Coffee Machine / Tassimo etc

Chris Green

Chris Green

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Chris Green
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Hello all!

I am considering getting a coffee machine type thing. mainly for coffee for me, and hot chocolate for the wifer.

Does anybody have any experience of the Tassimo, or Senseo, or any others?

Are there any to avoid? I was thinking about the Tassimo T20?

Thanks
 
:puke: would not bother get a normal coffee maker with a steamer seperate or something.

Try before you buy also, nothing better than my caffietiere with a frothy topping yummmmmmmmmmmmmm and make hot chocolate in the microwave and then blast it with the steamer - can't beat it then a bit of whippy on top Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm
 
Another senseo owner and its pretty good.
 
Had a Tassimo - handed it back to the Sainsburys manager together with some choice words for a full refund. Bought a Krups which is still doing great work. I live on coffee in my home office - unless I drive to the bank when I always manage to return with a Costa.
 
2blue4u said:
Had a Tassimo - handed it back to the Sainsburys manager together with some choice words for a full refund. Bought a Krups which is still doing great work. I live on coffee in my home office - unless I drive to the bank when I always manage to return with a Costa.
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Thanks. but you didn't explain why you returned the Tassimo?
 
Sorry. It was shortly after they first came out and very few of the consumables were available. Sainsburys couldn't supply, Tassimo couldn't supply, M&S online claimed they could - but didn't. It was useless without the coffee - just an ornament. So we ended up with the Krups which I found to be of a better build quality and produced better coffee.
 
Nespresso user here (Magimix machine - same as the Krupps model) which we have had for about 7/8 years? (certainly for ages). Also bought them for our Son and for our Daughter. Both pleased with them. Always order the supplies online and had excellent, fast service from Nespresso.

Anthony.
 
Had a Tassimo for a while - it make great coffee, but it's so good we end up drinking a lot more of it than we should, which makes it pricey - some days I think I'd be cheaper getting a taxi to Costa's and back than spending what we do.... :)
 
I know someone with a Tassimo and it makes a fine cup of coffee.

But, in all honesty, my cafetiere with freshly ground quality beans does it better. The outlay is £10 instead of £60 (or more) - and the coffee itself is a heck of a lot cheaper !

OK - it doesn't do a cappuccino, but I'm happier with a good mug of strong black :)
 
g4gxl said:
I know someone with a Tassimo and it makes a fine cup of coffee.

But, in all honesty, my cafetiere with freshly ground quality beans does it better. The outlay is £10 instead of £60 (or more) - and the coffee itself is a heck of a lot cheaper !

OK - it doesn't do a cappuccino, but I'm happier with a good mug of strong black :)
Click to expand...

Just add a steamer or frothy milk maker :shrug:
 
g4gxl said:
I know someone with a Tassimo and it makes a fine cup of coffee.

But, in all honesty, my cafetiere with freshly ground quality beans does it better. The outlay is £10 instead of £60 (or more) - and the coffee itself is a heck of a lot cheaper !

OK - it doesn't do a cappuccino, but I'm happier with a good mug of strong black :)
Click to expand...

[S1]The only way
to 'do'
coffee[/S1]
 
Another Nespresso user here. Love the machine, it makes great coffee. We tend to use it for Latte & Cappuccino's and usually stick to the stronger coffee options.

Not used daily but probably every other day...

Steve
 
I can't complain - I'm such a regular in Costa's I know all staff well and very rarely pay for anything apart from food.... :D
 
Am I the only one that does filter coffee?

I love my coffee but can't stand instant so it has to be fresh.

Went from cafetiere to filter many years ago when I read a report which said the process released a lot of nasties from the coffee. Don't know how true it was but changed to a filter machine and have stuck with it. Even have a little manual filter in the back of my sea kayak so that I can brew up at lunch time on the beach.

I looked at the coffee pod machines and thought they were an expensive way of tying you into the suppliers products. If I was you I would look at the more traditional methods - viz. cafetiere, filter or even an expresso machine (if that type of coffee floats your boat).

Off for another coffee now.

Ken
 
Krups user here had it years and years and i know a member of this forum that likes it too..
 
I think it depends how much you like your coffee. The pod system is easy and convenient, but not the same as an expresso machine with fresh ground coffee.
I use a Dualit expresso machine with steamer so if you want cappuccino style you can as well, also very good for frothy hot chocolate :)

You really need to speak to Glen, but I can't for the life of me remember his user name, I'll contact him vis twitter and point to the thread.
 
I had a senso, but was not over impressed. Got a Tassimo, love it, shame the coffee variaties are limited.
 
Another Nespresso person over here. Both myself and my brother have them and swear by them, great coffee, a good number of variations and superb service.
 
Hey Chris

Great to hear your venturing into the world of coffee, which can be (read: IS) as addictive and costly as photography

There are 2 routes to go down - both of which are better than instant coffee

1. Bean to Cup / Pod / Ready Packaged
2. Domestic Machine and Grinder

If (1) then I can put you in touch with bean to cup suppliers and there is certainly no shortage of Nespresso machine owners in the forum who will be able to share their experience

The main disadvantage is that you are not able to steam milk with the machine for hot chocolates (except some bean to cup machines can offer this in some form)
There is also a limitation of the types of coffee you can buy that come in the pod format, whereas bean to cup allows you to purchase freshly roasted beans to use.

