Tassimo Bosch Suny Review
The popularity of pod coffee machines has exploded over the last five years or so.
It’s not difficult to work out why. Whatever you may think of the huge chains of coffee shops, they have made a whole host of different varieties of coffee much more accessible, and much more in demand.
It was inevitable that people would soon want to be able to make these themselves at home, and that companies would find ways to provide them with that. Today we will be looking at one of the popular Bosch pod machines in our Tassimo Bosch Suny review.
The main problem that they had to overcome, of course, is that it is hard to make a good coffee – baristas train for months, if not years, to be able to make quality coffees every time. It is unrealistic to expect the average Joe at home to have that level of commitment to making a better-than-average coffee.
Enter pod coffee machines. They have made it so easy to create the same sort of drinks you’d pay a few pounds for in a shop – often literally at the touch of a button. No training needed, and the results are great. The pods are increasing in availability and variety, so there is no real reason why you wouldn’t want one in your kitchen.
The problem now, though, is which one to get. There are so many on the market different makes, using different pods, for different budgets – which one is right for you?
Let us help – today we are looking at the Bosh Suny, which uses Tassimo pods. It’s at the higher end of the price range, so let’s see if it is worth the money.
Tassimo Bosch Suny Specifications
The first thing to note about this machine is that it looks great. A sleek, stylish design which will look at home in any kitchen. It manages to combine a traditional look with a modern one, and as it is available in a range of different colours, you can pick the one that fits your decor perfectly.
It also benefits from being quite compact, measuring just 30.5 x 16.7 x 25.1 cm, which means it will fit on most work tops. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve wracked up quite a few kitchen appliances over the years, that I like to have easy access to, so a small ‘footprint’ is definitely something I look for when adding to my collection!
There is a water tank located on the back of the machine. Measuring 0.8l, this will be enough water for 3 or 4 coffees, which is pretty standard for this type of machine. Personally, I prefer it when the tank can be accessed at the side of the machine, largely because it’s easier to get to the way I have my kitchen laid out, but it isn’t a big problem at all.
As the Suny uses exclusively Tassimo pods, it also benefits from their patented INTELLIBREW technology. This is a fantastic feature which involves an integrated barcode reader, which acknowledges the pods and calibrates the system settings to correspond with the drink you are making. No complicated setup – a quick scan and then you are ready to go.
Another neat little feature to make your life as simple as possible is the SmartStart. This means that in order to start the process, all you need to do is place your cup so it touches the machine, and, having already calibrated the settings, it will kick into action.
There is an automatic shut off which kicks in after a period of inaction, to save on energy consumption. It also, thanks to the INTELLIBREW technology, only heats up the water needed for that drink, so you don’t waste energy there either.
You get a ‘blank’ T-disc with the machine, which you place in the pod slot when you need to use the built in cleaning function, which you start by pressing the button on the side of the machine.
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What It’s Like To Use The Tassimo Bosch Suny
You may have got a few hints from the previous section about how this one might pan out.
Bosch have made every effort to ensure that making coffee with the Suny is as simple as possible, and the two main features really do the trick.
First of all you have INTELLIBREW. For many pod coffee machines, the only thing you really have to think about is adjusting the settings to fit whichever drink you are making (more water for a longer drink etc). Well, you don’t even have that to worry about here!
Once you have checked that there is enough water in the machine, and filled it up as needed, you turn on the machine and wait 27 seconds for the machine to heat up. Then, you simply put one of the Tassimo pods into the slot and the barcode scanner will automatically set up the machine. It is literally that simple.
When describing how easy a machine is to use, I often fall back on the phrase “at the touch of a button”. I’m not alone in that – it’s a phrase that is synonymous with ease and convenience.
Well, it is quite a statement for me to say; you don’t even need to touch a button with this machine.
The SmartStart means that in order to start the drink-making process, all you need to do is place your cup under the dispenser, making sure to touch the front of the machine in the process. As soon as you make the connection, the water will start heating and, with the settings already calibrated, you can sit back and wait the short amount of time (a matter of seconds depending on which drink you are having) for your drink to be ready.
The Tassimo pods are a key factor in the simplicity too. With most other types, you might have other responsibilities when it comes to making your drink – frothing the milk, for example. You don’t have that issue with Tassimo though, as all the pods are specially tailored to make the complete drink – although you can add more water if required.
Cleaning is incredibly easy as well. Simply place the yellow cleaning disc, which slots in handily under the side of the machine, into the pod slot and press the clean button. There is a descale function as well, which you activate when the machine tells you to, via a flashing light. They’ve thought of everything!
So, to answer the heading of this section ‘What it’s like to use’ – It’s incredibly easy to use. In fact, I can’t think of a way that they could make it any easier – although I admit that I did say something similar when I first reviewed a product that only had the INTELLIBREW technology, and no SmartStart, so maybe I’m just not imaginative enough!
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Taste Test
Ultimately, it all comes down to this. There is no point creating an all-singing, all-dancing machine, that does everything automatically, if you end up with a drink about as tasty as an instant coffee.
Well, the first thing I tend to point out when reviewing any kind of coffee maker is that you can only expect results as good as the coffee you put into it. Often, that can be a bit of a minefield in itself – there are so many different varieties of coffee on the market, that it can be difficult to tell which ones you are going to get the best results with.
With Tassimo machines, though, you do not have that problem. They are only compatible with the official Tassimo pods, which are all linked to some of the more popular drinks companies (Costa, Kenco, L’OR, and even Cadbury’s, Twinings and Milka for the non-coffee drinks). In short. You know what you are going to get from these pods.
So once you have selected your pods, there is very little that can go wrong. The machine takes care of the amount of water, so you know that the strength will be exactly as intended. Similarly, if you are having a milky coffee, you know the machine will take care of that as well.
What you end up with is a, beautifully presented, perfectly tasting coffee from one of the leading brands in the coffee industry. I would suggest that you will struggle to tell the difference between a cup made with this machine and one you would buy from, let’s say, Costa.
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Verdict
At the beginning of this review, I mentioned how pod coffee machines have made it so much easier to drink barista-style coffees at home. Well, I don’t think there is another machine on the market that makes it as easy as the Tassimo Bosch Suny.
If you’re not a fully-trained barista, the more input you have in making a coffee (and I mean this with all due respect and am talking to myself as well here), the more can go wrong. You probably can’t froth the milk perfectly every time. You will get the strength wrong for the specific type of coffee.
You don’t have to worry about any of that with this machine, however. You don’t even have to worry about pushing a button for crying out loud! Pod in, cup in place and within 60 seconds of turning the machine on, you will have your coffee – as good as you’d get in a shop.
I appreciate that there are plenty of people that want to tinker and experiment when making a coffee – I do too! But pod coffee machines are never going to be the best way to do that, and sometimes you just want a decent coffee made quickly, without even having to think about it.
And for that, the Tassimo Bosch Suny cannot be beaten. If this is what you want from a coffee machine, put this one on your shortlist.