... I'm sure there are lighter machines that do the same thing but Braun are a reputable brand when it comes to electrical goods and the brands of hot drinks one uses with this machine are well known too. That's always a plus sign in the food and drink industry (especially if you are allergic ... Read review
Advantages: Very Straightforward to use Disadvantages: Has its fitting phase when making your drink,
...do the same thing but Braun are a reputable brand when it comes to electrical goods and the brands of hot drinks one uses with this machine are well known too. That's always a plus sign in the food and drink industry (especially if you are allergic to certain ingredients).
*Design & Storage*
After taking the machine out of its packaging I'm well impressed. Its silver skin just keeps shining back at me. It looks very ... ...some soup but don't think Braun have quite got on to that yet.
*Tasteness*
Of the drinks that can be made using this machine I find the coffees can be a little strong (especially the Kenco Coffee Blend and even the decaffeinated). The Hot Chocolate is abit too watery for my liking. The Twinings English Breakfast Tea is not as good as the freshly brewed version of the same one. As this as only been around for a year and ... more
*Updated review as at 17th May 2006*
I have been meaning to get one of these machines for a long time as I'm always on the go and love my hot drinks (especially Suchard Hot Chocolate).
*Price*
When I saw this machine advertised at a reduced price of £79.99 (cheaper than most places) in Morrisons last week there was no stopping in me. Plus what's more is you get a free 18 disc pack set of Cafe Crema (which would last you at least a week depending on how much you consume a day). I was hoping for a variety pack so I could try them all out first before buying but at least I get to try one of the 7 drinks this machine has to offer. Bargain I thought as I'd seen the exact same model in Sainsburys going at £99.99 with no disc pack.
I bought mine when it was on a special promotion so the machines itself might have gone back up to their original price which are currently retailed at £99.99 at most major supermarkets. You might be able to get them cheaper online or at macro. I can't say if it would be the exact same model to the one I bought but I'd imagine it'll be very similar (eg black instead of silver but still does the same job).
*Weightness*
The box itself with all the contents was rather heavy and bulky to carry. I'm sure there are lighter machines that do the same thing but Braun are a reputable brand when it comes to electrical goods and the brands of hot drinks one uses with this machine are well known too. That's always a plus sign in the food and drink industry (especially if you are allergic to certain ingredients).
*Design & Storage*
After taking the machine out of its packaging I'm well impressed. Its silver skin just keeps shining back at me. It looks very sleek, sophisticated and stylish. Ideal for dinner parties when you want to show off.
Although it's heavy, it doesn't take up too much room in the kitchen. The discs don't take up a lot of space either. I'd say approximately 1/4 of the space on one shelve as they can all be stacked quite nicely on top of one another.
*Cleaning*
The machine itself comes with a step by step guide on how to use it, how to clean it and the overall maintenance. So there's no excuse even if your not technical minded you'd still be able to suss it out.
It is recommended before usage that you clean the apparatus out thoroughly just to remove any debris that may still be there from manufacturing. Why it doesn't come all clean and ready to use is beyond me.
Once I've done that and set it up, I'm ready for my first cup.
Initially when I wrote this review I had problems with cup sizeage and since then it has been resolved and I'm pleased to say I can now place a decent size mug in the compartment. Phew at least I don't have to waste more cash buying paper cups.
*The Hot Drinks*
The drinks themselves come in what is known as T-discs, manufactured by Kraft foods. This machine will only accept these discs. Try any other make of instant drink discs and it won't work.
The T-discs come in single packs of 16, 18 and 20 depending on which drinks you go for and are currently retailed at £3.29. These can be obtained at most major supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda, Tescos. I've been told that you can get them at relatively low prices in Macro but don't quote me on this. I've yet to see them in local co-op stores.
You can't get variety packs at present……maybe that's something Tassimo will be looking into doing in the future. My advice will be trying all the drinks out first so you'll get to know which ones you like. I know that's not always possible but at least that way you won't be stuck with unwanted drinks.
One thing I find annoying about this machine is when you're making cappuccinos you have to remember to use 2 discs as opposed to the others which only need one.
Power is on and I'm ready to go.
There's buttons at the side of the machine that keeps me informed of the progress of the hot drink. Amazing it even gives me an indication as to when my drink is done.
Again another problem I encountered when I first bought this machine was the time it was taking to produce one cup and also the quantity. My first machine took almost 10 minutes to produce just a single cup of Café Crema. Not just that but I wasn't getting a good quantity. It was only filling the cup to ¾ full. As you can imagine I was beginning to lose my patience with it. Ultimately I took it back to the store and they gave me a brand new one. My new Tassimo, merely a day old works fine. It's now taking me less than a minute to make a cup and giving me more or less a full mug. I'm abit disappointed with the cappuccino as that's still only coming out at ½ a mug full, yet when I take the discs out they are both virtually empty.
I've been told not to be too harsh with the machine as you could lose the real texture and flavour if you press the start button 2 many times. It can be extremely temperamental.
My initial problems with this machine have been resolved. However, when I make cups of hot drinks, even with the new one; - it keeps spitting water out at me. Argh, there goes my nice clean shirt down the drain. If you're using this machine I'd recommend either wearing an overall or something you don't mind getting mucky cos when it spits trust me you don't want to get your best clothes ruined.
With this machine and my old one I've made Kenco espresso, Kenco Coffee Blend, Kenco Cafe Crema, Kenco Decaf, Twinings English Breakfast Tea and a girl's favourite Suchard Hot Chocolate. Yes I've been greedy and tried them all. Well at my local supermarket there was a special offer whereby you could buy 4 packs of the T-discs for a tenner. You're saving a mere £13 but if you're a mad caffeineolic like me it's worth it. I was hoping to make some soup but don't think Braun have quite got on to that yet.
