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The most helpful favorable review
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64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
Very fast coffe, tea or hot chocolate at a good price
I purchased this product from Target for $129 today for two reasons: 1 - I have recently developed a dependence on Starbucks Caffee Mocha - it does not have much of a coffee taste, which I like, and the shot of espresso in it helps me concentrate. I work at home and its easy to get distracted. The small size has been costing me over $3 so I need to just make it at home...
Published on December 13, 2006 by Louie's Mom
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Not Enough Variety for Serious Coffee Drinkers
Let me preface my comments by saying that the machine works beautifully--truly a piece of engineering. No muss, no fuss and very reliable temperature in the beverages. It has solved the errant coffee ground problem in our kitchen (which my wife loves!)
HOWEVER, the choices for coffee are VERY limited. If you like French Roast or other varieties, this...
Published on April 8, 2006 by J. M Schwartz
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64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
Very fast coffe, tea or hot chocolate at a good price, December 13, 2006
This review is from: Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System (Kitchen)
I purchased this product from Target for $129 today for two reasons: 1 - I have recently developed a dependence on Starbucks Caffee Mocha - it does not have much of a coffee taste, which I like, and the shot of espresso in it helps me concentrate. I work at home and its easy to get distracted. The small size has been costing me over $3 so I need to just make it at home 2 - Though I'm not a coffee drinker, most of my friends are and I like the idea of being able to offer them a cup of coffee, cappucino or espresso (or hot chocolate) now and then.
I researched the single serve machines quite a bit and found that Tassimo is a good machine, though the coffee is not as good as if made from freshly ground beans in a french press. That's okay with me - I'm just making one serving a day of espresso and mixing in a bunch of skim milk and chocolate powder so it does not have to be the best coffee flavor. Very practical as it is quick and each cup costs around $0.50 based on the T-disc prices. Note: the milk discs use a liquid rather than a powder, and this supposedly makes a better cappucino than the machines that use powdered milk disks. I use the Gevalia Espresso, then add hot skimmed milk frothed with the handheld Aerolatte, then add two spoons of Ghiradelli hot chocolate mix. It tastes great, albeit not quite as rich as Starbucks product. A friend stopped by and I made him a cup of coffee using a Maxwell house coffee disc (Target had a coupon for a free box of them when I bought the machine) and he said the coffee was very good.
You can remove the drip cup and put a full size travel mug under it if you want, though you may get a few drips on the counter after pulling your mug away. This thing is very easy to clean - the three parts you'd want to clean are easy to pull off the machine, and could go in the dishwasher though I just rinse them with clean water right after using the machine and put them back. Also, the machine allows you some control so you can increase or decrease the amount of water, and thus the strength, using the start/stop button.
My Bed, Bath and Beyond store had a great selection of Gevalia capuccino and espresso disks,and the tea and the hot chocolate disks. Target only had Maxwell House coffee disks.
In one way the Keurig machine is superior - you can make your own coffee pods. This allows you to use any type of coffee you want, and freshly ground from beans. If you are a SERIOUS coffee drinker, you should prob get the Keurig instead so you won't be limited on coffees you can use as you are with the Tassimo product.
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
Incredibly Versatile, Dependable Machine!!!, November 11, 2005
I have had my Tassimo for just over a month now (received it 10/4/05) and I am in love with it!!! I have all the different T-Discs now since I can get them online from many places. I got my last order of T-Discs from Gevalia online, including the European varieties. I can have Tea, Hot Chocolate as good as any I have ever had, Cappuccinos, Lattes, Espresso, Crema Coffee (better than the "fake crema" on the senseo), Bold coffee, mild coffee. Since my wife drinks tea and I drink coffee and coffee drinks, and our nieces love hot chocolate when they visit, the Tassimo is perfect.
Contrary to what the "uninformed" may say, this machine is very, very clean. There is a cleaning disc that needs to be run twice when you first get the machine, and then monthly. You do not have to run the cleaning disc after every Cappuccino and Latte. Also, almost all of the removeable parts are machine washable!!!
