Bosch Tassimo Joy Review
There are many different reasons why pod coffee machines have become so popular over the last 5 years or so, but I think they all come back to one thing – simplicity.
To be able to make a good coffee, the sort that you might be spending a few pounds on in a coffee shop, with no training, no specialist skills and in very little time is why so many kitchens in Britain are now home to one of these little machines.
The problem can be though, with so many on the market, finding the perfect one for you and your needs. Do you go for an all singing, all dancing spectacular machine with integrated milk frother? Or are you more at home with a one-button does it all, simple-to-use machine? Also, the variety in the budget for these pod coffee machines is massive.
Whatever you think you need, let us help. We look at some of the best machines on the market to help you make the best decision.
Today, we are bringing you our Bosch Tassimo Joy review – which takes a look at one of the cheaper machines available on the market today. Let’s see how it performs in our review.
Bosch Tassimo Joy Specifications
All Tassimo machines are created by Bosch, which should immediately give you some reassurance when it comes to what you can expect from these coffee pod machines – they are going to look good and involve some technological innovation.
The Bosch Tassimo Joy does not let us down.
Starting with the appearance; it’s a very attractive machine. You can see straight away that effort has been put into making this machine sleek and elegant, but at the same time, uncomplicated. It will look at home in almost any kitchen, adding a little bit of style, without standing out amongst your other appliances.
Measuring 33.3 x 23 x 28.9cm, it’s slightly bigger than quite a few of the competitors, and there are a few Tassimo machines that are smaller, like the Suny and the Vivy2, but having said that, the Joy doesn’t take up that much kitchen counter ‘real estate’, so you will probably find that you have plenty of room for it.
The main reason for the slightly larger size of this machine is that it has a much larger water tank, able to fit up to 1.4 litres of water. This means that you don’t have to constantly refill the tank every time you make a drink.
I would often warn against leaving water sat in the machine, as it can impact the taste of your coffee if you don’t use water fresh from the tap. However, the Tassimo Joy has an inbuilt BRITA Maxtra water filter (you get a free BRITA cartridge when you buy the machine), which purifies the water before the coffee is made. You can be sure that you are only using the best water when you make your drinks.
As with all new Bosch Tassimo machines, the Joy is fitted with the innovative INTELLIBREW™ technology. This is such a clever feature – basically every Tassimo pod has a barcode printed on it, and every Tassimo machine has a barcode scanner built into it. When you load a pod, the machine will automatically scan the barcode and then calibrate the settings to fit the drink.
As you can imagine, this drastically reduces the need for any other controls. On the front of the machine you will see just an ‘on/off’ switch and then a large ‘start/stop’ button – it all adds to the simplicity of the design of the machine.
There is also a handy little display on the front of the machine, just above the ‘start/stop’ button which will indicate the power and the status of the drink-making process.
You are also supplied with a special ‘T-disc’ (what Tassimo call their pods) to clean and descale the machine with.
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What It’s Like To Use
Having read the previous section on the Bosch Tassimo Joy’s specifications, you may have already picked on one key feature that they are pushing with this machine. It can be summed up in one word: simplicity.
It seems to be the main thing that Tassimo (and Bosch) really focus on with all of their machines, and it really hits home when you start using the Joy. Let’s walk through the process step-by-step and you’ll see for yourself how easy it all is.
First of all, turn on the machine by switching the switch. Then you’ll need to fill up the water tank at the back of the machine. It is a little fiddly to get to if you have your machine (as I did) up against a wall, but the good news is that as the tank is so large (1.4 litres) you won’t need to fill it up very often. You’ll get 6 or more cups from that amount of water, depending on what drink you’re choosing.
Which leads me nicely onto the next step – selecting your drink. There are over 40 different types of pod (or T-disc) you can use with a Tassimo machine – more on that later. Once you have selected your pod, you simply place it in the compartment at the top.
This is where the clever INTELLIBREW™ technology kicks in. The barcode will be automatically scanned and the settings on the machine will be calibrated to the optimum settings for that particular drink – you don’t have to do anything.
Next, place your cup into position. The drinks tray is adjustable, meaning that if you are using a small cup, like an espresso cup, you can raise it higher to avoid splashing, or if you are using a large cup, like a latte cup, you can lower the tray so your cup can fit in comfortably.
Once everything is in place, you press the start button. With everything else already sorted, you can just wait the few seconds it takes for your drink to be poured – and then you are good to go!
Now, I have really walked you through every tiny step that you will need to consider there. It is far more likely that the whole process for you on a day-to-day basis will be: turn on machine, insert pod, position cup, press start. Even in the most first-thing-in-the-morning, bleary-eyed state, you should be able manage that!
When it comes time to clean, that is also predictably simple. You simply use the T-disc that is supplied with the machine (don’t throw it away like I’ve heard that some people do!) and press start – the machine will clean itself.
There is nothing complicated about the Bosch Tassimo Joy, and very little that can go wrong. It’s all very intuitive, and I would imagine that within a few minutes of getting it out of the box, you will have successfully made your first coffee. The first of many!
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Why Should I Buy The Tassimo Joy?
It’s not my job to sell this machine to you – all I can do is tell you what it is like and you can then make a purchasing decision partly based on that. However, I can say with a degree of certainty that this machine will really suit a lot of people.
It won’t be for everyone, but if you really enjoy decent coffee and would like the means to make the ‘fancier’ drinks that you might get in a specialist coffee shop, at home, then this could suit you. What’s more, the process of making these drinks is so simple that I really don’t think you can go wrong. You’ll get fantastic results every single time.
One of the quirks of having a Tassimo machine is that they have exclusive rights to produce the pods. When compared to the main competitors, Nespresso and Dolce Gusto, whose pods can be made by anyone (from independent coffee roasters to budget supermarkets), there are far fewer pods available on the market.
The pods that are available, though, are licensed by some of the major drinks brands in the world. Costa, L’or, Kenco all make Tassimo pods, while you can even get pods for non-coffee drinks from Twinings, who do a range of teas, while Cadbury, Oreo and even Baileys do a variety of chocolate based drinks.
What I’m trying to say is, if these brands are what you look for in a coffee, then a Tassimo machine could be right for you. You know exactly what you are going to be getting from these pods.
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Verdict
At the start of this article, I highlighted the simplicity that having a pod coffee machine offers. Well, the Bosch Tassimo Joy is the embodiment of that simplicity.
From first look, the classic sleek design, with the one large button on the front, you know that there is nothing to be intimidated by with this machine. The whole process is so straightforward, my 3-year-old could operate it, and even down to the selection of pods – there is nothing complicated about making really good coffees with this machine.
If you just want a good coffee quickly and simply, then this is the machine for you. At a mid-price range, it offers you everything you could want at an affordable cost.