Tassimo review times three

Like many other Canadians online this fall, I won a Tassimo single brewing system by Bosch. For those of you unfamiliar with a Tassimo, it’s a small kitchen appliance you load with water, which is then filtered and by adding one of several discs (or pairs of discs) you can make one of several hot drinks from decaf coffee to espresso, hot chocolate and chai tea within minutes.

My colleague, Candice Shirreff and her apartment mate, Sarah Roger won Tassimos too. So, I thought it would be helpful if I shared three points of view with you.

How did you win your Tassimo?
SR: I saw Candice had retweeted @TassimoCanada that they were giving away 300 machines, so I just started following them. I received a DM a few days later that I had won a machine.

CS: I won my Tassimo by signing up to win tickets to a Tassimo Smart Talk Event with Sarah Richardson and Nik Manojlovich, which included a free Tassimo machine and a chance to win a $10,000 Bosch kitchen (which I don't think I have won :(). I found out about the event through Twitter.

ES: I had just arrived at my in-laws for Thanksgiving weekend. I checked Twitter and saw some people retweeting @TassimoCanada because they were giving away some Tassimo machines that night. I retweeted and within two minutes, I received a DM congratulating me on winning.



How often do you us it?
SR: I've been using it nearly every morning since I've received it. I like how quick it is, although I find the coffee doesn't get as hot as I'd like.

CS: I’ve hardly used the machine at all, but my roommate Sarah uses the machine to make coffee every morning. I also think the machine looks great on our bland kitchen counter.

ES: I’ve been using it almost every morning and twice-a-day on weekends. My husband has been using it too and one of my sons enjoys the hot chocolate.



What is your favourite beverage?
SR: I've been enjoying the Nabob 100% Colombian coffee discs. I still haven’t tried all of the samples they sent me.

CS: I am not a coffee drinker, so my favourite beverage selection is the teas – particularly the Chai tea. I can’t wait for the Tazo teas to become available in Canada (hint hint)


ES: I’m a huge coffee drinker but surprisingly, my favourite Tassimo beverage is Twinnings Chai Latte. I’m not getting results when I try making cappacinos either.


Have you tried making any of the suggested recipes?
SR: No, I haven't.

CS: No, I have not tried any of the recipes.

ES: No. The recipes on the Tassimo Canada website didn’t do anything for me. 


Have you tried inventing any of your own and if so, what? How was it/how were they?
SR: Haven't tried this either.

CS: No, I have not experimented with my own recipes yet but I would like to reduce the milk quantity in the chai latte.

ES: I tried making some of the drinks with my own milk instead of the Tassimo milk product. I’ve concocted a hot mocha at my son’s request.




Do you buy brewed coffee? If so, where? Do you buy more, less or the same now that you have a Tassimo?
SR: I do buy brewed coffee. For the past year I’ve been buying PC Organics Fair Trade Dark Roast Coffee. I think it’s one of the best tasting fair trade coffees and well priced at under $10.

CS: I purchase Chai tea lattes regularly and having tried Tassimo’s equivalent. I don’t think this machine will substitute those purchases. However, I do think this machine will be used for entertaining. I will certainly make the specialty drinks for friends and family which I would not have done without the Tassimo machine.

ES: I don’t brew coffee at home – we broke our coffee maker last year and haven’t replaced it yet. I do buy brewed coffee by the cup. I have less of an urge to do so on weekends now that I have a Tassimo.



Have you bought any Tassimo products? If so, what and where?
SR: No, I have not. I’m still going through the huge supply they sent me with the machine.

CS: I tried to purchase some more tea products at The Bay but the selection was poor the day I was there. I will definitely try again though.

ES: I bought Sucard Hot Chocolate and Twinnings Chai Latte at Loblaws a couple weeks ago. I haven’t seen it in other grocery stores where I regularly shop. My husband went to buy some for us today and Loblaws was out of hot chocolate and Chai Latte.



Would you recommend a Tassimo to friends?
SR: This is a tough question as I still haven’t fully made up my mind. I would recommend the Tassimo to those who are pressed for time in the morning and need a fast cup of coffee that tastes way better than instant. For friends who love great tasting coffee, I’m not sure this machine is for them. I find the quality of the coffee that I’ve tried to be good, not great. I would still like to try a few more of the other brands. I’m interested in trying the Suchard Hot Chocolate.

CS: Yes I would. I think it makes a great addition to a kitchen and it will certainly make entertaining more fun, unique and personalized.

ES: I’m with Sarah. For friends who competent brewing their own coffee at home, they may not be happy with Tassimo. For friends like me who don’t do a great job of home brewing and/or only have a need for one or two cups most of the time, Tassimo is a nice addition. We’re having friends over for a dinner party in a couple weeks. I’m looking forward to trying it out on them and seeing what they think.



What do you like the most and least about your Tassimo?
SR: Most – I love how easy and quick I can make a cup of coffee when I’m running out the door in the morning. It’s easy to clean and I don't have to deal with the mess or nuisance of coffee grounds.

