To feel I've wasted my money on Tassimo?

[Hairydogmummy]

So we got a Tassimo yesterday...the my way one on offer in Costco. Have read some really good reviews about them but so far we've had the Costa Latte and the Kenco Americano and it tastes like it's come from a vending machine! Not sure what I expected to be honest. I have a 'proper' espresso machine but not using it that much as it's a bit of a faff. We've looked at v expensive ones but decided we wouldn't use it enough to justify the expense and the ones that do their own milk seemed as much faff as the traditional machine.

I never use the milk pods as they are all sweetened & I don’t have sugar with my coffee.

I have a milk frothed and use the Spanish tassimo pods as they are to my taste, I don’t care for ken Co coffee or Costa. You get a much better range of products if you purchase directly from tassimo, and delivery is very quick

I actually prefer the tassimo to the nesspresso, as the decafe coffees have a great “creame” on the top and I drink the tag coffee black

Butting a coffee machine and then saying it’s no good as the coffee doesn’t taste special is a bit like not liking a frying pan as you’re not keen on liver - change the coffee you’re buying

I don't like pod coffee. You only get half a cup, it doesn't taste all that nice and is not very eco-friendly unless you can recycle the pods.

I am happy with filter coffee. What I always find quite interesting is that the supermarkets have wide ranges of filter coffees but if you are in John Lewis or similar (or even Robert Dyas) they have lots of complicated and expensive machines and about one filter coffee machine. My filter coffee machine cost about £40 and I think I got it from Argos in the end.

Another trick with the tassimo - press the middle button - the button that flashes if the water is low, and it pops a drop more water in the cup

We bought one and have always hated the milk pods. We usually warm up some milk in the microwave, but tbh we barely use it and wont be replacing it if it breaks.

My Nespresso machine is over 6 years old, hardly in the realms of gimmicky product soon to be consigned to landfill.

Like adagio I'm the only coffee drinker in my house and when I bought it I worked away Monday to Friday so it was a great solution for me to make 3/4 coffees a week. Considering I recycle the capsules and a week's waste is probably the equivalent of a single can of coke it's hardly an environmental catastrophe. I'm sure there are better options if your household drinks a lot of coffee.

And I'm very amused at the self proclaimed coffee snob upthread who says the best coffee they make at home involves two spoons of instant coffee

There’s a lot of snobbery about machines. In practise any machine is only as good as the coffee you put in it.

Bean to cup machines are great if you drink enough coffee to use the beans. Similarly a moka pot is good if you use the coffee before it deteriorates.

I got a Nespresso because I got sick of throwing ground offer away, and you can recycle the pods.

I think it has the best coffee of all the pod machines, simply because it’s espresso rather than instant in a pod. If you don’t like the Nespresso coffee there are plenty of compatibilités to choose from.

Currently working my way through some grind compostante pods (not keen) And some (shock horror) Starbucks Pike Place pods because they were available in Tesco

These bean to cup machines, can you top up the tiny portions they give to give a decent size cup of coffee?

I have this impression they only make espresso sized cups and then you're restricted to drinking that.

Bean to cup machines are espresso machines so as such they one make an espresso. To make a longer drink like a latte you add extra milk.

So they're no good if you currently drink a full cup of black coffee in the morning then?
That's a bit restrictive

Well no. An espresso machine makes espressos.
If you want a big mug of black coffee you want a filter coffee machine.

Jim Our bean to cup machine will do as much extra hot water as you want - it does a normal mug on max, and there’s a button you can push to have even more water (but you do need to stand next to the machine and catch it at the right moment). I drink Americanos, and it works for me.

"These bean to cup machines, can you top up the tiny portions they give to give a decent size cup of coffee?"

Yes, top it up with hot water and you've got an Americano.

If you want a mug of 'normal' coffee buy a caffettiere at a fraction of the cost.

I loved our Tassimo for the tea and the bastards have stopped making it. DH uses it, the L'Or is his choice. I bought him a Nespresso last Christmas but he rarely uses it as he says it's more faff than the Tassimo.

Why would you make tea in a Tassimo machine? Surely that's more hassle than boiling the kettle?

Mine is in the shed now. The coffee was too weak for me. I use a simple model lavazza machine with the qualita Rossa capsules which recommend.

There are places you can take tassimo pods and packaging for recycling. Google it.
Not sure if it's terracycle or another company.
Our local church has a recycling drop off area for all sorts including this.

Why would you make tea in a Tassimo machine? Surely that's more hassle than boiling the kettle?

Not at all. Takes about 30 seconds in a Tassimo, Otherwise you're waiting for the kettle to boil, then wait for the tea to brew etc and our water is very hard so never tasted right in our kettle.

The Twinings Tea Discs made a lovely cup of tea for me, I only drink one in a morning so it was perfect. I do miss that.

Does anyone have any experience with the Starbucks pods for the nespresso? Also is a milk frother worth it?

We had one years ago and got rid as didn’t like the taste of the drinks.

Last year DH asked for a Nespresso and Aerolatte for Christmas as he was spending too much at Starbucks in the train station. Here we go again I thought, but he does use it (when he’s in the office). He likes the Aldi coffee pods which are a damn sight cheaper than the others.

IMO, yes, you’ve wasted your money. Sorry.

I hardly use my Nespresso, it makes such piddly little cups (and yes, I've tried adjusting the switch to make a 'longer' drink) and the coffee is never hot enough.

I stick to an old fashioned cone straight over the mug with a paper filter - I only ever make one mug at a time. Cheap, easy and no hassle.

Pod machines are crap.

They use pretty crap coffee at extortionate prices and produce mountains of plastic waste. DH and I were gifted a Nespresso. There was so little in the pods we were having to use 2 per cup, and eventually realised it was more expensive per cup than buying really nice beans from fortnum and mason.

We have a dualit espresso machine. Not that expensive but works fine. If you actually like coffee you need to be buying your own coffee not drinking the shite in pods.

I love my Nespresso vertuo. Makes nice big cups p. With my original one I had to boil the kettle as well to top up to an americano.

I've had a tassimo and used to go to Amsterdam twice a year to get nice pods. Much better selection, and also when I had a Senseo. (Not just to get coffee though). Neither machine lasted more than 2 years. Had the Vertuo since they came out a good few years ago. I have the milk thing as well, but don't bother now, just nuke the milk.

I intend to keep it for another few years and then get a bean to cup machine. I'll gift the current one to my son.

I recycle the pods myself. Cut off the plasticky bit on top, scoop out the grounds for the garden and then the foil goes in the recycling. Still waiting for someone to make a reusable pod, like I used to have for the little pods.

There was so little in the pods we were having to use 2 per cup, and eventually realised it was more expensive per cup than buying really nice beans from fortnum and mason. Fortnum's coffee is amazing.

They use pretty crap coffee at extortionate prices and produce mountains of plastic waste. DH and I were gifted a Nespresso.

Nespresso produce no plastic waste

I have the same one. The only pod I like is morning cafe & I always drink it black