Gift Guide: Nescafe Dolce Gusto machines

Meet our apartment coffee machine. Its name is Mumbles.

Well, it’s actually the new bite-sized machine from Nescafe Dolce Gusto, the Piccolo. But it’s so cute and reminds us of the little penguin in Happy Feet, so we named it Mumbles.

A few months ago, I went to the Robert Verdi Luxe Labroatory (read: can I make this my dream NYC apartment?) for the unveiling of the new line of single serve coffee machines from Nescafe, which also included the Melody II, Circolo and Creativa. Design expert Stephen Saint-Onge was on hand once again to give us design tips for the holidays (I’ll list some of them at the end of this post!).

Soon after the event, they actually sent me the little Piccolo to try out myself. This is my second encounter with the machine, as you might know from my earlier post about the Dolce Gusto machines. One of the things I surprisingly love is the flavor. I thought because they are pre-packaged capsules and not straight coffee beans, it would make a dramatic difference in the taste, but not so. That’s because each of the capsules contain 100% Arabic coffee and hormone-free milk. They also come in 12 different flavors. This one in particular I especially appreciate because living in Manhattan, you don’t get a whole lot of space in your apartments. This barely takes up any counter space (I would imagine that’s also why it would make a good gift for dorming college students). I also think it’s fairly budget-friendly — it starts at $89.

After using it for about a month, here are some things I love about it:

– It’s low maintenance. Because you use Nescafe’s own capsules, there’s no mess and you just toss out the capsule after you’re done.

– A quick cup of coffee. When you turn it on, you just have to wait a few seconds for it to be ready. I especially appreciate this when I’m running to work. Kinda beats waiting in the long lines outside of Starbucks in the morning.

– Intuitive design. It’s pretty easy to operate. There was one thing I had to pick up on, but I did fairly quickly: To make the cappuccino, you use one milk capsule, and then one coffee capsule. The thing I found after my first attempt was that you have to determine how much milk you’re going to use yourself. For some reason, I thought it shuts off automatically after you get the right amount of milk, but you have to turn it off manually. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, since it really depends on how much you want to drink. But after the first try, I got the hang of it.

– You can make hot or cold drinks. Another cool feature about this is you can switch between making cold or hot drinks. I have their ice tea capsules. AlI have to do is put a little ice in a glass, pop in the capsule, and switch the dial to the left for the cool (blue) setting. I can do the same thing to make cold coffee when the weather’s warm.

And now, some of Stephen Saint-Onge’s holiday party tips:

START WITH A CLEAN SLATE. clean up the surface areas — get rid of old mail, papers, and receipts from the counter space. Clean up the visual of what the guests will see.

SHOP FOR DECOR AT THE GROCERY STORE. Get unconventional items from the grocery store to save you time and money. Bright red cranberries combined with red or white roses bunched together can add an instant festive look. Staggering white candles also add to the decor.

CREATE “MOMENTS.” Instead of decorating a whole room, create a special “moment” in each area to draw in your guests. It can be as easy as a dessert table in the family room. Just dim the lights and let the glow of warm candlelight guide your guests. Some examples:
– Assemble tight arrangements of red or white florals in clear vases with cranberries floating in the water below.
– Fill clear vases or pitchers with sparkling water, drop in some cranberries and top with a few floating candles.
– Create a winter wonderland by using only crystal dishware and glassware.

CREATE A “SEND-OFF” TABLE. Creating a coffee bar can be a great and affordable parting gift for guests. Decorate the table with festive paper cups, wrapped up cookie treats or desserts. This is where the Dolce Gusto machines can be a perfect fit.

Check out www.dolce-gusto.us for a full list of their products or to order a machine for yourself. They are also available nationwide at Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, Sur la Table, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam’s Club and amazon.com.

Do you own a coffee machine? I’m curious to know which one you have at home.

x
Shy

P.S. JUST in case you’re wondering what’s up with all the Hi-C juice boxes in the very first picture with Mumbles — no, we’re not 12 but my roomie is a die-hard Hi-C advocate. Thus, we have a bottomless supply in our kitchen. She loves telling people it’s the only juice that doesn’t stain your clothes.