There can’t be many people who can resist a light crisp profiterole oozing with whipped cream and covered in chocolate but if you fancy something a little different why not try making these with this delicious coffee and rum sauce instead of the chocolate.

(Serves 4 )

Ingredients

Profiteroles:

• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 oz butter
• 5 fl oz cold water
• 2.5 oz plain flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 10 fl oz double cream

Coffee and Rum Sauce:

• 3 oz sugar
• 6 fl oz strong coffee
• 1 tablespoons corn flour
• 1.5 tablespoons cold coffee
• 0.5 oz butter
• 1 tablespoons rum

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 (400 deg F, 200 deg C) and lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized, saucepan.
3. Add the butter and stir until melted.
4. Turn off the heat. Add the flour and sugar in one go with one hand while you beat the mixture with the other. If you don’t have an electric hand whisk then use a wooden spoon instead.
5. Beat until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball in the middle.
6. Gradually add the beaten egg mixture a little at a time.
7. Place teaspoons of the mixture on the baking sheet and then bake for ten minutes before increasing the heat to gas mark 7 (425 deg F, 220 deg C) and bake for a further 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven when golden and pierce each one to allow the steam to escape. Then leave to cool on a wire rack.
9. Next make the coffee and rum sauce by melting the sugar in a saucepan over a low heat while stirring continuously.
10. Gradually add in the strong coffee and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
11. In a small bowl mix the cold coffee and corn flour and then combine this with the hot mixture.
12. Bring to the boil gently and then remove from the heat and add the butter and rum.
13. Stir until the butter has melted and leave to cool to room temperature.
14. Meanwhile split the profiteroles in half and fill each one with a teaspoon of whipped cream and join the halves together again.
15. Either stack the profiteroles in a pyramid shape or  place individual servings in a bowl  and pour the coffee and rum mixture.
16. Serve immediately.

Here are a few of the questions I get asked on a regular basis about Dolce Gusto machines.

1) Can I use milk in my Dolce Gusto?

No, absolutely not, if what you mean by that is can you put milk instead of water in the tank. The Espresso must be brewed with water before adding any milk to it. If, on the other hand, your question refers to whether or not you can use fresh milk with your Dolce Gusto as opposed to using the milk capsules then  yes you can.

2) Does my Dolce Gusto take any other type of capsule?

No, I’m afraid not. Your Dolce Gusto machine will only take Dolce Gusto Capsules and there isn’t a supermarket own brand alternative. There are a couple of videos on Youtube showing you how to reuse a capsule but to my mind this defeats the object of buying a capsule coffee machine in the first place as the process is a messy, time consuming one. Seriously, if you want to go to that much trouble just invest in a Gaggia Classic or some other traditional espresso machine. Here’s one of the videos though if you’re interested.

3) Are Dolce Gusto Pods ESE?

No – they are completely different.

4) Can I turn up the temperature on my Dolce Gusto?

No You can’t. Personally  I think the coffee it produces is pretty hot when drinking the coffee on its own or when using the Dolce Gusto Milk capsules. If, however, you are adding fresh milk to your Golce Gusto coffee then I recommend adding the milk to your cup and warming it for twenty seconds in the micowave first before adding the coffee. Some people also claim that interupting the flow of the coffee – ie stopping and starting the water flow – keeps the water temperature hotter but this is not something I do personally.

5) What is the average cost of Dolce Gusto per cup?

This depends on which capsules you use. If you use the cappuccino ones or any of the ones that use the milk capsules then you only get 8 cups in a box which puts the price per cup at about 47p. I f however you only capsules such as the lungo or espresso ones then you get coffee capsules which takes the price down to around 23p or 24p.

The De’Longhi Nespresso Lattissima Plus EN520 is the newest model in the Lattissima range. There’s no doubt that these machines are very stylish visually and if it’s a capsule coffee machine in particular that you’re after then, as I am always saying, you can’t get much better than a machine that uses the Nespresso system. I think they have the best range of coffees to choose from, and for me, the best tasting coffees. Delonghi’s patented “Instant Froth Dispenser system” (IFD) is incorporated into the Latissima and the main benefit of this is that it allows you to create milky drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes with a single press the button. This is where the Lattissima differs from say the Nespresso Citiz and Milk which requires you to make the coffee and froth the milk separately and then add the milk yourself.

If you don’t wish to read the review click here to see if there’s a discount  on the Lattissima today.

