Nespresso vs. Tassimo

Nespresso and Tassimo are two of the most prolific and well-known coffee brands in the world. Their coffee machines are looked at as some of the best at-home devices you can own. So that begs the question: Who is better?

Nespresso overview

Nespresso was started in 1975 by Nestle worker Eric Favre. It was first created in Switzerland at Nestle’s headquarters. It is well known as being one of the first espresso machines to have the experience and quality of an Italian coffee shop from the comfort of your own home. The mixture of quality coffee beans and high-quality machinery made Nespresso the biggest coffee machine manufacturer in the world. The first few years of Nespresso machines were followed by a lot of failures before the change of marketing made Favre switch from marketing the coffee machine (and the capsules) to companies and focusing on marketing towards coffee enjoyers at home.

Tassimo overview

Tassimo was started much later than Nespresso, with the first Tassimo coffee machine being made and distributed by Kraft Foods in 2004. In 2008, Tassimo’s parent company, Bosch, started to manufacture a new line of Tassimo coffee machines. Around this time, Kraft Foods announced the T-discs, which are the Tassimo’s version of the coffee pod.

Size and quality

As we are looking at Nespresso vs. Tassimo, we need to look at every aspect, and for us, one of the most important things is affordability and look. We understand that not every person has the same budget and the same space for their coffee machines, and this could be a big factor in your decision. Nespresso machines are costly and are made for the most prolific coffee drinkers with a passion for coffee making. The space is an important factor; if you have a big kitchen space, a Nespresso machine would be a good fit for you.

However, Tassimo is smaller and more compact; the machines are made for the average high-quality coffee enjoyer and less so for coffee connoisseurs. The colour variety of the Tassimo machines proves this, as they have the standard black, white, and cream and then the more out there red. The compact design fits a smaller kitchen space, which not everyone has in abundance. Nespresso coffee pod machines use the colours Titan (dark grey), silver, and piano black; those colours and the size of the machines add to the higher quality experience Nespresso offers, which is reflected in the price.

Tassimo Pods and Recyclability

Tassimos coffee pods’, also known as T-discs, have created a specific niche for Tassimo; they have regular collaborations; they did one with Oreo, for example, which is a big seller and marketing opportunity for Tassimo. The Tassimo pods are recycled with their ‘Podback’ system, which means you either give your used pods back to Tassimo via the Podback system by getting them picked up from your home or taking them to your closest Collect+ store to be collected.

Tassimo’s highest-selling coffee pods range from Costa pods, like Americano, to Cadbury’s hot chocolate. The coffee drinks they offer, like black Americanos, have two different sizes, which further adds to their variety of pods. Bosch Tassimo is very big on recycling its products, but especially its coffee pods. So having a recycling system in place is a huge plus for the company and its customers.

Nespresso pods and recyclability

Nespresso pods are regarded as the best coffee pods on the market; none of their coffee options includes milk pods, meaning fresh milk is needed, which enhances the taste of the milk-based drinks Nespresso sells. Nespresso’s main collaborator is Starbucks; their hot chocolate pods are one of the highest-selling hot drinks they offer.

The coffee pod options Nespresso offers come in a variety of sizes and flavours. They have 5 pod sizes: espresso, double espresso, Gran Lungo, Mug, and Alto (a large cup of black coffee).

Nespresso pods can be recycled in three separate ways: by dropping the used pods off at a local Nespresso boutique waste collection centre, giving them to the postman who takes them away to be recycled, or dropping them at a collect+ point.

Nespresso vs. Tassimo milk-frothing options

Nespresso and Tassimo both have machines that have milk frothing options, more so Nespresso, as most Tassimo pods come with milk capsules, but the machines we will be looking at in more detail today, Tassimos Vivy 2 and the Nespresso Vertuo, do not have steam wands.

Machine maintenance

Both machines are very similar for cleaning; they both have parts that need to be cleaned and descaled once a month with hot, soapy water, and they both have a cleaning cycle that also needs to be run once a month.

Nespresso does have the edge for maintenance, however, as it can be connected to your wifi and phone via their companion app, which tells you the water status and allows for software updates inside the machine.

