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Have you ever wondered about the comparison between Dolce Gusto vs Nespresso coffee pod machines? Read this post and wonder no more!
As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be? – Cassandra Clare
There was a time when the world wasn’t barreling full tilt into tomorrow like an out of control express train. It was a time when people could take the time to get to know each other and could wax philosophical and muse about their lives, their careers, and the jobs that they took in order to get to where they were.
Water cooler conversations and idly passing the time making endless pots full of industrial-grade coffee were the everyday norms. For the most part, people were content to just muddle along pretending to enjoy those things while contentedly ambling down the roads that they’d chosen.
But that was yesterday, and the day to day pace of filing each moment with the next has long since become a thing of the past. The way the game is played has changed and speed has become the essence that holds everything together as the future slowly gains momentum and crashes into the present with a ribald exuberance that was previously reserved for the cataclysmic events that shaped mankind’s destiny but is now simply known as Monday.
Just as the world changed, so did the way we work and the way we drink our coffee. No longer happy to wait for the communal pot to brew, coffee became an intensely personal thing that could be enjoyed in as many different ways as there as stars in the sky.
The age of non-descript, purely functional coffee came to an end, and no-one even noticed as it faded into obscurity and became the half-baked whispers of legend.
Today, people are different. Coffee is different and the way that people drink coffee is completely different.
Entire industries have grown up around, and have risen to support, the coffee revolution and while the populist idea of the hipster coffee joint and the secretive, exclusive establishments with hidden caffeine menus seems to drive the mainstream narrative regarding coffees surge in popularity, nothing could be further from the truth.
You don’t have to be cooler than Elvis during his Vegas heyday, or more hip and happening than a supermodel with an access all areas pass to Comic-Con to know all about and enjoy great coffee, you just have to know what you want and have great taste. And if you’re reading this, and want to know more about coffee makers, then we’re pretty sure that you’ve already got exemplary taste.
Good coffee doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be made by ridiculously talented baristas. Thanks to companies like Dolce Gusto and Nespresso, coffee that tastes like it was made in the Garden of Eden can be available to you at the touch of a button.
All you need is the right machine, some already prepared pods (it isn’t just peas that come in pods anymore, coffee does too), and a willingness to invest less than a minute of your time to make it. That said, the coffee business is flooded with rival companies all vying to sell their latest coffee makers to as many people as they possibly can and stake their claim to part of the ever-increasing market, and leading that charge are Dolce Gusto and Nespresso.
So, given their respective positions at the forefront of the coffee business, we thought it would be the ideal opportunity to take a closer look at the best-selling coffee makers from both Dolce Gusto and Nespresso in an effort to determine who makes the best all-round coffee machine. Enter the Dolce Gusto vs Nespresso Comparison. And we promise it is fair all-round!
Dolce Gusto Genio 2
When it comes to coffee, one of the biggest names in the business is Nescafe. But just because you’re a world-beating company, it doesn’t mean that you’re not interested in making what you do personal.
That’s exactly what Nescafe did with Dolce Gusto, their brand of pod-based coffee and coffee machines that are designed to make the experience of enjoying coffee idiosyncratic, distinctive, and individual.
Even though they make a huge range of coffee machines, the Genio 2 is one of their best selling products and the individual way of brewing coffee that legions of fans have flocked to and hold dear. Made with the coffee lover on the go in mind, the Genio 2 is a single cup coffee maker that can replicate, and brew, the sort of artisanal coffees that are the specialities of the most furtive of coffee establishments.
And best of all? If you don’t want anyone to know about your coffee secret weapon, it’s small enough to disappear into the background of your kitchen. No-one will even know it’s there.
Using a single Dolce Gusto pod to brew the coffee of your choice, the Genio 2 has a fifteen bar pressure system that means your freshly brewed coffee will possess the same intensity, flavour and aroma as any of the finest, freshest brewed java that’s served in your local coffee shop does.
And while we’re on the subject of intensity, the LED display on the top of the Genio 2 serves as a perfect guide to the strength, intensity and flavour of your coffee. Easily controlled with a single switch, you’ll be the master of your coffee experience from the moment you switch the Genio 2 on.
With an incredibly vast selection of coffee pods to choose from, including espresso, cappuccino, flavoured coffees and a whole range of Starbuck’s inspired brews, the Genio 2 is a personal coffee revolution that lets you take the reigns and make your own decisions.
Unlike other speciality coffee makers, the pods that the Genio 2 uses are widely available in stores and supermarkets and you don’t have to order them directly from the manufacturer. So you’ll have the freedom to chart your own coffee course and discover what it is you love about coffee.
And best of all? The Genio 2 is just at home making any of the large variety of cold drinks, like Peach Iced Tea, that Dolce Gusto also produces. Coffee isn’t just about big business, with Dolce Gusto it’s personal.
