Buy Nespresso Original if you drink espresso, ristretto or lungo and want the widest choice of capsules, and buy Dolce Gusto if you want cappuccino, latte and other milk drinks made straight from capsules. Coffee & Cream stocks both systems in Egypt, and their capsules do not fit each other's machines.
Nespresso vs Dolce Gusto, side by side
| What you care about | Nespresso Original | Dolce Gusto |
|---|---|---|
| Drinks in the cup | Espresso, ristretto and lungo. Nespresso's own capsules in this line are all coffee. | Espresso, ristretto and lungo, plus milk drinks the machine makes from capsules: cappuccino, flat white, café au lait and latte macchiato. |
| Capsule choice | The widest range we sell. Original Nespresso capsules (10 per box) such as Arpeggio, Ristretto Italiano, Roma, Volluto, Napoli and Palermo Kazaar, plus capsules compatible with Nespresso Original from Illy, Lavazza, Starbucks, Kimbo, Granell and Daniel's Blend. | Nescafé Dolce Gusto boxes (16 capsules) such as Cappuccino, Flat White, Café au Lait, Latte Macchiato, Espresso Intenso and Lungo. Starbucks for Dolce Gusto (12 capsules) and Caffè Vergnano Intenso, compatible with Dolce Gusto (12 capsules). |
| Milk drinks | Milk is a separate step. Use one of our milk frothers, or pick a Lattissima One or Gran Lattissima, which make milk drinks too. | Several best sellers are milk drinks made in the machine from capsules. You do not need a separate frother for those drinks. |
| Cost per cup | Check the price box on the Nespresso capsules collection. It shows the lowest and highest price, per capsule and per kilo. | Check the price box on the Dolce Gusto pods collection. It shows the lowest and highest price, per capsule and per kilo. |
| Machines we stock | Essenza Mini, Inissia C40, CitiZ, Lattissima One and Gran Lattissima, plus a stainless steel machine compatible with Nespresso. See Nespresso machines. | Mini Me, Piccolo XS and Esperta. See Dolce Gusto machines. |
We do not stock Vertuo capsules. Every Nespresso machine and capsule on this page is from the Original line.
Who should pick which
Pick Nespresso Original when the cup you want is a short, strong coffee and you like switching brands. One machine takes Nespresso's own capsules and a long list of capsules compatible with Nespresso Original, so you can move from Arpeggio or Palermo Kazaar to Illy Classico or Lavazza Qualità Rossa without changing the machine.
Pick Dolce Gusto when the household wants café drinks with milk, and wants them from the capsule. Cappuccino, Flat White, Café au Lait, Latte Macchiato and the Starbucks macchiatos are made in the machine. Espresso Intenso and Ristretto Ardenza sit next to them for a straight coffee, and Lungo and Starbucks Grande House Blend give a longer black cup.
The Dolce Gusto system also makes hot chocolate. Hot chocolate capsules sell out and come back, so check the Dolce Gusto pods page for what is in stock before you count on that drink.
What a cup costs to run
The machine is a one-time buy. The capsule is the cost you pay every morning. The Nespresso boxes named on this page hold 10 capsules, the Nescafé Dolce Gusto boxes named here hold 16, and the Starbucks for Dolce Gusto and Caffè Vergnano Intenso boxes hold 12. Pack size alone does not tell you the cost of a cup, because the box prices differ.
Open the price box on Nespresso capsules and the price box on Dolce Gusto pods. Each box shows the lowest and highest price, per capsule and per kilo, and it updates every night. A milk drink on Dolce Gusto often uses more than one capsule in the same cup, so check on the product page how many capsules the drink takes before you compare it with a single Nespresso shot.
Machines we stock
Nespresso Original
- Essenza Mini: Our best-selling Nespresso machine, in red, black, silver, white, gray and green.
- Inissia C40: Red, creamy white or black.
- CitiZ: Black.
- Lattissima One: Shadow, in white or black, for people who want milk drinks from a Nespresso machine.
- Gran Lattissima: White, also for milk drinks.
- Stainless steel capsule machine: Compatible with Nespresso, from another maker. It takes the same Original capsules.
A beginner who only wants espresso can start with the Essenza Mini or the Inissia C40. Every machine in this list takes Nespresso capsules.
Dolce Gusto
- Piccolo XS: Labelled manual. White, or black from De'Longhi. You stop each pour yourself when the cup reaches the level you want.
- Mini Me: Nescafé Dolce Gusto, in black/gray or gray/black, one of them from De'Longhi.
- Esperta: Black.
If you are happy to stop each pour yourself, the Piccolo XS is the simple choice. If you would rather set the level and let the machine stop on its own, check the Mini Me and Esperta product pages for how each one brews before you order.
Multi-capsule machines
Both machine collections also carry multi-capsule machines, such as the One life 4 in 1. Check the product page for which capsule systems a machine takes before you buy capsules for it.
FAQ
Are Dolce Gusto and Nespresso capsules compatible?
No. A Nespresso Original capsule does not fit a Dolce Gusto machine, and a Dolce Gusto capsule does not fit a Nespresso machine. Buy capsules for the machine you own. The capsule compatibility guide walks through which box goes in which system.
Which Dolce Gusto machine should I buy?
Buy the Piccolo XS if you want a manual model and you are happy to stop the pour yourself. For the Mini Me and the Esperta, check the product page for manual or automatic brewing. Our Dolce Gusto how-to guide shows how each type brews, and all of these machines take the same Dolce Gusto pods.
Which Nespresso machine is best to start with?
The Essenza Mini is our best-selling Nespresso machine, and the Inissia C40 comes next. Both take the same Nespresso Original capsules. If you want the machine to make milk drinks, pick the Lattissima One or Gran Lattissima.
What is the difference between Nespresso and espresso?
Espresso is a short, concentrated coffee. Nespresso is a brand and a capsule system that brews that drink, along with ristretto and lungo, from a sealed capsule. You can also make espresso on a portafilter machine with ground coffee. Our coffee machine comparison sets capsule machines next to espresso machines if you are still choosing the method.
Which Nespresso capsules are best to start with?
Go by the intensity on the box. Volluto and Cosi at 4 are the gentle end, Arpeggio at 9 sits in the middle, and Napoli at 13 is the strongest Nespresso box we stock. To try another brand in the same machine, pick a capsule compatible with Nespresso Original, such as Illy Classico or Lavazza Qualità Rossa.
What is the difference between the Nespresso capsules?
On Nespresso's own Original capsules, the box tells you the intensity, from 4 to 13 in the boxes we stock, and the cup length: ristretto, espresso or lungo. The Nespresso capsule types guide goes through each capsule.
What to order
Start with the machine, then stock up on capsules for it: Nespresso machines and Nespresso capsules, or Dolce Gusto machines and Dolce Gusto pods. Orders reach Cairo and Giza in 1 to 2 business days and other governorates in 2 to 4 business days. You can pay cash on delivery or by card. Delivery fees are on the shipping policy page.