User manual and frequently asked questions Nescafé Dolce Gusto Piccolo

Nescafé Dolce Gusto Piccolo With its tiny footprint, Piccolo is a cute compact coffee machine that fits in any kitchen.

With Piccolo, enjoy delicious beverages in a compact machine that will fit in any kitchen.

 

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Ref : KP100650

Documentation

FAQ

Tap water (normal household potable water) is perfectly OK as long as it is free of odors that might alter the taste of the beverage. Bottled water is also OK.
Do not use refrigerated or warm water as this might impact the temperature of the beverage.
Use always fresh water and replace the water if system has not been used for more than 2 days.
For cold beverages, use water at ambient temperature, never refrigerated water, and place two or more ice cubes (20g per ice cube) in the cup.
To be noticed that water hardness is the first reason of machine calcification and so it is recommended to descale the machine frequently (every 3months or less according to water hardness).
Once beverage preparation is complete and the power button stopped blinking red (about 5s), remove and discard the capsule. Don't keep it in the capsule holder.
No, you must not pour the water tank with milk. The system works only with water. The usage of any other liquid, like milk, can be harmful for your machine.
The extraction of the Dolce Gusto coffee is made at an optimal temperature, so that it gives a perfect coffee. It cannot be extracted any hotter, as this would cause the coffee grounds to have a burnt taste.

If the consumers want a hotter coffee, they have several possibilities:
• Preheat the cup.
• Ensure that you always wait until the machine stops blinking during preheat of thermoblock before starting a preparation.
• Extract some water without capsule, throw the water away and proceed with the capsule afterwards.
• Descale the machine if needed (if a decrease of beverage temperature was noticed recently).

Normal temperature in cup:
• Capsules with roast and ground coffee: above 70 °C
• Capsules with soluble products: above 65 °C
No, your preparation will never be hot. In addition, this will not work, as the range of hot beverages is not designed for cold dissolution and cold consumption. It could result in a “blocked capsule".
Cold beverages have been developed to give the best taste and the best experience for consumers when prepared with cold water.
However it is possible to prepare these cold beverages with the Hot function.
To ensure your full safety during the use of your machine, follow the "recommendations for safe use" in the manual that came with your machine.

To use your machine safely:
• Never put hot water in the water tank!
• Never open the locking handle during the preparation of a drink!
• At the end of the preparation, the ON/OFF button flashes red for about 5 seconds. Do not open the handle during this time!
• Never move the selector lever while the locking handle is open!
• Do not touch the capsule after the preparation of the drink! Hot surfaces can cause burns!
If you just bought your machine and you use it for the first time, read the manual to help you with the first steps. You can find all machine user manuals online on this website.

To help you, here are a few lines the steps for optimal use:
1. Fill the water tank of the machine.
2. Make sure to snap the water tank in the machine.
3. Turn on your machine and wait until the LED is "green".
4. It is necessary to purge the machine before its first use. To do this, select on the head the maximum amount of water from the machine, drop an empty container under the head of the machine and press the Cold Water position (blue button) and wait for the end of the stream. Repeat the process on the hot water position (red button). Your machine is then ready for use.
5. Fill up your water tank.
6. Add a capsule in the capsule holder.
7. Choose the appropriate water level (the amount of water is specified on each adapted beverage capsule).
8. Select Hot/Cold water depending on your drink.
9. Then wait until the LED is "green" to remove your capsule safely.
10. Throw your capsule away.
You just need to make sure the indicator light is green in order to prepare another drink.
Follow the instructions in your personal instruction manual for descaling your machine as techniques vary according to the model you own.
We recommend using the descaling product provided by the manufacturer.
For a daily average usage of 4 cups and if the water is hard, we recommend descaling your machine at least every 3 months.
If you live in an area where the water is very hard, you may wish to descale more often.
Yes, if it is coated with scale.
Clean it with water and/or cleaning products recommended by the device manufacturer.
This can prevent clogging in the water outlet and hygiene issues.
The frequency that you should descale the machine will depend on the water hardness and how frequently you use the machine.
Over time, limescale slows the flow of water through your machine and can reduce the effectiveness of the heating element making your beverage less warm.

