If there are two similar brands of coffee machines on the market, they are Tassimo and Dolce Gusto. Still, despite being so similar, there are also very important differences between them. Before buying one of these coffee machines, it is important to know what each brand offers and which one best suits your lifestyle.
People think that what defines a coffee pod machine is the machine itself, with its cost, design, and operation, but this is incorrect. The coffee pods define these coffee machines, as the machine’s function is to pass hot water under pressure through the ground coffee inside the pod.
Difference between Dolce Gusto and Tassimo coffee pods
As we have already mentioned, what matters in a coffee pod machine is precisely the coffee pods. You need to know how each brand’s system works, what flavours are available, what prices they have and what kind of coffee they contain.
Price of Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo coffee pods
Few people think about the price of the coffee pods when buying a coffee machine, as a big outlay is made when purchasing the machine. However, if we think in the long term, what we will spend on coffee pods in just one year, will exceed the initial cost of the coffee machine.
Let’s say that a Dolce Gusto Mini Me costs around £48, while coffee pods cost £0.23 each. If you drink one coffee a day for a year (0.23 x 365), you will have spent £84 on coffee pods, almost double the cost of the machine.
The same is true for Tassimo coffee machines, which are even cheaper than Dolce Gusto machines (more on later). So the price of the pods is of vital importance.
Price of Dolce Gusto Original coffee pods
As of 28 November 2022, we will offer the original Dolce Gusto coffee pod prices in the official Dolce Gusto store and on Amazon UK. We can get a general idea of how much it costs to drink coffee from these original pods.
Official Dolce Gusto online shop:
- Boxes of 30 coffee pods cost £7.11, so each coffee pod costs €0.24 per unit. In the case of the Cappuccino, as you need two pods to make one coffee, the drink costs £0.48.
- Boxes of 16 pods cost £3.99, so each coffee pod costs £0.25. For drinks such as Cappuccino, Chococino and Lattes, when you need two pods, the price for one drink is £0.50.
- Bundles of 6 boxes of 16 pods cost £21.55, so the unitary cost of each pod is £0.22. Cappucino or others that need two pods for each drink cost £0.44
On Amazon UK:
- A pack of 3 boxes of 30 pods cost £19.51, so the unit costs £0.22. In the case of the Cappuccino, as you need two pods to make one coffee, the drink costs £0.44.
- Pack of 3 boxes of 16 pods cost £10.50, so the unit cost £0.22. For drinks such as Cappuccino, Chococcino and Lattes, when you need two pods, the price of a drink is £0.44.
Price of Tassimo Original coffee pods
As we did with the Dolce Gusto coffee pods, as of 28 November 2022, we offer the prices of the original Tassimo pods sold both in the official online store and on Amazon UK, where we can find wholesale coffee pod offers. With these prices, we can get a general idea of the cost of Tassimo pods.
Official Tassimo online shop:
- Boxes of 16 coffee pods cost £5.19, which means each coffee pod costs £0.32. All Tassimo coffee&milk drinks require two pods, and boxes of 16 (8 drinks) cost £5.19, so each coffee costs £0.64.
On Amazon UK:
- Packs of 5 boxes of 16 pods cost £15.75, so each pod costs £0.20 (This is an incredible deal). In the case of milk drinks, as two pods are needed, the coffees cost £0.40 per drink.
Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo pods price summary
The cheapest original coffee pods are the Dolce Gusto ones, with a unit price of £0.22 compared to £0.20 for Tassimo. This means Dolce Gusto pods are 10% more expensive than Tassimo coffee pods. If you spend 100 pounds a year on pods, you save 10 pounds with Tassimo coffee machines.
| Prices | Simple drink | Compound drink |
| Official shop Dolce Gusto | £0.22 | £0.44 |
| Amazon Dolce Gusto | £0.22 | £0.44 |
| Official shop Tassimo | £0.32 | £0.64 |
| Amazon Tassimo | £0.20 | £0.40 |
Note: As a general rule, Dolce Gusto coffee pods are cheaper than Tassimo ones; however, if you find offers like the one shown above, Tassimo pods may be the cheapest.
