Nescafé Dolce Gusto Melody 2 Coffee Brewer Review

Introduction

Design Overview

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There is no LCD-lit screen and no customization buttons on the {{product.name}}. What's more, it doesn’t have a big reservoir.

Brewing Chamber

The {{product.name}}'s brewing chamber is different from some other pod coffee brewers in that the piece of plastic that holds the coffee pod slides out of the machine completely. Users need to pull the holder out, insert the pod, put the holder back in, and lock it in by pulling down the metal lever just above the chamber. This process may not be as intuitive as some would like.

Controls

The only controls are located at the top of the {{product.name}} in the form of a lever that can be pushed from left (cold drinks) to right (hot drinks). While users will like that they can choose between hot and cold drinks, it's disappointing that this is the only real option for customization.

Reservoir

The reservoir only contains 1.5 liters of water, but is pretty easy to remove and refill. Users can also just remove the cap at the top and pour water right into the reservoir. There's no water filter included with the {{product.name}}, so users are stuck with tap water or having to filter water manually.

In the Box

Other pod coffee brewers include extra filters or accessories, but the {{product.name}} didn't come with much else besides the machine inside the box. You'll only get an extra coffee pod bin and 12 pods with the Melody 2.

Brewing

Note: We only used the pods that were provided in the box and that there are darker (and probably stronger) pods available for separate purchase.

For our large cup total dissolved solids (TDS) test, we used "Caffe Americano," which Nescafé describes as a lighter brew that can be consumed multiple times over the course of a day. These pods did well on our test, garnering a high of 0.83.

The {{product.name}} totaled a 1.08 in our small cup test, which featured Nescafé's dark and heavy brew, Caffe Lungo. Overall, the Melody 2 had a solid TDS range as it had a low of 0.79 and high of 1.08. More on how we test the brewing process.

Time to Brew

The {{product.name}} was just about average in time spent brewing for both large (1:07) and small (0:54) cups.

Quantity

There are no cup size settings on the {{product.name}}. You need to choose how much you want it to brew by pulling the top lever back to the middle to make it stop brewing.

Brewing Process

While it's not much of a hassle to brew a cup, there's nothing too exciting about the {{product.name}} either.

Step 1

The first step is to fill the 1.5 liter reservoir with water and allow the machine to heat the water up.

Step 2

Next, you lift up the metal tab at the top of the machine and pull the metal ring out to release the pod holder. After putting the pod cup in, you need to re-insert the holder and pull the tab back down.

Step 3

With your pod ready to go, depending on what type of drink you want, you're going to pull the metal lever at the top to the left for a cold drink and to the right for a hot one. Rather than the machine determining your drink size beforehand and giving you options, you're going to have to shut the machine off manually by turning the lever back to the middle when you're satisfied with your drink.

For many of the coffee and espresso drinks, there are two pods that need to be brewed. One is the coffee base to be brewed first and the other is a milk pod at that helps create the frothy top that many coffee drinkers enjoy.

Cleaning & Maintenance

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Users will like that cleanup is quick because the only removable parts from the {{product.name}} are the pod holder and the coffee drip platform.

Other Features

The {{product.name}} shuts off after 20 minutes of non-use.

Comparison Overview

The {{product.name}} ($130) costs more than the Fusion ($125) while providing less customization of controls and a diminished variety of drink options. Based on what was provided in the box, the Fusion brews stronger coffee and allows users to choose between cup sizes. The Melody 2 is much more basic in nature and may be only a good fit for those who don't need predetermined cup sizes and are looking for a hybrid coffee and espresso machine.

Comparison Overview

The {{product.name}} ($130) and Mr. Coffee KG1 have a similar dearth of user buttons, but the $78 price tag on the Mr. Coffee makes it more appealing. Neither brews the strongest of coffees based on the coffee pods included in each box as the Melody had a 1.08 TDS score and the Mr. Coffee totaled a high of 0.70. We're basing the {{product.name}} on coffee brewing alone with the "Caffe Americano" and "Caffe Lungo" pods, and not its additional espresso/cappuccino capabilities. With that in mind, it's still hard to argue that the Melody is worth almost twice as much as Mr. Coffee.

Comparison Overview

The Tassimo T65 produces slightly stronger coffee than the {{product.name}} according to our TDS test, but the Melody 2's minimum TDS number was 0.79 compared to the T65's 0.55. This means that the worst coffee you get from the Melody is better than the worst coffee you'll get from the Tassimo. Performance aside, neither offer much in the way of customization and you're going to have to look elsewhere for an LCD screen that lets pick cup size. The {{product.name}} allows you choose drink size, but you need to do it manually and novice coffee drinkers may have difficulty with the process.

Conclusion

Compared to other coffee brewers that brew strong coffee and have LCD screens or buttons that allow users to customize their brew, paying $130 for the {{product.name}} doesn't sound all that appealing. The Melody 2 brews average-strength coffee and has only one user control on its body: a lever that lets users choose between hot and cold drinks.

The biggest problem with the {{product.name}} is that it lacks a feature or quality that sets it apart from other brewers in the $130 price rang. Its coffee isn't terrible and it doesn't take much effort to brew, but it's also hard to make a strong case to purchase it over other brewers.