Battle of the Single-Cup Coffee Makers: Tassimo vs. Keurig

Both Tassimo and Keurig manufacture and sell brewing systems that yield single serve cups of gourmet or premium coffees although limited to the number of variants each company manufactures. It is good to consider and remember that in comparing Tassimo vs. Keurig, you are going to be locked into your choice’s coffee pod selection because their unique brewing systems do not allow the use of competitor pods due to intentional incompatibility for proprietary reasons. Read through this comparative review of Tassimo and Keurig to know more and understand better the two brands.

Keurig

Keurig machines use their branded K-Cups to brew their coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cold beverages (in some models), but not espresso. These pods are plastic containers with a foil cover pierced by needles during brewing. Keurig have connections with popular beverage brands for like Green Mountain, Folgers, Tully’s, Caribou, Twinings, Celestial Seasonings, Starbucks, and Donut Shop. There are greater than 200 varieties of K-cups in the market today. Keurig machines use pressure-based systems in brewing and can prepare a cup of drink in under a minute for some models up to a little less than 4 minutes. Brewing settings are partly determined by the user. The machines are around $80-$200+ which is negligible as opposed to the cost per serving of $0.75 to $2.00 per cup. That’s $50 a pound versus store-bought grounds at only $8 to $10. No wonder the big companies are fighting hard to patent everything and keep off-brands from creating generic pods for use in their machines. Keurig machines need to undergo periodic cleaning of brewer needles and the K-cup pack holders that’s approximately a 10-minute process. Keurig machines, if used and maintained as directed, can last 2 to 5 years while K-cups can stay fresh up to a year and six months if unaltered.

Tassimo

Tassimo machines use T-discs made and distributed by Mondel?z, T-discs are special plastic pods with specific barcode instructions on top. The barcode tells the machine to change brewing times, water measurements, and water temperature specific to each brew’s requirement. Tassimo can make a variety of hot drinks exceeding that of Keurig and Nespresso, such as filtered style coffee, cappuccino, latte, short espresso, crema, tea, mocha and hot chocolate. The single serve Tassimo milk-based beverages like lattes are made with two T-discs, one contains coffee and another contains UHT milk. Tassimo has a small range of only 75 variants. Its popular connected T-disc brands are Gevalia, King of Joe, Maxwell House, Tim Hortons and Twinings, all of which are owned by Mondel?z, Kraft and its subsidiaries. Tassimo machines use pressure-based brewing process that takes about 30–60 seconds per serving. The machines will cost you from $100-$220 and this is negligible considering the overall price per serving that costs more in the long run with each serving setting you back $0.75 to $2.00 or a whopping $50 per pound. That’s a lot of times more than the price of coffee grounds available in stores at $8 to $10 per pound. That’s why it’s not surprising how adamant these companies are in keeping off-brands from manufacturing cheaper pods that are compatible with their brewers. Tassimo machines need periodic cleaning. It uses a special T-disc that takes the machine through an automated cleaning cycle. A thoroughly cleaned machine yield pure brews. With proper use and maintenance, your Tassimo machine can last up to 5 years.

Now that you have some knowledge on how Tassimo vs. Keurig stand in terms of cost, features, and versatility, you can have a more informed decision when you make your purchase. It’s hard to say for sure which reins supreme because both have their fair share of the market. The winner depends on your preferred brewing system. If you want a wide variety of choices in your K-cups, you’ll get that from Keurig. If you prefer the ability to brew espresso, cappuccino, lattes and mocha, Tassimo will not disappoint. At the end of all the research, it will all come down to your taste, budget, and preference. K-cups and T-discs are not recyclable and are dumped in landfills, so you might want to consider that as well.