Tassimo Suprema T45

Bottom line

The Tassimo Suprema is a brilliant concept, attracting users with its advanced technology for making different types of beverages. While reviewers say it produces great coffee and espressos, the Tassimo has some performance shortcomings. It also requires the use of proprietary coffee pods (T Discs), which are expensive and limited in variety. If you're looking for less per-cup expense, the Keurig Special Edition Brewing System (*Est. $150) offers an extensive variety of flavors.

Breaking it down

Performance

Great concept but fails to deliver. Like some other one-cup coffee makers, the Tassimo Suprema uses premeasured coffee pods to brew a single cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa. But unlike Keurig models, which use coffee pods made by third-party manufacturers like Starbucks and Diedrich, the Tassimo uses proprietary T Discs, which reviewers say are more expensive.

T Discs are also more limited in variety in comparison to Keurig K-Cups, which are available in hundreds of flavors. One owner review at Amazon.com says of the T Discs, "All of the coffee varieties I have tasted have been good to great, and most coffee drinkers should have no problem finding a variety that suits their individual tastes."

Tassimo uses a barcode scanning system to determine the correct temperature, the right amount of water and the necessary brew time for each beverage. To do so, the machine reads a barcode located on each T Disc, and the settings are adjusted accordingly. Owners on Amazon.com praise the precise customization for different types of beverages. "This seems far more advanced than other pod/capsule type brewers, which are more or less oblivious to the type of drink they are preparing," says one user.

There are some downsides noted by owners, however. The coffee maker uses real milk, and some complain that the machine leaves half the milk unused in the pod and tends to spill milk and coffee grounds due to a malfunction in the piercing mechanism. Others say the T Discs are becoming limited in selection and difficult to find in stores. We also read numerous concerns about slow response times and difficult interactions with Tassimo's customer service.

Ease of use

An intuitive machine with precise controls. The Tassimo, manufactured by Bosch, comes in four styles, which differ slightly in design and features but are mechanically the same: the Tassimo T65 (*Est. $170); the Tassimo Suprema T45 (*Est. $140), available in silver or red; the Tassimo T10 (*Est. $100); and the newest member of the line, the Tassimo T20 (*Est. $100), available in black, white or gray. All models come fitted with a Mavea water filtration system and have a manual function for more control over the resulting brew strength.

Although the Tassimo is not programmable, the barcode scanning system for each T Disc is pretty seamless for users, who simply follow the instructions displayed by the machine. Wired magazine contributor Michael S. Lasky appreciates the Suprema's speedy performance, brewing a cup in less than a minute. However, editors at Popular Mechanics note that this model is messy, because the T Discs continue to drip for some time after brewing.

Both Popular Mechanics and SingleServeCoffee.com review the Tassimo T65, which has a cup-stand light and a multilingual LCD display that gives the user more precise instructions. For instance, the T65's LCD display will read, "Insert Your T-Disc" instead of displaying an icon indicating the same. Editors of SingleServeCoffee.com say that unless you need these two features, there isn't an advantage to purchasing the more expensive Tassimo T65 over the T45.

Appearance

Not a style standout but simple and modern. Owners say they like the Tassimo Suprema's modern style, although it's not extraordinary in terms of looks. One owner at Amazon.com sums it up: "For styling, the Tassimo T45 isn't very different than most of the other single-cup brewing stations on the market. This likely won't win any awards for looks, but it isn't so hideous that you don't want it in your kitchen either."

Its standard black and brushed chrome finish is neutral enough to fit in with nearly any kitchen design, although it is available in other finishes and colors depending on the model purchased.