!#8# Comparing the Keurig Single Cup Coffee Maker With the Tassimo

There are several brands of single serve coffee makers on the market and each new model seems to be an improvement on the last. Coffee drinkers are now convinced that brewing a single cop of coffee and drinking it fresh and hot is their goal. This is a vast improvement on the pot of coffee sitting on the warmer plate, developing that scorched, burned taste.

With a single serve brewer, if you enjoy a variety of different coffees and flavored blends, you will have quite a selection. The Keurig brewers use K-Cups, vacuum packed containers of coffee specially designed for these machines. There are over 200 different varieties of coffee, tea, and cocoa available now in K-Cups. You won't have the expense of buying different bags of coffee beans just to try something new. No more unused bags of stale beans sitting on the pantry shelf.

The economy and the variety of available coffees has convinced many to try a single serve brewer. Some brewing systems use pods, which are paper packages of coffee for one cup. The most common complaints of consumers using pod machinesare:

Lack of variety of coffee Pods are not widely available. Pods produced coffee that tasted stale. The brewed coffee was weak and not satisfying, despite some volume adjustments.
The Tassimo One Cup Coffee Maker uses T-Discs of coffee. This machine has a micro-processor which manages the brew temperature and volume automatically by reading bar codes imprinted on each T-Disc of coffee. When inserted into the brew head, the brewer scans the bar code to determine the amount of water to deliver, the temperature of the water, and the timing of the brew cycle.

The Tassimo advertises itself as a 'hot beverage system' capable of brewing espresso, cappuccino, and a latte. A variety of chocolate syrup and dairy products with a stable shelf life are available for these beverages. There are various sized apertures on the T-Disc which allow the Tassimo to deliver either a stream of liquid to your cup or a textured, frothy foam, called crema. This one cup brewer can make a 2.5 ounce shot of espresso at 192° F or 6 ounces of frothed milk at 156° F to make a latte or cappuccino.

There have been some complaints that the Tassimo must be cleaned quite often and the manufacturer has recommended that the machine be flushed with water to 'keep the pipes clear'. Discs must be purchased for regular cleaning

Coffee drinkers and fans of the single cup machines, as well as those who review them, praise the Keurig brewers for consistently making the best, most flavorful coffee. All of the Keurig machines use the same brewing mechanism, which has won raves for durability and reliability. K-cups are widely available in over 17,000 retail and specialty stores as well as in grocery chains and independent markets. So, when it comes down to a choice between a Keurig One Cup Coffee Maker and a Tassimo, decide whether you want consistently good coffee or a 'hot beverage system'.