Capresso frothPRO

I was worried to buy this because there were no reviews on it yet. I used it today for the first time and I could not be more happy with it. It says not to fill milk past the froth indicator line inside the pitcher, I know why now. It creates the most thick rich froth that you can imagine all the way to the top of the pitcher. After you pour the heated milk out (which by the way is heated to 150 degrees checked with thermometer)you will have to spoon out the froth because it is so thick. I gave it 5 stars because it does exactly what it describes it will do. The only thing negative that I could possibly say is that I do think that steamed milk and froth is sweeter in flavor than just heated milk and froth. I make caramel macchiatos at least twice a day for my wife and myself so we do a lot of frothing. This frother will make this super thick froth in around 2 min or so and then automatically shuts off too cool. I wait till it shuts off and then hit the espresso button on our espresso machine and then pour the heated milk, add the espresso and top with that thick froth decorate with the caramel and kick back. I thought at first this was going to be an expensive learning adventure but now I am very happy to have bought it. It also will make thick heated and frothed hot chocolate.

Who says you can't have it all? You can have your hot chocolate and your cappuccino too with this handy, convenient little machine. I'm no Einstein when it comes to operating appliances but this gadget is easy to operate and produces the most delicious hot and cold drinks you can imagine. The frothing mechanism is unbelievable. Now I can have my cappuccino without having to pay a king's ransom to Starbucks. In addition, it's easy to clean and that's a real plus in my book. Anyone who has ever had to deal with cleaning some of those razor sharp "jig-saw puzzle" pieces you see on a lot of appliances (my blender has been known to attack) will just love the safe, user friendly frothPRO parts.

And speaking of safety, there will be no burned lips and tongue with this little machine. It has three button settings and has the ability to control the temperature of your hot chocolate by just pushing the right hand button if you just want it WARM instead of HOT. Another plus is that you can froth your milk without the heat if ICED lattes are your drink of choice. Overall, this would be an excellent addition to your kitchen or a great gift for newlyweds who love cappuccino, latte or any hot or cold coffee drinks but can't afford those "Coffee house" prices.

Now that I've listed all the pros, let me add a couple of cons.

#1 The machine is a little pricey at the sixty dollars.

($ 35 to $40 would be a much fairer price). The machine

is a simple mechanism and made in China so there can

be no excuse like "union wages" to justify the $60 price

tag.

#2 The power cord could have been a little longer to provide

more options as to where it can be plugged in.

#3 Be careful not to touch the BOTTOM of the milk pitcher

once you have heated your milk and removed it from

the heating base and DO NOT set it down on a laminate

surface (like formica) because that baby is really HOT

and can leave a burn mark.

For performance and ease of operation this product falls into the 4 to 5 star range. The pricing, etc. rate 2 ½ to 3 stars. Overall rating 3 ½ stars.

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I am so happy I bought this machine! I have a DeLonghi espresso maker, and it makes great espresso, but the milk frother on my machine is a joke. In looking for a better milk frothing solution, I tried Aerolatte machines, but I wasn't satisfied with their weak results either. Luckily, I stumbled onto this device.

To be clear, I was seeking out very thick, creamy, meringue-like froth. My espresso machine and the Aerolatte made foam with bubbles far too large to support this type of froth, so I was skeptical when I saw that this machine advertised "meringue-like frother," yet works on pretty much the same principle as an Aerolatte frother. Nevertheless, I decided to try it out, and on its first run, it gave me exactly what I was looking for: mounds of soft, pillowy forthed milk that looked more like whipped cream or meringue. I was also left with just enough steamed milk at the bottom of the pitcher to make my cappuccino.

Making frothed milk with this machine couldn't be easier: add cold milk, put on the lid, and press a button. A few minutes later, the machine automatically shuts down when it's done. As I said, you're left with mounds of perfect frothed milk, and just enough steamed milk to finish your drink. The pitcher has a nonstick surface, so cleanup is pretty simple and doens't take much time.

My only complaint is that it's a bit difficult to remove the frothing disk from the bottom of the pitcher, and the instructions don't provide any guidance or tips. My technique is to reach down underneath the disk and just pry up one side until it pops off. The disk is quite firmly connected to the pitcher and is made of thin plastic, so it doesn't seem like the best design. Like a previous reviewer, I was initially scared that I might break the disk, but it hasn't happened yet, so maybe it's more rugged than it looks. There's a little tab that sticks up from the center of each disk--it looks like it's for gripping the disk, but I didn't have any luck removing it that way. Another complaint is that the disk-mounting assembly sticking up at the bottom center of the pitcher is like a little needle! I got a pretty bad poke when figuring out how to attach and remove the disks, and, again, I didn't see any warning in the instruction book.

Overall, however, these are very minor complaints, and I'm more than satisfied with this unit. It is a bit pricey for such a specialized machine, but if you'd otherwise be buying your coffee at a coffee shop, you'll make up the cost of the machine and then some in no time!

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This frother was great while it worked... easy to use, great frothy milk, quiet.

After three months, it just stopped working. Their customer service department insisted I return the broken frother before they would send a replacement... understandable if this was an expensive coffee maker but much less customer-friendly for a less expensive appliance which broke so quickly.

I asked to speak to a manager to see if the policy could be waived (I'd return the broken frother in the box they sent, they could even charge me while I held both). Seemingly annoyed at being bothered, the manager practically berated me for asking and, literally, mocked my speech before unapologetically telling me "this is how it is".

My previous coffee maker was Capresso with which I had quality problems (returned twice) and I've also given two other Capresso products as gifts (this Frother and a coffee maker) which both subsequently broke. Clearly, I like their products but, more clearly, they have a big quality control problem.

With such quality problems and horrible customer service, I will no longer purchase Capresso products.

