NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Circolo by Krups Coffee Machine, Charcoal Grey, 15 Bar Pressure Pump

I had the former model for a couple of years and it began to leak from the bottom after about 18 months. It was also very difficult to clean and had hard to get at areas that collected milk residues that dried and turned to hard cheese.
I've had a new Circulo machine for over a month. It makes slightly frothier coffee than the old shape machine and has none of the cleaning problems.....indeed milk doesn't escape up into the machine at all.
It's too early to say whether the machine leaks or not....it's only been available for a few weeks but I'm told (and am prepared to believe) that the problems of the original model have been cured by the redesign.
I'm puzzled by the reviewer who claims to be on his/her fourth machine.....this model had been around for such at a short time when that review was written....I wonder whether the review should be against the former, often known to leak, model.
I would give five stars if it weren't for the high cost of the pods, the impossibility of buying in bulk at a lower price, lack of discounts and the ungenerous loyalty scheme. You have to buy 14 boxes of pods to get a free one from dolce gusto and then you have to pay for the postage (more than the cost of one box!)
Edited (13/04/2011)to add: the pods continue to escalate in price, still no way of getting quantity discounts and NOW the loyalty scheme is being phased out...
Edited 28/05/2011 to add: Well it's bitten the dust, I'm afraid. First, at about a year old, it became exceedingly difficult to get the pod drawer in and out, nor was the reason apparent as we kept the machine washed and descaled. It also became exceedingly difficult to get the lever down to pierce the pod. Now the machinery has become detached internally.....so, though it's only 16 months old, it will be going to the tip and I shall be getting a Gaggia.

I owned the former model, and after 12 months it began to leak from the bottom. I was reluctant to purchase another Dolce Gusto machine, but I read that Necafé had fixed the problem on the new version. Given that the coffee these machines produces has always impressed me, I decided to give it a go. I'm very glad that I did...

Pros

1. Coffee - The coffee from this machine is fabulous. It tastes just as good as a takeaway coffee and is considerably cheaper, too. My favourite is Caffé Lungo, which is readily available at supermarkets.

2. Build quality - The new model is a significant improvement. The whole thing feels more robust. I have not had any problems with the capsules getting stuck in the drawer, as one other reviewer mentioned.

3. Design - This is a great looking machine, and people always comment on it. However, the re-vamped design also means it takes up less space than the former model. The power button is also in a much better place!

4. Ease of use - Very easy to use and maintain. I recommend proper cleaning once a month using some de-scaling powder (read the manual) to keep it at its best.

5. Temperature - This is perhaps a little controversial. The Dolce Gusto does not produce steaming hot coffee. As at least one other reviewer stated, the coffee is perfect drinking temperature. To be more accurate, it is approximately 65C (after adding 50ml of cold milk).

Cons

1. Anything that isn't coffee - In my opinion, the hot chocolate and other milk-based drinks are not particularly good. If you want a machine that makes good hot chocolate or latté, I suggest you look elsewhere.

2. Cost of pods - These can be quite expensive. However, you do get a whole pack of pods for approximately the same price as two takeaway coffees.

3. Instructions - The instructions are not particularly good. Written instructions to accompany the illustrations would have been appreciated.

Overall, this is a great coffee machine. I would strongly recommend it to people who simply can't start the day without a good cup of coffee, and who also need their coffee in a hurry!

I have wanted an Espresso/Cappucinno machine for some time now and after doing some research (okay not very much) I decided to get the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Circolo. Mainly because of the ease of getting pods and because it is a known brand that I trust. I loved the modern and futuristic look of the machine, probably not to everybody's taste, it is mainly plastic but does not look cheap and nasty like products sometimes do.
Unit basically came already put together, all I had to do was put the drip tray in. First you have to do a "run" on the machine - I'm assuming this is just to ensure that everything is in working order and to clean the pipes out quickly.
My one big gripe with this machine is the instructions and this is also the reason why I did not give it 5 stars. Considering what a well known brand Nescafe is you would have thought they put some more effort into giving you clear instructions. All you get is pictures supposedly telling you what to do - it looks a bit like in-flight safety instructions. I am the type of person who likes to have clear, written instructions to ensure I do things correctly.
I would also have liked the machine to be able to make the drinks automatically, I did not realise it was going to be so manually operated. It takes a couple of go's before you can measure the quantities by eye but I soon got the hang of it. I would recommend taking a measuring jug before hand to measure out what 200ml looks like and then pouring into the mug/cup you will be using to give you some idea when to stop the pouring
Pros
- Stylish and good quality machine
- Makes drinks very quickly
- Drinks are hot enough
- Easy to use once you know how
- Drinks are coffee house quality
Cons
- Manually having to measure
- Price of pods
- Useless instructions

I would recommend this product to everybody who enjoys their coffee based drinks. I have not tried the cold drink or any of the chocolate drinks so could not comment on those.