Nespresso vs. Tassimo cost efficiency

In the battle of Tassimo vs. Nespresso, one thing may be the most important, and that is the price. Buying a machine, owning the machine, cleaning the machine, and paying for compatible pods for each machine. It is all very expensive.

This is also reflected in the fact that if you want a higher-end Nespresso machine with a steam wand attached, you will have to pay more. As stated before, we will look at two espresso machines, one from Tassimo and one from Nespresso, and compare them to help you make this decision.

The Nespresso Vertuo starts at £149 as the base price, which is a large chunk of money for a Nespresso pod coffee machine. With this machine, you get 30 free pods, which is essentially 30 free coffees, whether it’s a latte, a cappuccino, or tea. They have a wide range of pods you can select from, and overall, it’s a good deal.

Tassimo, on the other hand, is around £65 but comes with a total of 56 capsules, or you can pay £75 and get 112 capsules. Both deals are great, and getting 56/112 free coffees with your machine is a fantastic incentive. Either machine makes one coffee at a time, and neither comes with milk frothers. So both Nespresso and Tassimo coffee pod machines have good deals attached, so what other costs do you have to think about?

Nespresso vs. Tassimo pod subscriptions

Both Nespresso-compatible pods and Tassimo-compatible pods have a wide range of flavours and a good starting deal with the coffee pod machines, so this means the pods are the next big purchase you will need to make. Both companies offer coffee subscriptions, meaning you can get great coffee delivered directly to your door. Instead of going to supermarkets like Tesco, you can pay for a coffee subscription.

Tassimos subscriptions range from £35 to £97; you can change the subscriptions to monthly, bimonthly, or every 3 months, with prices ranging depending on the amount you purchase. Looking at this as a price alone is fairly daunting, but the amount of coffee you will get is worth the price, and you are also paying for convenience; not buying pods weekly or monthly at supermarkets will be an incentive, and having them hand delivered is a positive.

For Nespresso, their subscription has a thorough questionnaire. The prices range from £38 a month, which makes 1 coffee a day, to £88 a month, which makes 4 coffees a day. The quality of the coffee that the pod machines produce is subjective; the average coffee fan may find a Nespresso coffee too strong or Tassimos lattes too weak, etc., but this is why we believe you should go to one of your local Nespresso boutiques and try a cappuccino or a latte and see if you enjoy it!

A negative for these subscriptions is that you have to pay for delivery costs, but you do get a percentage off depending on your subscription. Which you wouldn’t get from going to your local supermarket and getting some instant coffee.

Settling the debate

Whether it’s a hot chocolate, a chai latte, or some more milky drinks you are after, both of these machines have their ups and downs. The Tassimo and Nespresso pod coffee machines we looked at today can only make one drink at a time.

Nespresso pod machines may make better coffee or they may have a wider range of pods, but that doesn’t mean you should count out Tassimo’s ability to make a delicious hot drink. A nice cup of Costa hot chocolate or one of their Costa lattes is a treat in and of itself, and their cheaper machines do help in deciding who is better. But if you are buying a high-quality pod machine, you should look no further than Nespresso. Their flat white or their Starbucks collaboration cappuccinos are some of their best sellers, and for good reason.

At the end of the day, the decision you make will be based on how much coffee you drink and what type of coffee you like. If you need the best quality coffee and money is of no issue to you, then the espresso machine is your best option, but for cost efficiency and for people with a smaller kitchen who still love coffee, Tassimo is a perfect option for you. If a Nespresso machine is on offer and you do love coffee, then don’t hesitate to purchase it, as you will be able to tell the difference between the machine and the quality. But for the cost alone, array of pod choices, and build, the Tassimo machine is the winner here.

The environmental impact of Tassimo, the ease of cleaning, the pod choices, the cost, and the design—all of these things put Tassimo in a great place on the market.

In our opinion, neither of these machines beat out the Dolce Gusto machines we looked at in our ‘Tassimo vs. Dolce Gusto’ review. Dolce Gusto is for those who are not short of a budget, though, so if budget is your issue, stick with Tassimo!

We know a lot of this is personal preference, your standards for hot chocolate, tea, lattes etc. will vary so we do implore you to try both for yourself and make your own decision.