The advantage for bean to cup or pod machines is speed (press a button and wait whilst the drink is made for you) and cleanliness. Very little mess.

However, option 2 opens up a world of possibilities, where you can make coffee to a standard that is equal to (and in many cases better) than a local cafe

A domestic coffee machine can set you back anywhere from £100 to £1500 (with several models in the £150-£400 price bracket that will do you for many years to come)
A grinder is needed as well - and a decent burr grinder starts at approx £120 and again can run into the £000's (but not required currently)

Accessories will also be required (eg coffee tamper and milk jugs) - these all add a few £'s to the setup costs

The main advantage is that you control the variables required to making a good coffee (beans, grind size, how much coffee is used, how much water is run through the coffee, and the amount of water or milk you add to the espresso to make your milky drink - such as a cappuccino, latte or flat white)

Disadvantage is that the wallet can take a hammering initially, and bouts of upgraditis are not uncommon

With a little training you can make great espresso and steam the milk to a great standard, allowing you create a very enjoyable coffee based drink.

You can use the steam wand to create milk for hot chocolate - there are 3+ ways of making a hot chocolate. The most common is to add the Chocolate powder to the milk and then steam it so that it blends together and goes silky smooth. Alternatively, you can use chocolate syrup to add to the milk once already steamed.

Happy to give any advice in greater detail and can be reached via PM or on Coffee Forums UK (dsclaimer - its a forum I run) or via my website
 
Nikon Ken said:
Am I the only one that does filter coffee?
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Filter coffee is enjoyed by more people than those who drink espresso, but is much more underrated.

I'm a big supporter of brewed coffee (filter/pourover/french press/aeropress/chemex/woodneck etc) and love the clarity in the cup and the tastes that are highlighted in a good filter brew.

If you like Fruity coffee, then try the Panama Duncan from Union Roasted or the Kenya Karimikui from Union Roasted or James Gourmet
 
getnoticed said:
Filter coffee is enjoyed by more people than those who drink espresso, but is much more underrated.

I'm a big supporter of brewed coffee (filter/pourover/french press/aeropress/chemex/woodneck etc) and love the clarity in the cup and the tastes that are highlighted in a good filter brew.

If you like Fruity coffee, then try the Panama Duncan from Union Roasted or the Kenya Karimikui from Union Roasted or James Gourmet
Click to expand...

Damn you...as if I didn't already spend too much money on things found through this forum!
 
Just to make those of you not aware of the amount of flexibility the Nespresso option offers you:

I have a fairly basic machine, but I can set it up to allow various amounts of water to flow through to alter the size & strength of the base expresso. Obviously I can just add water to make an "Americana", which is similar to a filtered coffee. I don't have a steamer, but I have a milk flask that will either generate a foamed milk for a cappuccino, or heated and lightly foamed for a latte.

As for coffee, Nespresso has over 20 different types of coffee available from mild to quite strong flavours. The system is quick and clean and most importantly, the coffee tastes great.

I have given up on Starbucks, I only take the "Flat White" in Costa, but Nero seem to be able to produce a cappuccino/latte of reasonable quality. I find that the Nespresso betters those that can be bought in the high street.

Steve
 
i have one of the nescafe krupps machines and i have to say for coffee its fantastic, its quick there is variety and mostly clean. the hot choc pods really aren't all that though, its nice and froffey and milky but not quite right in the flavour for some reason.
 
Buy beans.
Like these:

roasted%20coffee%20beans%201.jpg


Grind them. I prefer the Krups grinder...

230198224.jpg


Pour hot water over the coffee either through a drip machine (for 'normal strength' coffee) or a stove-top espresso maker if you need a sudden jolt to wake you up in a hurry. Bialetti make the best ones of these...
bialetti_moka_zen.jpg


Do or use anything else and you might just as well drink this filthy muck:

Nescafe_Classic_Coffee.jpg
 
Arkady said:
Buy beans.
Like these:

roasted%20coffee%20beans%201.jpg


Grind them. I prefer the Krups grinder...

230198224.jpg


Pour hot water over the coffee either through a drip machine (for 'normal strength' coffee) or a stove-top espresso maker if you need a sudden jolt to wake you up in a hurry. Bialetti make the best ones of these...
bialetti_moka_zen.jpg


Do or use anything else and you might just as well drink this filthy muck:

Nescafe_Classic_Coffee.jpg
Click to expand...

:agree:

Although most of the time I'm too lazy to grind and use already ground - doesn't last long enough to be a problem.

Ken
 
I've tried filter, cappuccino machines and caffatieres and they're all a PITA to clean, way too much effort, bought a tassimo and loved it so much when it broke after 3 years daily use I replaced it the same day
£3.18 for 18 cups of keno caffe creama compared to £2.50 for one seems good value to me
 
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