Single Serve Coffee Makers – Tassimo by Bosch TAS4516UC Review

Single Serve Coffee Makers – Tassimo by Bosch TAS4516UC Review

Of all the single serve coffee makers on the market, Tassimo seems to be the biggest competitor to Keurig. The Tassimo TAS4516UC is in the medium to high price range for single serve coffee makers so here’s what people are saying about it.

Appearance: Its metallic red and grey colouring is bright and modern; there is also a version (with a different product number) in silver and black. This machine is actually pretty neat and small at 8 inches wide by 11 inches high by 14 inches deep. An integrated storage compartment for T Discs and the power cord makes it easy to tidy away.

Reservoir: The reservoir is removable and has a 67 ounce capacity (without the water filter fitted) so filling is a simple operation. A Mavea water filter is included and replacements can be bought separately if needed.

Drip Tray: The drip tray is removable so there are no worries about being able to clean it.

Scale: This machine has an automatic descaling and cleaning program so all you have to do is select that program and press a button.

Brewing System: The Tassimo uses patented T Disc “pods” which offer choices of cappuccinos and lattes, tea and hot chocolate using real milk rather than powdered, as well as an assortment of black coffees. Each T Disc is bar coded to tell the machine how long to brew your chosen drink for. The machine goes into stand-by mode after each brewing cycle so saves energy when you aren’t using it.

Ease of Use: The LED user interface makes it very easy indeed to use and the on/off switch on the front of the machine means no stretching or fumbling to find it. Brewing takes place inside the T Disc so there is no mess at all.

Drink Size: I couldn’t find any specified drink sizes for this machine so it depends on what cup will fit, although you can remove the drip tray to fit a taller mug.

Customer Service: Allegedly, customer service is poor with one user waiting in excess of 20 minutes for her call to be answered.

Here are the pros and cons of the Tassimo by Bosch TAS4516UC:

Pros: Clean, quieter than other single serve coffee makers, simple to use, automated descaling and cleaning program, removable drip tray and water reservoir, small and attractive. However, the biggest pro is the choice of drinks using real milk rather than powdered. T discs are available at grocery stores as well as on the internet.

Cons: Water tank cover has holes in it allowing foreign bodies to access the water, some leakage with every brew so drip tray needs to be removed and cleaned regularly. No facility to brew your own coffee rather than using the T discs.

To sum up, this machine seems to match up to other single serve coffee makers in terms of appearance, size, noise and ease of use and cleanliness but its major advantage is the great taste of hot chocolate and cappuccino using real milk.