I have a Tassimo that has lasted me over 8 years.

Sadly, the one I have I can't get the filters for any longer and now Starbucks has pulled their pods out from Tassimo over to Kuerig.

One bonus is you can make lattes/cappuccinos with the Tassimo which Kuerig doesn't have yet.

We have a Kuerig at the office. I rarely use it - I don't find that the quality of the coffee is up to my standards. We haven't purchased any of the Starbucks yet so that might make a difference. We have had problems with the machine periodically; have had it services more times than I can remember.

What I was impressed by was the Delonghi Lattissima Plus. Pricey and only for making espresso and related drinks but wow. For a pod machine it brews an excellent cup and heats up the milk too. Effortless.

I vote for Keurig. I have had one for two years and love it. There are many, many varieties of coffee available.

I have had the Kuerig for about 2 years and love it.
BUT, I would highly recommend buying it from COSTCO, number one its cheaper and number 2 it WILL die on you probably 2-3 times a year.
We have taken ours back probably at least 6 times now, basically buying it from Costco we end up with a brand new unit complete with 72 free Kcups about every 3-4 months because that is about as long as any of them last.
I think we had one that lasted 5-6 months, couple that lasted about 2 months.

The one we have now is trying to mess up.

But honestly I don't really care, it is a piece of cake to take it back to Costco, I go there at least 2-3 times a month anyway so I just pack it back in its box and go get a brand new one every few months along with a bunch of free coffee. In fact I am glad they basically suck as far as quality goes because I can just keep a brand new one indefinitely or at least as long as Costco sells them.

Now IF Costco stopped selling them I am not sure what the hell I would do. I sure would not buy another one from anyplace else.

As for the coffee itself, we get that from both Costco (Newmans Own) and then from Green Mountain Cafe Express, 24 kcups is usually around $13.99, although I just ordered 5 boxes last Friday where they had a special and I paid $11 for 24.

Yeah, I'm about to take my second Keurig back to BB&B now that it's crapping out after less than a year. First one crapped out - completely - after 13 months and Keurig said "so sorry." Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to try to return to store before I threw it out.

My current one is a "top of the line" Cuisinart branded Keurig. Noticed this week that it's pouring skimpier than a barmaid under surveillance. Finally measured it this morning and sure enough, 8 oz setting pours about 6 oz, 12 ounce setting pours 9 oz, etc.

It's a convenient way brew an expensive, mediocre cup of coffee at home. Not sure which is more of a sin though, all the plastic cups or the prematurely broken machines in the landfill.

Keurig.

You can get the permanent filters that you fill with your own coffee for it too.

I agree with buying it from Costco so they replace it if anything goes wrong, ever.

Thanks for the recommendations - and for suggesting Costco. My BJ's membership is nearly up for renewal - I think I'll get a Costco membership and try them out.

I have a Tassimo and I love the machine. I've had it for a little over a year now and it's still going strong. I am a pretty heavy coffee drinker - 4-5 cups a day. I like the ability to have lattes and capps too - an extra little bonus.

The bummer with the Tassimo is that it's like the betamax of coffee pod machines. Now pretty much the only coffee you can get is Maxwell House or Gevalia. I can't find anywhere around here that actually sells the Tassimo machines anymore, and the pods are becoming hard to find in stores too.

For a gift, I'd give a Keurig. Coffee is one of those things where everyone likes something different. You can get just about any coffee in a K cup format, and you can buy a refillable filter if there's a brand you prefer that isn't in K cup format.

But yeah, get it from Costo if you get one. One of the reasons I picked the Tassimo is that I wanted a machine that would last. The Keurigs seem to have a lot of problems.

Depending on your buying habits, the "Executive membership" from Costco is actually the better deal even though it is $100.
Then get the "American Express" from Costco and with the 3% back on Gas and the 2% back from every purchase, we usually end up getting a free Membership each year plus a few dollars extra. Plus the added Executive membership benefits.
So we paid for the membership once about 5 years ago and every since it has paid for itself each year or has come very close.

So it is actually cheaper than the $50 regular membership.

pretty sure miele and gaggenau have individual timers that shut off.