The beverage selection is still limited (no flavored coffees), but I have purchased some flavored syrups and can now make flavored Cappuccinos and lattes that rival any coffee shop for a fraction of the cost!!! This is REAL, high quality coffee too, unlike the flavia which uses some powdered yuk mixed with water. Right now they have Gevalia Coffee (regular, decaf, espresso,crema,)and Tea, Twinings Tea, Suchard Hot Chocolate, Kenco coffee, Carte Noir Coffee (Regular, Espresso, Crema). The Cappuccino and Latte are packed with Gevalia espresso, but from what I have read, it sounds like they will be releasing an entire line of Maxwell House Cafe collection varieties sometime in November. I am not sure about Maxwell house, but I really like the Gevalia products!!!
The T-Discs have premium ground coffee, Tea, liquid Suchard chocolate in them. The Tassimo machine reads a bar code that tell it how long to brew, the correct temperature and bar, and the machine does the rest.
There are a few things to get used to, like the steam and water runoff that is caught by the drip tray after every brew....and the Tassimo is louder than a regular drip machine, but not nearly as loud as a foamer on an espresso machine. The water container even has a filter, so that there is no transfer of some of the off flavors that tap water can give, since after all, coffee is 99% water.
The Cappuccinos and Lattes use real milk (ultra pasteurized and shelf stable), which make an exceptionally flavorful finished product.
I am confident that since this is made and backed by Kraft and Braun, that the coffee selections are going to increase significantly in the near future to offer more varieties and flavors, even though the selection currently available now is somewhat limited, it is of a very high quality.
Bottom line, this is an incredibly versatile, dependable machine that I love and will be using for a very long time. I love it so much that I have ordered several more machines to give as Christmas gifts. There is nothing else on the market that can do what this machine does - so many different beverages - such high quality - so fast and easy. Do yourself a favor and get a Tassimo!!
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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
Just bought one yesterday, September 1, 2006
This review is from: Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System (Kitchen)
I didn't buy the Tassimo 1200 through Amazon, but I bought it yesterday and so far I really like it. A few things to know: it does not come with any t-discs so buy some when you purchase your machine. Also, this model is less expensive because it does not have a water purifying system in it, and the 1400 does. I have been filling it with water from my refrigerator purifying system, but that it not necessary. An advantage to this is that the 1200 takes up a little bit less room. I love the cappucino..tastes like the real thing to me. It took a while to get the hang of using it, but now I can't wait until someone wants a Tassimo drink so I can make it. Don't know what the future holds with this, as it is my brand new toy.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
Not Enough Variety for Serious Coffee Drinkers, April 8, 2006
Let me preface my comments by saying that the machine works beautifully--truly a piece of engineering. No muss, no fuss and very reliable temperature in the beverages. It has solved the errant coffee ground problem in our kitchen (which my wife loves!)
HOWEVER, the choices for coffee are VERY limited. If you like French Roast or other varieties, this machine is not for you. If you're down with the same Gevalia cup every morning, then by all means this is your machine. To add some robustness to my morning brew, I have started adding a shot of espresso (from the Tassimo, of course) to my cup--this actually works pretty well, but uses 2 T-Discs rather than one.
The hot chocolate T-Discs are reliable, but not great. If you are used to homeade hot chocolate (or Mexican varieties with spice), this machine will disappoint. Again, the tradeoff is convenience and efficiency for taste and quality.
The espresso is a little syrupy where it should be earthy, but the crema is a nice touch. It doesn't come anywhere near a dedicated espresso machine and would not be a good choice as a substitute. Spring the extra couple hundred bucks if you are an esspresso-head.
