Pod Coffee Machines

hashcake said:
That's fine if you like instant coffee but you can't compared the tast to either a pod based system or a coffee machine.
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If you read back we were discussing hot chocolate.
 
robj20 said:
If you read back we were discussing hot chocolate.
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Oops :)
You are right though about hot chocolate, the Tassimo ones only fill half a mug and don't taste as good.
 
hashcake said:
Don't forget to use camelcamelcamel to keep an eye on amazons prices.
I use subscribe and save for the Tassimo Costa Lattes the price varies from £17-£20.
It's pot luck if either our B&M or Home Bargains have it in stock.
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In normal times (remember them?), we were in Sainsbury's a couple of times a week most weeks and whenever they had soopadoopa offers on the pods we use, we'd clear the shelves. Best deal we ever got was £1 a pack for Costa Caramel Latte. Maybe a little sweet but drinkable, especially at 12 1/2p per mug! Only had one box of 5 packs though. Occasionally have our usual choices at £3 - £3.50 per pack but more often £4/pack. OK for a top-up but not as cheap as Tass's own sale prices.
 
Marc said:
The suchard ones are nice and you get 16 in a pack so you can use 2 at a time to fill a mug
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I found with the Tassimo Cadbury chocolate also needed 2 pods to fill a mug so for hot chocolate, I'll stick with the powder form.
 
Nod said:
In normal times (remember them?), we were in Sainsbury's a couple of times a week most weeks and whenever they had soopadoopa offers on the pods we use, we'd clear the shelves. Best deal we ever got was £1 a pack for Costa Caramel Latte. Maybe a little sweet but drinkable, especially at 12 1/2p per mug! Only had one box of 5 packs though. Occasionally have our usual choices at £3 - £3.50 per pack but more often £4/pack. OK for a top-up but not as cheap as Tass's own sale prices.
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I know the supermarkets sell the Costa Lattes for a pound cheaper from time to time, they seems to take it in turns so probably something Tassimo do with each supermarket.
The other 2 I use I don't use them as often but I do grab them if I see them cheaper.
 
hashcake said:
I found with the Tassimo Cadbury chocolate also needed 2 pods to fill a mug so for hot chocolate, I'll stick with the powder form.
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Yes, but the Suchard ones taste nicer and are half the price. ;)
 
We found that the Suchard ones need to be kept on a radiator before use (in winter) or they don't fully empty. Kept using them because they're so much nicer than the Cadbury's.
 
Just had a delivery from Tassimo. Mrs Nod ordered it on Sunday.
 
Descaling light came on, the Tassimo descaling tablets are £6 for 4 (2 required at a time). Mrs F had bought a bottle of descaler for the kettle, £3 for 500mls (100mls required).

So £3 to descale the machine or 60p.
 
I’ve discovered that Lidl do some lovely Nespresso-compatible pods that are really cheap.
 
Marc said:
Descaling light came on, the Tassimo descaling tablets are £6 for 4 (2 required at a time). Mrs F had bought a bottle of descaler for the kettle, £3 for 500mls (100mls required).

So £3 to descale the machine or 60p.
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If you're in a low scale area, you can get away with just running the descale cycle with plain water. Unless you're in a high scale area, you can get away with a half dose of descaler.
 
Nod said:
If you're in a low scale area, you can get away with just running the descale cycle with plain water. Unless you're in a high scale area, you can get away with a half dose of descaler.
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Hard water area so needs to be done quite regularly. Think I read somewhere that the machines needed descaling every 4-6 months, the light came on after just 2.
 
Ours comes on every couple of months. I THINK it's calculated by the number pf drinks it's done rather than time. We're very low scale so only run a "proper" descale (liquid - far cheaper than the proper Tassimo tablets!) every 6 months or so. Don't forget the rinses!!!
 
Nod said:
Ours comes on every couple of months. I THINK it's calculated by the number pf drinks it's done rather than time. We're very low scale so only run a "proper" descale (liquid - far cheaper than the proper Tassimo tablets!) every 6 months or so. Don't forget the rinses!!!
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Yes, I followed the instructions

 
I use a bean to cup machine - it's descaling cycle is based on usage not time.
I wouldn't skimp on descaling as our first espresso machine died due to scaling up - once it's properly blocked there's no much you can do - prevention is much better than cure.
That said descaling fluid is just citric acid so I don't worry about using branded ones.
 
Had a weird one this morning. The usual amber light that appears on the start button when it's ready to make a drink, turned red. When I pressed it, it turned amber again but wouldn't start. Tried turning it off and on again, took the spout out and cleaned it, cleaned the bar code reader. It worked fine with the service disk, just not with any pods.

