait to start collecting up some different flavours of the pods and giving them a try! Great job Nescafe on a quick and efficient coffee machine that is nice and small and fits perfectly on my bench.

I initially received a different kind of coffee machine as a gift but I did not like the flavour of the coffee that it made, or the lack of different pods you could buy for it. So after a little bit of research I decided to purchase a dolce gusto machine instead and I am so glad I did. I purchased my machine on special as to be honest spending $149 on a machine and then a further $10 on boxes of pods initially seemed to pricey to me. But when on special for $99 it was a bargain not to be missed.

The dolce gusto is a nice little machine. It is nicely designed and very easy to use. And if reading the instruction manual is not your style, the boxes of pods have a brief easy to follow instruction diagram printed on the box that is very easy to follow. The machine is a simple one piece gadget that has a water bottle that you remove and fill. The base your cip sits on is adjustable depending on your cup size also. You adjust the lever at the front with the amount of water required for the pod used, flick the switch to heat the water, fill your cup and then swap pods (most drinks require two pods, one of coffee and one of milk) and repeat process. Add sweetener if desired and enjoy.

I purchased three different types of coffee pods with my machine and each was just as easy as the other to use. And as an added bonus you can also buy hot chocolate pods too. Initially I thought the coffee tasted kind of weird. It was nice but had a flavour that seemed to occur with every type of pod used whether it was cappuccino, latte, or hot chocolate. A little further research and I discovered that the taste that kept coming through was milk powder. I still had the milk warmer/frother that was purchased with my first machine so I decided to forego the milk pods and heat/froth normal milk in the jug and use it instead.

Wow what a good move that was. Changing from milk pods to normal milk completely changed the flavour and instead of the milk powder taste over powering the coffee taste, my drinks were now exactly like those purchased in coffee shops. Soooo yum. I like a strong coffee so was also pleased when I discovered I could use the one pod twice for the same cup. Or if I had friends over who do not like coffee as strong as I, I was hapoy to have one as the pkt instructed but still using the one pod to make two very delicious cups of coffee. With the price of the pods that made my day!

I love my dolce gusto machine and have never looked back since buying it. And as an added bonus, it is so easy to use, even my kids (and hubby) can make me a cuppa without any problems. The only downsides are the cost of the pods and the lack of flavours in New Zealand. For example caramel latte is my all time favorite coffee. Nescafe makes caramel latte pods fir this machine but they are not available in New Zealand :( hopefully one-day they will be. The pods are expensive but when you consider the price of buying coffee from a cafe...I am saving a lot of money. Two thumbs up from me for sure.

I was lucky enough to be given a Nescafe Dolce Gusto for Christmas from my husband and I have to say it's the best present (beside my engagement ring) he has ever given me.

The Nescafe Dolce Gusto uses capsules and is one of the only capsule machines which delivers perfectly frothy milk as well. The capsules are around $10 a box and each box contains 16 capsules, for black coffees you get 16 cups per pack and for white coffees such as cappuccino and latte you get 8 coffee and 8 milk capsules giving you 8 cups per box. If coffee is not your thing you can also dial up the perfect hot chocolate! The machine can also deliver ice coffees and teas but currently these capsules haven't made it to New Zealand but Nescafe promise they will be arriving later in the year along with more of their coffee range.

The Nescafe Dolce Gusto is so quick and easy to use, within 30 seconds of switching it on it's good to go. Each capsule has a guide on where you should set the bar to deliver the perfect amount of water to make your coffee. I recommend having a play though as I discovered I like it slightly different, once you have the settings right though and to your taste you are sure to have perfect coffee every time.

I am a big coffee drinker and used to stop on my way to work every morning for coffee but since having my coffee machine I haven't brought a coffee. I've had a number of people comment on how it works out expensive with the price of the capsules but when you factor in the fact a takeaway coffee at the shop is roughly $5, by making my own takeaways each morning I have already saved heaps.