Bosch TAS6515UC Tassimo Single-Serve Coffee Brewer, Twilight Titanium

Comments

1. M. Hill says:

   April 27, 2010 at 2:18 pm

   I have wanted a one cup brewing system for a long time but hesitated after sampling the Keurig system beverages at a gourmet cooking shop demonstration. A friend and I made our selections and had the coffee brewed for us. The initial delight with trying out a new machine was quickly replaced with the reality of a very weak, tasteless, stale cup of coffee. We both took a sip and tossed the cups in the trash. The woman demonstrating the system kindly offered us the choice of another variety, but the results were the same. The idea of the beverage system was clearly better than the execution.

   Over the last couple of years I’ve sampled a few other Keurig varieties, and continued to be disappointed. So, I was skeptical, but hoped the Tassimo would produce a higher quality product, and without question it did not disappoint. Will this replace a $1200 espresso bar? No. Will it replace your favorite coffee shop’s concoctions? No. But it makes an excellent cup of coffee, a plus when you just want a cup and don’t want to brew a whole pot, and it makes excellent coffee drinks along with tea.

   The Tassimo Bosch T65 automatic hot beverage system comes with clear instructions and minimal requirements to get started. An optional water filter is included. This filter is very similar to the one I use in my Cuisinart Grind and Brew coffee maker. In both instances use of a filter is optional but since the quality of the water used to brew coffee or tea greatly affects the end results, I always use either a filter or filtered water.

   The unit is incredibly quiet and efficient – the water heats up immediately. There are warning lights for almost every eventuality from too little water in the tank, to when it is time to descale the unit. The machine itself has a nice solid feel — not flimsy. The maintenance requirements are no worse than those for any quality coffee maker — they need to be kept clean for optimal performance.

   The discs have a barcode which when read, permits each drink to be precisely brewed for optimal taste. But, if after sampling a disc, a level of customization is desired, there is a manual over-ride to permit a smaller size stronger drink or a larger weaker cup. I made one cup after another without any delay. The water tank is large — 61 ounces — so it doesn’t require frequent filling.

   A criticism of the Tassimo over the Keurig is the availability and selection of the discs but I found the discs in many easily accessible retailers including a couple big box store’s grocery departments, and of course, they are all over the internet. Currently two free packages of T discs are available when registering the product on the Tassimo web site. This provides a great opportunity to sample a variety of discs and find favorites. The discs I’ve sampled are listed below. There are currently five different Starbucks varieties available alone. Tazo and Twinings teas are also among the selections, and many more I look forward to tasting.

   Starbucks Café Verona – my favorite by far. The coffee is strong and delicious. Even when cold the coffee maintains its flavor. Not quite the coffee shop quality but very close.

   Starbucks House Blend – very good. The cup brewed was delicious but the flavor took a drastic dive as the cup cooled and became almost undrinkable. Drink it hot.

   Gevalia Signature Blend – this is the only variety I tried and would not buy again. Although it isn’t weak, the coffee tastes like bad vending machine brew. A little stale with a flavor reminiscent of coffee brewed through old gym socks. Ugh.

   Gevalia Cappuccino – good flavor. The brew is almost a perfect balance of milk (2% so relatively low fat) to espresso with a decent, although not luxurious amount of foam. The coffee is strong enough to have a presence in the cup, although an extra espresso disc can be used to create a stronger coffee flavor.

   Gevalia Latte – good flavor. Again, a nice balance between the milk (same 2% variety as above) and espresso flavors. I preferred the latte but would buy both again.

   Maxwell House Latte – coffee flavor too weak. This latte is definitely improved by using two espresso discs with one creamer (same 2% used in the Gevalia products) otherwise the coffee flavor disappears into the background and the milk is entirely too prominent.

   Maxwell House House Blend Decaffeinated — a medium brew. The coffee isn’t as bad as the Gevalia, but it also isn’t Starbucks. There is a slighly smoky aftertaste, which I actually liked. This will do nicely when I’ve met my caffeine threshold. Currently, the only decaffeinated options are this one, Gevalia Signature Brew (see below) and Gevalia Espresso. Hopefully, Starbucks will create one soon.