For medium hardness water, descaling every 3/4 months gets rid of limescale build up, keeping waterflow fast and beverage temperature within expectations.

On some models (Jovia, Oblo, Drop, Stelia, Movenza, Eclipse, Piccolo produced since end 2014) there is a descaling reminder.
Each time the consumer touches the Hot or Cold button, it is considered as an extraction. Descaling warning is based on the number of extractions and it is triggered every 300 extractions by a orange ligthing of the ON/OFF button. Machine still works but we recommend to descale it.

It is strongly recommended to descale in the following three cases:
• If you find a lower flow of water when preparing drinks.
• If the water seems colder than usual.
• If the ON/OFF button turns orange continuously.
Over time, limescale slows waterflow, can reduce the effectiveness of heating the water used to make your drinks and can finally clog the needle used to pierce the capsule and to deliver the water.

For medium hardness water, descaling every 3/4 months gets rid of limescale build up, keeping waterflow fast and beverage temperature within expectations.
For Melody 3 FS, Circolo FS and Genio 1st generation the whole descaling process is triggered when we press the Hot button, no need to press the Cold one, both channels are descaled. It is different for other automatic machines where both buttons need to be pressed.
Chococino and Nesquik capsules contains chocolate, milk and sugar. It may leave more sticky residues than coffee. It is important to often clean the machine in order to avoid a bad smell.
NO. Avoid white vinegar that can damage your machine and cause leakage.
To prolong the life of your machine, it is recommended to use the descaling kit sold on our webshop or other liquid descaling kit suitable for coffee machines.
We recommend daily cleaning to make sure you will continue to enjoy the great coffee experience you deserve. For tips on daily cleaning and more, consult the user manual.
Only the capsule holder can be washed in the dishwasher. The drip tray and the water tank must be washed manually.
Ideally both channels (Hot/Cold) could be descaled and this is the procedure applied for automatic machines.
However limescale build-up is not likely to happen in Cold circuit and it is very important that the majority of the descaling solution goes through the Hot channel. In order to ensure an efficient descaling of Hot channel (that is the most use), we recommend to pass the entire solution in Hot channel.
In order to have a perfect rinsing, and to avoid remaining drops of descaling solution in the connector collecting both Hot and Cold tubes, it is recommended to rinse Cold channel as well.
Make sure that the drip-tray has not overflowed and empty if necessary.
Verify that the drip-tray is correctly positioned.
Clean the flow head of your machine using a small pin.
Consult the user manual and follow the instructions for cleaning.
If your appliance has not been used for several months, the pump may have difficulty restarting the water flow.
When you select a small or large cup, the pump makes a lot of noise but no drops come out.
- Remove the capsule if there is one.
- Fill the tank to the maximum with hot water (60°C).
- Turn on the machine and select the large cup.
- Take out and reposition the tank every 3 seconds. There should be air bubbles escaping from the tank valve.
- The priming is done and the water flows through the coffee outlet.

If priming is not possible after these manipulations, take the appliance to an authorized service center.
After following the instructions in the user manual for starting the appliance, make sure that your electrical socket is working by plugging another appliance. If it still does not work, do not try to dismantle or repair the appliance yourself, instead, take it to an approved repair centre
Do not use your appliance. To avoid any danger, have it replaced by an approved repair centre.
When the power button is orange instead of green, it means that the descaling warning has been triggered. This feature is available on models produced since 2014.
Each time the consumer touches the Hot or Cold button, it is considered as an extraction. Descaling warning is based on the number of extractions and it is triggered every 300 extractions by a orange ligthing of the ON/OFF button. Machine still works but we recommend to descale it.
Switch off the machine, press the power button for 5s until the power button starts blinking and the descaling mode is activated. Machine can be descaled according to the user manual available in the machine care page.
To be noticed that if the descaling mode is activated and the machine is switched off without doing the descaling, the power button will turn back to green and the counter is reset. After 300 new extractions, power button will again turn to orange.
If the machine is not descaled on a regular basis and consumers use hard water (highly charged in calcium carbonate), the machine becomes scaly and the needle is likely clogged.
On new models, the needle can actually be removed and the main purpose is to allow consumers to clean the needle specially when it is clogged or the flow starts to decrease. This cleaning must be followed by a full descaling of the machine.
If the machine has no power or if the machine can be switched-on but the pump does not start when selecting the Hot/Cold button (no noise), there is nothing that you can do and the machine must be repaired.

