Espresso Club » Espresso Machines

Nespresso Pixie Review – Magimix vs. Krups

admin — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 18:17:04 +0000

The Nespresso Pixie is the newest and fastest yet espresso machine for the Nespresso capsule system. Nespresso machines use specific capsules produced by Nespresso (See Nespresso capsules range) to make espressos and other coffee drinks. This machine takes only 25 seconds to heat up, in order to make you the perfect espresso (40ml) or lungo (110ml). The two coffee buttons are already programmed to give you the perfect dosage for your choice of beverage.

It has a used capsule container that can hold 9-11 used capsules, so you don’t need to cleanup after every use, and a 0.7 liter water tank. This coffee machine also has a foldable cup support to allow usage of both tall latte glasses and short espresso cups. The Nespresso Pixie is not made directly for making cappuccinos as it doesn’t have a built-in milk frother, but you may purchase this machine bundled with the newest generation Nespresso Aeroccino 3 to make the perfect cappuccino!

If you’re familiar with Nespresso’s line of coffee machines, you may very well know that in Europe most of them are sold for Nespresso by both Krups and Magimix and are slightly different. An example can be seen in several of my posts, including the one for the very popular Nespresso CitiZ coffee machine. The main difference between the Krups and Magimix models is how the coffee outlet looks. You’ll see it clearly in the photos below.

Nespresso Pixie (Magimix models)

Magimix Pixie M110 Electrical Aluminum

Magimix Pixie M110 Electric Lime Green

Magimix Pixie M110 Electric Steel Blue

As you can see the coffee outlet has a kind of a pointing down hose like shape. However, as you can see below in Pixie’s case, the Magimix and Krups models have totally different colors as well:

Nespresso Pixie (Krups models)

Krups Pixie XN300540 Titanium

Krups Pixie XN300640 Red

Krups Pixie XN300940 Indigo

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Nespresso Pixie coffee machines

Coffee Machines Summary

The Nespresso Pixie is a very stylish and practical coffee machine, especially for making espressos. If you desire a coffee machine that makes cappuccinos on a daily basis, go for the Pixie + Aeroccino bundle. Here is the feature summary of these machines:

The fastest Nespresso machine with a 25 second brewing temperature heating time.
19-bar high-pressure Thermoblock pump.
Two buttons for different doses – preparing espresso or lungo.
Weighs about 3 Kilograms.
A removable 0.7 Liter water container.
Automatic warning light when water level is down.
Low energy consumption – goes to power off.
Dimensions – 11.1 x 23.5 x 32.6 cm (W x H x D)
Download a copy of Magimix Pixie instruction manual

Dualit Latteccino Milk Frother

admin — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:21:27 +0000

So you’ve bought your new coffee machine, whether it’s a Nespresso machine, Caffitaly machine, Senseo or any traditional ground coffee machine. You’re all happy making your first cup of coffee and then you realize – Oh my gosh! My coffee machine doesn’t have a milk frother nozzle! I can only make espressos…

Ok – That may be a little extreme because I’m sure you’ve made a serious market research before shopping for such a trendy and useful appliance for your kitchen. If you decided to buy an espresso machine without a milk frothing nozzle, you must have meant for that to be so.

But let’s say you didn’t… Hold on to that thought for a second.

Now let’s assume you do like to have cappuccinos as well and you did buy a Nespresso machine with a milk frothing nozzle or any other coffee machine for that matter. I don’t want to be the one to break it to you, but there is a good chance that you may get tired of waiting when switching between coffee mode and milk mode on your machine, and of all the hassle and cleanup.

Dualit Latteccino Milk Frother

For both cases I’ve just described there is a simple and really cool solution, not to mention it works beautifully. The Dualit Lattenccino Milk Frother is the answer to Nespresso’s Aeroccino which is also a great device.
It is basically a milk frother mug, that steams or heats up your milk within 70 to 90 seconds on the press of a button. That’s it – not much to explain. It is cordless so you can take it with you to the table and have 2 screw-on attachments that function for heating or steaming milk. I’ve seen this appliance in action and it works wonderfully. This is a must have companion for your home coffee machine whether it has a milk frothing nozzle or whether it doesn’t.

The Latteccino Milk Frothers comes in 4 colours – Chrome, Cream, Black and Red. Price runs between £50 – £60.

