Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System
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List Price: Our Price: $68.00 You Save: $61.99 (48%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single-Serve Hot-Beverage System
Customer Review: I woke up and smelled the coffee....and it wasn't good....
Summary: 1 Stars
Well aren't we just adorable? Single serve coffee. The advantages are enticing. No wasted coffee. Everyone gets the flavor they want. No mess! Nice and piping hot! Consistancy every time! And all for less than once of those outrageoulsy expensive espresso makers.
Ok, you're going to have to forgive me, in advance, for this little rant, but I just can't help it.
The Braun Tassimo TA1200 Single Serve Hot Beverage System is an oddly shaped, bizarre mechanical device that makes some of the most horrible tasting hot beverages the world has ever known.
How do you screw up hot chocolate? I'll tell you how. You create a device that makes bittersweet hot chocolate that is so watery, a fish would even spit it out. Yes, I know is it the device's fault or the disc maker's fault?
It's your fault if you buy one of these.
Listen, I like the idea behind this product. I've used the Krups version (little creamer looking flavor makers instead of the overrated T-Discs) as well as the Tassimo and neither one creates a coffee experience that is ultimately worth the money.
Yes, you get the flavor coffee you want fast, with little mess, and just enough for you, yes you, but it just isn't good coffee.
If we put the flavors on a sliding scale of quality, you will find that the teas are the best that this machine can create - and that makes some sense, I suppose. It's kind of difficult to mess up hot tea, although one taste of Earl Grey from the Tassimo may get you to rethink that position. The coffees are the middle of the road... but we're talking a dirt road to nowhere, so that's kind of like saying, it's the best stale cracker in an array of stale crackers.
The Hot Chocolate is dreadful.
The Tassimo itself is poorly designed and looks ridiculous, in my book. What is this, a coffee maker or an old time radio? The supposedly sleek design is actually very clumsy. I don't like the way the water tank fits into the back. It's awkward, and while we've had no leaks, it just never feels stable back there.
The filtration system may be somewhat effective, but it's more a nuissance than anything else. It should be easier than it is.
A plus for the "guts" of the system is that they are dishwasher safe. But the cheap plastic parts don't inspire the sense that the product is well made, and we get an awful lot of gunk and debris within.
The base is removeable, i.e. if you have larger mugs, you'll want to remove the grate at the bottom. Warning, anything oversized won't fit. So, what we have is a big ol kluncky, odd looking coffee maker that limits the size mug you can use. That's not good design, no matter which way you slice it.
And it's noisy. Yes, my friends, I've heard lawn mowers that are quieter and more pleasing to the ear. It sort of grunts at you and then gurgles a bit. It's not the most appetizing sound in the world. Frankly, I'd rather listen to my steam iron sigh when I lift it off a shirt than hear the Tassimo grunt and gurgle as it waters down my morning joe.
Finally, the T-Disc system is just flawed. On milk products and hot chocolate especially, there's an AWFUL lot of flavoring still left in the T-disc that never makes it into the system or your mug. And that's just sad, really. I've used a knife to open the disc in an attempt to enhance the flavor, but I'm convinced there just isn't enough in there for the amount of water drizzled into your mug.
I just don't think this is single serving coffee at it's best. Even the Starbucks coffees made for this machine are such a far cry from the real thing, if I were Starbucks, I'd be embarassed.
Accordingly, I think it's too much money for this little contraption, and I think the quality of the coffee and other hot beverages is so poor, you'll have a short honeymoon with this device.
Sure, the gals in the bookclub may oooh and ahhh when they see it in action for the first time, but anyone who then wants to actually enjoy their coffee is likely to be disappointed.
One star for effort and the novelty of it all.
But otherwise, awful.
Customer Review: ok, but just ok
Summary: 3 Stars
PROS:
- The disks read via laser = no programming.
- One touch after you know how to use, of getting your 'juice'.
- Small foot print.
- MUCH cheaper to operate than units I saw costing $500-$1,000:
- Disks seems to be pleantiful, and easy to acquire.
- Good web site.
- Can't make own disks like the Koenig; BUT that's what I wanted to get away from.....beans, grounds etc.
- NO MORE Wasted coffee in pot,
- Only make what you need [you want expresso, then cap, then ?? = you got it on demand!!!!++++]
- Very good customer ON-CALL, 24-7 364 [NOT CHRISTMASS] support. big plus
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CONS:
- Can't make own disks like the Koenig.
- Should have bought on Amazon rather than BB&Beyond, with even the 20% discount, it was $25 more than Amazon.
- Makes a LOT of noise, sounds like one of those cheap tire air-compressors running on your car battery!!
- TAKES about 2 min. AFTER IT WARMS UP FROM STANDBY for first cup of coffee: THis is true for EVERY cup you want to produce.
- VERY difficult to put in a travel mug
- Adjustable stand??? um, no such animal, it is solid: all you can do is remove the grill top and try to put in a mug into the hole remaining, but be aware the 'hole' will fill with liquid getting mug wet.