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My first impression of this frother was a mixed one. It did not look like it was worth $60 even though it performed rather well in the beginning.

As time went by the frothing became worse. Now, after a little less than a year, I have to cycle it about three times to get enough froth for one cup of coffee. I don't know why, but it does not produce the thick froth that it once did. Many reviewers have had this same problem. I have experimented with different brands of milk without any luck and whole or 2% doesn't make any difference either.

The worst problem began today. I am lucky that I was at home.

I had finished my coffee earlier, cleaned the frother and placed it back in the base. Thirty minutes later I went outside for a less than 2 minutes. When I came in the frother was running. There were no lights on. I lifted the pitcher and set it back down thinking it would turn off but it did not. I lifted the pitcher several times but each time I placed it on the base it started again. In a few seconds it started to smoke and an eletrical smell filled the kitchen. I unplugged it and it continued to smoke for a few seconds. Obviously the frother is a fire hazard.

UPDATE:

I called Capresso customer service and they replaced this unit. I was leary of using it but I did anyway, but never leaving it plugged in when it was not in use. This second frother did not last as long as the first one, only a few weeks jsut long enough to finish out the one year warranty. It sometimes does not even spin, and when it does spin it doesn't froth the milk but about once every 4-5 tries. The sound it makes varies from a low rattle to a high whir. I have used the product as directed making enough froth for one cup of coffee a day about 5-6 times per week. Needless to say I am through using Capresso products and do not recomend them to you. A friend has a Capresso coffee maker that he has had replaced as well because it was defective.

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Tassimo T20 Single-serve Beverage Maker

I recently had a Keurig that just stopped working out of the blue. It was no longer under warranty, and the company wasn't able to fix it, so I decided to look for a new one. After finding out about all the great lattes and other milk based drinks tassimos can make, I decided to go with the t20. I've had it for about two months now, and am loving it! I'm really impressed with the cappuccinos and lattes. There aren't as many different t-discs available as k-cups (for keurig), but the taste and quality and variety in those that they do have makes up for it! The machine itself is smaller than the Keurig, and I think it looks nicer, as well. It's not super quiet, but certainly not too loud, either. Overall, I love this product for its ease of use, quality of beverages, and superiority over its competitors. If you like creamy, steamed coffee drinks, you should definitely look into the tassimo!

Tassimo vs Keurig: battle of the century.

Tassimo is hands down superior in terms of everything except price. The main selling point is the design of the "T-Disc" vs the "K-Cup".

Keurig's K-cup is a literally just a cup that water pours through to brew whatever is inside the cup. One size fits all. It's good for coffee but it can't do cappuccino (they have "cappuccino flavored coffee" but that's not quite the same) and you don't get to pick a size.

Tassimo's T-disc has a bar-code on it to tell the machine what to do, which allows for a lot more variety. Pressure, temperature, brew time and volume of water can all be set by the bar code, so you can buy 4.5 oz drinks, 8 oz drinks or 12 oz drinks (there may be 16 oz but I'm not sure -I mostly get 8 or 12 oz). It can do pretty authentic espresso and foamy cappuccino (which it does by brewing two disks -one for the frothy milk and another for the espresso. I mix in a hot chocolate to make a "mocha latte").

Grocery stores around me sell both the K-cups and the T-disks, though I mostly buy refills from Amazon (which has more variety). There's chai latte, earl grey tea, all sorts of coffee and cappuccino. I think you'll find you pay a little more than a Keurig but you get much stronger product.

Cleaning is easy. The machine will come with a "cleaning disk" that just runs hot water through the system to flush it out. The spout, splash guard and cup stand can be removed and put through the dishwasher. Eventually the "clean" light will flash. When that happens, you put about 50/50 vinegar and water in the tank, put the cleaning disk in and HOLD the start button until the lights flash together, then it will run a cycle to clear any mineral deposits out of the system. This is all in the manual but by the time I needed to do it I had to look it up on the internet because I'd long since misplaced the manual, so maybe this will help someone else too.

All in all, great product. Saves me a bundle on going to Starbucks.

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I am writing this review b/c I have noticed there are many more different single-serve machines out there now, and they're much more expensive than this one. I also notice there are newer and more expensive Tassimo brewers now, and I can't say that the price difference is worth it. I have this model and can't imagine what can be improved upon.

The Tassimo is wonderful. I have always stayed away from single-serve pod brewers b/c they seemed gimmicky and I've watched them come and go and didn't want to get stuck with a machine that I can't use b/c no one stocks the refills. However, 2 years ago, these were being demo'ed at many stores during the Christmas season. I took a sample again and again, and I couldn't resist buying one. It has more than paid for itself by saving the expensive trips to Starbucks. There are all sorts of different T-discs out there--even chai latte and hot chocolate.

What sets this apart from others like the Keurig, for example, is that it does real cappuccinos and lattes, and they're coffee house quality. As another reviewer explained, each T-disc has a barcode that the machine reads. The barcode tells the machine what it needs to do for each specific drink. For example, it takes the milk disc for the cappuccino and steams/froths it. It reads the espresso disc and knows what it needs to do to make an espresso.

I bought mine just about exactly 2 years ago for my husband. He really likes it b/c you don't have to mess with filters and measuring coffee and water, etc, so this is a great time-saver in the morning when you're getting ready for work. You just pop in the T-disc and press a button. After 2 years, we haven't had a problem so far. (I hope I didn't jinx it by saying that!) There was a recall, and Tassimo sent a replacement part, but mine has been working fine so I haven't even bothered with the replacement yet.

Just be sure to use it properly. We've figured out that it makes a better cappuccino or latte if you use the milk disc first, then the coffee disc. Also, there's a sign on the machine that says you aren't supposed to open it when the green light is on. Wait until the orange light glows. We've followed this rule, and it's been fine for us. Finally, I thought the machine was broken when I couldn't get it to work. I put the T-disc in before turning the machine on, then turned it on and pushed the brew button. It didn't do anything. My husband figured out that you are supposed to turn the machine on first, then open the lid to put the T-disc in. The machine has to know that you put a new T-disc in.

