Check them out:

Pickwick Big Set

Pickwick Gift Set

The Big Set includes:

• Senseo Pickwick tea pod holder (compatible with Philips Senseo Quadrante HD 7860)
• 60 x Pickwick tea pods (3 varieties with 20 pods each: Earl Grey, Tempting Red and Fruity Forest).

The Gift Set includes:

• Senseo Pickwick tea pod holder (compatible with Philips Senseo Quadrante HD 7860)
• 1 x Senseo Pickwick tea pod can
• 1 x Senseo Pickwick tea glass (200ml)
• 60 x Pickwick tea pods (3 varieties with 20 pods each: Earl Grey, Tempting Red and Fruity Forest).

Related posts:

1. Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860 Coffee Machine Review
2. Philips to Acquire Saeco and Gaggia

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

Related posts:

1. Philips Senseo Quadrante HD7860 Pickwick Tea Gift Set
2. Philips to Acquire Saeco and Gaggia
3. Caffitaly Nautilus Coffee Machine Review