Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus Review: The Best Dolce Gusto Machine?

The Nescafé Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus is built for somebody who values choice and convenience more than coffee-making theatre.

There's no grinder.

No portafilter.

No steam wand.

And almost nothing to learn.

Instead, Dolce Gusto gives you a huge pod-based drinks ecosystem covering everything from espresso and lungo to cappuccino, latte and hot chocolate.

The Genio S Plus adds useful control over that simple formula, including adjustable drink volume, temperature control and an Espresso Boost function.

That makes it one of the more interesting Dolce Gusto machines.

But before buying one, we'd think less about the machine itself and more about whether the Dolce Gusto pod system suits the way you drink coffee.

Coffee Machine Reviews Verdict

Overall: 8.6/10

Best for: Households wanting a compact pod machine capable of making lots of different drinks.

Avoid if: Your priority is high-quality fresh-bean espresso.

Machine type: Pod/capsule

Pods: Nescafé Dolce Gusto

Milk system: Pod-based milk drinks; no fresh-milk system

Our verdict: One of the strongest Dolce Gusto machines thanks to its compact design and useful additional control.

Dolce Gusto Genio S Plus Pros and Cons

Pros

• Very compact
• Huge drinks range
• Espresso Boost
• Temperature adjustment
• Automatic drink-volume control
• XL drink function
• Easy to use
• Almost no coffee mess
• Hot and cold drink options
• Usually affordable

Cons

• No fresh-milk system
• Some milk drinks use separate milk pods
• Pod costs add up
• Coffee quality can't match good fresh beans
• Plastic waste
• Limited control compared with espresso machines
• Two-pod drinks increase cost

What Is Genio S Plus?

Genio S Plus is an automatic Dolce Gusto pod machine.

Insert a compatible pod.

Select the required volume.

Press the button.

The machine stops automatically when the selected quantity has been dispensed.

That's an important improvement over basic manual pod machines where you have to judge when to stop the water yourself.

What Drinks Can It Make?

This is where Dolce Gusto excels.

The pod range covers drinks including:

• Espresso
• Espresso Intenso
• Lungo
• Americano
• Cappuccino
• Latte Macchiato
• Flat White-style drinks
• Café au Lait
• Hot Chocolate
• Cold drinks

Availability changes over time, but the ecosystem is deliberately much broader than straightforward espresso.

Espresso Boost

Genio S Plus includes an Espresso Boost function.

This is designed to pre-wet the coffee before extraction when preparing espresso.

The aim is a more concentrated, intense result.

Does it suddenly turn a Dolce Gusto capsule into freshly ground speciality espresso?

No.

But it's a worthwhile feature for people drinking the system's stronger black coffees.

Temperature Control

You can adjust drink temperature rather than accepting a single fixed setting.

That's more useful than it sounds.

Some people find pod coffee too hot.

Others complain it isn't hot enough.

Having several temperature options lets you tailor the result more closely to your preference.

XL Function

Genio S Plus can prepare larger drinks using its XL volume setting.

This makes it more versatile for people who don't exclusively drink small espresso-style coffee.

Again, versatility is Dolce Gusto's main appeal.

Cappuccino

Dolce Gusto cappuccino typically uses separate coffee and milk pods.

The workflow is still extremely easy.

But understand what you're buying.

This isn't fresh milk being steamed automatically.

It's a pod-based milk system.

For convenience, that's excellent.

For genuine milk texture, a fresh-milk machine is considerably better.

Latte

Same principle.

Pod-based latte is incredibly easy.

But someone accustomed to a café latte made with freshly steamed milk may find the result noticeably different.

That's why we'd separate:

easy milk coffee

from

excellent milk coffee.

Genio S Plus is firmly in the first category.

Hot Chocolate

This is where Dolce Gusto becomes particularly family-friendly.

The machine isn't limited to coffee.

Hot chocolate and other non-coffee drinks make the system useful for households where not everybody wants espresso.

That's a genuine advantage over many Nespresso machines.

Genio S Plus vs Genio S

The Plus model adds greater control, including features such as:

• Espresso Boost;
• temperature adjustment.

If the price difference is modest, we'd choose Plus.

If basic Genio S is heavily discounted and you simply want easy pod drinks, the additional features aren't essential.

Dolce Gusto vs Nespresso Vertuo

These ecosystems serve slightly different buyers.

Dolce Gusto

Strong for:

• broad drinks variety;
• hot chocolate;
• pod-based milk drinks;
• family use.

Vertuo

Strong for:

• coffee-focused range;
• multiple coffee sizes;
• more sophisticated coffee extraction;
• large black coffee.

If coffee quality is the priority, we'd generally lean Vertuo.

If drink variety is the priority, Dolce Gusto becomes very attractive.

Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo

This is a classic pod comparison.

Both offer:

• coffee;
• milk drinks;
• hot chocolate;
• easy operation.

Dolce Gusto gives you more manual control over parameters on machines such as Genio S Plus.

Tassimo focuses heavily on barcode-controlled automatic drink preparation.

The drinks brands available in each ecosystem may ultimately decide it.

Running Costs

Don't judge pod machines purely by their purchase price.

A cheap machine can become expensive over several years.

Milk drinks can be particularly important because some use:

coffee pod + milk pod.

Calculate the cost per finished drink, not simply cost per capsule.

Heavy coffee drinkers should compare pods against whole beans.

Cleaning

Exceptionally easy.

There's:

• no grinder;
• no loose coffee;
• no milk tube;
• no internal coffee puck container.

Remove the used pod.

Rinse the pod holder and drip tray as necessary.

Descale periodically.

That's one of the main reasons pod machines remain so popular.

Who Should Buy Genio S Plus?

Buy it if:

• you want lots of drink choices;
• hot chocolate matters;
• kitchen space is limited;
• convenience is essential;
• you want temperature control;
• you dislike cleaning coffee equipment.

Who Shouldn't Buy It?

Look elsewhere if:

• coffee quality is your highest priority;
• you want fresh milk;
• you drink many coffees every day;
• you want to use whole beans;
• pod waste bothers you.

Final Verdict

Genio S Plus is one of the better ways to access the Dolce Gusto ecosystem.

It's tiny.

It's easy.

It offers useful temperature and extraction controls.

And the drinks range is enormous.

But the ecosystem matters more than the appliance.

If you want fresh-bean espresso and silky fresh milk, this isn't it.

If you want an inexpensive machine capable of making coffee, latte and hot chocolate with almost no effort, Genio S Plus makes a lot of sense.

Coffee Machine Reviews Score: 8.6/10

Convenience Score: 9.8/10

Drink Variety Score: 9.7/10

Best for: Easy pod-based coffee and hot drinks from a compact machine.

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