If the coffee is too strong for you, there's a button that will glow green for a few seconds to let you add more water. Hold it until you get the desired amount of extra water.

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I'm that person who is forever searching for the perfect cup of coffee! I've been the owner of many different drip machines, and espresso machines as well. Not one produced the flavor I was looking for. I received the Tassimo T20 and four different kinds of T-disks for Christmas this year. Within minutes of opening the box, I had a latte! The T20 has a very intuitive design, and after a skimming of the instructions, I was easily making quality mochas, vanilla lattes, and caramel macchiatos!

If you're like I am, and you don't really like drip coffee, but you can't afford to go to Starbucks everyday, this machine is for you! (Sign up to receive ads from Bed Bath and Beyond, they send out 20% off coupons often! Why not save money on something awesome?)

Now when I make a cup of coffee I actually drink it! I really love my Tassimo, and I'm excited to keep using it.

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My children gave me a Tassimo last year for Christmas. I had really wanted a Keurig, but settled for the Tassimo. However, it did not work, and I promptly forgot about it. I " found " it a month ago, and knowing how much my kids spent on this, I called the company. They PROMPTLY replaced it! I couldn't believe it!! The customer service dept. was great, and A full year later, and within 5 days of calling them, I had my new brewer. Well, this one worked! and I am LOVING IT!! I am a BIG coffee drinker, and never really thought I'd enjoy a cup at a time brewer, but this one, is just fantastic! The coffees are full bodied and the Lattes are creamy, coming with their own milk T-discs. You can also purchase Hot Chocolate ( cadbury ) T-discs so my daughter is enjoying it as well. Tassimo's lattes and special drinks also having a foaming milk on top. To get this from the Keurig, you have to purchase their special programmable machine that costs about 200 dollars!

I never write reviews unless I dearly love a product... this one, is a MUST!!!

Mr. Coffee JWX3 5-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black

I've had this pot for six weeks. Have had no problem with it. It keeps time well and I don't get a funny plastic taste at all. Unfortunately I broke the carafe and could not find a replacement. I combed the Internet and finally contacted Mr. Coffee with my problem. They responded with a number which in turn referred me to another number. That number is: 1-800-672-6333. It's automated but if you're looking for replacement parts, they will ask you to punch in your ZIP code and they will give you the name of a dealer near you from which you can purchase parts. This will save you an hour or so of trying to run this down. My husband picked up the new carafe for me this afternoon. I'm a happy camper again.

The features on this coffee maker are wonderful for the price. I love the fact that you can sneak a cup of coffe mid brew without it dripping all over the hot plate (and it really worked!). They did so many things right like a safety on the delay brew feature that allows you to set up your coffee beforehand, but must be programmed each time in case you forget to set up your coffee for the next brew. It even shuts the coffee maker off after one hour so you don't burn or crack the pot if you forget. I really wanted this coffee maker to be my long term brew companion, BUT I soon became disillusioned when I noticed a burnt chemical smell with each pot of coffee made. Upon opening the top to throw away the used coffee filter, I was almost overwhelmed by the smell which not only affected the taste of the coffee, but permeated the air throughout the house. It smells like burnt electrical wiring and is very strong. I hate to think what chemicals from the plastic leached into the coffee from the brewing. Needless to say, I'm ending my relationship with this Mr. Coffee.

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I, too, experienced the burning plastic smell, and so the unit will be returned. It's surprising that a flaw this noticeable makes it past the manufacturer's quality control.

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I am going to assume most folks who had trouble with this coffee pot (doesn't make coffee strong enough, water run off, metal carafe not warm when removed from base, etc) have simply never owned a coffee maker before. Those are user errors rather than errors of the coffee pot.

It works well for its job--making a few cups of coffee every morning. I cleaned it through and it did not have any plastic smell after. I greatly enjoy being the brew pause feature so I can be impatient with my coffee. Have not had trouble with water run off.

If you desire a coffee maker that has an insulated carafe and does a bunch of fancy things you ought to buy one that costs more than $25. But for a $25 coffee maker, it does exactly what it's supposed to. Make a good, reliable, cup of coffee, quickly, with little to no mess.

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I have used my new coffee maker for 2 weeks now and I really like it. It's easily programmable, makes hot, good-tasting coffee, and I can get 2 pretty full oversize mugs out of one full pot. If there is a downside, it's that the unit still smells a little like burning plastic. I've read other reviews and blogs on the internet and some who claim to know about things like this, say the smell is coming from the plastic "gassing out" as new plastic will do. Sounds reasonable, and I will give it more time. It does seem to help if I keep the lid open when not in use. I also washed the filter basket with baking soda which seemed to help a lot. It certainly doesn't smell nearly as bad as it did when I first used it, so maybe in time the smell will go away. It doesn't seem to make a difference in the taste of the coffee. For the price, it's a real good deal and I am pleased.

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Bosch Tassimo T20 1 Cups Espresso Machine

If you are anything like me you're probably trying to decide between a Tassimo system and a Keurig system. The apartment complex where I live has a Keurig system and free coffee (can't beat that), and I own the Tassimo system. The reason I bought the Tassimo system was because I happen to like the frothed up milk on top of the coffee -cappuccinos, lattes, etc. The Keurig system doesn't have this feature.

However, I think I made a mistake in going with the Tassimo. The selection of coffees is really poor when compared to Keurig, especially now that Starbucks has decided to stop being a supplier. I also have to buy my coffee from Amazon, but with Keurig even my local grocery store carries their coffee. I also think the Keurig's coffee wins on taste. Of course taste is a subjective thing, but to me the Keurig system's coffee just tastes better. On occassion I also like tea. The Keurig's tea selection is also much larger and again tastes better (actually a lot better).