Features as mentioned by the manufacturer:

Dual function – perfectly frothed or heated milk at the touch of a button
From cold to hot (and frothed if required) milk in only 70 seconds
Filling capacity 150ml for frothed milk and 250ml for heated milk
Cordless operation with 360° swivel base; can be placed on its base at any rotary angle
Heats milk to around 65°C
Jug has non-stick coating for easy cleaning
Automatic switch off
Non-slip rubber feet
Available in polished stainless steel or gloss colours
Weight 0.9kg, dimensions 16 x 12 x 17.5 cm

Download the manuals for the chrome model and other models here.

The Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother

Dolce Gusto Piccolo

admin — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:52:18 +0000

The NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Piccolo by Krups is a new addition to the NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto System. This coffee and hot beverage machine uses the capsules made exclusively by NESCAFÉ to brew a frew cup of cappuccino, espresso or hot chocolate. It is a compact solution small of size, and of price.

Dolce Gusto Piccolo

The technology behind Dolce Gusto coffee machines deliver a 15-bar pressure system and Thermoblock. This ensures that your espresso dose is delivered with high quality and a foamy froth, rich crema and luxurious flavor.

The Dolce Gusto Piccolo has a custom control lever that lets you decide and customize customize your coffee’s strength and mixture. Also use the lever to alternate between hot and cold beverages.

Technical Specification

White, Red, and Black stylish design
High 15 bar pressure with Thermoblock Boiler
Stainless Steel and height adjustable drip tray
Dishwasher safe capsule holder
0.62 Liter removable water tank
Machine Size 11.3(H) x 6.26(W) x 8.66(L) in

Francis Francis X7

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:38:22 +0000

The Francis Francis X7 iperEspresso coffee machine is very elegantly designed and extremely convenient to use. This machine uses the illy iperEspresso capsules. The patented capsules by illy basically work like other systems such as the Nespresso capsule system or the Caffitaly system. The ground coffee comes is a pre-prepared dose inside a capsule. The capsule is then inserted into the Francis Fancis X7 and with one click of a button you get the perfect espresso. With the iperEspresso system, the espresso is ejected directly in the cup, without any contact with the machine, resulting in minimum cleanup and maintenance.

iperEspresso Capsules System

The Francis Francis X7 uses a one-touch brewing cycle, so all you need to do is press a button and the espresso is prepared. However, there is also an auto-stop feature if you prefer to manually set the dosing of water for your espresso. The machine also has a built in milk frothing nozzle for preparation of cappuccino and latte.

The Francis Francis X7 coffee machine is designed by famous Italian architect Luca Trazzi, and come in either black,r red color. Definitely one of the strong sides of the beautiful machine is its retro but futuristic design that would add a lot to any kitchen.

Francis Francis X7

Download the Francis Francis X7 User Manual here.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Francis Francis X7 Coffee Machine.

Francis Francis X7 Coffee Machine Summary

One-touch brewing cycle
Easy-use handle to hold iperEspresso capsule
Lighted central display and acoustic signals to guide user
No contact between machine and coffee inside the capsule for a clean system
Traditional steam wand for thick, frothy cappuccino and latte
Auto-stop feature to control cup volume
Automatic decalcification program
Brass boiler with automatic boiler refill
15 bar pump
34 ounce water tank (approx. 22-30 servings)
Polycarbonate body
Works exclusively with illy iperEspresso capsules
Available in red, black or white

Best Nespresso Capsules

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:18:46 +0000

What are the best Nespresso Capsules for latte? cappuccino? espresso?
If you’ve recently bought a Nespresso CitiZ coffee machine or planning to purchase one soon, you may be asking yourself this question. Well, you are not the only one. Have a look at the Nespresso Capsules range and Nespresso’s suggestions for which type of coffee best fits each blend.

Please add your comments based on your experience as to the different blends offered by Nespresso.

You can also get more information about Nespresso Capsules on my Nespresso Capsules – Where to Buy post, or about Nespresso capsule holders.

