Braun Tassimo TA 1050

Braun Tassimo Coffee Machine

About the machine
************************
The Tassimo coffee machine is a great little machine and it enhances any work surface. It just sits there waiting for you to place a 'pod' in and makes a great cup of coffee! It makes very small cups of coffee though, half a mug to be precise but they can be used twice to fill the mug and the coffee is still strong enough for my taste.
It ...
...machines and found out that Braun manufactures them for Kraft Foods. I also found out that Philip Morris, the tobacco company, owns Kraft Foods! Oh, and Kenco and Suchard are also trademarks of Kraft Foods.
You can find out more on these machines and the different beverages by visiting their site at http://www.tassimo.com This is also the site where I had to register the purchase of the machine and activate my guarantee. I had to enter my ... more

Braun Tassimo Coffee Machine

About the machine
************************
The Tassimo coffee machine is a great little machine and it enhances any work surface. It just sits there waiting for you to place a 'pod' in and makes a great cup of coffee! It makes very small cups of coffee though, half a mug to be precise but they can be used twice to fill the mug and the coffee is still strong enough for my taste.
It is available in three choices of colour (black, white or blue.) Mine's a black one. It was an early Christmas present so I didn't have to shop around for the best price but I believe that they were on offer at Tesco at a very reasonable price with free delivery compared to the Tassimo site where they are £99.99.
It has a 1.5 litre water reservoir and I tend to top it up when I notice it has depleted somewhat as you can easily see the water level from the side, even though the reservoir is at the back, as it is clear plastic.
It's designed to be used with Tassimo 'beverage pods' called 'T-discs' (but I think 'T-disc' is a stupid name and without turning into L. Ron Hubbard and inventing a whole new language I'd rather call them pods!) that come in different varieties of Kenco coffee, a Suchard chocolate and a Twinings Breakfast Tea.
A plentiful supply of these was also ordered at the same time from the Tassimo website where there was a promotional offer of two extra packs when ordering six packs. These pods are formed from a plastic capsule, containing the product, sealed with a foil top and they have a bar code printed on them that the machine 'reads'.
Strange stuff indeed!

Setting up the machine and a small tip
*************************************************
In the box there is the machine that comes in about 5 pieces, a small cleaning brush and a plastic 'T-disc' blank that is to be used when cleaning the machine. (It is also advised that you place this in the machine when you first use it to run some hot water through before you make your first drink.)
There is a booklet of User Instructions (which I still haven't read) and a printed sheet of easy set up instructions printed on one side of an A4 sheet of paper folded in half (which I glanced at.)
It is really easy to set up using the simple instructions, though fitting the cup holder onto the front is a bit strange until you get used to it. Once you've tilted the top towards you and slid it into place it just gives a small click and 'Robert's your auntie's brother!'
I waited for about 5 minutes staring at the machine and wondering why it wasn't lit up or making a sound until I felt about at the back and found a small switch that turns on the machine.
In hindsight, I probably should have read the instructions first.

About the pods
*******************
Tassimo tell you that each pod contains an expertly measured portion of Kenco ground coffee, Suchard hot chocolate, Twinings tea or concentrated milk.
(I wonder what qualifications a measurer has that an expert measurer doesn't have and surely the exact measurement of product is dispensed by a machine!)
When the pod is inserted, the Tassimo machine reads the unique bar code printed on the label. The code specifies the size, the brewing time and the optimum temperature required to make the perfect drink.
(All clever stuff…now I understand…a panel of 'experts' has been consulted to see how little of the product they can get away with putting in each pod yet still using the same amount of water each time to dispense the perfect cup of beverage.)
Brewing occurs inside the pod and flows directly from it into the cup. (So, a bit like a teabag in a mug then.)
You can prepare different drinks, one after the other, each of perfect quality. (A bit like a kettle then.)
However, Tassimo aren't as quick at delivering as Tesco and the machine sat in the kitchen for two days whilst waiting for a pod to be placed in it.
It looked swish though!