   Suchard Hot Chocolate Syrup – good tasting chocolate but odd drink. This is a very watery, non-dairy chocolate drink. I’ve read reviews from people who adore the drink, but I would definitely add a little milk or cream. I did try using creamer T disc but the hot chocolate lost too much of the chocolate flavor. The Suchard, and an espresso disc and a little milk made a passable mocha, but the milk needs to be heated. I understand the Milka T discs, initially only available in the foreign market are now available and that variety makes a delicious cup of hot chocolate. Milka will be in my next disc order, and I will post an update. I will keep experimenting with my remaining Suchard discs and see if I can find a great combination of flavors.

   Twinings Chai Tea Latte – very pleased with flavor but contains Splenda and sugar – weird. Nevertheless, I found this chai tea latte delicious, and will definitely buy it again. That said, I do not have a problem with Splenda. Some people have a sensitivity to the sweetener and also notice an aftertaste. I noticed no aftertaste and wouldn’t have known the drink contained Splenda if I hadn’t read the package. The creamer is the same 2% product noted in the latte and cappuccino products.

   Although not necessary, I found using a warm cup (microwave with a little water for 30 seconds) added to the enjoyment. I look forward to sampling the Seattle’s Best Coffees, the Milka hot chocolate, the other Twinnings and Tazo teas. This is a quality machine with plenty of delicious coffee and tea selections readily available and it lives up to the promise of an automatic beverage system, something the Keurig system failed to do for me.

   Update:
   
   Milka Hot Chocolate — did not disappoint — it is a creamy rich hot chocolate that is absolutely delicious. For mocha simply add an espresso disc. This is one variety I will always have on hand. And, there are only 90 calories per serving and 2.5 grams of fat.

   Gevalia Caramel Latte Macchiato — has a decidedly artificial caramel flavor which although not overpowering is unpleasant. I won’t buy again. A better idea would be to buy a quality caramel coffee syrup and add it to the Gevalia Latte.

   Gevalia Decaffeinated Signature Blend coffee — ugh, not surprisingly it has the same dreadful flavor as the regular Gevalia Signature Blend coffee. The Maxwell House decaffeinated T disc is far superior.

   Update II:
   
   Maxwell House Morning Blend — brews a large 12 ounce cup of medium strength coffee. The taste is fine, again slightly smoky. I will definitely keep this on-hand for emergencies.

   Maxwell House French Roast — produces a decent bold cup of coffee. I find the quality of the Maxwell House T discs superior overall to the Gevalia regular coffee brews. The espresso Gevalia disc is the only exception because the Maxwell House espresso is too weak.

   Starbucks Africa Kitamu — absolutely amazing bold cup of coffee without bitterness or any aftertaste. This variety has taken over as my favorite from Starbucks Verona. If you drink bold coffee black, this is the T disc to buy. Delicious.

   Update III:
   
   2/19/2010 The recently released Starbucks Latte Primo and Cappuccino Primo are absolutely superior to the Maxwell and Gevalia milk based coffee drinks. Starbucks has created their own milk T-Discs and both the cappuccino and latte versions are a significant improvement. Both milk discs contain a small amount of sugar although I did not detect any sweetness in taste. Perhaps the sugar helps balance the cooked milk flavor. The most important improvement is found in the taste of the espresso T-Disc that comes with both drinks. The flavor is fabulous and we can only hope that in the future the espresso discs will be sold separately. I wrote a detailed review of both the Starbucks Cappuccino Primo and Latte Primo under the actual product listings. I also added photos of the drinks brewing because they layered so beautifully. I continue to use my Tassimo daily and remain absolutely delighted by its performance.
   Rating: 5 / 5

2. T Rose says:

   April 27, 2010 at 3:15 pm

   I’ve been a Keurig fan for years and I was hesitant to try the Tassimo mainly because I wasn’t familiar with the brand. I received the Tassimo today and I am more than pleased with it.

   Pros:
   
   Great flavor! Really, really great flavor. As I said, I’ve been in love with many of Keurig’s K-cups for years and I didn’t think anything could top it but the Tassimo is just as good, maybe even better. The flavor is very strong but if you like it milder you can adapt it to suit your taste.

