I was lucky enough to receive a Tassimo coffee machine for Christmas, thankfully my year's worth of hints had come to fruition! I think my partner was initially a bit dubious about buying it, as a few years ago he bought me a proper cappuccino machine which I never learnt to use - a combination of laziness, disinterest and a hope that he would always make them for me!
I was a little scared that I would find the machine too difficult to use, and wouldn't use it because of this. But it is very easy, and I learnt very quickly how to make a decent mug of cappuccino.
What is it? ***********
The black and silver Tassimo is not just a coffee machine, as it makes hot chocolate and tea too. It is a complete system which makes me feel like a barista (the term for a professional coffee maker) every time I fancy a cappuccino! The system works on the basis of special pods called a T-DISC™ which comes complete with a bar code which the machine reads and knows exactly how much hot water to add. It is a very simple device, but is it one of those vital pieces of kitchen equipment everyone lusts for but soon relegates to the cupboard once the novelty wears off - think George Forman Grill, Breville sandwich toaster et al?
Who is it made by? ********************
The Tassimo is made by Braun and Kenco.
What sort of drinks does it make? *************************************
The Tassimo can make Kenco cappuccino's, Suchard hot chocolate, Twinings tea and an assortment of coffee's - Kenco classic blend, decaffeinated classic blend, espresso and café crema.
I have tried the cappuccino and hot chocolate, but as yet haven't ventured into the coffee or tea sections. I do find it a bit strange why anyone would want to use the machine to make a cup of tea, but then again, each to his own.
How does it work? ********************
According to the Tassimo website all you do is Choose, insert, press, enjoy - but it's a bit more complicated than that!
On Christmas day I made my first cappuccino with my new toy. It was relatively easy to set up, rather like plug and play type technology. The first time the machine is used it needs to be flushed through or cleaned using the cleaning T-DISC™ which is provided.
At the back of the machine is a large plastic jug which I filled with water. The on/off switch is located at the back of the machine, which I felt was a disadvantage. It means that as I have found a home for my Tassimo on my kitchen counter pressed against the wall, I have to pull it forwards in order to turn the machine on. It would have been a lot easier for the designer to have put the switch on the front of the machine, so it wouldn't have to be moved every time it's used.
The front of the machine has a clamp which lifts up to activate the system and set the whole coffee making process in place. You do have to do this in order, (click/switch on, lift clamp) or the chip which I presume is in the thing, gets confused and nothing happens other than a red stand by light shines for hours on end (I found this out the second time I used it!).
Inside the clamp is the compartment which holds the brew mechanism. Inside this compartment is the hub of the whole thing. It has the T-DISC™ holder, piercing unit and the bar code reading window. All you do is place the T-DISC™, whether it is a cleaning disc or coffee pod, into the holder, press down the black clamp and you are off. The green auto light indicates the coffee is on its way. With cappuccino's the green light flashes and spurts out a tiny amount of coffee for about a second, there is a pause and then the remainder of the coffee comes out.
It does smell fantastic and very similar to freshly brewed coffee, although it doesn't linger as long, which is a bit frustrating. With cappuccino's you use two discs - one for the coffee and one for the milk. This does take a bit longer, and when you are making two or three cups at the same time, it is a bit time consuming.
How easy is it to clean? ***************************
At first I thought the Tassimo machine would be really easy to keep clean, as it is provided with a cleaning disc. However, my family are big cappuccino fans, and the milky drink is a lot harder to clean up afterwards. Even if I use the cleaning disc, there is always milk residue left after the machine has been cleaned, so I have to use the toothbrush like device they provide to clean off the milk around the piercing unit.
Most of the compartments are easy to remove and can be put in the dishwasher, including the splashback (plastic backing which protects the machine from hot splashes), drip tray and cup stand.
I do find that I like to clean the machine after each cup I make, which does make the whole process a lot longer than grabbing a cappuccino sachet out of the cupboard and pouring it into a mug.
How much is it? *****************
The machine retails for £99.99 but I have seen it on offer in several shops over the past few months ranging from £69.99. You can buy it from Argos, Amazon, Tesco's, Comet, John Lewis etc.
Or you can give lots of hints and maybe get one this Christmas - hey, it worked for me!
The perfect cup? ******************
True coffee connoisseurs will probably mock and whisper that the Tassimo doesn't make 'real' coffee, but I beg to differ. I think it makes a decent, coffee which I would expect to have when I go out to a café. And because I can make it in my own home can't be bad.
It took me about three attempts to make the perfect cappuccino (by my standards at least). There is a manual device on the machine which allows you to make a stronger or larger drink. I use this manual mode every time I make a drink, as I love having a large mug rather than a tiny little cup. After the auto mode has finished it's thing, all you have to do is press the large, black button on the front of the machine and fill your cup with however much coffee you want.
Cup sizes ************
No, I am not talking about 38DD or similar, this is the recommended cup or mug sizes for particular coffees:
I always use a larger mug than 200ml for my cappuccinos though, which does make it a little weaker than some people would like, but this suits me fine.
T-DISC™ **********
You can buy the discs from most supermarkets. I buy mine in Sainsbury's which works out at £10 for four packets (each containing 9 servings of cappuccino). The cappuccino's work out quite expensive but are worth it.
Individual bags are about £3.29 for 20 discs (the classic blend coffee) and £3.29 for 18 discs (café crema).
I think the Twinings tea is ridiculously priced at £3.29 for 20 cups of tea! I definitely won't be buying this range.
Advantages **************
Easy to use Easy to clean (to a degree!) Coffee tastes lovely It looks very attractive on my counter top It's quite small and compact
Disadvantages *****************
Can be expensive to buy at first Not many varieties to choose from (where's the latte and the mocha?) Discs are not interchangeable between other machines No choccy topping in the cappuccino boxes
Other useless information ***************************** * Each cappuccino has 23 calories per 100ml cup
Visit their website at www.tassimo.co.uk where you can register and receive free samples
The machine is not for use at altitudes above 2000 metres!
There are 13 pages of instructions in the book provided
It took me ages to find the trademark sign on my computer
I really like my new toy and have continued to use it even though it is a month after Christmas! It hasn't be banished to that cupboard yet, and at the moment I'm still enjoying the whole experience.
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