Braun Tassimo Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker Review

My husband and I purchased the Tassimo when I had to give up caffeine because I was breastfeeding. The Tassimo is the perfect solution, as he can have a cup or two of good Starbucks or Gevalia coffee in the morning when he gets up, and I can have a cup or two of decaf later in the morning when I get up, and we don't waste half a pot of coffee.

The Tassimo brews one cup of beverage at a time. An internal scanner reads the barcode off the beverage disc, and this tells the machine how much water, how hot, and how long to brew. A wide variety of discs are available, including several brands and varieties of caffeinated coffee, with a more limited selection of decaf coffees, regular and decaf cappuccino, latte, tea, and hot chocolate. Once the cup of beverage is done, clean up involves simply removing the disc and disposing.

The Tassimo also has a height-adjustable insert to accommodate any height cup, and the insert is removable for especially tall mugs. A removable water carafe attaches easily to the back for easy filling.

Additionally, everything that comes in contact with the disc and water on the front of the machine is removable and washable, so you never have to worry about cleaning hard to reach places in the machine.

In addition to the "automatic" mode that reads the barcode to make your beverage, a manual mode is available for you to adjust brew time and water temperature to truly personalize your cup of coffee. I've never used this function, so can't speak to how easy or difficult it is to use.

The variety of beverages, ease of use, quick brewing time, and easy clean up make this a perfect coffee maker for me and my husband, especially in the mornings as we prepare to integrate an infant into our morning pre-work schedule. But the machine is so fast and convenient, that evening beverages are a treat now, too, because you can have your favorite hot beverage in only a couple of minutes with minimal hassle.

There are a few cons to this product. First, while heating and once done brewing, the machine does "dribble" water out of a designated water spout. For shorter cups, this water drains into the removable insert and is easily dumped into the sink, but for taller cups, this run off goes into the base (which is designed to hold this runoff without getting your cup wet), and must be mopped up with a paper towel.

Second, some of the hot beverages are aerated as they are brewed, and this can create some spatter as the drink brews. A little messy on the countertops.

Third, the milk and hot chocolate discs often leave a little residue on the disc holder at the top of the machine, but this is easily cleaned up with a paper towel.

Overall, this product is well worth the money if you want fast, tasty coffee in the morning, or if convenience is important to you. It's also excellent for people who have different tastes in coffee - everyone can brew what they like, so bold coffee drinkers and breakfast blend drinkers can all be happy. I highly recommend this product.