Features of the Nespresso Lattissima

• Powerful 19 bar pressure
• Forty second heat up time
• One touch froth dispenser with removable milk jug
• Illuminated programmable keys to chose your favourite drink (espresso, long coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato)
• Removable milk carafe
• Automatically ejects used capsules
• Adjustable drip tray
• Cup warmer
• Energy saving function
• 2 year warranty

The bar pressure is important as it this that ensures you get a quality crema layer on your espresso and the one -touch milk/froth dispenser is the easiest way to froth fresh milk for cappuccino and latte macchiato. This is great if you want hassle free milk but don’t want to resort to a system that uses milk capsules.

You brew your coffee by pressing one of the illuminated keys and selecting cappuccino, latte macchiato, espresso or lungho (long coffee) and you have the added benefit of being able to personalise the ratio of milk to coffee which the machine will then memorise so that you always get a cup of coffee exactly how you want it. You can also adjust how frothy your milk is – more frothy for cappuccino, less for latte.

The removable milk carafe is useful in that you can store unused milk in it in the fridge for up to two days so you don’t have to be so precise as to how much milk you are pouring into it as it won’t go to waster. Another good thing about this machine is that it can also be cleaned at the touch of a button – a real benefit when you’re preparing milky drinks. And there is a built-in compartment for collecting used capsules after they have been automatically ejected.

The adjustable drip tray on the Lattissima means you can use both espresso cups and tall latte macchiato glasses – you just need to push it inside when using a latte glass. And if you’re normally in a rush in the morning  you’ll benefit from the thermoblock technology which means you get a heat up time of just 40 seconds.

 Should You Buy a Nespresso Lattissima Plus?

Well that depends primarily on the type of coffee you drink. If you’re into a straightforward espresso and if you want a machine that uses the Nespresso system, then I would probably say just go for a Nespresso Citiz or a Nespresso Pixie. If you like milky drinks then go with the Lattissima or, if you want to manually add your milk, the Nespresso Citiz and Milk.

Where Can You Buy the Nespresso Lattissima Plus For The Best Price?

The Lattissima retails at about £230.  However if you keep an eye out you should be able to pick it up on the internet for around  the £200 mark with delivery included.

Prices change frequently so  click here to check for a discount on Amazon and to read more user reviews

 What are other saying about this machine?

A lot of reviewers comment on how good the build of the machine is and the quality of the coffee it produces. Some say that it is coffee shop standard. Another point people make is that it produces a hot coffee from standby which is good because temperature of the coffee is a bugbear for a number of coffee machine owners of other brands.

Using Your Nespresso Lattissima Plus

The Latissima is very simple to use. Before using for the first time you’ll need to remove the plastic film from the drip tray and the grid under the milk carafe and rinse the machine through. This is done by pressing the lungo button (without inserting a capule) and letting the water run through the machine. You will need to do this three times.

Preparing an Espresso

1.Rinse  the water tank before filling it to the maximum level.

2. Switch the machine on. The lights will blink for 40 seconds while the machine warms up. When the lights stop blinking the machine is ready to use.

3. Lift the lever at the top of the machine and insert a Nespresso capsule.

4. Push the lever back down and if using a latte glass push the drip tray inside the machine.

5. Press the Espresso button for a 40ml coffee or the Lungho button for a 110ml coffee.

6. Preparation of the coffee will stop automatically but if you want to stop it manually or top it up just press the button again.

7.Lift and close the lever to eject the capsule.

Preparing a Cappuccino

1. Fill the milk carafe with desired quantity of milk.

2. Put the lid on and slide the steam connector door to the right to open.

3. Connect the carafe to the machine.

4. The milk drink buttons will blink while the system heats up. When they stop blinking the machine is ready to ue.

5. Lift the lever at the top of the machine and insert a Nespresso capsule.

6. Close the lever and put a cup or latte glass in place under the coffee outlet.

7. Adjust the position of the milk spout so it is aiming at the cup.

8. Use the milk froth regulating knob to set desired amount of froth.

9. Press either cappuccino or latte button.

10. When drink has been prepared lift and lower the lever to eject the coffee capsule.

11. place a container under the milk spout and press and hold “Clean” button until machine stops pumping automatically. This takes 10 seconds.

12. Remove the milk carafe and store any unused milk in the fridge for up to two days.

What’s Included in The Box?