   You can brew espresso, lattes or cappuccino. The latte and cappuccinos are brewed in a two step process-the packages come with an equal amount of espresso and latte (or cappuccino) milk mix. You brew the espresso disc first, then insert the milk mix disc to finish the drink. (however see note below about cleaning)

   It comes with an adjustable cup stand. You can remove it for very tall mugs or adjust to the highest height to accommodate espresso cups. (Eliminates splashing on the side of the brewer-the coffee seems to come out at high pressure at the end of the brew cycle).

   Although it is programmed to read barcodes to add the precise amount of water, you can customize your brew by reducing the amount of water added, or add extra water to the cup at the end of the cycle for a milder taste.

   Set up is easy.

   It comes with a “cleaning disc” that stores in the back of the machine. The machine reads a barcode on every disc to see how much water to use. When it reads the cleaning disc code it prompts you to “brew” 4 times. Simply follow the instructions on the LCD screen.

   The water reservoir is very large and easy to fill. There is a carrying handle and the top comes off completely.

   The display is pretty impressive if you like LCD displays, written, flashing instructions and multi colored lights. It’s a little over the top and unnecessary but I have to admit it impressed me.

   Cons:
   
   The discs aren’t as easy to come by as K-cups. My local store carries about 15 K-cup varieties and not one T-disc. While I’m sure I’ll be purchasing most of the discs online, I like to have the option of running into town to pick them up if I run out. Not only that but I haven’t found any good deals on the T-discs (amazon and many other sites often have K-cups at significantly discounted prices). So far no such luck with Tassimo. Although you can get 2 free packages for registering your machine and even more free items if you sign up for their delivery service.

   According to the manual, the water filter should be replaced every 8 weeks. That adds up over time.

   ***BIG CONSIDERATION FOR LATTE/CAPPUCCINO DRINKERS***
   
   The manual suggests that after each milk based drink is dispensed you clean the piercing unit and do the cleaning disc process.

   I sincerely hope that’s just an overly cautious suggestion to prevent the taste from showing up in the next drink. If the entire process really has to be done every time (to prevent milk from sitting and spoiling in the unit or something) then this clearly isn’t a quick and easy solution when you want a latte. So if you’re looking to buy this to make one latte, cappuccino or hot chocolate a day, I’d strongly suggest calling customer service and getting more information on this “Important Note”. I wouldn’t want to spend 15 minutes going through the “clean disk” cycle and take apart the piercing unit (3 pieces) just for one drink. When I make a milky drink I make a regular coffee right after it to flush out the milk. I hope that’s good enough!

   So bottom line, Keurig vs. Tassimo:
   
   I feel Keurig has lower prices and availability going for it: K-cups are everywhere and come in hundreds of varieties.
   
   Tassimo offers more functionality (specifically cappuccinos and lattes) and possibly a higher end taste. I like being able to offer guests an espresso, cappuccino or latte without having to have extra machines taking up room in the kitchen.

   Rating: 4 / 5

3. G. Ware Cornell Jr. says:

   April 27, 2010 at 5:49 pm

   This is my third Tassimo coffee maker. The first, a Braun Tassimo TA 1400 Hot Beverage System still works, though I recently gave it to friend. It is much louder than the Bosch machines including the Bosch TAS4511UC Tassimo Single-Serve Coffee Brewer, Silk Silver which I just moved to my office. Both Bosch models are significantly better than the original Braun.

   The key to excellent coffee is not just in the grind. Good coffee requires good water and a descaled coffee maker. With the Braun machine, this requires you to keep track of the date of the last filter change. On both Bosch machines this is done electronically and even better so annoying but attention grabbing red lights tell you to descale, and once you mix the scaling solution in your reservoir it completes the process automatically. What this means practically is that your server will be at maximum efficiency most of the time.

