Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

That's Gotta Hurt

Several models of the Tassimo brewer are being recalled. Apparently the feature of the machine that makes it so attractive to me--its high-pressure brewing method, similar to that of a conventional espresso machine--is also its downfall. Owners can contact the manufacturer to obtain a new part that holds the T-Disc. The espresso T-Discs themselves are also subject to a recall.

15 Minutes to Bargains

There's slim pickin's in retail and coffeehouses close to where I live and work. I was very happy to rediscover the Target store on S. Chase Ave. I timed the trip and determined that it takes exactly fifteen minutes. First on tonight's agenda was a Tassimo disc restock--a 12-pack of dark roast discs costs about $6.50. There's also an aisle with different kinds of granola bars and other snack bars at clearance prices. I got an 8-pack of Larabars--which ordinarily are very expensive in stores--for about seven bucks. The deal was clinched when I found half-ounce bottles of eye drops for 99 cents. I go through those like there's no tomorrow, and they usually cost three times as much or even more. Tarzhay is officially my favorite store.

Almost maddeningly, I have stellar credit, but (like almost everyone) could use more bucks in the bank. The Tassimo has been a real boon for me, as it's hard to argue with a 85-cent latte or cappuccino--for so little money, anything less than terrible is good enough. Half my Starbucks soy lattes taste worse, like an indistinguishable goop.

Tassimo

Three or four months ago, I bought a Tassimo machine on eBay and liked it so much I bought a second machine for my apartment. The machine I have at home is one of the original models manufactured by Braun. Here it is in action:

The Braun machine makes an almost ideal cup of drip-quality mermaid-esque coffee using the Gevalia Dark House Blend pods. For whatever reason, the newer Bosch model seems to be the specialist at the milk drinks, doing less well with the drip brew. All in all, it's clear to me that the reason for the Tassimo's relative lack of market success is its failure to take into account its inevitable primary application, in this country at least: filling large travel mugs for Americans' marathon commutes. You can see that the unit in the video is filling the 10 oz. cup (which goes almost right up to the brew head; the round tray is removable to give you more room, but if you use the unit at all, the tray will usually be filled with liquid, obviating that feature) with a very Euro 7 or 8 ounces.

Tassimo

For novelty's sake, I'm going to write about coffee, at least for a while. I bought a Tassimo for our office and liked it so much I bought another one (likewise on eBay) for my apartment. Things are plenty busy these days--in a good way--so the convenience of Tassimo frees up some mental resources that I can use for other things, like remembering where my ass is in relation to my elbow. I had a Keurig some years back and just found that the drip coffee was way too weak. With the Tassimo, too, I find that for drip coffee, I have to cut off the brew cycle early to get an acceptably strong result.