Bosch Tassimo 4511UC Single-Serve Coffee Brewer

When the Tassimo hot beverage system first launched, it was made by Braun but designed by Saeco and Kraft.

In 2008 Tassimo updated their system, this time with Bosch as their partner.

Even though the older Braun single cup coffee maker was good, the new Bosch Tassimo has been completely re-designed.

Improvements include much quieter and much faster brewing. By adding a depressurize timeout to the end of the brew cycle, the machine sits for a few seconds, dribbles out coffee for a while and makes small ticking sounds until you can remove the T-disc. If you impatiently open the lid, hot steam whooshes out, as does hot, wet coffee grounds, causing a total mess.

We look at the better of the two Bosch Tassimos available, the Bosch Tassimo 4511UC Single-Serve Coffee Brewer. The main difference between the two is the cheaper version doesn't have a water filter so can hold a little more water, and the finishes are less pleasing.

The Tassimo single cup coffee maker doesn't use coffee pods, ESE espresso pods or K-cups. It's a one cup system that works exclusively with the patented Tassimo T-discs. Choose from over 40 varieties of hot beverages, which include single serve coffee classic blend and classic blend decaffeinated, cafe crema, espresso, latte, Keno cappuccino, Twining tea and Suchard hot chocolate.

Some of the large companies who make T-discs that work in the Bosch Tassimo are Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Gevalia, Maxwell House with most blends being excellent.

Each T-disc has an exact amount of coffee, tea, chocolate or concentrated milk and is sealed to ensure the quality and protect the flavors inside. Similar in size to a pod but 1/2 inch thick, it is made from non-recyclable plastic and covered in foil.

Each T-disc features a special barcode. When you insert the T-disc into the machine, a microprocessor reads the bar code printed on the foil label, and tells the machine the size of the drink, the amount of water required, its optimal temperature and how long to brew it, promising a perfect cup of coffee every time.

If coffee grounds cover the bar code, the yellow light remains on and the machine will not brew, in which case wipe off the excess grounds with a damp paper towel.

All the brewing happens inside the T-disc using an inverse flow as the water pushes through it. Because your beverage pours directly from the T-disc into your cup, the machine is kept clean and you can prepare different drinks straight after each other.

When inserting the T-disc, unlike the Keurig where the foil side stays up, with the Bosch Tassimo 4511 you flip the T-disc over and clamp down the jaw to puncture the disc.

The longer piercing unit narrows down toward the cup resulting in hardly any splatter.

To make a cup of single serve coffee, pick out your favorite T-disc, insert it, close the brew head, put your mug underneath, press the brew button, watch through a window at the top your coffee being made, and in about a minute you have a freshly brewed cup of hot, delicious coffee.

The T-discs work out to about 50 cents a cup, lattes and cappuccinos $1 a cup.

With the Bosch Tassimo 4511 you do not have the option of using your own coffee grounds.

The cost per cup of using pods or T-discs is higher than if you grind your own beans, but if you take into account the waste factor of regular coffeemakers and their minimum brewing quantities, the cartridge systems are competitive cost-wise at providing an almost instant cup of freshly brewed, hot coffee, and with some of the best single serve coffee available like the House Blend from Starbucks and the Breakfast Blend from Seattle's Best, the quality is superb.

Check out the range of T-discs you can get locally. Many of the brands are only available from Tassimo themselves, but when ordering from Tassimodirect, place your order by Wednesday because they only ship on Fridays. If you miss that deadline, you have to wait a week.

Occasionally you get a bad batch of T-discs where the foil tops rupture. It happens near the end of the brew cycle when there is a final burst of steam, resulting in hot water streaming out of the brewing area, and coffee grounds both inside and out. This is messy, dangerous and the coffee is undrinkable.

Apparently there is a design fault in the discs where a channel that lets that burst of steam escape, is too small and breaks the disc. It happens mostly with Cafe Crema but can happen with any of the others. Bosch are working on a new design and may even have sorted it out by now. When it was discussed with Tassimo they suggested using 'hard' tap water instead of bottled water.