I've been reading that Kuerig's permanent filters don't work very well. I've been thinking of replacing the Tassimo and that aspect appealed to me. Many people complain that it leaks and that you need to tinker with it to get it to fit better. Plus, since every coffee is different, you never can be sure how your brew is going to come out. Plus the filter doesn't hold enough to make a bolder cup if you like your coffee that way (which I do).

So, still on the fence about a Kuerig.

I am anxious to hear if BB&B handles a return as good as apparently Costco does.

i'll admit I have only seen "pod" coffemakers in demonstrations, and obviously in perfect condition.

My first reaction is to group these with all the other countertop appliances that you can think of. There are many. Choose wisely. A single-purpose device may get relegated to long term storage so fast it makes your head spin.

The supplies cost a lot.

People have been making coffee at home for a long long time without spending that much on a recurring basis. You choose how you blow your money along the way to joining the 99% of the population that never has enough capital for financial independence. It just means less money for cars and vacations. Enjoy.

Thanks for your enlightening opinion. I guess it will be easier to strew my hard earned cash out the window of my Porsche as I tool down the highway to Aspen. As for a single purpose device that may clog my counter or become relegated to storage - well most coffee makers fall into single use category.

Personally pod coffeemakers don't appeal to me but perhaps that's because we still use our trusty Melitta glass carafe and pour boiling water over the grounds in the cone filter. However I can readily see how useful they can be - my son's situation is a good example. I doubt either of us will lose our financial independence over this purchase but I do appreciate your concern.

Well cost is a significant consideration, but I can't imagine that anyone goes into this purchase not knowing that up front. As for how often it's used, I'd say my Keurig and my toaster oven are in a dead heat. The rest of the competition (FP, stand mixer, bread machine, blender) are several laps behind if not out of the race.

In my house it's not a one-trick pony. I regularly use it for instant hot water, to get a headstart on oatmeal in the morning and rice at night, etc.

The convenience of a cup of coffee in seconds with minimal clean-up makes the cost worth it for us. I figure we save $8.75 week just with my wife's weekday morning coffee over buying it at the train station. She sure as heck wouldn't brew a pot as she rushes through her morning routine. Anyway, that's a personal decision; I don't recommend it for everyone, but for some people it makes sense. In my case, fortunately (or unfortunately!) it's about the least of my financial worries.

eandl - Just got back from BB&B. They told me I should be using the special cleaner they sell. (The manual calls for vinegar.) And that the cleaning product they sell is made by Keurig. (It's not.) They told me I should be descaling it every month. (Manual says 3-6 months unless the warning signal is displayed earlier.) Because we have VERY hard water here. (I called the water district and they confirmed that it's soft, as I thought.)

So I wouldn't say it was painless, in fact it got a bit heated for a minute there. But in the end I walked out with a brand new $200 machine, even though I couldn't find my receipt. So I'm happy.

Re the permanent filter, I know some people have had success with it and use it. I have not and I don't. And I'm not losing sleep over it. It defeats the convenience. And at top temp of 192 deg F you're well short of optimal brew temp so if you're looking for a truly gourmet cup o' joe I say look elsewhere.

Lastly, a comment about models. Call me lazy, but filling the water is a PITA. The bigger the reservoir, the better. Also, this may no longer be true but back when I bought my first one, a Platinum, the lesser models were wicked noisy. Make one cup in the morning you better figure on making two because you just woke up your spouse. I also noticed that the Cuisinart has a 3 year warranty vs 1 year on the Platinum. That, combined with a reservoir that's 20 ounces larger than the Platinum, make the $20 upcharge money well spent IMO.

Sorry for the long post; hope it helps.

I bought a Senseo machine about 6 years ago to use at the office when the company got cheap and stopped supplying coffee. At the time, I got it at costco. I think is was made by Phillips, but I'm not sure. I then got a larger water reservoir for it. For coffee at work, it was great. It was on my desk, convenient, and 'fresh'. Less messy since all the grounds/filters/pods are self-contained.

The Senseo is not as popular now that Green Mountain has taken over all the Kcups. But I still see the 'pods' in the stores. I don't use it at home since I grind my own and have a nice drip machine.

Breville is supposed to make a nice K-cup brewer.

