Our review of the Tassimo T55 Single Cup Home Brewing System.

Until recently we have used an early version of the Tassimo T20.

This isn’t our primary coffee maker. Most of the time we use our Bonavita drip brewer.

But for those occasions when we want a coffee later in the day, we like to use a single-serve brewer. Just one cup, with no waste.

Many moons ago that single-serve machine was a Keurig. But our old Keurig brewer made only coffee, not drinks like cappuccinos. That’s when we turned to Tassimo.

So why the upgrade from the T20 to the T55?

Well, I was visiting with one of my sons and he has the T55. I took a shine to it, for a number of reasons.

First, I prefer the look of the new T55. Purely subjective I know, but I like the design better.

I also like the fact that the water reservoir includes a filter. Our tap water isn’t bad, but having it filtered again through the coffee machine certainly doesn’t do any harm. 

Remember, your coffee is mostly water. Any taste in the water will mess with the final flavor of your coffee.

Another improvement is the option to increase or reduce the size of your drink at the touch of a button.

The big, round brew button delivers a regular-sized coffee. But if you first press the rim around the button at the top, you get a slightly taller drink…good for large mugs and travel mugs.

Press the rim at the bottom first and you get a smaller drink. Good for smaller coffee cups.

Of course, whatever the size of the brew, the amount of coffee in the T-disc remains the same. So a larger coffee will be a little weaker, and a small one slightly stronger.

One of the first drinks I tried was a small-sized cappuccino, which I liked. You get a fuller, richer taste.

Other than that, the improvements with the T55 are largely minor or cosmetic.

Funnily enough, what originally drove me to get the T55 was the fact that I thought it brewed faster. When I was making a cappuccino at my son’s place, I got the impression that the process was faster that with my old T20.

But when I got home and bought my own machine, it turns out the brew times are exactly the same - two minutes and twenty seconds for the milk and espresso combined.

Is it worth the extra money to go out and buy the Tassimo T55? Well, if your current brewer is working just fine, I wouldn’t be in a rush.

But if, like me, your old single-cup brewer is getting long in the tooth, and you like the idea of having something that looks better and has a few more brew options – and a water filter built in - go for it.

Of course, as with any Tassimo brewer, you can buy discs not only for several brands of coffee, but also for cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate and various types of tea.

If you can’t find the Tassimo T55 locally, you can always order one through Amazon.com.

About the author: Nick Usborne, aka Coffee Detective, is a writer and long-time coffee enthusiast. Read more…