The Bosch Tassimo 4511's compact, sleek design is gorgeous to look at. It has satin-silver panels, chrome accents and a stainless steel drip tray.

Dimensions of 8 inches wide, 13-1/4 inches deep and 11 inches high, translates into a compact, narrow footprint taking up little countertop space. It weighs 9 pounds, feels solid and you don't feel like you will break it when you clamp down on a T-disc. Depending on the stockist, colors include black, silver, red and orange.

Super easy to use, there is just one button to push for brewing. It also tells you what's happening in the brewer with standby, automatic, descale and refill water tank indicators on the LED dial.

The power button on the front of the machine is highly visible and easily turned off at night or when you go away instead of unplugging it.

The power cord is thin and any excess length is stored inside the bottom of the machine so your countertop always looks neat.

With the Bosch Tassimo 4511 you can adjust the brew strength of your beverage by using the manual function. During regular brewing, push the brew button again and again to make the coffee stronger; and after the regular brew cycle push the button to add water to make the coffee weaker. But you are unlikely to consistently get the exact same strength each time.

There are two different types of milk cartridges. Lattes use a regular steamed milk cartridge, and macchiato and cappuccinos frothed milk. It's the same milk but with different textures.

In both instances the milk is liquid, not powdered, so you don't need a steam wand or frothing attachment, and the drinks produced taste delicious. If your foam isn't as thick as you would like, try placing your cup a little further away from the spout to give it room instead of flattening it. The milk T-discs are shelf stable and hyper-pasteurized, eliminating the need for refrigeration.

The 8 oz hot chocolate is divine. Produced from liquid chocolate, not a powder, is probably why it's so tasty. After making hot chocolate you might need to wipe a little syrup from the piercing part.

The Bosch Tassimo 4511 is super easy to use; each cup heats and brews in about a minute with on demand water instead of heating the whole reservoir.

The brew temperature at the head is 192 degrees Fahrenheit and comes out piping hot into your cup at 172-175 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brewing is very quiet, slightly louder than the pump in a fish tank, so all you hear is a pleasant purring sound.

The extra large 67 oz removable water reservoir obviates the need for constantly refilling the tank. The built in handle makes carrying and filling easier. Clear with a blue tint, you can see at a glance what your water level is. Even better is the fill hole in the water tank cover which means you don't have to remove the lid each time you fill up.

The reservoir is fitted with a water filter and an LCD monitor tells you when the filter needs replacing. The filters are sold separately but two come with the machine.

Easy to dismantle, most of the movable parts, except for the water container, are dishwasher safe.

The brew spout assembly may need frequent cleaning or else your beverage will spatter on the counter. When making beverages with the 'milk' the unit should be cleaned after every cup.

A real plus of the Bosch Tassimo 4511 is the sturdy adjustable cup stand which you dial up or down to fit your espresso cup or regular sized coffee mug, or remove it entirely to fit larger travel mugs.

The machine is listed at $169 but prices vary. Amazon currently sell it for $134.95.

A cleaning system is included. It comprises an empty T-disc with bar code which takes the machine through an intensive rinse cycle. This is ideal if you have heavy water and need to de-scale your coffee maker often. The De-Scaler T-disc is stored behind the water tank inside the machine so you won't lose it.

After every brew cycle the machine automatically reverts to stand-by mode, saving energy.

The machine is not suitable for use above altitudes of 6,500 feet. Currently, it can be shipped only within the U.S. It comes with a one year parts and labor warranty, two Mavea Maxtra Water Filters and a T-disc starter kit to get you going. If you have problems Tassimo help you promptly and politely.

In conclusion, the Bosch Tassimo 4511 is a great hot beverage system which makes close to barista-type products - an excellent coffee crema, decent espresso and delicious hot chocolate in a choice of popular brands like Starbucks, Gevalia, Suchard and Twinings. Try the different T-discs to find the brew which matches your idea of perfection.

Being able to take all size mugs, including the travel mug, is great.

The downside is that there is no accessory which allows you to brew with your own grounds; and T-discs are unlikely to be sold at every local supermarket, but you can get the full range online.