I went hands-on with LG's coffee-making robot — here's what happened

I recently had the chance to go to LG's HQ in South Korea, where I was able to get hands-on with some quirky products I'd never seen before.

This included LG's Ground 220, an experiential space in Seoul where users can play with LG appliances before they buy. And amidst the smart fridges, microwaves, and TV's, there was one nifty gadget which immediately caught my eye.

As Tom's Guide's resident coffee expert, I've got an in-built homing device for espresso, and I immediately gravitated towards a cute little Nespresso-brewing gadget called Duobo.

Delightfully retro

Duobo looks like no machine I've seen before, which makes sense, because it's currently only available to buy in South Korea.

Designed to look like a space probe, there's something simultaneously futuristic and retro about the way its capsule container lifts up. I almost expected a tiny spaceman to walk out, helmet in hand.

From there, you can pull out a little tray which can hold two Nespresso original-style capsules at once. This allows you to customize the flavor of your brew and layer different blends for a custom taste. I've actually never seen a capsule machine that can hold two pods at once, and for a double espresso-lover like me, it's a stroke of genius.

Another adorable function is the integrated full HD IPS display. This sits underneath the coffee dispenser, and it displays cute animations which circle and move around your espresso as it brews.

According to LG, it also shows coffee tips and facts, but as I can't read Korean, I can't talk you through what that would be!

Doing something different

Is this a new product? No. It was first announced at the end of 2023, and it's also not available to buy in the U.S. or Europe.

Admittedly, it's not the most practical machine on the market. It's got no milk steaming functions, which most of the best Nespresso machines do, and it also takes up a significant amount of counter space, which is a downside for the average pod machine buyer.

But I'm still hyped to tell people about it, because it's so rare that I see a capsule machine do something so different. And it's fun!

Would you consider adding a coffee companion to your countertops? While I'm more of a De'Longhi or Breville user, I have to admit that the Duobo is the sort of cute gadget that you could immediately grow an emotional attachment to.

More from Tom's Guide

• Nespresso’s NanoFoamer has just landed — and it’s so cool I'm putting it straight in my basket
• I compared the Nespresso Vertuo and Nespresso Original lines — the winner surprised me
• I tried Nespresso's most expensive coffee maker — here's my verdict