Tassimo

Tassimo is a consumer hot beverage system that prepares one-cup servings of espresso, regular coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and various other coffee drinks, notably those including milk such as latte or cappuccino. It was first introduced in France in 2004 and is now also available in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Canada and Austria. The machines were developed by Kraft Foods Inc., are manufactured by Saeco International Group S.p.A. and distributed by Braun GmbH. The products are manufactured by Kraft.

Tassimo has two units for purchase in U.S. stores. One unit has a water filter included and has an MSRP of $169.99 (pictured right), the other unit is almost identical (except for a black start button and smaller reservoir) and has no water filter and has an MSRP of $129.99.

The machine operates with all Tassimo labeled pods, called T-Discs. The beverages range in price from $0.31 to $1.12 per drink depending on the product.

In 2006, Kraft took a $245 million non-cash pre-tax asset impairment charge related to lower utilization of existing manufacturing capacity. In addition, Kraft anticipates cash expenditures of approximately $3 million for the decommissioning of idle production lines.

In 2008, P&G/Braun announced they were getting out of the home appliance product line, including Tassimo. New machines, already available in Europe, are being provided by Bosch. At the same time, in August 2008, Kraft announced double-digit growth for the second quarter in a row for its Tassimo coffee T-Disc sales.

Technology

The system utilizes proprietary beverage pods called Tassimo discs (T-Discs), which are produced and distributed by Kraft. Each has a bar code printed on its label. Once inserted, the Tassimo machine reads the bar code to calculate the amount of water, brewing time, and temperature for the specific beverage. The brewing process takes between 30-60 seconds. Discs containing milk use UHT milk, not powdered milk.

Beverages

The following beverages are currently available for Tassimo († = internet orders only):

ee also

*Caffitaly
*Flavia
*Keurig
*Nespresso
*Saeco
*Senseo
*Singles capsules

External links

* [http://www.tassimo.com Official Tassimo web site]
* [http://www.singleservecoffee.com/archives/002733.php Product review from Single Serve Coffee]
* [http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2006/01/imus_and_tassim.html Imus and Tassimo Tie-Up One of the Better Promos Around]