   Tassimo offers a wide variety of coffees, teas and even Tassimo Suchard Hot Chocolate T-Discs, 8 Count, 12.7 Ounce Bags (Pack of 2), which is really good. Expresso, latte and cappuccino lovers can easily make them without a dedicated expresso maker. Just buy the T-discs (Gevalia Espresso T-Disc, Gevalia Latte T-Discs for Tassimo Hot Beverage System, 8 Espresso and 8 Creamers (Pack of 2), Gevalia Cappuccino T-Disc. Tea lovers will find lots of selections from Tassimo Tazo Awake Black Tea, 7 T-Discs, 0.7 oz. net., and Twinings Earl Grey Tea, T-Discs for Tassimo Coffeemakers, 16-Count 1.7-Ounce Packages (Pack of 3), to Twinings Chai Tea Latte, T-Discs for Tassimo Hot Beverage System, 16-Count Packages (Pack of 2). Starbucks coffees are also available.

   Why should you use single servings? The first and best reason is that it is more efficient. How many half pots of coffee have you thrown away? Secondly, it is flexible. At Christmas dinner last year we had a whole range of coffee requests to accommodate- American coffee, lattes, decaf, hot chocolate. With a Tassimo system this is not a problem, nor is their any waste.

   So how does this Bosch machine differ from the previous model? One nice feature is the light which comes on over the cup during brewing and serving. The internal electronics are a bit jazzier as well. But mainly you want this coffee server for making the perfect cup of joe, every time.
   Rating: 5 / 5

4. Richard Wong says:

   April 27, 2010 at 6:38 pm

   I like this product. In fact, the Bosch TAS6515UC Tassimo Single-Serve Coffee Brewer is probably the best feature residental single-cup coffee machine. I believe it is important to evaluate this product against its price point. In other words, does it has a good performance-to-price ratio?

   The Tassimo machine is easy to use and attractive. It is relatively quiet for a coffee brewer. I have tried many T-Discs including, Starbuck House Blend, Gevalia Signature Blend, Gevalia Signature Crema, Grevalia Morning Roast, Gevalia Latte, Gevalia Cappuccino, Gevalia Caramel Latte, Gevalia Swiss Hazelnut, Twining’s Chai Tea Latte, Suchard Hot Chocolate Syrup, Milka Hot Chocolate… . These beverages are not café quality, and some are better than others. The truth is everyone’s preference is different and it is subjective. I personally love the Suchard Hot Chocolate Syrup and find the Milka Hot Chocolate unexciting. However, I know plenty other people have the opposite view. Overall, these T-Discs are generally good and they are excellent for a single-cup coffee machine. It will never be as good as your favor coffee spot, but it is easier on your pocket. It will not save you as much money as like a coffee brewer, but it is simpler and faster — harass free. If you are a regular coffee drinker, this machine can save you time and money in the long run. Needless to say, Keurig is Tassimo’s greatest competitor and Keurig has the larger market share. Keurig K-cups are slightly cheaper and easier to find than Tassimo’s T-discs. Moreover, Keurig offers a much greater collection of coffee drinks. However, Tassimo brews each hot beverage according to the bar code on the T-Disc, so it can precisely prepare each drink. In short, it does not brew all the coffee the same way, whereas Keurig uses a generic method for all coffee drink. In addition, Tassimo can prepare a wonderful cup of steamy latte or foaming cappuccino, something Keurig cannot do. Tassimo milk drinks, let’s it be latte or cappuccino or milk chocolate, are made from real dairy milk. Personally, I prefer Tassimo’s philosophy, but this is a personal preference and potential buyers should carefully weigh the pros and cons.

   Interestingly, Tassimo other models are this model’s strongest competitors. Unlike other reviewers who gave this machine a 4-star because the machine did not meet their expectations, Tassimo TAS6516UC has exceeded mine. It has many features, but some do not directly affect its core function. There are two cheaper and older Tassimo models, TAS1000UC and TAS4511UC, and they can and will prepare hot beverages exactly the same. They also read the bar codes from the T-discs and will follow the brewing instructions. TAS4511UC shares the same functions as this new TAS6516UC machine except in three areas (this is confirm by an email exchange with Tassimo consumer service). This TAS6516UC has a LC Display to guide users through some functions and services. It has a cup light stand, and it is slightly quieter. The LCD shows the same information as the indicator light on the power switch, so it is redundant. The cup light is solely artistic and can impress your guests, but that is it. The original TAS1000UC is cheaper still. It is essentially same as TAS4511UC, except it does not have a built-in water filter system. Built-in water filters are not as useful as it sounds. People who believe they need a filter would have had one already, and people who don’t think they need one will not buy the filters, especially these are not cheap filters. I intentionally removed the built-in filter on my machine because my water source is filtered with a higher grade filtration system. Installing the built-in water filter to this machine would be unnecessary and would reduce the usage space in the water tank. In the end, the three machines are similar. If all you want is a machine which makes great beverages, then any model will do just fine.