- The NESCAFE Dolce Gusto Genio 2 is an automatic capsule coffee machine, designed to perfectly fit your single cup, black and specialty coffee brewing needs with a small footprint
- COFFEE HOUSE INSPIRED DRINKS - Explore the wide variety of decadent flavors and coffee house inspired drinks offered by the NESCAFE Dolce Gusto capsule-based coffee machine - choose from authentic Espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte, and more
- EASY INTERFACE - Use the toggle-stick to adjust the LED display controlling the size and intensity of your coffee, match the LED bars to the bars on your Dolce Gusto capsule, position the toggle stick to either hot or cold, and brew
- PRESSURE BASED SYSTEM – The Genio 2’s 15 bars of pressure allows high level extraction for optimal flavor, aroma, and body delivered consistently in every cup
- ULTIMATE COFFEE FRESHNESS - After spending our time crafting the perfect coffee, we then hermetically seal the capsule to prevent humidity and oxygen from damaging our coffee; this proprietary technology ensures an intensely aromatic and fresh cup every time
Last update on 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Maker with Aerocinno
The other alpha coffee pod maker in the game is Nespresso.
One of the first companies to turn their attention to the manufacture of coffee pods in an effort to let people replicate the barista experience in the comfort of their own homes with little, or next to no previous knowledge of coffee, Nespresso has become one of the globally recognised faces of coffee excellence.
Worshipped by coffee lovers the world over, Nespresso’s Vertuo Coffee and Espresso maker is the machine that caffeine dreams are made of.
The Vertuo is a miracle of sleek design that due in no small to it’s adjustable and moveable twenty four ounce water tank, can comfortably fit on any kitchen countertop or surface.
It uses Nespresso’s patented Centrifusion brewing technology, which spins the coffee pod at thousands of revolutions per minute to ensure a full and even dispersal of the pod’s contents, to brew coffee which guarantees that every cup you’ll make is consistently full of the rich, aromatic flavour that Nespresso is famous for.
While most of their competitors don’t acknowledge it, Nespresso knows that in this crazy modern world, time is at a premium and that’s why it only takes the Vertuo less than twenty seconds to brew a cup of coffee.
Hit the switch and fifteen Mississippi’s later, you’ll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy your coffee. Nespresso takes up less of your time so that you can have more time to enjoy what they do.
Capable of making five different sizes of coffee, from Espresso all the way through to the Alto, at the touch of a button, the Vertuo also uses Nespresso’s pod recognition system to identify which blend it’s brewing, which makes sure that you’ll always get a perfect cup of coffee.
And if you do forget to switch the Vertuo off? Don’t worry about it, it’ll do it for you. If you leave the Vertuo alone, after nine minutes, it’ll just power down until the next time you need it.
No matter what your mood, or what type of coffee you’re craving, Nespresso make a Vertuo pod that’ll hit the spot, and if they make the pod, the Vertuo can make the coffee. And depending on whether you like milk in your coffee or not, you can order a Vertuo with or without an Aerocinno milk frother.
But we always think it”s better to be prepared and have one just in case, because you never know what life has in store for you. Regardless of whatever else is going on in the world, the one thing you’ll always be able to count on is your Nespresso Vertuo.
- SINGLE SERVE COFFEE & ESPRESSO MACHINE: Single serve coffee or espresso at the touch of a button. Innovative programs and features such as 25 sec heat up & energy saving automatic shut off.
- COFFEE FOR EVERY OCCASION: Brew better coffee at home with Nespresso's coffee espresso machine! Drink your coffee bold, mild hot, or iced.
- VERSATILE COFFEE MAKER: Brew 4 different cup sizes at the touch of a button (5oz & 8oz coffee, single & double espresso). Pour over ice to create your favorite blend of iced coffee and lattes.
- AEROCCINO MILK FROTHER INCLUDED: The Nespresso Aeroccino3 provides smooth hot or cold milk froth for your coffee recipes in a few seconds with one touch.
- COMPLIMENTARY GIFT: Each machine includes a complimentary starter set of Nespresso capsules (capsule assortment may vary from picture).
Last update on 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Buying Guide
Dolce Gusto versus Nespresso – Which Coffee Maker Is The Right One For Me?
The battle of the coffee pod Titans, while being waged on many fronts, has to be decided by the individual, and what’s important to them. In other words, you’re going to have to make your own mind up about whether you want a Dolce Gusto or a Nespresso coffee maker.
In terms of functionality, Nespresso has the edge on Dolce Gusto. That said, the only way to get Nespresso coffee pods is by ordering them directly from Nespresso, whereas you can pick up almost all of Dolce Gusto’s pod from wherever coffee is sold.
So, what it all boils down to is this. Do you want the ease of being able to always have a cup of coffee on hand that Dolce Gusto guarantees, or do you prefer the near limitless world of coffee that Nespresso promises knowing that there’s a chance that you won’t always be able to enjoy a good cup of coffee whenever you want to? The choice, as an infinitely wise soul once said, is yours.
Other Nespresso Machines
We have reviewed other Nespresso machines that you may find interesting. These are
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