Answering which system is faster is also important. When your just standing there waiting for your coffee several seconds really does matter. With the Tassimo it is ready to brew as soon as the water reservoir is filled up an put on the machine. If the Keurig system is off and you fill up the water reservoir then it takes about 90 seconds before it is ready to brew. However, usually you will start with the machine already on and ready to brew -no 90 second wait. Plus, once the Keurig system is read to brew (which is the normal state) then the Keurig system actually produces a single cup of coffee faster than the Tassimo. I'm guessing here, but I'd say the Keurig produces a cup of coffee in about 15 or 20 seconds and the Tassimo is about 10 to 15 seconds longer. If you add a milk topping (latte, cappiccino, etc.) it will take even longer.

Where the Tassimo system shines is the convience of adding a milk pod and getting a latte, cappuccino, or chai tea. It really does work and the froth doesn't immediately fall apart -although it is not the same quality froth you get from a Starbucks cafe. Yet, if you go with the Keurig it really doesn't take too long to throw some milk in the microwave for 20 seconds and froth it up with a cheap Aerolatte Milk Frother, which will have denser bubbles and last a little longer than what you get with the Tassimo. But then you need to wash up an extra glass, and with the Tassimo there is no extra clean up.

Tassimo also has a pretty good hot chocolate as long as you stick to a small glass and don't delute it with too much water by trying to make a larger glass. I've never had the Keurig hot chocolate, but I can't imagine that it would be better than Tassimo's because Tassimo makes their's with milk while Keurig does not.

So, if you like coffee without the frothed milk then Keurig is the easy choice. If you want hot chocolate, lattes, cappuccinos, and chai tea then you might want to go with the Tassimo. It does work as advertised, but a Keurig system with a cheap Aerolatte Milk Frother might still be better, but not if you don't want the extra clean up. The Keurig's coffee taste better, has a much larger selection, and is more convient to buy. As long as you didn't have the machine turned off the Keurig system is also faster. That about wraps it up, so I hope I've given you enough information to decide between the two.

I admit it. I love the smell of fresh coffee, but after it's sat for a while in a coffee pot, growing stronger and more bitter by the microsecond, I hate coffee. A friend of my daughter's bought her a Tassimo as a wedding gift, and every time we visited, she offered us the hot beverage of our choice. Now one thing I am for sure is a gadget-lover, and I fell in love with this one. So my daughter, son and husband surprised me with this wonderful machine on my recent birthday. As I sit here writing this review, I am enjoying a cup of Gevalia with cream. And I didn't have to make a whole pot which I would later end up dumping because of bitter taste which makes me cringe to think about.

When I don't feel like having coffee, I can make tea, cappuccino, latte, and many others (I'm sure) which I haven't yet discovered. Every morning, my husband has his traditional Lipton tea first and then his second beverage before heading off to work, a fresh cup of breakfast coffee. My son's favorite is Maxwell House French Vanilla. Within a few short minutes, we can each have the beverage of our choice.

So, if you're like me ... a finicky coffee drinker, or if you just want to improve your coffee experience, this is the machine for you. Buy one ... and have a cup of coffee on me!

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We've had this for about 3 weeks and enjoy it quite a bit.

I've oned a Keurig B77, Melita one:one, B&D Home Cafe, french press etc.

Our one year old keurig died with a failed pump and while I had much parafinalia for it I decided to try something different.

The t20 was the most readily available model but from some coffee site reviews the previous models were better made but the resulting brew was the same.

Size & appearance

The footprint of the T20 is very acceptable; about the same size footprint wise as a standard automatic drip coffee maker or about roughly 2 gallon milk jugs one in front of the other. Not too bad really.

The colors available at wal-mart were black or black. You can buy colored front inserts for about $20 to jazz up your maker if that's your thing, but the rest of the unit is still black. I've seen white units for sale too but not locally.

It's a bit modern looking, sleek with clean lines. The Keurig by contrast was HUGE and quite well ugly. This is fairly short too so we put a shelf right above it to hold the t-disc boxes. That's a nice touch for us since counter & cabinet space is at a premium.

Operation

Pretty straight forward; what you'd expect if you've used a pod/k-cup/disc type system before.

You simply lift the lever to open the top of the unit. Place your t-disc FACE DOWN so the unit can read the barcode, push down on the lever to close the unit and press the big button. That's it.

You MUST use the cleaning disc to descale or brew hot water. The brewer will not operate without a disc in it. There's a handy slot in the back to store your cleaning disc, but it's not so hand if you simply want hot water. This is a BAD design feature. For the life of me I cannot see why a compture controlled device cannot have a default brew setting. It baffles me. Simply baffles. So, DO NOT LOOSE, the cleaning disc and make sure you don't damage the barcode on the disc. The brewer reads the barcode to determine what it is brewing and how to brew it (amount of water, temp of water, brew time etc) so it won't work without a t-disc or the cleaning disc in it.

The tank removes and installs quite easily. You can pull it up and slide it out from the side. We use bottled water since we are on a well and have massive mineral deposit problems and it's be nicer for a bit bigger fill hole just to make it a bit easier to refill without removing the tank. Drop it and it break$.

The power button is on the front of the unit right below the brew button. The unit goes into standby after a time then it seems shuts down eventually without use. I thought this would be a problem but it isn't. I have to turn the unit on in the morning but as soon as I put the disc in and hit brew it starts brewing and about 1 minute later I have coffee!!! The Keurig took at least 2 minutes to warm up but my B77 model had a timer to turn it on before I got up so that wan't an issue.

