Guide · Dolce Gusto
Dolce Gusto: machines, pods and running costs
The Nescafé Dolce Gusto range explained: Piccolo XS, Mini Me 2 and Genio S compared on price and specs, what the pods cost per drink and how it compares with other pod systems.
Dolce Gusto is Nescafé’s pod coffee system, and De’Longhi makes many of the machines that use it. The pods cover black coffee, milky drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, and hot chocolate. On 3 Oct 2026, the cheapest Dolce Gusto machine we found was the Piccolo XS, at £30 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, prices can change. This guide compares the machines you can buy, what the pods cost per drink and who the system suits. We haven’t tested this in person. We’ve compared them using retailer listings, published specs and dated prices. Read how we compare.
How Dolce Gusto works
Each drink is brewed from pods, and Currys and De’Longhi list 15-bar pressure for the machines below. Many milk drinks, such as cappuccinos and latte macchiatos, use two pods per drink. You can see this on the pack labels at Morrisons: a 16-pod Cappuccino pack is labelled as 8 servings, while a 16-pod Americano pack makes 16.
Currys says the Mini Me 2 makes over 40 hot and cold drink varieties.
Dolce Gusto machines compared
Piccolo XS
£30 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, prices can change. Currys lists a 0.8-litre tank, 15-bar pressure and automatic shut-off. It measures 280 x 140 x 270mm (H x W x D) and weighs 2kg, with a two-year guarantee. See it at Currys.
Who it isn’t for: anyone making lots of drinks in a row. A 0.8-litre tank needs regular refills.
Mini Me 2
£40 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, but it was out of stock when we checked. Currys lists a 0.8-litre tank, a heat-up time of about 40 seconds and cup sizes from 50ml to 250ml. It measures 305 x 161 x 232mm and weighs 2kg, with a one-year guarantee. See it at Currys.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who needs a machine now. Check stock before you plan around it.
Genio S
£89.99 at De’Longhi UK, checked 3 Oct 2026. De’Longhi describes the Genio S as a small, stylish automatic capsule machine with an XL function for large cups. It also lists 15-bar pressure and automatic shut-off five minutes after last use, with a two-year warranty. See it at De’Longhi UK.
We have a separate Genio S Plus review for the Plus version.
Who it isn’t for: anyone choosing on price. At today’s prices, it cost three times as much as the Piccolo XS.
Which Dolce Gusto machine should you buy?
- On a tight budget: the Piccolo XS.
- For larger mugs: the Genio S, with its XL function.
- If the Mini Me 2 comes back in stock: compare its price with the Piccolo XS on the day.
We couldn’t find current UK listings for other models, such as the Infinissima, at Currys on 3 Oct 2026. The official Dolce Gusto UK shop didn’t load for us that day, so we couldn’t check its range or prices.
What Dolce Gusto pods cost
These are prices at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026. Price per drink is our calculation from the servings on each pack.
| Pack | Servings | Price | Per drink |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americano, 30 pods | 30 | £6.50 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026 | about 22p |
| Flat White, 30 pods | 30 | £6.50 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026 | about 22p |
| Americano, 16 pods | 16 | £5.00 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026 | about 31p |
| Espresso Roma Cremoso, 16 pods | 16 | £5.10 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026 | about 32p |
| Latte Macchiato, 30 pods | 15 | £6.50 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026 | about 43p |
| Cappuccino, 16 pods | 8 | £5.00 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026 | about 63p |
| Chococino, 16 pods | 8 | £5.10 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026 | about 64p |
Two things stand out. The 30-pod packs work out cheaper per drink than the 16-pod packs. And milk drinks that use two pods cost roughly twice as much per drink as black coffee. Morrisons also had “Buy 2” multibuys on some Dolce Gusto packs, checked 3 Oct 2026; terms like this can change at any time.
There’s a decaf option too: Americano Decaffeinato, 16 pods for £5.00 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026. Branded pods from Starbucks and Costa are also available. See the best Dolce Gusto pods for our picks.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who mainly drinks lattes and wants the cheapest cup. Two-pod drinks add up.
Looking after a Dolce Gusto machine
All coffee machines need descaling from time to time. Our guide on how to descale a Dolce Gusto takes you through it.
Recycling Dolce Gusto pods
Podback is a free UK pod recycling service created by Nestlé and Jacobs Douwe Egberts. Its online Recycle Checker shows the options for your pods and postcode.
Dolce Gusto vs other pod systems
Dolce Gusto’s strengths are cheap machines and a wide choice of milky drinks from the pod alone. Tassimo and Nespresso take different approaches to milk drinks and pod choice. We compare all three in Tassimo vs Dolce Gusto vs Nespresso.
Related guides: Starbucks Dolce Gusto pods; how to recycle Dolce Gusto pods.
FAQ
What is the cheapest Dolce Gusto machine? The Piccolo XS was £30 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, prices can change.
How much do Dolce Gusto pods cost per cup? From about 22p for a black coffee from a 30-pod Americano pack at £6.50 at Morrisons, checked 3 Oct 2026, to around 63p for a two-pod cappuccino.
Why do some Dolce Gusto packs have fewer servings than pods? Some milk drinks, such as cappuccino, use two pods per drink, so a 16-pod pack is labelled as 8 servings.
Can you make large mugs with Dolce Gusto? De’Longhi says the Genio S has an XL function for large cups.