- COFFEE I had was 'weak'...went to Expresso disks for stronger coffee
- AMOUNT of expresso is correct, but you MUST hit the manual button to keep filling your cup to get either weaker expresso, or stronger coffee...
tough choice.
- The Cap or Latte drinks are nothing more than THE SAME DISKS but with a DIFFERENT bar code = how the machine handles the brewing etc.
that is, you get expresso disks with a 'milk' disk for a cap/latte. SO, IF you think about it, KEEP some of the codes handy should you run out one or the other. Like cut out the bar code and put on another disk. IF it weren't for the codes, the products would be the same. The costs for either cap/latte are the same.
- PRO/CON on programming....well, I don't need to program a single cup of coffee...if you do, then not for you, if you want big party pot of coffee then be prepared to stand there for 2min/cup brewing, AFTER putting a disk in.
- DIFFICULT setup..OK, I'm not dumb [so some say], BUT if you do not follow the 1st step entirely as shown, you will get a mass of fault lights and struggle with it... requires NO filter startup, then clean the item twice, then put the pre-soaked [takes 30 min.] filter into the tank [after it already had water in it] and try to figure the rest. BELIEVE me I know. Thanks to customer support.
- HERE's the deal, the instructions DON't do well in explaining some of the lights and time delayes. For instance, the 'heating' light blinks, and then is steady when ready...30 seconds. The 'auto' light goes on when ready, and then flashes when in use [1min] there is a 'cleaning/expulsion' cycle on the brew to get out the remaining liquid..another 3-5 seconds, then it drips for a couple more seconds....
- cup of 'coffee' I made was only half full, which is NORMAL, so I held in the 'manual' feed button to get fuller cup = another 20 seconds. = WEAK regular coffee = dish-like-water YUCK....THUS, insert the expresso disk and fill for weak expresso acceptable coffee.
FInally, This is NOT as good as the most expensive Italian brands, and I usually buy the best.....the Italian had HUGE inserts, but you never saw the used disk, nor HEARD any motor etc. BUT cost about $400-$800 more... I mean, coffee at that price should include a Barrister[sic].
Does the job for me, and no mess, acceptable fuss, and will only gripe when I run out of disks or it blinks out on me, to which I will ceremoniously heave it over a cliff and buy a better item...thus goes the times of technology....now if we can send my cat in to brew it: all the better.
Customer Review: Excellent machine - better than Senseo and Keurig
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Incredibly Versatile, Dependable Machine!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
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!!
Customer Review: Wonderful Coffee - Company not environmentally or socially responsible
Summary: 4 Stars
PROS: Machine still works great after one year of hard use. Wonderful taste to the expresso, latte, cappuccino products including chai tea latte. Less sugar and caleries than coffee shop products, and of course lower cost. Monthly purchase service good - easy to get to quantity needed for free shipping and very responsive to last minute order changes especially by phone.
CONS: MANUFACTURER NOT INTERESTED IN BEING MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY OR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE. Emailed with concerns about plastic discs not being marked with recycle symbol so not accepted in my town's service, no bulk packaging available for mail order, no ability to refill discs, no fair trade products available and Newman's Own having signed with competitor. Did receive email response, but customer service rep provided canned, ignorant answers. (complete email response attached at end of review).
Machine still sounds like a loud garbage grinder when processing so don't be surprised. CHECK CAREFULLY to make sure cleaning disc is included in box when purchasing - missing for both my brother and I, and you can't make your first cup without it. Limited selection of decaf and chai tea products.
RESPONSE FROM TASSIMO
Dear Tassimo® Customer:
Thank you for your email.
Please be advised that the majority of our packaging uses recyclable material: most paperboard, and all glass and metal and many plastics maybe recycled. To determine if packaging is recyclable check to local recycling facilities.
We appreciate you taking the time to e-mail us your suggestion and we will be forwarding it to the appropriate department. (disc that can be filled)
We hope this information will help you understand how we conduct our coffee or green bean purchases. Because of the amount of coffee we require for our business, we do not purchase green coffee beans from individual farms cooperatives directly. Tassimo is available with several coffee brands which obtain coffee from all over the world. Most of our purchases are made through commodity brokers and sanctioned for quality by our expert tasters, to insure that the beans meet our flavor quality standards.
In order to change the overall green coffee sourcing system (commodity market), the total world market would have to change the way coffee is purchased. Since we do not see this happening in the near future, our focus is on supporting sustainable solutions that foster long-term, meaningful improvements to growing practices. Our goal is to help coffee growers achieve added value for their coffee, which will generate increased revenues and better overall conditions for their communities.
We hope this information has been helpful.
The decaf products available are as follows
Gevalia Decaf Cappuccino
Gevalia Decaf Espresso
Gevalia Signature Blend Decaf
Maxwell House Blend Decaf