You can stop the brewing cycle short by pressing the brew button at any time or after the brewing cycle is done you can hold in the brew button to extend the cycle for a larger, but weaker, cup of coffee. There are only I believe 4 icons (ready, brewing, add water and descale). Pretty simple to operate.

The cup holder can be adjusted up for small containers for brews like espresso or removed entirely for a travel mug.

Taste

Locally we can get the Maxwellhouse Master Blend and Morning Blend plus Maxwellhouse Decaf. I've tried the first two. I really liked the Master Blend which brews about an 8 oz cup but wasn't happy with the Brreakfast Blend which brews a 12 oz cup. Not the best Breakfast Blend I've ever had.

We also received 2 pack of coffee free when we registered our brewer. We chose the Master Lorenzo Espresso and the Crema. I haven't tried the Espresso but my wife says she was happy with 3 brews from it! BUT her only requirement for coffee is that's it's strong taste is not relevent to her; she believes the stronger and darkere the brew the more of a caffine kick she'll get. The Crema was very nice. That said I can't say if it's the brewer or the coffee but they work well together.

I'd suggest you check the variety and prices if you are wavering betweek a k-cup and a t-disc brewer. It seems that the t-discs are cheaper per disc by about 18-20 cents for "normal" coffee while the Starbucks seem to be double. Speaking of Starbucks, if that's your selling point I understand they are no longer making t-discs. Available quantities are all that's left. K-cups have a much larger variety of coffees available too; as well as teas and cocoas (which are available in t-discs but without the variety).

As far as i can find there is no way to use your own coffee with the Tassimo. If that's a selling point for you go with the k-cup system the Solofil refillable k-cup is the best of the available reusable k-cups.

Conclusion.

If you want a single serve automatic brewer in this price range this is a good choice. You can go cheaper but what you'll get is probably a mini automatic-drip machine which take much longer to brew and isn't very good. If you want cheap get a french press it's manual but it's cheap and makes very good coffee.

Cons: variety. Price of teas!!! I haven't tried the tea simply because of the price after you add in shipping. I loved the tea in my keurig; good cup of tea so I'll eventually try it with the Tassimo when I put an order together at Amazon that nets me free shipping.

Good luck and good brewing.

Danneauxs

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I've had this Tassimo T20 for just over a month now. The coffee that you can get in the form of the T Discs are not as huge as the competitor the Keurig. You can get Starbucks, Gevalia, Maxwell House, Jacobs, Nabob, Seattle's Best and hot chocolate from Suckards and teas from Twinings.

As far as the machine is considered, this beverage delivery system is made by Bosch and so far I have not had any issues with it. The first time that we tried to make the Suckard Hot Chocolate, the chocolate was very thin, but this was due to a defect on the T-Disc. All the coffee has been great and of course it depends on your liking and choice for the types or roast.

With this machine you can make Lattes and Capuccinos, and they taste just like the ones you would buy at Starbucks for . I am very impressed with the Lattes from Maxwell House. I've tried the Starbucks Colombian, the Breakfast Blend, Gevalia Morning Blend, Gevalia Swiss Hazelnut, Maxwell House House Blend, and the Maxwell House Caramel Latte. So far, the best are the Starbucks Colombian and Gevalia Swiss Hazelnut. The Maxwell House Blend needs lots of creamer as this one leaves a metallic after taste.

You can also just heat water if you want to make other drinks as your own tea. Most drinks brew in about 90 seconds from the time insert the T-Disc and push the Brew button. It makes drinks from 3oz for the Espressos to 12oz on the morning blends; most drinks are 8oz.

The only drawback and the reason I don't give it a full 5 star rating is the lack of market penetration at the local supermarkets (the machine itself would be 5) Local choices are limited to just a few, usually Starbucks and Maxwell House; so if you want to try the other variations you have to order from Tasssimo Direct of Amazon if you can find them. There is also rumors that Starbucks may be pulling OUT of the Tassimo; so again choices that are already scarse now will be even harder to find the good stuff.

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Ok, the trouble started when my husband got hooked on his $$$ Jura machine at his home office next doors. While I admit being a grateful recipient of the occasional -amazingcup of espresso from the Jura, the offers aren't very frequent (sheesh). It no longer made sense making a pot of coffee just for me in the am, plus it took too much time. Coffeeless on the way to work too many times, I caught myself longing for my office Keurig. So I decided to buy another one-cup coffee maker, and chose the Tassimo just to give it a try. I won't go through the issues raised by other comparisons here, just a list of matters that to my mind make the Keurig far superior to the Tassimo from a practical standpoint.

Tassimo pros:

-More compact on the counter (though this is mitigated if one buys the compact KeurigI have the Pro model, which I don't regret).

-Euro design courtesy of Bosch (though my Pro Keurig also looks nice).

-Ability to make frothed and espresso/crema drinks.

Tassimo cons:

-Coffee sprays too much making a mess if close to a wall (this with the special stand and a regular cup in place).

-T-cups are more expensive and have less variety than Keurig.

-Drinks somehow come out scalding hot (not the case with my Keurig): about 5 mins later, they are drinkable.

-Less brewing flexibility due to the automated/barcode led brewing process: for instance I can't choose the size of my drink with any t-cup, the machine chooses it for me.

-The water tank is much smaller than my Keurig, resulting in more refills.

-The frothing works, yes, but then milk t-cups cost as much as a coffee cartridge: a cappuccino pack for instance has 16 t-disks but that breaks down in 8 coffee disks and 8 milk disks: so one ends up paying 10+ bucks for 8 cups of coffee. Btw one can buy a milk cartridge pack separately, but at a ridiculous price in my view. In effect, this whole thing means I won't be using the frothing capability much because of the price of milk disks. In other words, I should have bought another Keurig.

-The verdict is still out on espresso-making capabilities, haven't tried. The Gevalia Crema is OK (this is a full coffee drink, not an espresso), but the crema is rather thin.