We keep one of the Keurigs at our part-time apartment in the city, the "Elite" model, which features a reservoir and can make successive coffees without having to add water to the machine after every cup.

We got sick of paying 50 to 80 cents a cup for the pre-filled "K-Cups." Though not all of the K-Cups are filled with the same amount of coffee -- the weight of the coffee is printed on the packaging and some varieties, like Newman's Own Bold, contain more coffee by weight -- we generally find the coffee a bit on the weak side for our tastes.

So to save money and get stronger coffee we purchased a few of the grind your own baskets from different makers. In order of insuitability, this is what we found:
1. The Keurig brand. This "basket" requires you to remove the existing cup holder from the machine and replace it with an ill-fitting basket holder. One must remove it from the machine entirely, unscrew the lid, and dump it and the sodden basket out. It leaks all over the place, is messy as hell, and is just about as worthless as a bad tattoo. Do not buy the Keurig brand basket/holder affair, it is a nightmare.

2. Solofil makes a basket that works with the existing cup holder in the machine. You simply fill it, close the lid, insert it into the machine and press the brew button. Detractions are the fairly small coffee capacity of the Solofil caused by its conformance to the cup holder needles that allow it to be placed into the machine without regard which way it is turned. Also, the lid on the thing is pretty flimsy. Opening and closing it for a few months starts to break the plastic hinge. Ours is hanging by a thread now after about 6 months of use.

3. Ekobrew. This is the best basket we have found. It is less likely to leak, has a sturdier, though certainly not bulletproof, hinge. Holds a lot more coffee for the people who drink it strong like we do. The extra capacity of the basket means that the device will only fit into the cupholder when turned until intentations in the bottom line up with the puncture needle in the cup holder. If you fail to get these lined up properly and attempt to close the machine, you will damage the needles and have to replace the cup holder.

Advice if you choose to get the baskets and grind your own? Keep it near a sink and or waste can. The grounds have to be knocked out of the baskets and then rinsed. Doing this several times a day makes a nice mess. Best to have the whole thing by a sink where you can rinse the grounds down the drain.

I actually find that I can, if I pack the coffee hard enough, stall the pump out so that water will not pass through the filter. So I do not pack the grounds too tightly. I end up with a nice strong cup of fresh coffee and can still make a cup of caffeinated Joe for myself while my wife has her decaf.

I've had my Keurig for well over a year. Some days I make as many as 8 cups of whatever - coffee, tea, hot chocolate or just plain old hot water for other drinks. It's a very practical appliance in my house as no 2 people drink the same hot beverages. I've never had any issue with it. I also have been using the permanent filter, which is going to be removed now that we just put an undersink water filter, but that, too, has never given me any problems.

Thanks, Mojavean for the grind your own basket reviews. I was checking out various brands and had already ruled out the Keurig brand, but your review was most concise and informative.

Helene

Thanks for all the great advice.

Foodonastump - it's good to learn about your BBB experience. My DH told me he renewed the BJ's membership last week so I won't be trying out Costco so I'll be heading to BBB for the coffeemaker. I'll make a few extra copies of the receipt in case my son has to return or exchange it. I think I'll tell him to stow the box in the closet too. Good points about the large reservoir and the 3 year warranty on the Cuisinart.

Weedmeister - Consumersearch.com says you can buy Senseo pods from CoffeeCow.com. I'll check out the Breville too.

Mojavean- thanks for sharing the info on the baskets. Several sites mentioned the poor performance of the Keurig basket but none offered any suggestions for other baskets. My son does like strong coffee so he might want to try it.

By the way - the Costco web site has customer reviews with loads of information - how to clean the piercing holes when they become clogged with coffee grinds; using de-mineralized water in hard water areas; checking you tube for 'how to' videos.