Best Nespresso Capsules

Ristretto - Strength 10/10, best for espresso or cappuccino
Indriya - Strength 10/10, best for espresso or cappuccino
Arpeggio - Strength 9/10, best for espresso or cappuccino
Roma - Strength 8/10, best for espresso
Fortissio Lungo - Strength 7/10, best for lungo
Decaffeinato Inteso - Strength 7/10, best for espresso
Livanto - Strength 6/10, best for espresso
Rosabaya - Strength 6/10, best for espresso
Capriccio - Strength 5/10, best for espresso
Dulsão - Strength 5/10, best for espresso
Volluto - Strength 4/10, best for espresso
Vivalto Lungo – Strength 4/10, best for lungo
Cosi - Strength 3/10, best for espresso
Finezzo Lungo - Strength 3/10, best for lungo
Decaffeinato Lungo - Strength 3/10, best for lungo
Decaffeinato - Strength 2/10, best for espresso

Lavazza A Modo Mio

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:21:38 +0000

Lavazza A Modo Mio is another capsule system for coffee machines. Similar to Nespresso or Tassimo, the system is a combination of coffee machines that produce espresso and coffee beverages from dedicated capsules for that system only. The machines for Lavazza A Modo Mio are actually manufactured by Saeco, a well known coffee machines manufacturer. Saeco makes different types of machines but this partnership with Lavazza brought to life these exciting looking easy to handle coffee machines.

Lavazza A Modo Mio

So what does Lavazza A Modo Mio offer the coffee enthusiast?

A sharp looking coffee machine with a choice of classic colors such as black or white, and more outrageous ones like Extra Green, for as low as £99.95
7 espresso blends in capsules to give you the freedom to pick your favorite flavor!
Easy one-click preparation of delicious espresso.
Milk frothing nozzle, to prepare the perfect cappuccino.
An adjustable dosing system to set the amount of coffee you like in your espresso (in the premium models).
Coffee capsules are competitively priced at around £3.95 per 16 capsule pack. That about 25p per capsule!

Lavazza A Modo Mio Capsules

Lavazza A Modo Mio has 3 lines of coffee machines: A Modo Mio Extra, A Modo Mio Limited Edition, and A Modo Mio Premium. Only the latter is actually different with the adjustable dosing system to set the volume and temperature of each espresso dose. That would cost you an additional £40-£60.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Lavazza A Modo Mio.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Coffee Machine Summary

Lavazza A Modo Mio Capsules System Coffee Machine
1 Click Operation
Milk Frother Nozzle
15 Bar Pressure
Power Consumption: 1050W/230 V – 50Hz
Package Weight: approx. 6.70KG
Dimensions: 235x330x305 mm

Nescafé Dolce Gusto Capsules Roundup

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:15:40 +0000

Nescafé Dolce Gusto is a system developed by Nestle for hot beverage or coffee machines. The system is based on its own coffee machines that make coffee and other hot beverages such as hot chocolate, using specially designed capsules. You are invited to read my post about the Nescafé Dolce Gusto system.

Capsules are usually sold in packs of 16 units, starting from £3.50. Here is a roundup of all the beverages capsules I could find online, for easy access. Please comment with your opinion about flavours you have tried, or could not find here!


Cappuccino (16 Capsules)	Latte Macchiato (16 Capsules)	Chococino Hot Chocolate (16 Capsules)

Mocha (16 Capsules)	Espresso (16 Capsules)	Cafè Crema Grande (16 Capsules)


Cappuccino Ice (16 Capsules)	Caffé Classico (16 Capsules)	Caffé Americano (16 Capsules)

Espresso Intenso (16 Capsules)	Aroma (16 Capsules)	Caffé Classico Decaffeinato (16 Capsules)

Caffè Lungo (96 Capsules)	Caffè Lungo Mild (16 Capsules)	Caffè Lungo Decaffeinato (16 Capsules)

Enjoy your coffee and post your comments about the different flavours!

Nescafé Dolce Gusto Circolo

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:26:54 +0000

Welcome the newest member of the NESCAFÉ’s Dolce Gusto™ System. The Dolce Gusto Circolo.

The Circolo like its predecessor is manufactured for Nestle by Krups. You may find this machine also labeled as Krups KP 5000. The Circolo uses specially designed capsules by Nestle, different blends of air tight packed coffee grounds, or other hot beverages like hot chocolate, and milk. You can buy the capsules at major stores or get them online.

Dolce Gusto Circolo

Dolce Gusto System

Nestle own both the Nespresso and Nescafe Dolce Gusto capsule systems, so this machine works in a similar way to the Nespresso machines with thermoblock to achieve a high quality brewing process. But, in the Dolce Gusto machines, as opposed to Nespresso – 15 bar pressure is used and not 19 bar. The high pressure and the capsules are designed to deliver an even distribution of water and pressure over the coffee to ensure that flavor is maximized. For comparison, in traditional filter coffee makers (drip machines) water flows through the coffee grounds at just 1 bar of pressure.