May the force.

UPDATE: tried the Carte Noir 'Expresso' (it's called espresso, folks), which instantly brews a delicious and rich espresso, nice crema on top; the home-made milk froth works great for a cappuccino btw -so at least to my mind this somewhat justifies the Tassimo purchase. Still, Tassimo, please make the milk discs cheaper!

UPDATE2: Gevalia Espresso: even better.

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Mr. Coffee Electric Coffee Grinder with Chamber Maid Cleaning System

This coffee grinder was an impulse purchase and I was fully prepared to return it because I didn't expect it to work as advertised. To my astonishment, the darned thing actually does a pretty good job. I have tried several coffee grinders over the years and have ended up giving all of them away to friends and family. I gave up on burr grinders because they are messy, hard to clean, produce a bitter powder, and are so noisy you almost need earplugs to use them. The blade grinders I have tried produced an inconsistent grind size and you have to experiment with the number of seconds it takes to get the grind right for the quantity of coffee you want to make. If you want to make more cups or less, you have to experiment all over again with the number of seconds you need to grind the beans. I ended up just having the coffee shop grind my Kenya AA beans for me and I buy smaller amounts so the coffee won't go stale before I can use it all.

This Mr.Coffee grinder is the only one I've ever tried that I think I can live with. First of all, this is a $19.95 grinder and not a $300 precision instrument designed to produce a perfect cup of expresso. Within those parameters, it does a really good job. The electronic grind and cup quantity settings take all of the guess work out of using a blade grinder. With this grinder, you use the guide on the side of the unit to measure your beans, choose a grind setting and the number of cups of coffee you want to make and a processor apparently calculates everything for you. You just hold the grind button down and the machine turns itself off after the correct number of seconds. No grind time experimentation is needed and the machine seems to get the grind just right all by itself. Cleanup is a snap, just remove the bowl from the base unit and put it on the top rack of your dishwasher. The ground coffee is actually easier to empty from the bowl than with most blade grinders. Rather than having to turn the entire unit upside down and shaking the grounds into your coffeemaker, you just remove the grinder bowl, turn it upside down in a small plastic bowl, and tap it against the counter to get the coffee out.

The reviewer who complained about the short cord length apparently did not realize there is 3 feet of hidden cord wrapped around the inside of the base of the unit. All you have to do is pull it out.

While durability must be proven over time, I'm most impressed with this $19.95 grinder. Even if it only lasts for 2 years, you could afford to buy 30 of them for what a small professional grade burr grinder would cost and it's actually easier to live with than the pro grade grinder would be.

This review refers to Mr. Coffee Coffee Grinder With Chamber Maid Cleaning System"

I received this coffee grinder this past Christmas, and have been using it everyday since. Sometimes, depending on how many people are drinking coffee, twice or more a day. I loved it so much from the start and wanted to review it right away, but managed to restrain myself, and after three months of everyday use, I think I can safely say, this grinder is great!

It's nice to have freshly ground coffee at a moment's notice. Even the smell is enticing. It allows you to measure just the amount of beans you need from 4 to 12 cups, and then you set the grinder to the amount and the grind fine, medium, or coarse depending on how strong you like it. This may take some experimenting to see get it exactly to your taste. For example I have found that 4 cups for me is actually closer to 2(or less), as I drink from a large mug and not a 6oz cup. There are recommendations in the instruction book and on the grinder as well for how many tablespoons of beans per cup. I find I need a little more then suggested. There are indicator lights to help you choose the setting you want. Although you have to hold a button down, during the grinding process, it will automatically turn off when it is done according to your setting. If you lift your finger, it will also turn off. Occasionally there are a couple of beans not grinded, so shake it around and press for another second or two. The actually grinding process takes maybe 15 seconds for a full 12 cups. another nice thing, is that you can have a few different flavors on hand, and freshly grind, whatever you are in the mood for..Forget Starbucks!

The grinder has some very nice features. Inside the bean chamber, which also has a fill line, there is a cleaning system that scrapes the coffee of the sides and the bottom. Sometimes, there is even enough scraped off to make an extra cup. The pieces fit together easily, and come apart easily for washing.At first, I thought the cord was very short, and for weeks had to keep the grinder very close to to the electric outlet, but then I discovered(DUH!), the cord lifts out of it's holder and around the bottom edge, giving it quite a bit of length. Then is easy to recoil to keep the grinder wherever you want. It's slim and nice looking and doesn't take up much space at all. My only little complaint, and reason for four stars instead of 5, is that it is very loud. The first few times, it startled me with the racket. I'm not sure if much can be done about that, but I try to remember to grind my beans the night before, as I am an early riser and don't want to wake the rest of the house, or for that matter, my neighbors! The lid on top stays tightly closed for freshness.

Read the instruction book for use and care. It has French as well as English directions, a one year limited warranty, troubleshooting advice, and phone numbers for questions.

All in all a great little item that works great for a fresh tasting and smelling cup of coffee anytime.

Enjoy....Laurie

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When I look for a coffee grinder, I look for 4 things:

1) Noise: This grinder is fairly noisy, but then again, so are most grinders. On a scale of 1-10 as far as noisyness goes compared to other grinders, I'd give it a 7.

2) Consistency: I like to grind my coffee coarse for french press; this grinder isn't very good at making a consistent coarse grind. However, if you want a regular grind for drip coffee or a fine grind for expresso, it does a really good job at that.

3) Static: I hate it whenever you pull the top off of a grinder to get the coffee out and tiny grind go flying everywhere--I've never had a problem with this grinder. You can open the top and pour the grinds out (which is difficult to do if you're trying to get it into a small container because the spout itself is not much different from the lip of a cup) or you can scoop the grinds out, which I preferto do anyway to double measure stuff (old habit).

