Tassimo machines and T Discs

Tassimo is a capsule system from Bosch, which builds the machines, and Jacobs Douwe Egberts, which makes the pods. The pods are called T Discs, and they cover more than coffee: the same machine makes hot chocolate, tea and milk drinks, which is the reason most people choose it.

The barcode is the recipe

Every T Disc is printed with a barcode. The machine reads it and sets the water volume, temperature and brew time for that drink, then pushes water through the disc. You do not choose a cup size; the disc does. It makes the machine very simple to use, and it is also why the drinks on offer are limited to what the licensed range provides.

Milk comes from a disc too

There is no wand and no jug. A latte or cappuccino uses two discs, usually a milk disc first and a coffee disc second, brewed into the same cup. The milk disc holds a concentrated milk creamer rather than fresh milk, and most people can taste the difference: sweeter and less airy than steamed milk. If milk drinks are the main use, try one before buying the machine; what good steamed milk is explains the gap.

The brands are licensed, not independent

The coffee comes under familiar names, Costa and Kenco among them, and all of it is produced for Tassimo under licence. Compatible discs from outside that arrangement are essentially unavailable, and stainless refillable discs sold by third parties are the only way around it. Against an open format like K-Cup, that means fewer flavours, fewer places to buy and no price competition. Open against closed pod systems sets out what that does over a machine's life.

Availability depends on where you live

Tassimo is strongest in the UK and parts of Europe, where discs sit on supermarket shelves and Podback, a take-back scheme the brand co-founded, handles recycling. Elsewhere the range can be thin and mostly online. Check that the discs you want are sold locally before buying a machine such as the Tassimo T55, because the machine is only as useful as its supply.

Who it is for, and who it is not for

It suits a household where different people want coffee, tea and hot chocolate from one machine with no skill involved, and where the discs are easy to buy. It is a poor choice for anyone focused on coffee quality, espresso or low running costs, who will be better served by Nespresso Original capsules or a proper espresso machine.