It’s the nations favourite Pod coffee brand often known as Nescafe Dolce Gusto, for those who like Starbucks coffee it now includes Starbucks brand coffee to work in their Pods. So what does this ‘XS’ machine offer well first it is rather small with a water tank to match. So probably the ideal unit for a single user or just maybe a couple.
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click image to enlargeThe Krups Piccolo XS measures 28cm tall, 24cm deep and 13cm wide so any other Krups machine dwarfs it.
The only instructions are on the outside of the box but as everything is assembled all you need to do is insert the mains plug, put water in the clear container at the back and lift the preparation lid an insert a capsule.
There is no on/off button just lifting the preparation lid and inserting a Pod turns the machine on and around 30 seconds later the red flashing LED turns green and you turn the lever on the top to the left and hot water goes through the Pod and into the cup you placed on the drip tray.
All Pods have a recommended amount of water but your own taste will determine if you add that or more just flip the lever back to the middle and your coffee is made assuming you have it black or the new ‘Flat White’ Pod that is all in one. If you have it white repeat to add the milk Pod.
The water container will hold enough water for between three and five cups unless you just drink Expresso when it will be more.
A few of the more popular brands are stocked by most Supermarkets and some do their own versions providing the box says Dolce Gusto compatible they should work.
Looking at the Nescafe Dolce Gusto site finds they now do eight different Starbucks boxes that tend to have 12 Pods in rather than the 16 of the majority of their own boxes.
Nescafe now do so many different types of Pods they break the pages into types so it’s probably well over fifty most of which are only available by mail order.
I was sent several of the Starbucks Pods which are a recent introduction, one was Caramel Macchiato which if you like it in Starbucks you should like it in the Pods. Another was Starbucks Americano which is black, but in most coffee shops it can be black or white either with foamed hot milk or cold milk.
If you have a favourite type of coffee then I am sure Nescafe will do it in some form or other.
They also do some brands designed to be drunk cold and the lever on top of the machine moves the other way to input cold water to the Pod.
There are numerous different machines to suit the single or couple with this Piccolo XS machine up to larger households try searching through the archives of Gadgetspeak for larger machine to suit the larger family or small office. A range of machines are shown on the final link below. There are a wide range of pods available to cater for all tastes. At the time of publication the Krup Piccolo XS is available from Amazon for £47.97
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