This is the very first single-cup coffee maker I tried. It's
truly amazing in the quality of beverages it makes. Every single
T-disc you see below will make a perfect cup of whatever it is. Where its
weakness lay is the variety of coffees and teas offered for the
machine.
For those not in the know, the Tassimo coffee maker uses
T-discs to prepare a beverage. What makes them a bit unusual is that T-discs
contain a bar code on top, which the machine uses to do all sorts of things,
specific to the beverage. It sets the appropriate temperature, measures the
correct amount of liquid, and froth level. Thus a cup of tea is about 8 ounces,
and perfectly hot. A cup of cappuccino has a perfect froth atop, and is not too
hot. For those wanting a rating system, like you'll see for the K-cups, all the
Tassimo disks I've tried are truly 10's out of 10 (10/10's).
T-Discs
Thus far T-Discs are available for purchase online, or in
select retail stores (e.g. Bed, Bath and Beyond or Best Buy, etc.). I have yet
to see them appear in an actual grocery store. The listing you see immediately
below will link you directly to the items on Tassimo's shopping website, for
direct ordering.
Keurig might be considered a cross between the 'pod' machines
and Tassimo. Beverages are prepared by placing a K-cup into the machine, and
pressing an appropriate button to prepare them. A K-cup contains either coffee
or tea, and is preserved in this proprietary cup, which is sealed with nitrogen,
to ensure a fresh cup of whatever. There are even expiration dates on the cups
(typically, although sometimes on the packaging). To prepare a beverage, a K-cup
is placed in the machine, which then pierces the cup, and passes hot water
through. There is no ability to change the temperature of the beverage, although
(depending on the machine) you can determine the amount of water.
The wonderful thing about this machine is the tremendous
variety of coffees and teas available. Having said that, not all may be to your
liking. For example, I just tried two different manufacturers of Chai tea. They
were completely different in taste, so a bit of experimentation is in order.
It's my hope to help you sort through them all, to save you the trouble I've
sustained in trying to figure out which I prefer the most. It is purely
SUBJECTIVE, so please, please know it is only my opinion. You may very
well fall in love with something I do not like, or vice versa.
Keurig's website claims to have all the latest and greatest
K-cups available on the web. I found that to be almost true. On Keurig's
website, you'll want to be aware of three things. 1) Almost all K-cups are
available in 5-packs, which is terrific if you want to experiment, or have few
select types available to guests and the like; 2) Keurig offers a 'frequent
buyer' club, where you are able to accumulate points for free 5-packs; and 3)
the beverages have all have very distant expiration dates, meaning they must get
them almost at the same time as the individual manufacturers make them
available.
You'll want to go to each individual manufacturer of K-cups to
make sure you are aware of all the latest and greatest flavors:
Lastly, there are several website's that sell K-cups at a
discount. Coffee Whiz seemed to offer the most varieties of K-cups, thus most of
the links you see below will take you directly to Coffee Whiz's website, for the
particular beverage:
Timothy's -
Chai Tea:
This couldn't be more different than the Chai offered by Gloria Jeans.
This Chai has a very strong black tea base, with the sweet spice flavor
accents (i.e. cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.). I am hoping for someone to come out
with a Chai that crosses Timothy's version with Gloria Jeans. Help! 7/10 -
Chamomile Tea
-
Chinese Green Tea
-
Earl Grey Tea -
English Breakfast Tea
-
Lemon Blueberry Tea:
I think this it a terrific blend. Strong lemon flavor, with blueberry
hint. It has a very nice bluish tint to the coloring. Very nice herbal tea.
9/10
-
Peppermint Tea