4) Cleaning: This grinder has a removable top that you can take apart, which makes cleaning very easy. It also says it has a "Chaimber Maid" system...all that is is three thin plastic "claws" that hug the inside of the grinding chamber which you rotate awkwardly so that they scrape the sides of the chamber. It's neat, but unnecessary.

Other features:

There is a "cord storage" system that is a bit of a hassle to use because it requires you to coil the cord into a groove under the grinder (when you get the grinder only a short bit of the cord is shown, and the rest is coiled. It doesn't look like you can uncoil the cord from down there, and unless you're crazy enough to pull the cord out of your brand new grinder you'll have no clue that the thing is actually 37 inches long)

It has an "auto off" feature...I've never used it because my grindes always reach the coarsness I like before the timer shuts off the grinder.

The measuring system that the grinder uses is marked on the sid of the grinder which is very helpful (you don't have to pull out the manual every time you want to know how many Tbsp of coffee you need to make # cups of coffee)

It's about 8 in. tall with the diameter at the top being 4 in. (it's wider at the top).

Overall:

I like the grinder. I'd rather have a pull-cord-storage and a quieter grinder, but for the price that I paid, I'm a happy customer.

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My husband purchased this product for my birthday a couple of years ago. I always grind my own coffee for breakfast and sometimes grind it for lunch. After a year I noticed the plastic arms (or scrapers) were getting very thin and one of them had even broken. I emailed customer service about the problem and they sent me a new grinding bowl. I looked at the new bowl, saw the arms were thick and thought the company had realized there was a design flaw and changed it. I began using the new grinding bowl and now it is a year later. I just noticed that the plastic arms are getting thin again. This could only mean that this grinder slowly grinds the plastic arms. And that you are drinking very finely ground plastic every time you drink a cup of coffee made from the beans you have freshly ground. Is this healthy? I think not!

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First off, I have to say that many of the people who have complaints about this grinder may not have actually taken the extra few seconds to read the manual and understand how the device works. The grinder does a great job and my coffee is always perfect.

to address some issues that others had:

1. The plastic cleaning blade inside the grinding bowl needs to be manually spun (with your finger) to loosen the packed coffee grounds. Usually a single revolution will accomplish this task, then you can put this coffee in the maker!

2. This grinder makes it easy to get the coffee into your coffee maker -someone was complaining that it was more difficult to clean or use because it comes apart -this makes it really easy! Detach the bowl from the motor assembly with a short, counter clockwise turn of the wrist, and do the same with the lid (extremely easy, I assure you) -then dump the coffee from the grinding bowl into your filter, use your finger to agitate the plastic cleaning blade for a second or two to get as much usable coffee out of the bowl as possible, then wash out the bowl with a little water, and dry it with a towel (it is important to dry it immediately to avoid any chance for oxidation) and you're done! I am not sure why a previous reviewer was using a spoon or scoop to get the coffee out of the bowl -that's why it detaches from the base! The bowl is marked on the side so you will know what amount of beans to use -after a few experiments, it is very easy to judge how high to fill it. I just can't understand how it could be more difficult to clean the bowl when it is separate from the base than to clean a grinder that does not detach from the electrical portion...

2.1. if you need to grind your coffee coarsely for a percolator, you should not be buying whole beans buy your coffee from in large cans from companies that have television commercials and easy-listening jingles, as the end result is going to end up tasting awful, no matter what, if you put it in a percolator.

3. The power cord other people have addressed this -the cord is tucked up inside the bottom of the grinder -simply pull it out, and it is plenty long.

4. Another reviewer said he preferred a different grinder that shuts off automatically -this grinder does that as well -put in the beans, choose your settings with the buttons on the side of the unit, and then hold down the grinding button -continue to hold the button down until the grinder automatically stops -it will stop when it has achieved the level of grinding that you selected with the buttons.

5. Lights wasting electricity the reviewer who wrote that the grinder's lights are just wasting electricity is just a sillypants and wants to nitpick. The reality is this: the 2 LEDs that would be lit up while this device is plugged in would draw an almost nominal level of current. At 3.3vac a 100 Watt light bulb uses 30.3 Amps (30,300mA). At 3.3vac each LED would use 20mA -so, both LEDs would use, at most, 40mA which is less than 1/750th the amount the 100W bulb would use. You would have to leave the grinder plugged in and turned on for over a full month for the LED lights inside to use the same amount of current (electricity) used by turning on that 100 watt bulb for a single hour.

I have been using this grinder every day for 3 years along with a swissgold coffee filter (if you are still using paper filters you are just wasting trees and missing out on better tasting coffee...) and I have not had a single problem with it -it grinds the beans consistently to the settings I punch in, and my yield is a delicious pot every morning.

If you couldn't tell, I am quite happy with this grinder. So buy one already!

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Gaggia Classic Espresso Machine - Brushed Steel|14101

I have this machine for over 15 years and I can't be happier with it. It is also impressive that Gaggia Classic has sturdy, compatible and replaceable parts in case you need any. A caveat with a manual espresso machine is that if you have never done it before, you will have to learn how to properly make an espresso. You will find many guides how to make a good espresso with this machine on or if you just search the internet via google or bing. I will just add that it is very important how you grind the coffee for espresso so that is not too fine or too coarse.

I also recommend you get a higher quality espresso tamper. The one that comes with machine does the job, but it is made of plastic and is pretty light.

If you are looking for a manual, high pressure, espresso machine then look no further. If my Gaggia ever breaks, I'll get another one.

I had been using a Saeco Classico for many years and it served me well as I don't drink or make too many cups of espresso for myself or others every day. Maybe two cups of latte every morning for my wife and I and sometimes I'll make a solo espresso mid-day as a pick me up. I've always looked around for used or refurbished models as there are some great deals if you look around. Thrift shops are also good places to look.

