Again, it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Coffee is always on my wish list.
For the past week I've been giving the
TASSIMO T55 Brewer and the new
Tim Hortons T-Discs a whirl in the Mmm... is for Mommy kitchen. Tim Hortons finally jumped into the single brew world and have decided to pair up with TASSIMO and their unique bar code reading brewing technology to do so.
There are three varieties of Tim Hortons T-DISCs available: regular, decaffeinated, and Latte. I wanted to jump right in to the deep end, so my first TASSIMO adventure was with a Tim Hortons Latte. When you open the package, you have one box of 8 espresso T-DISCs and 2 boxes of 4 latte (milk) T-DISCs.
After I set up the TASSIMO (the process is similar to when I set up my Keurig, you have to fill it up with water and purge it, repeatedly. A nice addition to the TASSIMO is the included Mavea water filter, so you can fill the water reservoir up right at the tap), I popped in the Tim Hortons Espresso T-DISC, now understanding how TASSIMO brewers can brew all of the fancy premium beverages... it's a step by step process, just like doing it by standard methods.
I watched as the TASSIMO brewer did it's thing and brewed up a cute little serving of espresso...
Yep, that's espresso alright... nice!
Now comes the the 'latte' part, the steamed milk and bit of foam. I have to admit, this is the part that I was worried about, could this concentrated milk product that's in the T-DISC possibly taste like fresh milk? We'll see..
At first, I watched the cup fill up with hot milk (the concentrated milk mixed with the hot water under pressure) and then top off with a nice bit of foam. This barcode technology really works, this machine is smart...
Not bad for a first go, my cup was a bit big (it tells you on the T-DISC box what size cup to use), but this mug is my favourite over the holidays.
Thumbs up... this was a really good latte. Sounds odd to say this, but it was exponentially better than the Tim Hortons latte I tried in-store when they first came out (I even had them make it twice, thinking something was wrong... in their defence it was when they first came out, maybe they've improved their process?).
After the latte testing, I had my parents over for coffee, two true blue Timmies drinkers. This would be the best test the regular Tim Hortons T-DISCs could get. They both loved the Tim Hortons brewed in the TASSIMO T55 and agreed that it tastes like a really good cup of Tim Hortons coffee (again, in-store seems to have some consistency issues).
I've been testing the Tim Hortons Decaffeinated T-DISCs in the evening and they are (yet again) better than the in-store decaf, probably because of the freshness of the brew.
The TASSIMO T55 Brewer and the Tim Hortons T-DISCs have earned themselves some more of my prime countertop real estate. It also seems like crow might be replacing turkey on the menu this holiday, because I've been eating it... both with my opinions towards TASSIMO (I was a hardcore Keurig fan), their milk T-DISCS (tastes just like fresh) and Tim Hortons coffee (much to my parents delight).
While the TASSIMO T55 Brewer can be found nationwide in various stores, the Tim Hortons T-DISCS can only be purchased at participating Tim Hortons restaurants and
online.
So, to make a Twilight reference (because I can), Bella wouldn't be complete with both Edward & Jacob in her life, so cut it out with this 'Team Edward' 'Team Jacob' nonsense. I know Keurig will always be my Edward, but TASSIMO has proven itself to be my Jacob (without any of that weird imprinting stuff and sadly without the abs) and I'll have room in my heart and my counter for both of them, with their various differences and similarities, forever.
Disclosure: I received complimentary product to be able to provide this review. Opinions on my blog are, as always, mine and are never for sale. For the record, I am Team Edward.
