I love real coffee but can't stand instant. A friend has just got a Tassimo machine and the coffee seems very good. Looking on line there seems to be several types of coffee machines available all using their own system. Just wondering if anyone on here has either a Tassimo Machine or equivalent? How good are they. Can you get the coffee easily? is it expensive per cup. any other comments? thanks very much

I have a Nespresso, Citix by Magimix, and really like it - do get the Aerocino though too as the warm frothy milk is part of the experience (if you like milk).  Nespresso aren't cheap but much less expensive than buying coffee 'out' and the capsules are between 27 and 31p each (sold in sleeves of 10).  The capsules are sold by Nespresso only but don't be tempted to buy from eBay, some sellers buy cheap and sell at daft prices way above Nespresso direct.

I opted for this type of system as I can't really be bothered with the bean to cup option or the steam milk heater.  I wanted a more instant response and my machine is as easy as using the kettle!  The kids use the milk heater for hot chocolate too :)

I prefer the stronger coffees and genuinely think coffee at home is actually better than I can get at Costa, Starbucks etc.  Mind you Starbucks have recently launched their own coffee machine, Verismo,  selling their blends of coffee in pods - might be worth a look if that's your poison.  Pricey though...

PS if you are thinking of a Nespresso machine, check for special prices and cash back offers - John Lewis are pretty good too if you want a look/try/taste as they often have a demonstration stand.  Handy for a coffee hit!!

Could not be without our coffee machine - lavaza amodo by saeco. It's pods which you can buy online and arrive within 2 days or waitrose actually do 3 varieties  of the pods. Cheapest pods are around 24p per cup.
Our first machine was bean to cup and was probably cheaper to run but you couldn't do decaf for those that needed it as once the beans were in that was it.
Pods are easier and the variety is huge. I think john Lewis has a promotion for Christmas on one of their machines, might be around £80, which is quite cheap in comparison to what you could spend on one.
Ours has a froth spout thing which is fine but not outstanding. We normally only have a couple cups of coffee a day or its used more if we have guests over but I wouldn't go back to instant even if I only drank one cup a day!

> I opted for this type of system as I can't really be bothered with the bean to cup option

How does this type cope with visitors etc where you need several cups at once ?? Is it quick enough to make, say, 4 cups within a reasonable time or do you have a cafetiere etc ??

I've also got a Nespresso.  We run a cycling business from home & cyclists take their coffee very seriously - so we needed to have something which was quick, convenient & tasted great.  We previously wore out 2 Senseo machines!!

The Nespresso is fantastic - it's fast & easy (we leave ours on 24 hours a day - it goes to sleep after about 1/2 an hour).  Then it takes about 1 minute to warm up & probably takes 30-45 seconds to make a cup of coffee including the milk.  Definitely get the milk frother too - it heats the milk perfectly & you can have it frothed or unfrothed (also it will froth cold milk for milkshakes).

Ordering the pods online is very quick - I bought a pod holder from ebay which holds 40 pods at a time.

I would definitely buy another Nespresso - wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.  Plus the pods & the machines look very nice too!!

> How does this type cope with visitors etc where you need several cups at once

I find it's plenty quick enough - I do one coffee whilst warming the milk, then the next whilst pouring the milk etc.  The only thing I do differently when serving multiple coffees is to boil the kettle to pre warm the cups rather than use water from the Nespresso machine.  However, visitors often see the whole process as an event and like to take their time choosing which coffee to have so in fact I'm usually waiting on them, rather than the other way around!!

If you have latte or milky coffee you'll need to refill the Aerocino more than once but that's very quick too

> I find it's plenty quick enough

Good :) My DIL has one - I like the look of them and being able to make one cup of decent coffee quickly is tempting - BUT, having been brought up to watch the pennies, I just can't help think that they are an awfully expensive way to make coffee :) :) :) We normally make a large pot of filter coffee which makes around 5 large mugfuls and costs around 50p for the lot :) :) :) 27-30p per cup doesn't seem a lot when compared to a cup of coffee at Costa etc, but it sure mounts up if you have 4 people for dinner - or DIL/daughter's boyfriend who drink coffee all day :) Hmm - we have a while to decide as our filter/espresso machine will last a bit longer :) :)

Thanks !

We bought a Tassimo recently and I have been really pleased with it.

I opted for that one, because it is easy to get the pods in Morrissons, Waitrose and Costa Coffee, all of which are handy for me. I looked at the Dolce gusto, but it was harder to find them.

Operation really couldn't be easier. Put a milk pod in, press button, take it out,replace with coffee pod, hit button and you are done.

I only buy the Costa Latte pods, which are about £4.50, for 8 drinks. There are much cheaper coffee versions for it, but I prefer a one coffee a day latte fix!

When we bought in November, there was a £20 off pods offer. It wasn't ideal (£25 min order and £5 delivery if order under £35), but better than nothing!

Nespresso here too, had them for as long as I can remember (11 years or so). They're fab, and the customer service is excellent. We have the Latissima currently. My only niggle is the milk's not that hot with it coming straight out of the fridge, but aside of that, love it. About to order a Gaggia bean-to-cup machine, but not a clue what that'll be like! We bought a Bosch Tassimo on a whim years ago, but it was pants in comparison to the Nespresso.