Bottom Line: I am keeping this thing around as an efficient way to brew a quick cup of coffee or an espresso in the afternoon, and for the occaisional dinner guest who would like a quick brew. However I am now buying a regular drip brew machine for my daily routine. Until the quality and variety of coffee expands with the Tassimo, I don't think you can beat fresh ground beans and a quality drip machine.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
Not for parties, good for singles and couples, January 24, 2007
This review is from: Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System (Kitchen)
1/24/07: The other reviewers have pointed out the pros and cons, and they are mostly on-target. I find this machine to be no substitute for a regular morning pot of coffee, but for breaks the rest of the day it works very well. It is too slow to make drinks for a large group. I find the latte, cappuccino, and hot chocolate to be very good, and you can add a shot of espresso to the hot chocolate. The Seattle's Best discs make the best coffee for my taste, and I have not liked the tea it produces. One drawback the other reviewers have not mentioned is that the unit should be cleaned immediately after using one of the creamer discs for latte or cappuccino. There is always some milk left around the area where the disc sits. I keep a glass of soapy water next to the machine and drop the little puncture device into the glass to soak--just rinse it well before using the next time. But one must still wipe up milk from around where the puncture device sits. Also, as other reviewers have noted, it puts a lot of overflow water into the bottom of the cup holder, and this fills up surprisingly fast. Don't neglect to empty it frequently.
We have used the Tassimo a lot since getting it at Christmas, and generally enjoyed it very much. I am planning to move it from the kitchen to the master bath where it will be convenient both to the bedroom and a small sitting room. I think it will continue to be used a lot in these locations.
4/28/07: I would also like to point out that the choices of decafinated coffee t-discs is very limited. The only way to get decaf espresso is to buy the Gavalia decaf latte pack and use those decaf espresso discs. And it is a pain always remembering to rinse the puncture device.
12/1/09: I should add that the Gevalia decaf espresso discs have been made available separately from the latte pack now. It seems, however, that the only decaf coffee, whether regular or espresso, is the Gevalia brand.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Best Single Serve Coffee Maker I've Tried, September 19, 2006
This review is from: Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System (Kitchen)
I have a Senseo, and I've tried the Keurig - The Tassimo seems to brew the best tasting coffee. The cappuccinos and lattes are very tasty - almost like the coffee house versions. Lots of froth and very smooth. Only 60 calories for the cappuccino and 70 for the latte - so weight watchers can have a ball. Price-wise the pods are a little more expensive for the Tassimo, but for the difference in quality, it seems worth it. I've only tried one type of "regular" coffee - the Gevalia superior blend (dark). It was pretty good, at least the 10+ ounce cup I had did taste so weak I couldn't drink it (like the Keurig or Senseo). The higher initial purchase price, and the higher coffee prices are the only thing to hold you back from purchasing this unit. The 18 packs of hot chocolate are about $3 cheaper than the 18 packs of coffee.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent machine - better than Senseo and Keurig, September 14, 2007
I spent hours deciding between the Tassimo, Senseo, and Keurig.
The Keurig does have more options as far as coffee brands go, but it is primarily a coffee maker- it lacks the ability to use real milk and create heavy foam for high quality espresso drinks. The advantage of the Senseo, of course, is the price - it's half the cost but it doesn't use real milk, doesn't make espresso drinks, and lacks the coffee variety of the Keurig. Ultimately, I decided that in the long run the ability to make drinkable espresso drinks, as well as delicious coffee, on the Tassimo outweighed the greater number of disk options (in the Keurig) and the lower price (of the Senseo). Altogether, I am very pleased.
Regarding each type of drink on the Tassimo:
1. Coffee. We use this primarily as a coffeemaker. It brews within three minutes and the coffee comes out hot and strong. I order my t-disks from Tassimo Direct and the Gevalia coffee is excellent and reasonably priced. The Crema is especially good, and has a nice amount of froth on top. That said, stear clear of the Seattle's Best Henry's Blend. It is vile and tastes like old dishwater. I have not yet tried the other brands (I think Maxwell House and an Italian brand).
2. Espresso drinks. Again, wonderful. We have a high end traditional espresso maker, and a grinder, but I don't use it anymore because the capucciono and lattes from the Tassimo really do taste better. Now, I'm sure that is caused in part by my lack of skill on the more advanced machine, but since most of us are not skilled barristas, there is value to the ease. Also, it's very nice that I don't have to worry about having milk in the refrigerator. The Tassimo capuccino and latte sets come with milk t-disks that, apparently, last forever without refrigeration (and it tastes like milk, although I hate to think of the chemicals used to preserve the milk like this). My husband especially likes the cappuccinos.