Varieties and Views on Beverages
********************************************
I won't bore you here or insult your intelligence by conjuring up images of morning papers, dog-walking through the park or putting your feet up and having decadent conversations on soft sofas. You can read enough about all that on their website or on every single pack of 20 or 18 'T-Discs' or pods. I will tell you, though, that there are currently seven varieties in the Tassimo range:

1. Kenco Classic Blend Medium Roast Coffee...Price : 18 T-DISCS per pack RRP £3.29 ...approx 17p per cup
A general run of the mill coffee. I quite like this one.

2. Kenco Classic Blend decaffeinated Roast Coffee...Price : 18 T-DISCS per pack RRP £3.29 ...approx 17p per cup
Not a bad taste and I can't tell any difference between caffeinated and decaffeinated. (It's just coffee to me.) Though if coffee affects the way you shake and stuff then I'd go for this one.

3. Kenco Cappuccino Coffee...Price : 9 Espresso & 9 Concentrated Milk per pack RRP £3.29 ...approx 34p per cup
This is made by putting an Espresso pod into the machine then adding a pod of 'Crema' and it's very frothy as you get a shot of steam as well. Oh, and that 'quwwoeugghhh-ing' noise!

4. Kenco Caffè Crema Coffee...Price : 18 T-DISCS per pack RRP £3.29 ...approx 17p per cup
I quite like this one as it was the first one I tried. I must be a true coffee addict as this is a decent coffee taste and I can actually drink this without milk.

5. Kenco Espresso Coffee...Price : 18 T-DISCS per pack RRP £3.29 ...approx 17p per cup
Blows your head off! It lurks at the bottom of the cup waiting for the rest of the coffee (that doesn't arrive!) Mind you that is an espresso… short (and sweet if you add sugar.) I use the manual override and top it up or make it into a cappuccino by adding a pod of Concentrated Milk or some milk heated in the microwave as you can't buy just the Concentrated Milk pods in a pack yet. Obviously this works with the Cappucino pods as well

6. Suchard Hot Chocolate...Price : 16 T-DISCS per pack RRP £3.29 ...approx 20p per cup
Very chocolatey. Very smooth taste. Very sweet but quite refreshing. A chocoholics dream! I also have it on good authority that, apparently this stuff is a godsend for menapausal women and any female suffering with PMT....though I couldn't testify personally to that as I don't!

7. Twinings English Breakfast Tea...Price : 20 T-DISCS per pack RRP £3.29 ...approx 16p per cup
I haven't tried the tea as I feel that £3.29 for 20 teabags is a rip-off and though I'm not a Yorkshireman I think I've got an eye for a bargain and much prefer a Yorkshire Tea Bag brewed in a large mug. However, whilst I was in the States I found that two Twinings English Breakfast Teabags were required in a highball glass. (I couldn't find any mugs and the teabags were free!) I presume that this would be the case with the pods but if you like weak tea these should be ideal.

I've worked out that from a 100 gm jar of Kenco Instant Coffee Granules costing around £2.20 I'd get about 18 drinks which works out to around 12p per cup so it's not much more trouble to just stick my cup under the spout, slam in a pod and get freshly brewed coffee straight away. I love this machine.
There is a manual mode as well as an automatic mode which allows you to customise your drink. It also makes a brilliant Frappuccino! You just press and hold the button until the drink is the desired size and strength and you are advised to refer to the user manual for full instructions. (Well I will one day when I'm bored.)
You are informed that the packs should be stored in a cool, dry, place away from direct heat and sunlight and there is no need to keep them in the fridge. They tell you that each pod is designed to prepare a perfect cup, and cannot be reused, but it can. I know I've done it! They also state that the packaging meets the requirements of the EU Packaging Waste Directive because they have to tell you that. The outer bag consists of aluminium, polyester and polyethylene laminate and is suitable for energy recovery through incineration and, in locations where plastic collection systems exist, it can be deposited with general plastics (non PET). The dispenser carton is composed of paperboard and is also recyclable. So it's OK to throw it all away then!

Availability of pods/T-discs
**********************************
Apparently, packs of T-discs are now available from major Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Morrisons/Safeways, Somerfield and Boots stores…but I could only find them in Somerfield so I bought 3 packs of each!