Least – For a person that drinks as much coffee as I do, I don’t think the quality is comparable to regular brewed coffee. In terms of taste I’d pick my PC Organics Fair Trade coffee over the Tassimo discs. That being said, I see a place in my coffee drinking routine for both my regular brewed coffee machine and my Tassimo. I see myself brewing a pot of coffee on the weekend when time is not an issue, but using the Tassimo during the week before work.

CS: Most – The great look of the machine!

Least – The waste and flavour of some of the drinks taste artificial

ES: Most – The quick convenience of brewing a variety of hot beverages within minutes.

Least – I haven’t found a coffee that wows me. There aren’t enough decaf or tea options. Like Candice, I’d like to see a line of Tazo teas for Tassimo, there’s only one available in the U.S. now.
I don’t add sweeteners to my coffee or tea. So, I’m not a fan of having them pre-added. I’d also prefer a way to use my own milk for lattes. The amount of garbage generated by the disks bothers me too and most isn’t recyclable.

Have you tried a Tassimo beverage? What did you think? Would you like one of your own?

Sarah Roger works in communications at the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). She enjoys all things related to: caffeine, crafting, music and shopping. Sarah spends the majority of her free time @sarahroger.

Originally from Ottawa, Candice Shirreff came to Toronto to challenge herself in the world of digital at iStudio. Decorating, art and fashion accessories keep her inspired. You can find Candice on Twitter as @CandiceShirreff.

A tale of two Tassimo brewing systems

My new Tassimo brewing system

Yesterday, I received my second Tassimo thanks to some quick action by the caring team at Veritas who wanted to right a wrong before the holidays. It’s nice having one that works again, especially since Nabob now makes a decaf cappuccino and my kids enjoy Cadbury hot chocolate Tassimo discs a lot.

This holiday season seems to be a big one for coffee… whether your a retailer, fast-food chain or manufacturer of home brewing systems. Starbucks is well, Starbucks and decaf Via holds the current top spot for our household. McCafe has sent some goodies my way and incentives to try their premium caffeinated drinks. Like Tim Hortons’ premium coffee beverages, I have to wait for the decaf ones to hit the stores. Last but not least, home brewing systems for the third year running have been working hard to gain market share – for both gift items and holiday entertaining.

The Tassimo backstory...

I was one of many Twitter influencers selected to receive a free Tassimo machine and a supply of discs. Since then around this time of year, I receive a box of Tassimo discs. Last year, they offered to send Tassimo machines to two of my friends who were active online. You can read Bargainista’s Tassimo posts from 2009.

Several weeks ago, I received an impersonal email from Trapeze, an online marketing agency, conducting social media outreach for Tassimo. They sent me an email asking if I was interested in receiving discs (they actually sent the same email twice). I obliged and as a decaf drinker was pleased to see a new decaf cappuccino in their product offering.

A few weeks later I received another email from the same person. Like the previous ones, it was impersonal and requested I tell people in my network about how Tassimo stacks against Keurig:

“It’s the only home brewer with barcode technology. And when compared to the competition, we think TASSIMO comes out on top. We’d love if you could spread the word to your friends, family and followers about how the TASSIMO brewer stacks up against the Keurig®.”

I was stunned. I’ve never been given any opportunity by Tassimo or any of their agencies to test the Keruig machine, either at home or at an event (granted I’ve used the industrial brewers but how would Erin at Trapeze know that.) I’ve since learned there’s been a heated battle between these two companies.

Regardless, their approach is a poor example of how to engage with influencers. The agency is asking for influencers to praise one brand while trashing another online and off, in order to increase word of mouth, share of voice and positive sentiment at the expense of a competitor, etc. I replied to the consultant asking her why she asked me to spread the word but never heard back. I also emailed to tell her my Tassimo brewer broke (coincidentally, it broke a couple hours later). She responded by sending me a link to their online customer service and a phone number to call. Not a cool way to treat influencers in my books, when agents for other products go out of their way to make sure influencers are happy and continue using them.

Coincidentally, two days ago, a woman from Veritas emailed me asking if I’d consider reviewing a Tassimo brewing system before Christmas. I’m not sure if she was aware of my participation in the earlier program or how she decided to contact me but I was curious. So, I replied to her email and told her about my recent experience. She asked me if I’d mind calling her to discuss it further. I did. I was impressed by how quickly she responded at 9 p.m. on December 22. She told me I’d be hearing back the next day. I did hear back, from a former colleague who wanted to make things right.

As you know, this story did have happy ending. Within less than 24-hours, Veritas and Trapeze worked together to send me a new Tassimo brewer on time for the holidays. I was impressed by their quick response and ability to right a wrong. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about me wanting to get free stuff but more about understanding the hows and whys of relationship building between bloggers, brands and their agencies. Some other bloggers who had been reached out to in 2009 by a former representative at a third agency as a result of the Tassimo program, and since felt they had been treated in a personal manner, the initial approach this year has been disappointing to say the least. Let’s hope my experience is a sign of change and recognition of the importance of personal relationships. Spray and pray doesn’t work, even if it’s less expensive at face value.