If you hear the pump but there is no flow, follow the different steps:
1-Remove the capsule from capsule holder.
2-Check that there is water in water tank and that water tank is well plugged.
3-Select the cold channel, lift and put down the water tank several times and then fix it, flow should start. If not, the needle is probably clogged.
The needle must be cleaned with the cleaning tool provided with the machine and machine must be descaled.
If your machine is equipped with a removable needle (part in green), you can remove it to clean it deeply.
If after this, there is still no flow, machine must be sent to a repair centre.
The reason why the capsule holder leaks on the side is probably due to the fact that the connection between the needle and the water tube is not perfectly tight any more.
The machine need to be repaired.
The amount of beverage depends on the size of the cup, the position of the drip tray, and sometimes the milk and coffee powders which are natural products that might show a small seasonality effect.
It is important to assess where this leakage is coming from (water tank, capsule holder or underneath the machine).

You can check whether it is from the water tank by pouring the water tank with water and keeping it on a table for a while (at least 30 mn). if it does not leak, it means that it is more related to the tightness of a water tube and in this case we recommend you to contact our consumer services center.
Before taking out the capsule holder, make sure the selection lever is in the middle position and locking handle is lifted up.
If the locking handle is up but capsule holder can't be removed, that means that the needle plate is probably not held in place properly and is in a wrong position. Please contact our consumer services center.
If the locking handle can't be lifted up at end of extraction, please do not force it. The capsule might be under pressure. Wait for 20 minutes to release the pressure, lift up the locking handle, remove capsule holder and throw away the capsule. if it does not work, please contact our consumer services center.
Adjust the cup support to the correct level in order to not be too far or too close to the beverage outlet. Use another cup size.
The quality of the final beverage is not impacted and can be consumed. Before preparing the next cup, clean and dry the capsule holder, particularly the beverage outlet opening.
This is normal: as long as the capsule is not removed and discarded, it will continue to drip into the cup or the drip tray (once the cup is removed). The dripping lasts longer for coffee capsules than for creamer capsules. To stop dripping, remove and discard the used capsule after the light stops blinking.
It is likely that you have removed the holder from the machine too soon or has extracted a lower volume than recommended, causing this backflow. Always wait for the light to stop blinking before opening the machine.
Normally, there should be no drops out of the capsule during removal from the machine and discarding. In order to minimize the risk of dripping on counter surfaces, a dedicated bin is provided with each machine purchase (except for Piccolo) and should be kept near the machine.
Once the beverage is delivered to the desired strength/volume, any remaining water (and some product traces) remains in the capsule in order to not dilute the taste of the beverage. Some of this remaining liquid might drip out of the capsule in the bin. The specially designed bin provided with the machine (except for Piccolo) allows for easy separation of liquid and solid waste (refer to the manual). Clean the bin regularly.
Some products (e.g. coffee capsules) are designed to flow slower than others (e.g. creamer capsules) in order to achieve the desired cup quality. If flow is slower than normal, unblock the needle and descale the machine following the User Manual instructions.
• When you start your machine and during the rise in water temperature, the on/off button flashes red for about 30 seconds.
• When the machine is ready, the on/off button turns green.
• At the end of the preparation of the drink, the on/off button flashes red for about 5 seconds. Do not remove the capsule holder during this time!
• Eco Mode: after 5 minutes of non-use, the machine switches off automatically.
• If the on/off button flashes red/green, it means that machine has detected a lack of water. Check that the capsule is not blocked and that there is enough water in the tank before starting a new preparation.
• If the on/off button turns orange/yellow continuously (descaling warning), you should descale the machine.