Strangely though, it eventually worked but would love to know why it happened and whether this is a fault that will require the machine having to be returned. I've had a quick google but it seems to just bring back results vor descaling and it's not that light that's coming on. I descaled it a week ago anyway.
 
The water level magnet/float wasn't stuck down, was it?
 
Might be worth running a descale just in case it's that. Maybe do a dry run (with no tablet) first to see of that clears the "fault".
 
Nod said:
Might be worth running a descale just in case it's that. Maybe do a dry run (with no tablet) first to see of that clears the "fault".
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Did a descale last week so not sure how it could be that. It's working now anyway.
 
Anything involving computers of any sort can be easily confused! TBH, I'd probably have returned your machine when it started taking a while to wake up - straight out of the box.
 
Marc said:
Did a descale last week so not sure how it could be that. It's working now anyway.
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Tassimo machines are preset to descale after 80 cups,
 
Are they? We get through 8 pods every day and I'm pretty sure we don't have to descale every 10 days. I'll try to remember to keep a count now!

I don't think Marc and Mrs F are as heavy users as we are.
 
Nod said:
Are they? We get through 8 pods every day and I'm pretty sure we don't have to descale every 10 days. I'll try to remember to keep a count now!

I don't think Marc and Mrs F are as heavy users as we are.
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I could have sworn that's what I read some years ago but a quick look on the Tassimo website says four times per year and thinking about it that's about how many times I descale mine.
 
hashcake said:
Tassimo machines are preset to descale after 80 cups,
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Nod said:
Are they? We get through 8 pods every day and I'm pretty sure we don't have to descale every 10 days. I'll try to remember to keep a count now!

I don't think Marc and Mrs F are as heavy users as we are.
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I'd say we get through about 30 drinks a week (around 45/50 pods). I've only had to descale twice in the 5 months we've had it. Certainly haven't used 80 drinks since last week.
 
Marc said:
I'd say we get through about 30 drinks a week (around 45/50 pods). I've only had to descale twice in the 5 months we've had it. Certainly haven't used 80 drinks since last week.
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Well descaling twice in 5 months seem different to what Tassimo state.
When my girlfriend stays with me I've noticed that I have to descale sooner.
I've experienced the above problem you've had and I believe was either the barcode reader needing cleaning or it was that the pod wasn't locked in properly which you can feel when you presse the locking lever.
 
hashcake said:
Well descaling twice in 5 months seem different to what Tassimo state.
When my girlfriend stays with me I've noticed that I have to descale sooner.
I've experienced the above problem you've had and I believe was either the barcode reader needing cleaning or it was that the pod wasn't locked in properly which you can feel when you presse the locking lever.
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Cleaned the bar code reader 3 times as well as trying with different pods before it started working again. As I said, it worked fine with the service disk.
 
I recently got an AeroPress, really love the coffee I get from it.
 
We order in bulk whenever Tassimo themselves have a sale on (usually 30% off). Not often they don't have everything we want. Not been to a physical supermarket for months so don't know what's on the shelves.
 
Brentor said:
Is anyone finding pods to be in short supply? I am.
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I order most from Tassimo and stocks are pretty good atm, even Chai Lattes are there whenever I look. I get the odd pack from Ocado and Costa lattes from Amazon
 
Marc said:
I order most from Tassimo and stocks are pretty good atm, even Chai Lattes are there whenever I look. I get the odd pack from Ocado and Costa lattes from Amazon
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Do you pay full price via Tassimo?
I've got 5 x boxes of the Costa lattes on subscription with Amazon and the latest price is 17.95.
 
So have I - for the Latté and the Americano. Couldn't find a subscription option for the Chai Lattés so will have to get them from Tassimo as and when we need them.
 
I know this is a bit of a necro-bump, but I just got a Tassimo Style for Christmas. I was wondering about the descaling. I put it through the recommended 3 runs before making any coffees - The machine comes with just the one tab in the water jug, how often will that need changing? Looking up the Tassimo tabs their site suggests 2 tags at a time but I'm assuming that's for larger capacity machines? The style is their smallest.

Also: Baileys Latte Machiatto is divine - even better when you add a shot of actual Baileys (y)
 
Cagey75 said:
I know this is a bit of a necro-bump, but I just got a Tassimo Style for Christmas. I was wondering about the descaling. I put it through the recommended 3 runs before making any coffees - The machine comes with just the one tab in the water jug, how often will that need changing? Looking up the Tassimo tabs their site suggests 2 tags at a time but I'm assuming that's for larger capacity machines? The style is their smallest.

Also: Baileys Latte Machiatto is divine - even better when you add a shot of actual Baileys (y)
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Depends what your water is like. I don't descale anything here in Manchester. You only need to descale if you have an issue with scaling.
 
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