Warranty is given by Krups for two years.

Dolce Gusto Circolo

Technical Specification

Comes in White, Red, Dark Grey and an exclusive aluminum finish Premium Edition.
High 15 bar pressure with Thermoblock Boiler
Height adjustable drip tray for any size of glass or cup
Ultra fast warm up, coffee in minutes
1.3 L removable water tank for easy cleaning, filling and emptying
24 month warranty by Krups

Check out price comparisons and user reviews for the Dolce Gusto Circolo.

Espresso and You – Oh… And Prizes Too!

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:56:14 +0000

Who discovered coffee ?
When and where was the first coffee house established?
What time of day do people prefer to have their cup of coffee?
What is your coffee story?

Watch this new video by Douwe Egberts, follow the link at the end of the video, tell your coffee story, and you can win a free trip to Amsterdam!

No related posts.

Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860 Coffee Machine Review

admin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:07:16 +0000

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new Senseo Quadrante HD7860 by Philips today. This is a brand new machine by Philips and it is being launched these days (Sept. 2009) in Europe and is available in major retail stores and online. So here is my review and initial impression of this slick very sharp looking coffee machine.

Senseo Quadrante

The Senseo Quadrante joins the Senseo Latte Select which was launched exactly one year ago – to the range of Senseo pod system coffee machines. The Quadrante has a very clean square shape design, and is currently sold in two colors – Black or white.

Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860

Philips Senseo Latte Select HD7852

Senseo Pod System

For those who aren’t familiar with the Senseo pod system – It is a single serve coffee machine system that combines uniquely designed coffee pods which hold fresh ground coffee in pre-dosed filter packs with compatible coffee machines. The special pods are available in various flavors offered by Philips & Douwe Egberts. What’s nice about the Senseo pod system, is that unlike some capsule systems such as Nespresso or Tassimo, you are not restricted to only Douwe & Egberts products. So can actually buy empty pods designed for the Senseo system, and fill them with your favorite blend. However, most of us will be more than content with the wide range of coffee blends offered by Douwe & Egberts, including decaffeinated coffee, and even hot chocolate!

Senseo Pods

Senseo Quadrante First Impression

My first impression after taking the machine out of the box was – It is EASY! There is no assembling necessary. A simple and easy to follow flushing process to get the machine ready for brewing your first cup of coffee and I was ready. And this is all you have to do to make 1 or 2 cups of coffee in less than a minute:

Fill the 1.2 Liter water tank with cold water. This will be enough for up to 8 cups so no need to do this every time. The tank tilts out and slides back in very naturally and easily.

Turn the machine ON – You don’t need to worry about turning it off when you are done thanks to an automatic off feature which I really liked.

Open the lid by pulling the lever up.

Place your selected coffee pod in the pod holder – The pod holder will already be place in the center of the machine. If you want to prepare two cups at the same time, replace the single dose pod holder with the double dose pod holder, and place 2 pods instead of 1.

Senseo Quadrante Single Pod Holder

Senseo Quadrante Pod in Machine

Lock the lid by pulling the lever back down till you hear the ‘click’.

Place one or two cups in the cup tray – You can adjust the height of the tray to fit the cup you are using.

Press the 1-cup or 2-cup button to brew 1 or 2 cups.

Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860

That’s it! Now just watch the machine brew the perfect dose in to your cup/s. Don’t worry about stopping the brewing. Thanks to the auto-dose system, this process is completely automatic so all you have to do is dispose of the used pod once the beverage is ready.

Senseo Quadrante Video

I have made a short video that shows the brewing process:

Senseo Quadrante Summary

To summarize, I really liked the Quadrante and most importantly – The coffee was good. If you fancy espressos and lungos this is a very reasonable option to consider priced at £100. If your main beverage is cappuccino, then the Quadrante will not handle the milk frothing for you. For that you can use any of the available standalone automatic milk frothers, or go for the Senseo Latte Select.

A technical specification of the Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860:

Uses the patented Senseo coffee brewing system (pods)
Power: 1,450 W; Voltage: 220-240 V
1.2 Liter water tank (8 cups)
Auto-off 30 minute feature
Brew volume (per cup): 120 ml
Height adjustable drip tray
Price: ~ £100