And this handy hint on how to fix the Cusinart:
"It took me three product returns to finally figure out why the pump would always quit working. Here's the problem and the solution. The K-cups have too much air in them. Think about the pressure in a can of pringles chips and how it "pops" when you open it. I live in the mountains of Colorado, so the little K-cups always seem like they are ready to burst.
The problem is that when you put the K-cup in the machine, it pokes a hole in the top first, then the bottom. Why? Because The machine has needles that poke both the top and bottom of the K-cup. However, since the top is easier to penetrate than the harder plastic bottom, the top is pierced first and that is where the air gets released. The "puff" of air released from the top, along with some dry coffee is sent up through the pump hose. This causes the pump to lose its 'prime' or get plugged by the still dry coffee grounds.
Solution: I have a tack from a wallboard that I use to simply poke a tiny hole in the bottom of the K-cup before placing it in the machine. This will release the air pressure which is the source of the problem. I don't understand why cuisinart doesn't advise this, as it seems like it would eliminate 99% of the product returns. You're welcome. Now go enjoy your first trouble-free cup of coffee. Cheers."

I have never had any problems with the make your own baskets. We have about 6 free ones from taking so many of them back.
If you get the grind just right, fill it to the top but not packed it can come out OK.
In order to get the best cup though what you need to do is slow down the water going through it.
If you take a used K cup, take the top off and use just the plastic with the hole in the bottom, fill that part with coffee and put it in the basket.

That slows down the coffee from just flying through the grounds and it makes a normal strength K cup.

I find the strength of the extra bold KCups up to 10oz in brew size to be more than adequate strength.
I don't like mud, I want coffee.

I wish Costco sold the Cuisinart ones I would certainly get one but I just get the Platinum model which is second best.

Our water here is not very hard at all plus we only use what goes through the refrigerator water filter first.
Doesn't take out much of the "hardness" minerals but does lessen it a wee bit.

Which brand of user-fillable baskets are you talking about, Nunya? The Keurig, with the gray holder that you have to insert in order to use the basket? Meaning you have to take the standard cup holder out of the machine first? Or would it be some other brand you are getting, or is there another model of Keurig I basket setup I am unaware of?

The one that comes with the Keurig.
Yes that one.

Have you tried one of the other types that do not require a dedicated basket holder?

Nope, never tried any others, 99.8% of the time I use the Kcups, very convenient and easy.
Once in awhile I use the DIY basket.

Hi! We have a Nespresso and love it. The convenience and consistency are great. Our machine is pretty large, purchased as a Christmas gift for my husband two years ago. Now that we are moving, I have my eye on the smaller Nespresso Pixie. Maybe next Christmas...

If you have not seen it, I recommend looking at the coffeegeek.com website.

My Keurig Special Edition has been running strong for 2 years. The only time it struggled was when I tried the in-tank water filter, which apparently causes the machine too much stress. I buy the pods from Keurig.com or Coffeepeople.com, there are hundreds to choose from.

I have descaled it only twice in two years.

Removing the water reservoir to fill it is kind of a pain, so I bought the expanded size reservoir from keurig.com, and I fill it with a large water jug that I keep in a cupboard.

I found the reusable Keurig doohickey a pain to clean, but dh sometimes re-uses a K-cup pod by dumping it out, refilling with ground coffee, and taping foil over it. I'm too lazy for all that when I have 8 boxes of 24-pods each sitting in my pantry.

Does he really want the pod machine or is he just looking for a single serve coffee maker? I've been looking at them for a year or so for dh as he's the only coffee drinker in our house, but I was apprehensive about the pod machines for a couple of reasons - I've heard from some that the coffee isn't strong enough (dh likes strong black coffee, nothing flavored) and I don't like the idea of using all that plastic. This morning on Good Morning America, one of their "December Daily Deals" was the Hamilton Beach The Scoop Single Serve Coffee Machine. You use your own coffee (no K cups) and can set it to fill a travel mug or a coffee mug. With the daily deal, they were half price ($35) but they quickly sold out today (I bought one for dh as I figured, for $35, if it doesn't work out it's not a big deal!). BBB sells them too so you could use a coupon and still get a good price. While I can't provide a personal review yet, the reviews I saw online were pretty favorable, as much as the Keurig and comparable pod machines. It's worth a look if he isn't adamant that he wants to have to buy those K-cups which is more expensive than buying his own ground coffee.

If he is just looking for the best drip-type coffee in a single-portion size, you should just get an electric kettle and a small french press. Not only will it be far cheaper, but the coffee will be better (and you will have more options) than any pod machine can give you.