*Tasteness*
Of the drinks that can be made using this machine I find the coffees can be a little strong (especially the Kenco Coffee Blend and even the decaffeinated). The Hot Chocolate is abit too watery for my liking. The Twinings English Breakfast Tea is not as good as the freshly brewed version of the same one. As this as only been around for a year and still a fairly new thing they have time to improve I guess........
*Conclusion*
Even though I was satisfied with the overall customer service, I'd still call it an average machine in terms of the quality of drinks, spitting issue etc.
I am disappointed that they couldn't get it right first time around. For what it does I've paid a lot of money for a small machine and surely with a big company like Braun they would have tested them first before sending out to stores. I say this because a few of my friends bought the same machine elsewhere and encountered exactly the same problems as I have. Still, I managed to get the initial problems resolved for the time being……apart from the drinks spitting. Just hope this one doesn't fail on me now like the 1st one did..........Only time will tell..........
Advantages: quick, versatile, makes nice drinks Disadvantages: discs are pricey and only available in big supermarkets
I bought my Tassimo for a present for my husband who's forever complaining that I make terrible coffee....In fact I make terrible hot drinks altogether, according to him. That, and the fact that I'm the only tea drinker in the house, and making a pot's a waste,and I've never been too keen on the teabag in mug method. I paid just £69.99 with £3.95 postage and packaging from the John Lewis website and it was delivered in just two days. It's regular ... ...has also now reverted to that price..however.....
I shall try and make this review simple and break it down into two parts, the advantages and the disadvantages
ADVANTAGES
It looks smart...it's silver in colour with black buttons, it's very high tech looking but would enhance any kitchen as much as it would a small, or a home office.
It's compact...ours sits on top of our microwave oven and takes up only half of the space.
It is quick..All you ...
scribbelle 26.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Braun Tassimo Hot Drinks Maker
Advantages: quick, easy to use, easy to clean, makes hot drinks from cold water Disadvantages: can only get a special drinks, hot choc is watery
Like many, I bought this for my boyfriend for Christmas. I managed to talk the price down to £64 at my local currys as the box was damaged (should have been £99!). He was over the moon with it as he loves fresh coffee, but I prefer tea. For us, this was a great alternative.
We have tried all of the tassimo disks and were not keen on the hot chocolate as it was very watery. The others, however were very good quality. The cappaccino costs more as ... ...get half the amount of drinks per packet). Remember, only tassimo disks can be used, so ensure you like twinings tea etc. before buying, as it does taste different to other brands. We love the taste of these drinks though.
Overall, it's great to use. Large mugs do not fit, so stick to tea cups. Fill up the back with water, put a disk in, press the button and hey presto... It is also easy to clean unlike coffee filters, as it has a cleaning disk ...
juliebowles 14.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Braun Tassimo Hot Drinks Maker
Advantages: Quality of drinks, design, easy to clean Disadvantages: A bit bulky, don't do chicken soup!
When looking around for a new coffee maker I was constantly greeted with machines around the £20-£30 mark and with current offers some at only £15. I've been there before, you have to buy filter coffee always getting one that isn't quite right for your taste and then having to find somewhere to store it to ensure it stays fresh. You also have to ensure that the machine is cleaned after each use fiddling around with filters and what not, far too much ... ...of coffee everytime you use them and its not long before it's found it's way into the kitchen cupboard under the sink, you know the one, filled with the ice cream, popcorn and candyfloss maker and other such kitchen gadgets that seemed to be a good idea at the time. Well I was watching tv and for once saw the adverts and up popped an advert for Tassimo. It caught my eye so I investigated further. It's price, £99 was a little steep but this was revolutionary ...
dameon1024 30.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Braun Tassimo Hot Drinks Maker
Advantages: Very convienent for busy people Disadvantages: Cost of packs of disks
When I first found out about this machine I was gob smacked as my friend had purchased one for an elderly relative because it was quick and simple to use. When you first open the box the machine in fairly in one piece and there is not a lot of assembly required. The preparation for use can be a bit fiddly as you have to put the special cleaning disk in a run through a couple of times before actually making a drink. As whenever I buy something new ... ...set up is a must. Though as long as you follow the instructions it doesn't take much longer than 10 minutes.
The drink choices are great. Kenco Coffee both with and without caffeine, Espresso, Cappuccino, Suchards Hot Chocolate (HHMmmmmm) and Twinings Tea. Luckily enough when I bought mine it came with a pack of disks for tea and coffee free. You can buy the other packs of disks at most supermarkets and normally cost £3 plus for approx 16 disks. ...
kgray71 03.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Braun Tassimo Hot Drinks Maker
Advantages: wide range of drinks Disadvantages: noisy
...of hot drinks then consider Braun Tassimo machine. Its a mini vending machine for the home or office that uses a T-disc system, which basically are plastic pods containing Suchard hot chocolate, tea and various Kenco coffees. The discs have barcodes which tell the machine how to brew the drinks. These slot into the machine and hot water pumps through in a similar way to an Expresso machine. If you want to make other drinks straight away all that ... ...matt silver plastic with decent Braun styling. I've found T-discs in Tescos, Asda and Boots at £3.29 per pack. The best value are the tea and coffee T-discs with 20 and 18 per pack respectively.
It's definitely easier to use than my Expresso machine. The ones I have tried tend to be temperamental and if you don't screw them in tightly enough or tighten them too much they spurt hot water everywhere. No danger of this with the Tassimo and I really ...
greenwellys1 15.06.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Braun Tassimo Hot Drinks Maker
