My partner is a coffee freak. Last Xmas I bought him a single-cup Gevalia pod brewer and he loved it.
This year, I wanted to upgrade to one of the more upscale single-cup machines. The Tassimo was new last year and it did lattes and cappuccinos automatically with real milk. But I didn't want to screw up and get something he wouldn't like. But I broke down and bought it this Xmas.
Then I found out about the Keurig machines. The don't do milk foam drinks but they have literally dozens of varieties of coffee and tea.
So what's a boy to do? Of course I bought both! And of course I couldn't wait until Xmas to give them to my partner.
I'll give you some impressions of the 2 machines...
Both machines use foil-sealed plastic cups instead of filter pods.
Coffee... Tassimo seems to focus on European brew styles... small servings, more intense flavor with brands such as Mastro Lorenzo, Carte Noire, Jacobs and Kenco. Keurig makes larger cups and focuses on American brands such as Green Mountain, Coffee People, Gloria Jean's, Tomothy's and more.
Tea... If you like tea then the Keurig is for you. They have dozens of different flavors/brands. Tassimo has 4.
Brew sizes... The Tassimo machine reads a barcode on the coffee cup and automatically selects the proper brewing attributes. You can press a button and manually add more liquid. But it tends to get a little weaker because the grounds aren't as strong. With the Keurig you must select the brew size first. You can brew up to an 11oz cup. But as with the Tassimo, bigger size=less flavor. These are single-cup after all so you shouldn't be surprised.
Aesthetics... Keurig wins hand-down! The sleek, functional design and black, chrome with blue lighting accents look great. The Tassimo looks like a cheap plastic lump next to the Keurig.
Taste... The both taste great! I'm not a coffee drinker but I LOVE the lattes and cappuccinos that the Tassimo brews. My partner (the serious coffee lover) still prefers his lattes the old-fashioned hand-frothed way. The Tassimo also brews wonder authentic european coffee and cremas... small but VERY flavorful, strong but not bitter. The Keurig also brews great tasting coffee and has a staggering variety of brands, stengths and flavors. You have so many varities to choose from, you wouldn't have to have the same cup of coffee for 3 months unless you wanted to.
Cost... both machines are between $150-200 range. And the cost per serving is between $.20-.50. The Tassimo foam drinks are about $1.00 each.
So which one is best. The coffee lover in our family loves the Keurig and it's massive varities of coffee and tea and it's sexy looks. I can take or leave coffee and tea (give me an ice-cold Mountain Dew anyday, ) but I love the Tassimo and it's delicious lattes and cappuccinos. I'm actually starting to develop an appreciation for coffee now... much to my partner's delight.
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