Drink discovery: Tassimo beverage system

So it's probably not exactly the drink you were thinking of, but this is the one I see the most often. Coffee is coffee, but coffee pots range wildly in price. This particularly model is more than $100, but Tim has lusted over it since before Christmas, so I finally broke down and got it for his birthday.

It's quite the fancy little toy. The coffee pot itself has a large, covered reservoir and this scary looking compartment. This particular model has a special pod you have to use with it. Each pod is a one-time deal and has a filter system inside. This is usually more wasteful than I would go with, but it's about everyday decadence I suppose.

The little pods also have bar codes on it that tell the machine whether to make a tall herbal tea of a small espresso. There's an adjustable stand for your mug and each pod makes one cup. Once you put the pod in the machine, you press it shut so that the pod is pierced by the mechanism. The machine takes a moment to read the bar code and then the indicator light will go green. Press the button and it will brew away. Remove your coffee, throw away the pod and it's all done. I got a cappuccino set to start with and it came with an espresso pod and a pod that made the steamed milk, but I think most beverages are a single pod.

And while this is a pricey little luxury, it is a luxury. The machine is a bit loud, but it makes a great cup of joe. I don't know how much coffee you have to drink to make this worth the cash, but everyone needs a little bit of heaven in their kitchen.