3. Hot chocolate/mocha. The Suchard is definitely better than using a powdered mix or Nestle in hot milk. Throw in a milk t-disk for extra creamy, or do what I like to do and add a shot of espresso for a homemade mocha. Yummy. I am getting a little tired of Suchard, though, and I wish there were more options for hot chocolate.
4. Tea. The tea is good, but not a sufficient reason to get the machine. It's not signficantly easier to make it on here than it is to boil a kettle of water. Chai tea latte's, which the Tassimo does make, are an exception- they are fabulous.
5. General notes about Tassimo Direct: I've been happy with the service. I get a shipment every six weeks (you can vary that to suit your needs) and go online to change each order so that I get only the drinks I really need. I like to keep a stock of espresso, decaffeinated espresso, cappucino milk, latte milk, mild and traditional coffee, chai tea, and hot chocolate on hand in case I have guests who want a particular drink - I think I spent a total of $60 putting together this collection and, with it, I can make almost any drink. Going forward, I will just replenish the supplies as I use them up. Shipping is free for orders over $30, and the t-disks are cheaper this way than in the stores. And they are *great* about crediting your account if you don't like a particular t-disk. I called to complain about the Henry's Blend and they very pleasantly agreed to credit my account the value of the disks.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
Best kitchen appliance I own!, November 18, 2006
This review is from: Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System (Kitchen)
Gotta have my coffee in the morning...had the fancy Krups double unit with coffee pot on one side and espresso/frother on the other. Trouble was A: I always make too much or too little coffee (dumping excess coffee $$$ down the drain), B: You must wait for it to brew (Grind beans, measure coffee, get filter, fill pot, pour water, brew...wait), C: the espresso/frother were such an inconvenience I rarely used it (and the frother clogged really easy).
Enter the Tassimo. I've had mine for about a year now and love it. No more wasted pots of coffee! You can start your day with your favorite coffee and move on to a latte or hot chocolate without wasting anything! I read reviews of other machines like the Senseo where people claim the coffee was weak/not hot. Not so with the Tass. You can select from a wide variety of coffees to suit your taste (mild-strong), they are the perfect temperature (goldilocks would be pleased), and best of all, you can let it "auto brew" or you can manually stop the brewing early for a stronger cup or extend the brewing to weaken it if you choose.
The cappucinos taste great and are as good as one you'd buy at the coffee house. You can't entertain a crowd with it though, as it takes about 1 min per beverage. My only other gripe is I'd wish they'd get Starbucks discs...sigh. My fave, but realize not for everyone. They keep adding more and more brands of discs/pods so I'm hopeful maybe one day...
Check the tassimo site as they run specials and promos on machines/discs and introductory offers...if you can't wait Bed Bath & Beyond carries them also so just use your coupons that they send practically every day in your mail.
I've had a for quite some time with no hint of problems..cleans up easy...really happy with it. My favorite kitchen appliance. Hope this helps!