For more details about the LEDs on your machine, please refer to the user manual of the machine.
No, you can only use safely machines from countries with the same voltage. In the case the voltage is higher than the one where the machine was bought, it won't work or the fuses will burn. In case the voltage is lower then it's possible that the machine won't work.
The sign of a true Espresso is the froth which is created by pressure within the machine whilst the coffee is being made. The pressure is measured in bars (from 1.5 to 19) so the higher the bar pressure the richer and thicker the froth.
An expresso has a stronger aroma than a "normal" coffee.
In fact, an expresso can be distinguished by its rich aroma and the creamy foam on the surface of the cup.
This requires a pressure of 15 bar (achieved only by espresso machines), water heated to 90-92°C and finely ground and measured coffee (7 g per cup).
Your appliance contains valuable materials which can be recovered or recycled. Leave it at a local civic waste collection point.
If you believe that one part is missing, please call Consumer Services Center and we will help you find a suitable solution.
Please go to the “Accessories” section of the website to easily find whatever you need for your product.
Find more detailed information in the Warranty section of the website.
The machine is not supposed to be used as a water boiler. Without capsule the flow is higher, the heat transfer is lower and the temperature will probably not reach the expectation of consumers.
We do not recommend the appliance to be used by children. This information is clearly stated in the User manual.
There is no limit in the number of coffees a machine can make in a day, but consumers need to be careful not to make too many coffees in a row, because if they are continuously extracting beverages it might lead to an over-heating of specific elements of the machine resulting in error mode triggering.
What we can advise is that consumers can make 5-6 coffees in a row, but then they need to wait for a moment (1-2 minutes should be enough) before resuming extracting.
Each NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto® machine has a protective red wire which can't be changed.
It ensures the safety of consumers that is so important to the brand of Modern Art Café: NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto®.
There are 2 different types of machines:
In the case of a manual machine, you are the one controling the amount of water suitable for your drink. The machine does not stop by itself and stops when you move the selection lever back to the middle position.
In the case of an automatic machine, you choose in advance the amount of water that will be delivered. The machine will stop by itself automatically.
The NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto machine heats water, which is passed at high pressure - a maximum of 15 bars - through a capsule of high quality roast and ground or soluble products (milk, chocolate, etc...) depending on the capsule variety.
The coffee that is used in the capsules is made mainly of premium Arabica varieties.
The capsules are designed to deliver an even distribution of water and pressure over the coffee to ensure that flavour is maximized. This system uses pressure similar to that of professional machines.
Whilst coffee percolators operate at one bar of pressure (normal atmospheric pressure) and a number of other machines operate at no more than two bars, the NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto system can operate up to 15 bars.
No, the machine is not a perishable item and can be used as long as it works properly.
Nescafé Dolce Gusto machines are carefully developed and manufactured in order to ensure the safety of our consumers and the delivery of the best in-cup beverage experience. The choice of component materials is carefully selected based on safety, durability, cleanliness and cost effectiveness. Before release for sale, all our machines are passed through stringent tests to ensure that the machine meets all safety requirements for food contact materials in all selling markets. We can therefore assure you that any Nescafé Dolce Gusto beverage, prepared with a Nescafé Dolce Gusto Machine, is compliant, safe for consumption and aligned with the preferences expressed by our consumers during our consumer research studies.
Nescafé Dolce Gusto machines are carefully developed and manufactured in order to ensure the safety of our consumers and the delivery of the best in-cup beverage experience. The choice of component materials is carefully selected based on safety, durability, cleanliness and cost effectiveness. Before release for sale, all our machines are passed through stringent tests to ensure that the machine meets all safety requirements for food contact materials in all selling markets. We can therefore assure you that any Nescafé Dolce Gusto beverage, prepared with a Nescafé Dolce Gusto Machine, is compliant, safe for consumption and aligned with the preferences expressed by our consumers during our consumer research studies.

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