I found a used Gaggia Classic on Craigs List in my area for $200.00 and after I took it home and cleaned it thoroughly and ran some descaler through it, I started to make coffee and I was impressed. The machine is nicely constructed and pretty heavy with large 58mm portafilters which have they're own heavy feel if you're used to the less expensive machines like I was. The coffee, the crema, the steam are all improved from my previous experiences.

Even at $375.00-$400.00 new, these are good buys. They'll last, parts are avilable, can be rebuilt,etc. I wanted to get a Rancilio Silvia but even used they were $300-400.The Gaggia Classic is definitely in the "prosumer class"!

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I did a lot of research on espresso machines before deciding on my Gaggia Classic. I chose it due to the overall rave reviews and a great sale on Amazon. I have worked in coffee shops and have a keen sense of what "good" espresso is and this machine makes "GREAT" espresso!

You will need more than this machine to pull great shots:

Grinder: For now I am using a Mr. Coffee Burr grinder (plan to upgrade to something better in the future) but even with this grinder I am pulling great shots almost consistently!

Tamper: You will have to purchase a good tamper. The one that comes with the machine is very light and doesn't allow you to get enough pressure. I purchased a stainless steel 58mm tamper on Amazon.

The machine: The frothing wand works well but isn't as adjustable as I would like it to be to fit under large frothing pitchers. If you use the frothing wand and then want to pull another shot you have to let the machine cool down (or add more water) to bring the temperature down or the coffee tastes burnt. You just have to pull all your shots then froth milk to avoid this problem.

It is very stylish, I have gotten a lot of compliments on the looks of it.

The portafilter is quite heavy and well built.

All in all, I love my new Gaggia and look forward to creating my beverage every morning. If you are new to espresso making I suggest going to youtube and searching for how to pull the best shots. It is a great resource, and with the knowledge of how to pull shots this machine will not let you down.

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There is no doubt that this machine can make great coffee, with a very solid group handle and construction, its some of the features that leave me shaking my head and asking myself... 'why?'

In order of irritation, I rank them as

1. The steam wand is utterly useless at making creamy aerated milk instead it blows huge bubbles into the milk, which ends up looking like a witches brew instead of shiny aerated milk. Taking off the 'steam enhancer' helps, but even then I got much better milk from a $200 Sunbeam with a plain steam nozzle. No idea why Gaggia did this, as it majorly detracts from the machine. On this basis alone, I wouldnt rebuy it because it irritates me every single time I froth milk.

With practice, I've got better at steaming milk, but other machines with ordinary nozzles do a much better job.

2. The wand is too long when the steam enhancer on, and too short with it off so short that it can barely touch the milk in a medium sized steaming jug.

3. The group handle basket is too low to fit anything under except short black cups too bad if you want to pour into a cappuccino mug... because it won't fit under unless you unscrew the spout and leave a fairly unsightly hole, or replace it with a single spout.

4. The lights are back the front. The red light goes on when its ready and off when its heating... the reverse of every other appliance under the sun.

As said above, the biggest problem is the steaming wand which I believe lots of people replace with a Silvia wand I bought one but the copper pipe thread was a different grade, so it wouldn't fit. One of these days I'll get it professionally replaced I think... then it would be quite a good machine... but my next buy will probably be a Rancilio Silvia

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An excellent choice for the best espresso, without the bells and whistles of other complicated machines, It is a true expression of simplicity with intelligence in design.

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Chinook Granite Expresso Coffee Makers

UPDATE: After a year of continuous use, the paint has peeled off! It looks really bad. Maybe a year seems like a long time, but I think my previous, simple, aluminium model lasted a decade.... :o(

I wanted a stovetop espresso while staying in the USA and so bought one of these. It has a speckled grey enamel finish (or some kind of paint it is not anodized that seems to be tough and "stuck on" well). It also comes in a small black nylon pouch (I think the idea is that it is to take camping?!).

Anyway, it looks fine and works fine just the same as any other.

It's quite light an expensive Bialetti would be heavier but I imagine it will last just as long (these things seem to get damaged handles, or seals, or lost filters, before the body itself wears out in any way).

The only thing that surprised me was the sizing. I thought that the coffee maker I had owned before was "2 cup" size (this is the size I have seen them described as in the UK and in Chile). Since I could only find 1 and 3 cup sizes here, I assumed American cups must be bigger (everything is bigger in the USA right?! :o) and so ordered the 1 cup. But that is a tiny little thing, that would make one espresso cup. I then bought the 3 cup model, which appears to be size of what I have back home it makes one "teacup size" cup of coffee.

I ordered the Chinook Granite 6 Cup Maker as a Christmas present to myself and boy was I disappointed. There were metal plastic pieces inside the Coffee Maker when I first opened it. Then when I went to make myself an Espresso the water started seaping thru the gap on the top side of the handle so instead of me enjoying an Espresso my stove top got to enjoy it more...I tried to make another cup of Espresso just to make sure it wasn't me doing something wrong but the same thing happened again, the coffee would seap thru the gap near the top of the handle and no coffee was in the top part of the coffee maker therefore I am returning it to back to Amazon and gonna invest a few more bucks and get a more reputable Espresso Maker like a Bialetti rather than take this cheap deal that seems to enjoy overflowing onto my stove.

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it's a dandy & sturdy classic that works handily on any stovetop simple to use & easy to clean get your espresso pronto!

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I purchased two of these pots, they are beautiful, but they are of a blue hue not granite as described on line. But never the less it was acceptable...would recommend it.....

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i try to used it when i got itfollowing the manual instructions

the coffee smell a bit weird and when i opened to look inside i was amazed all the inside where the water are is peelingand changed the color

i tried to clean it and use again the coffee smelled even worst!!

im very dissapointed!

not recommended at all!!!