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DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

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  • Introduction

  • Design Overview

  • Brewing Chamber

  • Dispensing Area

  • Controls

  • Reservoir

  • In the Box

  • Brewing

  • Time to Brew

  • Quantity

  • Brewing Process

  • Step 1

  • Step 2

  • Step 3

  • Step 4

  • Step 5

  • Cleaning & Maintenance

  • Other Features

  • Comparison Overview

  • Comparison Overview

  • Comparison Overview

  • Conclusion

  • Introduction
  • Design Overview
  • Brewing Chamber
  • Dispensing Area
  • Controls
  • Reservoir
  • In the Box
  • Brewing
  • Time to Brew
  • Quantity
  • Brewing Process
  • Step 1
  • Step 2
  • Step 3
  • Step 4
  • Step 5
  • Cleaning & Maintenance
  • Other Features
  • Comparison Overview
  • Comparison Overview
  • Comparison Overview
  • Conclusion

Introduction

Design Overview

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Beyond the basic controls, there isn't much to the {{product.name}}'s design. It has the buttons you need without creating confusion during brewing.

Brewing Chamber

Similar to the Nescafé Dolce Gusto Melody 2, the {{product.name}}'s brewing chamber contains a piece of plastic that holds the coffee pod and slides out of the machine completely. You'll have to pull the holder out, insert the Nescafé pod, put the holder back in, and lock it in by pulling down the metal lever just above the chamber. Note that the chamber only accepts Nescafé pods.

Dispensing Area

Controls

You'll find that there isn't an array of buttons on the {{product.name}}. There is a black rubber "on" button on the left side, cold (blue) and hot (red) buttons on the top and a size/strength wheel dial at the top as well.

Reservoir

You'll find the water reservoir on the back side of the machine.

One of the least-appealing aspects of the {{product.name}} is its water reservoir, which holds only 700 ml of water. It's located on the backside so it's hard to reach if it's under a cabinet and the small opening on its side makes it difficult to pour water into it.

In the Box

Since the design is so basic, it's not surprising that the {{product.name}} comes with six Nescafé pods and no other accessories.

Brewing

There are two brewing trials for the largest and smallest settings on the {{product.name}} that determine how strong your coffee will be. Using a refractometer, we calculate the total dissolved solids (TDS) of a mild (large) and strong (small) cup of coffee for each brewer. You'll know where to set the dial on top of the machine based on the graphic on the pod, which indicates how many bars should be lit up. If there are two bars on the pod, you set the brewer to two bars.

The {{product.name}} had a solid 0.97% TDS during our large cup test - a number that's actually higher than some small cup TDS results for other brewers. It also produced a 1.88% TDS during our small cup test, which is one of our top recorded scores. When you consider that there are brewers that cost more than $200 and brew small cups with less than 1.0% TDS, the Genio's performance is impressive. More on how we test the brewing process.

Time to Brew

You can expect a pretty quick cup from this machine. A small cup of {{product.name}} coffee takes about a minute and 20 seconds to brew and a large cup takes only eight seconds longer at one minute, 28 seconds.

Quantity

The LED-backlit screen has seven levels to choose from and, as stated above, you can change those levels based on what the pod indicates.

Brewing Process

Brewing coffee with the {{product.name}} is fairly straightforward, but make sure you know how to use the size dial before using the machine to ensure optimal performance.

Step 1

After turning the {{product.name}} on by pressing the black rubber button on left, you'll need to wait for each of the seven bars to light up before being able to pick the number of bars.

Step 2

After pulling the silver metal lever up the coffee pod tray will slide out.

Step 3

Next, place the Nescafé pod inside the tray and pull the lever back down until you hear a click. (The click is the sound of the pod being punctured.)

Step 4

You then hit the red button at the top to indicate you want a hot drink.

Step 5

The machine will then start brewing and your coffee will be poured out.

Cleaning & Maintenance

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Since the drip tray is removable, cleaning it and the brewing area should be a breeze.

Other Features

After five minutes of inactivity, the {{product.name}} shuts of automatically to save energy and make your machine last longer.

Comparison Overview

While both the {{product.name}} and Melody 2 both cost $130 MSRP and have the similar gumball machine-like design, the Genio is undoubtedly the better purchase. The big problem with the Melody 2 is that it forces you to guess how much coffee to brew per cup. The Genio, on the other hand, makes life easy for the user by letting them choose the optimal setting on the wheel dial at the top of the machine. Unless you have a strong preference otherwise, you'll use the dial to add and subtract bars on the LED-backlit screen, which corresponds with the number of bars on each pod. Furthermore, the Genio blew the Melody 2 away in our TDS performance tests. In our small cup test, the Genio had a much higher TDS percentage: 1.88% to 1.08%.

Comparison Overview

These two brewers rate highly as good value options for customers looking for a machine that not only brews strong coffee, but also gives them plenty of drink options. The {{product.name}} produced a 1.88% TDS in our small cup test and the Flavia was almost as good with a 1.75%. Though these percentages are two of the highest we’ve recorded, they also let users pick how strong their drink will be.

Both have dials that determine strength and let you customize your cup. This didn’t weigh too heavily in our tests, but for those seeking espresso or cappuccino, the Flavia lets you choose between coffee, “frothy” and hot chocolate settings.

Comparison Overview

The H701A's $130 price tag is a perfect example of why the {{product.name}} is such a good deal for customers. The Genio brews much stronger coffee than the H701A — 1.88% to 0.89% TDS in our small cup test — and makes it clear how strong the user should make their coffee. You’ll use the dial to add and subtract bars on the LED-backlit screen on top of the Genio, which corresponds with the number of bars on each pod. The H701A has some strong points, such as a 1.1 liter water reservoir and simple design, but it’s not enough when compared to the $130 {{product.name}}.

Conclusion

The case could be made for the {{product.name}} ($129.99 MSRP) as one of the best coffee brewers we've tested. It hits all of the checkpoints — great performance, user-friendly settings and easy cleanup — required of a top brewer. Its TDS percentage of 1.88% was easily one of the highest numbers we've recorded and users can brew a cup without issue. You can determine cup strength with the wheel dial at the top and Nescafé makes it easy for you by displaying how many bars to use on the LED-backlit screen on the pod cover. One of the only negatives to the {{product.name}} is the water reservoir, which is only 700 ml and could be hard to remove from the back if it's sitting at the back of your counter.

Meet the tester

Patrick Ouellette

Patrick Ouellette

Staff Writer

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Patrick Ouellette is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

See all of Patrick Ouellette's reviews

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