Comments on: Keurig vs. Tassimo: A Single-Cup Showdown Update

By: from Memphis

from Memphis — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:48:23 +0000

I bought the Tassimo and a couple of different options - cappuccino, latte, and the Gevalia signature crema. The crema is absolute crap. I thought maybe something was wrong with the machine or that somehow the coffee was bad. The latte was excellent and the cappuccino was mediocre. The machine is very loud which will get on my boss’ nerves at work. I’ll probably return the Tassimo tomorrow and get a Keurig and instead. I hear it is much quieter…

By: Benjoro

Benjoro — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:00:17 +0000

I purchased the Tassimo for two reasons: availability of latte option and liked the size and scale better than the Keurig. Also, I hoped (but had no evidence) that it would produce hotter coffee than the Keurig, which I’ve got at work and don’t love due to coffee temperature.

I LOVE it — after the fussy first day figuring out the flashing lights and set-up, I find the machine quick and easy to use. The lattes are surprisingly creamy and delicious, and I do think the regular brewed coffee is nice and hot — you get a “steam” from it, which I don’t get from the work Keurig. I also think the taste of most options (except Maxwell House) is much better than the Keurig, a benefit I didn’t expect.

Wish List: less drip into the cup base (though very easy to dump out) and easier water refill (have to pull unit from under counter). But, overall am very pleased and feel I made exactly the right choice.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 22:27:30 +0000

I purchased neither the Keurig nor the Tassimo…instead, my daily brew comes from a $35 Mr. Coffee espresso maker, from Walmart! Yes, it’s a “single-cup” coffee maker…

No environmental concerns with this machine…the grounds holder is sturdy, permanent, washable and fully reusable. You buy your own grounds and make it your way. Get the right size cup, and you can shoot the brew right into the cup…tip the grounds into a collection container (makes great compost/fertilizer), and you’re done. No waste, no fuss, no muss.

It has a built-in frothing wand for making cappucino/latte variants, tho I can’t comment on how effective it is. Brew time is about four minutes, from start to done.

For those wringing their hands with concerns that “espresso, it’s too much caffeine!”, remember, drip coffee actually carries a heavier payload of caffeine, than espresso.

Drink Up!

By: Maggie

Maggie — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:15:38 +0000

I’m mostly on the fence but leaning toward a Keurig. I am 8 months pregnant and think the ability to brew a cup of coffee using one hand will come in very handy soon. I am happy that Keurig offers the “My K-Cup” but is there any chance they’ll offer Starbucks K-cups in the future?

By: natalie

natalie — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:06:35 +0000

I love my Tassimo.

By: deCadmus

deCadmus — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:02:06 +0000

JMStacy –

The short answer is: most any electrical appliance that draws a fairly high wattage, or employs small wires for a nominal wattage, uses lead to increase the flexibility and heat-resistance of the plastic that insulates the power cord.

Here’s a longer answer, cribbed from the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition…

The warning is required by the State of California’s Proposition 65. This law requires a warning label on any product containing a substance known to cause cancer or birth defects that is sold in California. Lead is listed as a carcinogen, but it’s more widely associated with neurological damage.

Wire coating and cords are usually made of PVC plastic that may contain lead. Lead is used in PVC for several reasons. For wires and cords, lead makes the plastic more flexible and reduces the risk of fire. Lead is also used in many PVC products to stabilize the color. Lead in PVC products can disintegrate into lead-laced dust.

The labels began appearing on holiday lights, as well as on electronic equipment and cords on other consumer products such as hairdryers, after a number of lawsuits were filed by an environmental advocacy organization in California.

The amount of lead in the lights and other consumer products with warning labels may vary considerably. It is not clear if the amount of lead that is released poses a risk to human health. Some tests show that lead could come off in the hands. Note that nearly all appliance cords are covered with PVC that contains lead.

What I believe you can be certain of is that there is no lead used in the coffee maker that would come in contact with the water, or the brewing system itself, in any way.

By: JMStacy

JMStacy — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:09:03 +0000

I would like to know about the (California) lead warning on the Keurig coffee maker. I bought one for my mother who is almost blind and when I saw the warning I told her we should take it back, but she would like to keep it if the lead doesn’t get into the coffee. Does anyone know about this or can they give me someone to contact that would know?

By: MGDenton

MGDenton — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:14:07 +0000

Liked your comparison, although I felt you were slightly in favor of the Keurig K cup and not completely unbiased. My husband and I explored all one cup machines. We narrowed it down to the two, Tassimo and Keurig. Since he already had the K cups at his office, and I have had them in the past, we were not too fond of the coffee it produced. He is Italian, loves strong STRONG coffee… YUK! If you are raised a NY Italian, there are two types of coffee. Black or Brown. LOL, took me a long time to figure it out, but when your asked what kind of coffee… Black is Espresso, and Brown is regular… generally very strong. I am Irish, and like it medium. I also like black tea, hot chocolate, latte, cappuccino.. But not flavored. Also Yuk! So…. We decided on the Tassimo, and were very surprised how well it worked for the both of us. It does take some getting used to, but after a day or two, and please, read the manual… you will find that from the same brand disk, you can produce either a strong or medium cup of coffee. No more arguments! You can use less or more water. I am not fond of the Milk Cups for the Capcno/latte, it is evaporated milk, has gritty taste. So I do it differently. I put the milk in the mug first, nuke it 1:15, put sweetener in, ahead of time with a stick of cinnamon, then put it in the machine for the espresso.

There is a big difference in the two machines,

Taste; The Tassimo will saturate the grounds, then pause.. giving the ground a chance to release all its flavor. I notice with the K cups, it just pushes the water through without giving it a chance for a full brew taste. Kind of like the melitta one cup filter holders. The water goes thru so fast, it doesn’t give the grinds enough time to brew.

Variety; So many different coffees, teas, chia teas and hot chocolate to choose from, and you can set up automatic delivers. Spend over $30. no charge for shipping. You don’t have to have a delivery every month. The website will remember your last order.

Taylor to your taste; Less water for a stronger cup, more for medium strength. Its up to you. Personally, my machine takes less then 30 seconds to heat up, and I have very hard water.

If it makes my husband happy, and he is truly picky… its a good machine. And as for the lawsuit, I doubt it will be won. The filtering system inside the sealed cup is completely different. And it is like suing Dixie cups for infringing on disposable cups. You can always sue anyone for any reason, doesn’t mean your will win.

By: RiskybizAR

RiskybizAR — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:35:24 +0000

In April of 07 my company moved into a new office, and one of the treats that came with it was a commercial Keurig machine. I fell completely in love with it with all the variety it offered in coffee and teas. My kids finally bought me a home model for Christmas. My only complaint, such as it is, is that I have to fill the water resevoir. I am used to the commercial one that fills itself. Small matter though!
I am in a medium size city, and K-Cup availability is limited to one store, and there the variety is slim. On line is the only real opition.

By: TassimoHappyMan

TassimoHappyMan — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:23:57 +0000

We’ve had the Tassimo for over a year. We love it. We particularly like the Cappuccino and Latte, with some caramel and whip — just like a Starbux Caramel Machiatto! Tasty. And I just bought some of the Starbucks T-Discs. The coffee is bold and flavorful — EXACTLY like a cup from Starbucks. Seriously. The express feature is huge. All of our friends and family love our Tassimo. Huge hit around the holidays.

Enjoy!