As for the comparisons between Tassimo and Keurig brewers, I’m staying out of that battle. I haven’t seen any bloggers weigh in, have you?

Do you have a Tassimo or another brewer? If so, are you happy with your machine? What's your favourite coffee?

Tassimo Smart Talk event – an inside view

A few weeks ago, Candice Shirreff, Sarah Roger and I shared our experiences with our new Tassimo beverage systems that we each had the good fortune of winning either on Twitter or by entering to attend the TASSIMO Smart Talk event in Toronto as Candice did and won the opportunity to attend and walk away with her own machine. I caught up with Candice and asked her to share her experience.

Candice, you won tickets to a TASSIMO smart talk event in Toronto with Sarah Richardson and Nik Manojlovich. What did you think? Did you leave feeling pressured to discuss the event or the Tassimo system?

Being a big fan of Sarah Richardson, I was really excited to attend this fairly intimate event about interior design and entertaining – although I have to say that leading up the event I did not really know what to expect. How many people would attend? The invitation said bring your questions so I thought it would be a relatively intimate setting but it ended up being bigger than I thought. Also, the invitation said the event would last from 1:00-4:00 p.m. – what were we to do for 3 hours?

Anyway, here is what really happened:

My guest and I arrived at 1:00 p.m. or shortly after and was greeted by several Tassimo staff who directed us to the ticket station where my guest and I were signed in. My guest was given a ballot for a chance to win the $10,000 Bosch kitchen. So, we proceeded to the Great Room and immediately saw a huge sign at the other end of the room that read Ballot Here (or something of the like). So that is where we headed.

Afterwards, we noticed that there were a series of Tassimo stations where staff were brewing everyone drinks. Unfortunately, the lines were too long and the brewing took too long that my guest and I gave up and grabbed some water before heading into the auditorium to grab a seat. We figured we also would have lots of time to test out the machine after receiving the free machine at the end of the show. Needless to say, we needed a little more time to get our own Tassimo beverage – but water would do since I didn't want to miss Sarah Richardson.

After waiting a few minutes for those who decided to wait for their Tassimo beverages to finish brewing in the Great Room – Nik Manojlovich came out to introduce himself and his history with Tassimo - which all started at a cottage a couple years ago. Throughout his introduction and chat with Sarah Richardson he would give out Tassimo products and Tassimo staff would brew selected products for audience members.

The chat itself was great – the only downside for myself was the fact that audience members brought their personal decorating questions along. I didn’t think those were the types of questions the event planners had in mind – but Sarah did a wonderful job of generalizing her answers so that they could apply to anyone.

When the event ended, and before it did, people began running back to the Great Room to get their free machines but before everyone left, Nik Manojlovich encouraged everyone to share their Tassimo machine and its beverages with friends and family – but by no means did I feel any pressure to “sell” this product to others.

My guest and I then made our way to the Great Room, which quickly turned into a bit of a mess with the usual pushing and chaos that happens when things are free. This is coming from someone who avoids sales for that very reason. I am about enjoying my purchasing experience, or this case - free experience, rather than saving 10%. Anyway, I quickly got my beautiful burnt-orange Tassimo machine and made my way out in amongst a sea of people trying to trade machine colours.

Thank you Tassimo for a great event and fun take-home prize!

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Short & Sweet Cupcakes hit the spot

Like many other parents, I was off last week for March break. For us, there was a nice balance of visiting relatives in Montreal and staycation back in Toronto. The staycation part was a great opportunity for us to experience some of the new shops in the neighbourhood – and there are many as a result of vacancies left by casualties of the recession.

Just off Avenue Road, south of the 401, Short & Sweet Cupcakes is a sweet spot hidden on Old Orchard Grove. (Check out their blog.) Like its name, there was lots of sweet goodness inside. The owners were lovely and told me how appreciative of the support they’ve been receiving from the community. In fact, they have so many special orders, they’re finding it a challenge keeping their storefront filled with a variety of tasty cupcakes with clever names like Diamonds & Pearls (that’s next on my list), Key Lime Kick, Lady in Red and Black & White Affair.

Price wise, at $3 per cupcake, $13 per ½ dozen and $26 per dozen, they’re comparable to other cupcake shops in the city. Taste wise, they were superior to several – including others with greater visual appeal – yes, looks can be deceiving. I really liked the micro-cupcake samples they have on hand. When I stopped by I tried BBM, a banana butterscotch cupcake with maple buttercream, it was terrific.

I picked up two for my kids – Coco Loco, the coconut chocolate one was delicious – I had a nibble. I didn’t taste the One Hundred & One, an Oreo-flavoured cupcake with Oreo buttercream but my son wasn’t blown away. Regardless, I’m really liked the comfy, unpretentious, warm atmosphere and I’ll be back.

What’s your favourite cupcake shop? Have you tried Short & Sweet Cupcakes? If so, what did you think? Which flavour(s) did you try?

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