If, on the other hand, he is looking to prioritize convenience and lack of cleanup, and/or he has any interest in espresso shots, I second the recommendation for a nespresso machine...far and away the best quality coffee I have tasted from any pod machine, and very well made. I recommend the fortissimo lungo pods for drip coffee replacement, and the arpeggio (purple) pods for espresso. Pods are about 60 cents each, so more than bulk ground but far cheaper than a trip to starbucks. You can test them out, too, at any Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table.

I have tried the K-cups at hotels, etc., and have been profoundly disappointed with everyone I have ever tried...

4kids - I saw this morning's segment on the single serve coffee maker and I had the same idea you did - for $35.00 and free shipping why not order one. The serves must have been overwhelmed because by the time I was able to log on all I got was an error message.

jsceva - unfortunately his temp. office isn't near the kitchen nor the lounge so he'll be using bottled water until the renovations are complete. And the convenience of not having to measure grounds,or empty leftover coffee or used grounds is what prompted him to make the request.

The Nespresso is interesting. I thought it only made espressso but I gather from your post that it will also make regular coffee - you just use a different pod. I'll have to read further.

Bummer! I was out all day and nearly forgot about it. I ordered mine around 3pm without a problem but when I went back tonight before posting here, I saw that it was sold out. Couldn't believe I was able to get it for $35 and free shipping. If I wasn't saving it for Christmas, I'd let you know what I think. Even at full price plus a coupon at bed bath and beyond, it's not a bad price, assuming it's actually a good machine.

The pod might be better given his circumstances though.

Just to clarify on the nespresso...they have a few pods marketed as "lungo" pods (italian for "long"). Traditionally, you can make an espresso shot ristretto (short), "normal," or "lungo"...the lungo pods have a bit more coffee in them, and it is ground a little less fine. It is technically a sort of a cross between an Americano and a true drip, as it is still brewed with pressure through the grounds. To my taste, it is an excellent substitute for strong drip coffee..

There is also no reason at all you can't do a long shot through a non-lungo pod...the results vary, but I find they are generally still better than the coffee you get out of a k-cup or similar. Just my opinion - YMMV.

You can change the size of the shots, but as they come standard the lungo button gives you a 110ml pour (as opposed to 40ml for an espresso pod). This is just shy of 4oz...I find that doing 2 lungos fills a "normal" size coffee mug pretty much perfectly.

I originally bought one for my office at work because even though it was more expensive per cup theoretically, in reality I was wasting large parts of every pot I made in my traditional drip machine...and the lack of any messy grounds to dispose of was a real bonus. I have been very happy with ours...it isn't our only coffee maker, and I use other things when I want a *really* good cup, or a pot for weekends, but for the morning latte or a quick cuppa, it is perfect. It is also nice because their decaf is actually very tasty...I don't make a lot of decaf, so it is nice to be able to make a cup on the spot when someone wants it.

I recently bought a Lattissima Plus Nespresso machine and I love it. It may be overkill if you just want coffee but really worth it if you want easy lattes or cappuccinos. I picked this model because you don't have to clean out the milk container every time you use it. You can store the milk container in the fridge and just wash it out once a week. I figure if I'm going the pod route, I should make it as no fuss as possible. FWIW, I use almond milk and it does a great job frothing it.

Another vote for the Keurig. I got mine at BBB. Having not read about all the problems, I don't have my receipt :(. We have only had it for a month but definitely get one with a reservoir. It heats up really fast and is very nice to make successive cups without having to refill the water. I use it to make tea all the time, just using a standard tea bag in the cup - sometimes I use 2 tea bags if I want it stronger or a quart size tea bag for regular tea.

The other benefit with the reservoir is the smaller cup option. This comes in handy sometimes, and is useful if you want to add a lot of milk or have a smaller mug. I think mine was 129.00, but I used a 20 percent off coupon.

The Nespresso is very cool but the pods are more expensive and I was a bit worried about the expense in the first place (I am very cheap!).

You can also buy k-cups online at office supply houses with free shipping and they are a little cheaper - I used WB Mason.

Good to know about the k-cup inserts and how they work too - those are on my list of things to buy. Sounds like I might want to descale my machine though!