Bosch Tassimo Vivon: A Comparison Of Coffee Eating Machines

Desktop, low profile coffee machines that can brew fresh tasting coffee straight from miniature capsules instead of grinding up coffee beans in a little under a minute? That sentence may have sounded like overly caffeine-fueled science fiction mere decades ago. A full scale coffee vending machine, for your kitchen?

However, advances in miniaturisation, speed, efficiency, and affordability since 2008 have meant that the home (or office) pod-based coffee machine has recently exploded in popularity. Capsule coffee offers an instant flavour and warmth that coffee left to stand often lacks after a few short hours.

Improved barcode technology and partnerships with companies such as Cadbury and Twinings have also meant changes to the way home

But which is superior?

I 've reviewed two of their most popular flagship home coffee machines below to give you a rough idea of what to currently expect from either brand.

Bosch Tassimo Vivy (T12)

The Bosch Tassimo Vivy T12 is Tassimo 's latest best selling compact machine. The T12 was designed to be a cheaper, smaller, more efficient version of Tassimo 's already popular T Series, in particular the more bulky heavy duty T10. The first generation Vivy T12 supposedly offers the same Tassimo premium performance for small spaces and small budgets.

The Bosch Tassimo Vivy offers the standard easy use Tassimo T Disk drinks system via top loaded capsule drink disks. Rated at only 1300W, it consumes substantially less energy than many competitors while providing up to 3.3 bars of pressurised capsule brewing power. While the machine is decidedly no frills, the autocleaning function is a welcome improvement to earlier models.

The machine 's adaptability and looks are definite strong points. With a mere 17 cm Width and 30 cm depth, the Vivy is an extremely versatile unit. The minute size certainly backs up Tassimo 's claim that it can fit in

This is not that much of a loss due to how well optimised most T Discs are. The low pressure brewing capacity also means that the Vivy just can 't compete with more dedicated professional quality devices when it comes to coffee.

However, the quality and taste are mostly dependant on the quality of the T Disks you buy due to maximum pressure and standardised service the Vivy offers. Brands such as Costa come out exceptionally well, although you may want to use your own milk as an alternative to the liquid capsules many brands

As for the cost, variety, and availability of refills, it 's a mixed bag for the Tassimo T Discs. With over 40 dedicated brands, there 's plenty to pick from. The cost of T Disk capsules is relatively low for Tassimo, when compared to Dolce. Despite this, you should bear in mind that they are still typically more expensive per cup than dried instant, with the gap becoming even steeper for drinks such as tea.

Pods are fairly easy to find online and at most mid-range UK supermarkets, but you may struggle to find refills quickly in rural or isolated areas. The Tassimo also point blank refuses to take any third party capsules, although this is not usually an issue due to Tassimo 's extensive tie in