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Versatile and Easy... but tough to find the T-discs!, December 19, 2005
The Tassimo machine is very easy to use; just insert the disk (upside down) and close the lid. Easy to fill the water reservoir. A little noisy when activated, but very tolerable. GREAT Suchards hot chocolate ! Very good Tea (Twinings Earl Grey). Good Espresso (Gevalia). Good coffee (Gevalia). Very Good coffee (Kenco classic roast). Need more selection of T-discs; the same (Gevalia) selections are all that is available at the stores. Personally, we do not care for the Gevalia coffees- we find the taste a little distracting (oily ?). The machine is a good product - and it costs less if (1) you use the "20% off coupon" from Bed Bath and Beyond, (2) you get 2 packs of T-discs with the unit (worth about $18), (3) you get 2 packs of T-discs (worth about $18) when you register your warranty card. Not a bad deal - you can reduce your Starbucks consumption, to save money and time. But, this unit DOES NOT compare with the wonderful coffees made at Starbucks and other fine coffee houses.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Good to the last drop.....Tassi-mojo, November 22, 2007
This review is from: Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System (Kitchen)
??Have you ever gone somewhere with a friend to grab a cup of coffee, not in a star-big-bucks but just a diner, and been talking away and you stop and say 'wow, this is good coffee'...your friend agrees; you both look around and see that they grind/brew their coffee with some custom made machine. Well this is the same type of coffee you get out of the Tassimo when you brew any of the regular coffees. I expected OK coffee. A step up from my old carafe coffee, which was really only good if I ground the coffee myself and made coffee immediately; and then only the first 5 minutes is the coffee the right temp; after that the carafe is not hot enough. Well I was aiming too low. The Tassi-mojo is much better than I expected. The coffee is delightful to the last drop and we never have the half full cups around the house anymore!! The cappuccinos and lattes are absolutely divine and seem better than star-big-bucks!!! Maybe that's because I can make it with my eyes closed and in one of my own real mugs ..to me coffee tastes better in a mug than in styrofoam! My daughter and I love the ease of use; she drinks lattes but her favorite is an evening hot chocolate.
This is the ONLY one-serve machine that uses real milk, which to us was a must. No powdered milk is the same! The milk is only 2% but tastes as rich as cream and comes out super frothy hot without any of the mess with the steamer/frother! You can also make a hot chocolate (which is wonderful!!) and add a creamer pod to it and make it extra creamy...even better!!
We leave the Tassimo on all the time, it is always in the standby mode. Put a pod in and close the machine, the Tassimo automatically starts the 'heating' mode with a green light showing that; when the heating is finished in a few seconds, the light changes and the 'auto' light comes on, then you press the large single black button once. (Seems like they could design it so it switches right from heating to making coffee, but it doesn't). It makes the drink and then sputters a few seconds clearing out the last bit of cofee. Take the pod out immediately (or you'll forget) and handle it only by the tab (cuz it's hot!!!!) and toss it. Perfect drink everytime, with no taste from the last pod since each one brews only inside the pod itself.
OK for minimum cleanups: If you make a regular coffee, then rinse the 2 parts where the pod sits and put them back. Easy. If you made a drink with milk, then run the "cleaner pod" with an empty mug...the "cleaner pod" is just a plastic disk that we almost threw away when we opened the huge Tassimo box, it has a barcode on it and tells the Tassimo to boil water. We use the same disk to boil water for adding to oatmeal or teabags (if you don't use the Tassimo tea pods which are really not that much more convenient than a teabag :)
One nice thing about the Tassimo is that the coffee is always piping hot, very smooth, not at all bitter. The Seattles-best and gevalia pods are great, the maxwell house pods are also very smooth. EVen if we only bought this machine for the specialty drinks it would be worth every penny. We would never buy the multifunction coffee/espresso/frothing machine until they make one that cleans up all the pieces itself LOL. I don't even like cleaning up the old simple carafe and coffee filter full of grinds. Plus I always end up with a half pot of coffee to throw out. We're retiring the old coffee maker, it hasn't been used for over a year anyway. We've gotten into the habit of skipping coffee at home and buying it at a big-bucks close to work or out somewhere on weekends. At nearly $7 a day total for me alone, the habit adds up quickly.
Get your Tassimo, make your own gourmet coffee at home! Everyone wants to use the machine (so you won't have to worry about fixing anyone elses); it's sleek, super easy to fix, and NO MESS. You can even fix a decafe latte at nite in your slippers! We bought a couple of sprinkle/cocoa/nutmeg shakers for a little extra touch! (Today I'm going out to buy one of the $15 chrome pod holders to keep some on the counter:) And for a real indulgence, you can even make a cocoa latte or expresso (use one pod after another). We now have desert/coffee at home for a treat (instead of going out) and haven't been to a big-bucks since buying our Tassimo!
Get one before the Holidays and enjoy your own Christmas cheer by surprising your sweetheart with gourmet caffe latte in bed!!
Cheers~ God bless the troops (and all of their families)!!
Happy Holidays!
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