Taste of Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo coffee pods
In terms of the taste and quality of coffee pods, we can make two divisions; on the one hand, the varieties of coffee exist, and on the other hand, the quality of these beverages.
The variety of pods is enormous in both Tassimo and Dolce Gusto (slightly greater in Dolce Gusto). However, the taste is much better in the Tassimo pods, although this is a personal opinion. All the drinks I have tried in Tassimo have a more intense flavour than the Dolce Gusto equivalents.
Variety of Dolce Gusto pods
The list of varieties described below refers to the original coffee pods currently (28/11/2022) available in the official Dolce Gusto shop. In online shops such as Amazon, we can find even more varieties.
We have 39 different varieties, not counting special editions that appear at different times of the year or compatible pods from other brands:
- Ristretto (Barista, Ardenza)
- Espresso (Intenso, Decaffeinated, Peru, Starbucks Espresso Blonde Roast, Starbucks Espresso Colombia, Starbucks Espresso Dark Roast)
- Americano (Classic, Intenso, Lungo, Bold Morning XL, Lungo Intenso, Lungo Decaffeinated, Colombia Sierra Nevada, Mexico Chiapas, Starbucks Americano Veranda Blend, Starbucks House Blend Medium Roast Grande, Starbucks Americano Sunny Day Blend)
- Latte (Café Au Lait, Café Au Lait Decaffeinated, Café Au Lait Intenso)
- Cappuccino (Classic, Skinny, Starbucks Cappuccino)
- Latte (Oat Caffé Latte, Almond Caffé Latte, Coconut Caffé Latte, Starbucks Caffé Latte)
- Latte Macchiato (Classic, Caramel, Starbucks Classic, Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, Starbucks Magadascar Vanilla Macchiato)
- Cortado
- Flat White
- Chococino
- Nesquik
- Cold Brew
Variety of Tassimo pods
Here are the 46 original varieties available in the official Tassimo shop. That’s a few more than Dolce Gusto offers. Also, remember that you can find more varieties in online shops like Amazon UK.
- Americano (Costa Americano, Kenco Americano Smooth, Kenco Pure Colombian, L’OR XL Classique, L’OR XL Intense, Morning Cafe, Jacobs Caffé Crema Intenso, Café Hag Decaff, Jacobs Caffé Crema Classico XL, Jacobs Caffé Crema Intenso XL)
- Espresso (L’OR Espresso Delizioso, L’OR Espresso Decaffeinato, L’OR Espresso Fortissimo, L’OR Espresso Splendente, Jacobs Espresso Ristretto, Marcilla Espresso, Marcilla Espresso Descafeinado)
- Cappuccino (Costa Cappuccino, Kenco Cappuccino, L’OR Cappuccino, Jacobs Cappuccino Classico, Gevalia Cappuccino, Jacobs Cappuccino Choco)
- Hot Chocolate (Milka Chocolate, Cadbury Hot Chocolate, Suchard Hot Chocolate)
- Flat White (Kenco Flat White)
- Latte (Costa Iced Caramel Latte, Hazelnut Praline Latte, Costa Gingerbread Latte, Gevalia Latte Macchiato Less Sweet, Chai Latte, L’OR Latte Macchiato, Costa Latte, Costa Caramel Latte, Marcilla Cortado, Toffee Nut Latte, Baileys Latte Macchiato, L’OR Latte Macchiato Caramel, Jacobs Latte Macchiato Vanilla, Jacobs Latte Macchiato Caramel, Gevalia Café Au Lait, Jacobs Café Au Lait)
- Milk (Creamer from Milk)
- Tea (Chai Latte, Tea Time Green Tea & Mint)
Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo compatible and refillable pods
Today we can find dozens of compatible pods for Dolce Gusto coffee machines, which have positively affected the price of the original pods, which have dropped significantly. In my personal experience, I have not had any problems with Dolce Gusto-compatible pods, although I prefer to use originals.
Due to the complexity of Tassimo pods (presence of a barcode), there are no Tassimo-compatible pods on the market. This also concerns the “patent wars”, where the Bosh Intellibrew system is still protected.
In my opinion, the great advantage of Dolce Gusto over Tassimo is not that the compatible pods are cheaper than the originals, as in most cases we are talking about cents difference, but that the presence of these compatible pods has reduced the price of the originals.