1 x Delonghi Nespresso Lattissima Plus Machine
1 x Milk carafe
1 x Pack of 16 Nespresso capsules
1 x Nespresso Coffee Guide
1 x Instruction Manual

Nespresso Lattissima Plus Demo

The Delonghi Magnifica ESAM4200 is a bean-to-cup automatic espresso machine that also takes ground coffee or ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods in it. It has the professional 15-bar pump pressure, which you would expect of a machine in this price bracket, along with a built-in burr grinder with seven adjustable grind settings so that you can select the best one for your chosen grade of coffee bean. There is a traditional stainless steel milk frothing arm and also a double boiler system which enables you to steam your milk at the same time as your espresso is brewing. It can make two espressos at once.

If you don’t wish to read the review click here to check if there is a discount on this machine today

How Easy is the Delonghi Magnifica use?

The Delonghi Magnifica features a one touch system so what this means is that you press one button and the process starts. First fill the 1.8L water tank and put the beans in the grinder. Press a button and the process starts with the grinder grinding just the right amount of beans to your chosen coarseness, the ground coffee then gets tightly packed before water is pushed though it at 15 bar pressure and the coffee is poured into your cup with a lovely crema layer. You can adjust the settings to allow for more or less water and coffee so you will need to carry out a bit of trial and error until you get your perfect coffee.

If for example you want to produce a 50-60ml double shot of espresso, first try and get the amount of water right. Set the coffee strength to around two thirds and set the water quantity low. Tweak this until it is producing the desired 50 or 60ml – you will need to use a small measuring jug to check this.

Next set the grinder to around 4 and time how long the coffee takes to pour. A double shot should take 20 seconds. If it takes more than 20 seconds then the grind is too fine and if it takes less then it is too coarse. Again, keep tweaking this until you get it right.

It can be a bit of a faff to begin with but it’s worth taking the time as once you have the settings right you can be assured that you will be consistently getting  your own perfect brew every time.

One thing to be aware of when using the grinder is make sure you only adjust the grinder setting when it is on – it does say this in the instructions but a lot of people seem to miss it.

If you run out of beans or  simply prefer to use ground coffee or ESE pods instead then you just need to change the setting on the control panel and pop in a pod or add your ground coffee to the ground coffee compartment.

Drink variety and price of ESE pods

ESE pods are similar to teabags in that they are a pre-measured serving of coffee wrapped in filter paper, ready to be used into any ESE compatible machine. The main benefit of having a machine that uses ESE pods as opposed to other pod or capsules is that you don’t end up being tied to one particular coffee manufacturer. For example, Nespresso pods are made by Nestle and Senseo pods by Douwe Egberts. ESE  pods are made to an industry standard and are available from all the major quality roasters such as Lavazza and Illy among others.You can generally expect to pay around 40-50p per pod.

Keeping Your Delonghi Magnifica Clean

The Delonghi Magnifica is fairly easy to clean. It come with a removable drip tray and brewing unit to make cleaning easier. There are also automatic rinse and descaling programmes. When you use the steam nozzle just make sure you wipe it clean immediately before the millk has a chance to dry on it.

Where Can You Buy the Delonghi Magnifica For The Best Price?

You can buy the Delonghi Magnifica at various high street stores but you will find it a lot cheaper online. Anything under £300 is a good price as the RRP is £399.  Amazon usually have this machine at a competitive price (with free delivery included).

Prices change frequently so  click here for today’s price

Does it include a Warranty?

Yes, the Delonghi Magnifica includes a 2 year warranty.

What Other People Are Saying About the Magnifica

This coffee machine has received mainly good reviews from consumers on the internet with Amazon buyers giving it a 4.5 star rating. Here are some of the comments to date:

• “I don’t often write reviews, but this machine deserves every good word said about it.”
• “I purchased this machine about six weeks ago. I am impressed by its ability to produce excellent espresso amazingly quickly, no fuss and bother or excessive cleaning.”
• “Super coffee maker. Very simple to use, great results easily altered to suit your taste size of cup etc. All you have to do is find the coffee beans you like!”
• ” I am so thrilled with this coffee maker. It is simple to set up – and to maintain – and makes the most amazing drink ever.”

Any complaints?

Some people have complained about the temperature of the coffee not being hot enough but if you read the instructions thoroughly and you warm up your cup first you shouldn’t have a problem – I recommend pouring boiling water into your cup first to warm it up rather than relying on the cup warmer. People have also reported problems with the grinder but again if you follow the manual and only adjust grinding level when it is on you shouldn’t go wrong.

Read More Reviews for the Delonghi Magnifica

To read more reviews from people who own this product visit Amazon. Click here to read more reviews

If you you have any questions please use the form below and we will reply. Please post your own reviews below if you already own a Delonghi Magnifica – we love to read them.