The Dolce Gusto Piccolo XS by De’Longhi usually costs £25 but this lesserknown offers sees it drop below £10
Many of us can’t quite function without our first sip of coffee in the morning. One budget coffee machine is currently receiving high praise from caffeine lovers for its simple and effective usage and affordable price tag.
Costing £25 at Argos, the Dolce Gusto Piccolo XS by De’Longhi EDG210.B Pod Machine is a compact pod machine that requires minimal effort to generate barista-style coffees. Costing £25, it’s a nifty piece of kit that I have no doubt creates some delicious coffees having being made by De’Longhi.
The Italian brand is renowned for its espresso machines and as a bit of a coffee snob myself, and former barista at both chain and independent coffee shops (hi Starbucks), I can vouch for its quality as the proud owner of one of its models. While £25 is pretty decent compared to more expensive brands, we’ve found a way to get it for £10.
Shoppers who register for free as a new member of TopCashback, via this link, will be eligible for a £15 bonus as well as any cashback due. All shoppers need to do is purchase the coffee machine through the TopCashback website, paying as normal, and within seven working days, the bonus and cashback will be in their account.
This essentially means the coffee machine will cost £9.77 for those new to Argos and £9.79 to existing shoppers, which is pretty decent considering a report found that some people spend up to and over £700 a year on takeout coffees.
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Shoppers who sign up to TopCashback as a new member will benefit from the brand’s sign up bonus, which is valued at £15. This means that those who purchase the Dolce Gusto Piccolo XS by De’Longhi from Argos for £25, will only be paying £9.77 after cashback.
Of course, with this machine, users will need to purchase compatible pods – and it’s important to note that the only pods that are compatible with this machine are the Nescafé Dolce Gusto pods, which is one of its only downsides.
For those who’d prefer a wider range of pods to be used for their morning coffee – sometimes we want a Starbucks latte, other times, we want a Sainsbury’s own brand – the L’OR BARISTA Sublime, £79.99 instead of £109.99, can handle a range of capsules from L’OR’s own to Nespresso to Carte Noire, Lavazza and supermarket iterations.
Another option is the Lakeland Coffee Pod Machine, £99, which is compatible with Nespresso and NX capsules. Similar to both the L’OR and Dolce Gusto machines, it has a one-touch operation and has a mess-free run.
One nice feature of the Nescafé Dolce Gusto machine is that it can also make hot chocolates, for anyone in the family who isn’t that enamoured with coffee or tea. Measuring at H25.3, W16.7, D31.9cm, it’s ideal for smaller kitchens and features a detachable water tank, adjustable cup stand and 15 bar pump pressure which helps create the perfect coffee every time. Plus, it’s energy efficient and shuts off after five minutes of inactivity.
It’s important to note that the latte, cappuccino and frother coffee capsules are likely to contain milk powder to make it into this drink of choice. This usually means it’s not vegan-friendly nor helpful for those with a milk or dairy intolerance.
For this, it’s probably best to get a separate machine for frothing alternative milks, such as this £15 design from Dunelm. Coffee lovers who have snapped up this deal have been left surprised with its quality, with one person noting: “Bought it a few weeks ago, and was very surprised at the quality of the machine for the price.
“The coffee pods I’ve tried so far are good and pleasantly surprising. It was never going to be barista quality, but it only cost the same as a few cups of barista coffee for the entire machine! Given the small footprint, it’s ideal for a desktop coffee machine at work.”
Someone else noted: “I absolutely love this wee machine. It’s compact and fits nicely in a wee corner of my kitchen. It’s super fast and convenient, but a bit noisy. It doesn’t bother me but it might someone else. I would definitely recommend this machine, especially if you can get it on offer, which I did.”
Meanwhile, a third added: “Excellent coffee maker. Simple to use. No need to boil a kettle. We make latte and cappuccino a couple of times a day and they are always just the way we like them.”
“Amazing value for money for a simple coffee machine with a wide choice of coffee pods with great flavours available to purchase from almost every supermarket, you can’t beat the Dolce Gusto,” added another. Although for one person, its spec didn’t quite fit the bill.
They said: “Great little machine. Downside is that the drip tray sits too high and my cups don’t fit. The machine also drips quite a bit when you pull the pod holder out. Living with the problems as the coffee miles cheaper than Tassimo.”
