To use a Dolce Gusto machine from Coffee & Cream, fill the water tank, put a capsule in the holder, set the water level shown on the capsule, and press start. On a manual model such as the Piccolo XS you stop the flow yourself; on an automatic model you set the level before you start; and for a milk drink that comes as two capsules you run the milk capsule first and the coffee capsule second.
What a Dolce Gusto machine does
A Dolce Gusto machine is a capsule brewer. It heats water from the tank and pushes it through a sealed capsule into your cup. Coffee & Cream stocks the Nescafé Dolce Gusto Mini Me, the Nescafé Dolce Gusto Piccolo XS and the Dolce Gusto Esperta. The Piccolo XS is the manual machine in the range. Each model takes Dolce Gusto capsules. Nespresso capsules are a different shape and do not fit.
Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules cover Espresso, Lungo and Americano, plus milk drinks such as Cappuccino, Flat White, Café au Lait and Latte Macchiato. Starbucks Dolce Gusto capsules are made for the same machines. Caffè Vergnano, LaCapsuleria and Caffè Borbone capsules are compatible with Dolce Gusto, and Nescafé does not make them. For chocolate there is KitKat Hot Chocolate, also compatible with Dolce Gusto, and Mars, Maltesers, Bounty, Snickers and Twix pods.
Using a Dolce Gusto machine for the first time
Before the first cup, fill the tank with fresh drinking water and fit it in place. Leave the capsule holder empty, put a large cup under the outlet and run water through the machine, then throw that water away. This flushes the machine's water lines after storage.
Step by step
- Fill the tank with fresh water and seat it so it sits flat.
- Plug the machine in and switch it on. Wait until it has finished heating and is ready to brew.
- Open the locking handle, put one capsule in the capsule holder, and close the handle. If the capsule does not sit flat, take it out and seat it again.
- Put a cup on the drip tray.
- Check the water level printed on the capsule. On an automatic machine, set that level now. The manual for your Mini Me or Esperta shows how its water level control works.
- Press start. On a manual machine such as the Piccolo XS, stop the flow yourself once the amount shown on the capsule has gone through. An automatic machine stops on its own.
- Wait until the flow has stopped before you take the cup or open the handle.
- Open the handle, take out the used capsule and throw it away.
Cappuccino, latte and hot chocolate, with one capsule or two
Some Dolce Gusto milk drinks use two capsules, one for milk and one for coffee. Check the box. It shows how many capsules the drink takes, which one goes first, and the water level for each. When the box shows two capsules, run the milk capsule first and the coffee capsule second, into the same cup. Do not guess from the drink name. A cappuccino or latte on one pack can be built differently from another pack.
Hot chocolate and the chocolate pods run in the same holder. Read their pack too for the water level, and to see whether the drink takes one capsule or two and which goes first.
Cleaning the capsule holder
Take the used capsule out after every drink. A used capsule left in the machine lets coffee residue dry in the holder. Rinse the holder and the drip tray under the tap, and wipe the outside of the machine with a soft, damp cloth once it is off and cool. If the needle is blocked, clear it the way the manual shows. If a capsule is stuck, switch the machine off, let it cool, then open the handle and lift the capsule out. Empty the drip tray before it fills to the top.
Descaling
Scale builds up in the heater and the water lines, and it builds faster with hard water. Descale the machine regularly, and more often if your tap water is hard. Follow the descaling steps in the manual for your Mini Me, Piccolo XS or Esperta. The manual gives the solution and the cycle for that model.
When the cup comes out wrong
- No water comes out: Check that the tank has water and is pushed fully into place, that the capsule holder is locked, and that the needle is clear. Scale or dried coffee can block the needle. The manual shows how to clear it.
- Weak coffee: The water level was too high for that capsule. Stop at the water level printed on the capsule. More water makes a longer, thinner cup.
FAQ
How do you put the pod in a Dolce Gusto machine?
Open the locking handle, put the capsule in the holder, and close the handle. If it does not sit flat, take it out and seat it again. Brew one capsule at a time. On a two-capsule drink, the second capsule goes in only after the first one has finished.
How do you make coffee with Dolce Gusto?
Fill the tank, switch the machine on, and wait until it is ready. Put one capsule in the holder and close the handle, set the water level on the capsule, and press start. On the manual Piccolo XS you stop the flow yourself. On an automatic model you set the level before the flow begins.
What is a Dolce Gusto machine?
It is a capsule machine that brews coffee, milk drinks and chocolate from Dolce Gusto capsules. In the Coffee & Cream range the machines are the Mini Me, the manual Piccolo XS and the Esperta. The Nespresso and Dolce Gusto guide explains how the two capsule systems differ.
Do Starbucks capsules work in a Dolce Gusto machine?
Yes, when the pack says Dolce Gusto. Starbucks by Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules are made for Dolce Gusto machines. Brew them like any Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsule, and use the water level on the Starbucks pack. To check which capsule fits which machine, see the capsule compatibility guide.
How much is a Dolce Gusto machine?
The price of each machine is on its product page inside the Dolce Gusto machines collection. Compare the Mini Me, the Piccolo XS and the Esperta there, and read the live price on the model you want.
Pick a machine from Dolce Gusto machines and the capsules from Dolce Gusto pods. The Dolce Gusto capsules guide groups the drinks by style and lists what to check on each box.