Advantages: It will save your life.
Disadvantages: Bit expensive

...It was about a year ago now that I bought this coffee machine. It is my favourite device. Its 19bar (thats the top for espresso machines) It has a steamer and espresso nosel A drip tray A cup heater A big water container Comes with 2 cups and 40 coffees. As you can see above it puts the water through the coffee grinds at 19 times atmospheric pressure, this is the highest value you can get in espresso machines and it shows in the taste. Which is excellent. In the year i've had this it has never burnt a single bean and has always taken all of the taste out to produce a fantastically strong and rich espresso. The system itself is excellent also, in traditional coffee machines you grind your coffee finely and place it in the handle, then pump the water through. This produces equally good coffee but is very messy to clean up and sometimes... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, easy to use, compact
Disadvantages: No automatic pump stop

...appears, then turn it off - Put fresh, cold milk in a high sided container (eg a mug half filled) - Put the container under the steam nozzle so the end of the nozzle is completely immersed, but make sure the nozzle isn't touching the bottom or the steam can't come out - Turn the steam on and let it run until you have frothy milk (around 30 seconds) - Turn the steam tap off, remove the container and turn the steam on briefly to clear the nozzle - Add milk to espresso and drink! Once you've finished you have to remember to clean out the filter and wipe off the steam nozzle, but it is well designed and easy to clean. The instructions may look complicated, but after a couple of goes it becomes very simple and routine. I initially had trouble getting the creamy head on the espresso, but discovered this was because I was using ordinary ground... Read review

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Advantages: Tastes nice, quick, doesn't need much maintenance
Disadvantages: Can't think of any!

...I purchased my dolce gusto in john lewis for approx £79.99 around christmas time. The pack i bought came with three free coffee mugs and saucers and a taster of each flavour (cafe lungo, espresso, cappuccino and latte machiato - they now also do hot chocolate!) So is it easy to put together?? Well there isn't really much to put together - the unit stands as a whole, with a seperate mini bin for the capsules, a removable water jug (which you just put on the back - v. simple) - and the stand for the mug to go on - which just clips on at adjustable heights on the front. Now what: Once you have done that & filled the jug with water - you just turn it on and it takes seconds to be ready - indicated by a little light. You pull out the capsule holder put a capsule flavour of your choice and push back in. You then push the switch to the right... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to use and strength preference
Disadvantages: milk looks like scrambled egg

...in a coffee maker. The milk warming plate is good at first but do not leave it on long or you end up with scrambled egg type mess in the bottom. A nightmare to clean I can assure you! The espresso machine is easy to use, although only gives around 8 shots of espresso whilst the coffee side gives around 10 cups or 5 mugs. The milk section in the centre also has a frother! Very nice for posh coffee. Another benefit to this machine is the individual power switches for each section, milk, coffee and espresso. Finally I found that the manual was absolutely brilliant. Apart from the fact that it had easy to follow instructions it also had some yummy recipes to try!!... Read review

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Advantages: You just cannot beat the taste of proper coffee
Disadvantages: Bit of a faff and tricky to clean

...-rewireable and unusable on any other piece of equipment. My guarantee is for 12 months and as there are no servicable parts in the appliance if there are any faults Boots will either replace it or send it back to the manufacturer. Spare parts, such as replacement carafes or filter holders, are also available directly from Russell Hobbs Customer Service Department. **Conclusion** After reading this you really must be wondering whether it is all worth the effort. Certainly it's a lot easier to switch on a kettle and fling a few grains of coffee in a mug. I find the espresso a bit of a faff and much prefer the flavour of the filter coffee anyway. Unfortunately unless you use the espresso you cannot get any steam going to froth milk for cappuccino, or even just frothy coffee, so I must confess I usually revert back to the ever reliable Aerolatte if I want... Read review

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Advantages: Filter and Espresso / Capp. functions; Price; Finish; Reliability
Disadvantages: Espresso side often slows to a drip; Steam function slow