These pods are £3.38 for 18 at Somerfield and Tassimo tell you that only T-discs fit their machine. However, I bought a pack of Kenco Coffee Bags for £2.19 for 18 from the same store because, apparently, they fit all machines! I tried one. I placed it in the machine, it promptly punctured the bag but the machine wouldn't work. I placed the plastic thing in the machine as well as the bag. It wouldn't close. I put it in a cup and poured boiling water on it. Then I sieved the coffee into another cup through 2 sheets of kitchen roll (three times) because the bag had been punctured earlier! I then put it in the microwave because, by now, it was cold. I then threw it away as it was disgusting! You're probably better off using these like teabags. Place one in a cup, pour on boiling water and allow to brew. Add milk and sugar to taste! There must be a way of using them in the Tassimo but I haven't figured it out yet.

About The Tassimo Machine
************************************
The machine is classed as a 'proprietary hot beverage system' so, basically, it's a glorified kettle! It has an adjustable cup stand designed to accommodate the majority of cups and mugs…No, it doesn't! I hunted round all through the kitchen cupboards to find cups that would fit. However you can take out the cup stand but end up with splashes all over the worktop…and yourself if you stand too close! From selecting your choice of hot drink and inserting it in the machine it takes up to a minute to make the perfect drink…that's faster than the average kettle apparently, though I haven't had a race yet! The Tassimo machine also requires very little maintenance. You stick in the plastic disc every week and run some clean water through it and give the barcode viewer a quick scrub to remove any gubbins! All the removable parts are hand-washable and all the bits except the water container are dishwasher-safe.

Online Registration
************************
I actually registered my machine online only last week and whilst doing this extremely lengthy process I did some research on Tassimo machines and found out that Braun manufactures them for Kraft Foods. I also found out that Philip Morris, the tobacco company, owns Kraft Foods! Oh, and Kenco and Suchard are also trademarks of Kraft Foods.
You can find out more on these machines and the different beverages by visiting their site at http://www.tassimo.com This is also the site where I had to register the purchase of the machine and activate my guarantee. I had to enter my 10-digit client number, which I found on the registration leaflet, if this
wasn't present I was advised to contact the TASSIMO Careline on 0800 032 88 33 (UK Only). On registration you are told that you will receive 2 packs of FREE T-DISCS (I'm still waiting!) and can opt to be the first to receive news of special promotions, exclusive offers and new products. They then ask you to complete your personal details and answer a few questions and tell you that this will only take a few minutes of your time.
(I'm sure we've all heard that before!)
You are asked for your name, address and postcode (which are required.) Then your home phone number and mobile number (which I never give out) and an email address (which I gave) You type in your Tassimo client number that is printed on the questionnaire that is included in the pack along with…wait for it....when and where did you purchase your new Tassimo machine? Did you buy it yourself? Is this your first coffee machine? If not, what other coffee machine do you own? Where have you seen Tassimo? How important was the quality and variety of beverages, the convenience and the machine design in your decision to buy the machine? What types of beverages are prepared and consumed in your home? What is your date of birth, marital status and profession? Including yourself, how many people live in your home and how old are your children?...Phew!
Why do they need to know all this? It's like being interrogated! It's just a coffee maker, not life and death…lighten up…smell the coffee!

Availability of Braun Tassimo Coffee Machine
*********************************************************
At the moment there are demonstration teams travelling the UK. They are offering people the chance to try the range of drinks and to see for themselves how easy and convenient the Tassimo system is to use. Look out for them in supermarkets and shopping centres, and try before you buy, or you can just take the plunge and buy direct from these places online:

Comet - www.comet.co.uk - £64.99 to 79.99 depending on model and whether bought online or from store.
Amazon - www.amazon.co.uk - £74.96 (inc. delivery)
John Lewis - www.johnlewis.com - £83.90 (inc. delivery)
Argos - www.argos.co.uk - £103.94 (inc. delivery)

I love playing with my Tassimo...concocting different flavoured drinks in an instant!

© John Groom 2005
 

...less