Are there refillable pods for both brands?
As for refillable pods, they already exist for both Dolce Gusto and Tassimo (60ml and 180ml), and in both cases, they work “just as well”. Don’t expect refillable pods to be without problems, as you will only achieve really good coffee through practice and experimentation.
Price comparison of Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo coffee machines
One of the main characteristics of both brands is the low cost of their coffee machines because, as we said before, Tassimo and Dolce Gusto do business selling coffee pods. Both brands’ coffee machines are very easy to use.
Tassimo is the simplest; you get the right amount for each coffee pod type with a single button. This is thanks to the barcodes on their pods and the reader on the machine. However, their latest model (MyWay) offers more customisation.
You have to stop the preparation (manual models) in the Dolce Gusto machines or pre-select the desired amount of coffee before pressing the preparation lever (automatic models).
Price of Dolce Gusto coffee machines
Dolce Gusto does not sell its coffee machines directly from its official online store in the UK but instead offers you a price comparison of other stores where they are sold:
- Manual (Piccolo XS and Infinissima): £29 / £39.
- Automatic Mini-Me: £54.48.
- Genio S automatic: £49.66.
- Genio S Plus automatic: £40.49.
- Genio S Touch automatic: £79.99.
If we look at Amazon Spain we can find more variety and sometimes better deals. For example, this Piccolo XS for only £29,99.
Price of Tassimo coffee machines
In the official Tassimo store, we can find the following prices for their coffee machines:
- Happy: £39.99.
- Happy + 5 packs of free pods: £49.99.
- Suny: £119.99.
- Vivy 2: £34.99.
- MyWay: £139.99.
- MyWay 2: £139.99.
On Amazon UK, we can also find great deals on Tassimo coffee machines, such as this Tassimo Suny, for only £29,99.
Design comparison of Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo coffee makers
When we talked about taste, I said I liked Tassimo coffee machines better than Dolce Gusto, but that was a personal opinion. In the case of design, we are back to a very subjective area; depending on your taste, you may prefer one over the other. However, I will give you some details that may help you choose.
The exterior appearance of the Dolce Gusto coffee machines available in the official store:
The image above shows the classic silhouette of the Dolce Gusto coffee machines, with their spherical “head” housing the pod holder. The Dolce Gusto will certainly not go unnoticed anywhere.
The exterior appearance of the Tassimo coffee machines available in the official store:
Tassimo coffee machines are less slender than the Dolce Gusto but are more proportionate, making them ideal for fitting into any kitchen niche.
Durability and technology of Dolce Gusto vs Tassimo coffee machines
One of the most important facts about the durability of a coffee machine is provided by the brand itself through the guarantee they offer on their machines:
- Dolce Gusto UK offers a 2-year warranty regardless of whether the machine manufacturer is Krups or Delonghi.
- Tassimo offers a 2-year warranty, although this is only known through the instruction manual of each model.
Both Dolce Gusto and Tassimo have made very robust and reliable coffee machines. As someone who loves to take these machines apart and put them through very demanding tests, I think both brands have done an extraordinary job with their designs and assemblies.
If I had to single out one bad (but good) thing about one of the brands, it would be Tassimo’s Intellibrew system. This barcode reader is one of the most important and, at the same time, most sensitive components of the Tassimo coffee machine.
The two negative things I see:
- On the one hand, you can’t customise the drinks automatically as you can with the Dolce Gusto. It behaves like a manual Dolce Gusto because if you want more water, you must provide it yourself by pressing the button again until you have the desired water.
- On the other hand, if the reader gets dirty or damaged, the machine will not allow you to make coffee.
NOTE: The My Way model allows you to modify these quantities of water and other variables.
Conclusion:
From all of the above, I think the determining factor in choosing one coffee maker over the other involves weighing whether you prefer a cheaper coffee pod machine or one with higher quality pods.
The Dolce Gusto is the coffee machine if you opt for the economic side. However, if you want a better taste, you should get a Tassimo coffee machine. I confess that I love Dolce Gusto coffee machines, but I prefer Tassimo because of the taste of their coffee.