...facility. The nozzle doesn't swing out or high enough, so you need to be careful what kind of jug you are using to hold the milk. It also has a tendency to clog very easily (easy to remedy by sticking a pin into the wand to unblock it.) The wand also comes with a strange attachment which is supposed to make it easier to create froth, but I removed it as it looks a bit naff, and I didn't see any difference to the results. The main niggle with the Espresso side, is that the dispensing of coffee is very inconsistent, in that sometimes the coffee comes out at a nice normal speed, but often comes out at a slow drip, drip, drip. By the time the cup is full the coffee is cold! Another problem is that you cannot fit any cup under the dispenser larger than a regular coffee cup - which means if you want a mug of Espresso-type coffee you need to first... Read review

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Advantages: Rich, smooth, Aribica coffee.
Disadvantages: Not a thing!

...more than most about making a decent brew. It’s called Lavazza Caffe Espresso, and in fact, I’m sitting drinking a good, strong mug of it right now as I type out this opinion, to give myself a much-needed caffeine boost, and to remind me (as if I needed reminding!) just how delicious this Italian coffee actually is. ~ ~ The company that produce Lavazza (Luiigi Lavazza from Torino in Italy) have been doing so since 1895, so they’ve had a fair few years of practice in order to discover the perfect blend. It says on the attractive black and gold packet that their espresso blend “is of the highest quality, evenly roasted and carefully ground to produce a coffee smooth in flavour with a tempting aroma.” I don’t really have any argument with that statement, and as Lavazza is the leading Italian coffee brand... Read review

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Advantages: Strong and wakes you up
Disadvantages: Relatively expensive

..., as that really does go against the point of the coffee. It is mean to be drunk black. You simply take a heaped teaspoon, or however much you like of the fine coffee powder and place it into an espresso cup. If like me your common and don’t have such things, just take a mug and put it in that, and fill the mug half way up, or less if you like. It will give the same effect, just not in the right china so to speak! Add to that coffee powder hot, but not boiling water and stir. After that you can add a sugar or two if you like, depending on your tastes, though I recommend it as it really does take your gums away otherwise and give you an ‘Esther’ look. (You’ll get that if you can picture that mature Esther lady who has her own chat show!!) Once you have done the preparation bit, you will be presented with a very black coffee with a froth on top, which... Read review

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Advantages: Nice coffee, Nice atmosphere, Nice barristas, Overall a nice place
Disadvantages: Disappointing mocha, Dry treats like cake, Overpriced merchandise

...a travel costa mug for a present, i thought it couldn't have costed more than a fiver, and it was £9.99!. The espresso cups they sell are kind of cheap since they are hard to find, but they are never in stock. The latte glasses are £5.50 and ONLY at christmas, where on the Isle of Wight i can get 2 latte glasses for £4.50 in a shop called 'Hursts'. The merchandise in costa isn't worth parting your cash for. Only consider buying the espresso mugs. Overall Costa, is a nice coffee shop, with nice coffees, and things going on in each season. But, it lacks iced coffees, the merchandise is too overpriced to consider, and a lot of the treats like cake and muffins can be very dry. I'd just go for the cappuccino, latte, or filter coffee myself. But, it beats the other chains. It's cleaner, a nicer atmosphere, and nicer coffee all round than... Read review

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Advantages: Solid, Reliable, Stonking Coffee
Disadvantages: Pricey, my big mug wont fit it!

...versatile. It means you can make a fabulous cappuccino, and you haven't tried hot chocolate till you've made it using this method. Using it is simple. After the machine has heated up (which it does very quickly), turn the knob and whoosh. A strong jet of steam comes out. It is enough to froth milk for about 3-4 cups of cappuccino. Cleaning this bit is a hassle though. Milk deposits quickly build up unless you wipe down right away. Stuff I don’t like The drip tray is too small, and it’s plastic. The rest of the machine is really high quality but this part is not. The hole for the solenoid valve is not totally flush, so some splatter occurs sometimes. My last bugbear is that the space for the cup is only big enough for espresso or cappuccino cups. My huge mug has no place in this machine. Summery You can go to starbucks, and pay £2... Read review

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