   Tassimo does advice people to clean the piecing system after brewing milk drink. The exact phrase is: “After dispensing a milky drink or hot chocolate drink, we recommend that you first clean the piercing unit and then the brewing unit using the Service T-Disc before making another drink.” This is a precaution because Tassimo uses real milk and milk can spoil easily. If you were to brew a milky drink Friday and come back Monday morning, then the trace of milk in the system would have definitely gone bad. That being said, spoiled milk does not always cause people to get sick, especially in trace amount. I am sure all of us have the experience of accidentally drinking more than a few drops of foul milk and most of us have not gotten sick from those incidents. Tassimo is being careful here, and indeed one should clean the piercing system either at the end of the day or in the beginning of the day. However, if you are to brew one drink after another, there is truly no reason to clean in between each brew.

   Again, this machine is better than the previous models, but the improvements are minor. So depending the price difference, which changes from time to time, potential buyers may also want to consider the two older models.
   Rating: 4 / 5

5. Erich Maria Remarque says:

   April 27, 2010 at 9:08 pm

   Tassimo coffee tastes truly amazing. So far I’ve tried Gevalia Signature Blend, Starbucks House Blend, Gevalia Espresso, Gevalia Latte, and Gevalia Cappuccino. The cappuccino is my favorite, though plain espresso is also good.

   Gevalia Signature Blend, on the other hand, is the worst, and I would recommend that you avoid it.

   Tassimo coffee does taste CONSIDERABLY better than vending machine coffee, or coffee made on those cheap $20 coffee makers (like the one I had before this :p ). It’s comparable in taste to what you get at Starbucks (I am not exactly a coffee connoisseur, you know).

   One important thing: If you register your brewer at […], you can get two free packages of T-discs (one package of your choice, and one sampler package with 8 different T-discs). I registered mine last Wednesday, and the free packages were shipped on Friday (so ignore the disclaimer which states that they will ship in 4-6 weeks). I selected the Milka Hot Chocolate package to see if it’s any good.

   I would suggest that you read the manual thoroughly, so that this 200 dollar coffee maker performs at its best. It took me about 30-45 minutes from opening to the box to making my first cup. Yes it takes longer than setting up an ordinary coffee maker, but it’s definitely worth it. And this is no ordinary coffee maker either.

   The LCD screen is cool, and makes this machine “look” more high-tech than it really is. There is a progress bar, but it’s not really useful, since there is always a “Please Wait” message displayed on the screen right after the progress bar reaches 100% (and there is still coffee dripping on to the cup).

   It’s very easy to operate though. If you just woke up and simply want a cup of coffee without any fuss, this machine is great. You simply place your cup into the cupholder, insert a t-disc, and press the button. This can all be done in matter of seconds.

   Overall, I really like this machine.

   UPDATE: Milka Hot Chocolate arrived via mail yesterday, and it tastes average to me. You can make a tastier drink on your own by mixing hot milk and pure cocoa. Additionally, the sampler package includes the following T-discs: (1) Seattle’s Best Henry’s Blend, (1) Maxwell House French Roast, (1) Maxwell House Morning Blend, (1) Seattle’s Best Breakfast Blend, (1) Gevalia Signature Blend, (1) Gevalia Signature Crema, (2) Gevalia Signature Blend Decaf.

   I don’t understand why they included so many “Gevalia Signature” coffees in the sampler package, considering that they taste the worst. Maybe it’s random, and everyone receives different samples?
   
   Rating: 5 / 5