The Piccolo is the smallest in the Dolce Gusto line of coffee machines, and like the others it is a single-serve style of brewer. So the rapid brewing process lets you brew a cup right when you want it. Dolce Gusto machines heat water very quickly with their Thermoblock system, and they use a 15-bar pressurized pump to speed up the brewing. Generally, you get a fresh cup of coffee in under a minute.
For the system to work, you don't just scoop in loose coffee grounds. It needs to be more precise than that. So you brew with the Dolce Gusto specialized coffee pods (Dolce Gusto capsules). Each one is used for a single cup of coffee and then thrown out. It's much cleaner than grounds though you are limited to the Dolce Gusto line of pods. They currently offer 14 different varieties of coffee, from dark roast to light as well as specialized milk capsules you can use for cappuccinos. There are also a couple of flavored options (like vanilla or mocha). The Dolce Gusto Capsules selection is small but the quality of the coffee is excellent.
Aside from coffee, they do have an iced tea capsule, and a cappuccino for iced coffee as well. More varieties will be coming as the demand continues to grow.
This coffee brewer is probably one of the simplest to use of all the single serve machines out there. There are no buttons or cycles or anything to learn. To operate the Dolce Gusto Piccolo, there is a lever on the top that you move either to the hot side or the cold side. The water continues to flow until you put the lever back. So once you open it up to put in the capsule, you just have to start the water to brew until your cup is full. Then the spent capsule comes out for disposal.
While it does lack the automatic functioning of most other single cup coffee brewers, it does give you a real "hands-on" experience that lets you be more specific with your coffee. You can make a small or large cup without dealing with any settings. The adjustable cup-holder will allow for whatever size mug you're using.
With the Dolce Gusto Piccolo, you can select models in black, grey or red. The grey and red models have black accents but the black one is edged in grey. They're all pretty stylish and will go in any kitchen. With the lever on the top, they look a little like soda fountain machine.
The measurements for the machine are 11.3" high x 6.3" wide x 8.7" deep. The Piccolo is much sleeker than most pod-brewers. The water tank will hold about 21 oz, so you will have to refill after every few cups you brew. The tank does come off which makes filling a little easier.
It’s a single serve coffee machine intended for standard home use though its small size makes it great for dorm rooms or kitchens with limited space. If you want a Dolce Gusto for the office, this particular model would only suit if there are only 2 or 3 coffee drinkers.
