What’s one thing that us parents of children with diabetes have in common? Yes, we are all overtired. I like a hot drink in the morning to wake me up. But mornings are such a rush that I don’t always get it. Couple that with the fact that I’m the only coffee drinker in the house. If only my husband was a coffee drinker because maybe there would be a pot of coffee waiting for me in the morning!
(In all honesty, even suggesting that he make me coffee in the morning is asking for more than my share. I am lucky that he makes the kids breakfast and readies Q’s backpack for the day while I take a hot shower in peace and quiet.)
Bosch asked if I would like to try the new Tassimo by Bosch T20 Single Serve Coffee Brewer. Single serve coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. Yes, please.
There is a Starbucks near my son’s preschool, but my decaf white chocolate mocha and a slice of pumpkin loaf sets me back over $6 a pop, ouch. Not to mention it doesn’t help with the waistline!
When I took the coffeemaker out of the box, my husband said, “Hey, isn’t that the coffeemaker that’s a robot?” I guess he’d seen this video:
I’ve been using the new TASSIMO T20 by Bosch for about 2 weeks now and I’m totally loving it.
My sister really, really wanted one for Christmas and I debated passing it along to her, but I decided that at this point, I’m really not willing to part with it! Now the debate is whether to leave it at home or take it into work.
Pros
I’m usually completely rushed and running behind in the morning, but I have managed each morning, even on school and work days, to get a coffee made for myself and into a travel mug. I plan on ordering the tea discs and making my own iced tea.
The cost per serving varies, but it’s definitely less expensive than ordering coffee from Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or McDonald’s, especially if you like specialty drinks. Plus you aren’t tempted like me to add that pumpkin loaf to your order!
For one-cup-a-day drinkers like myself, this is a great way to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea without having to brew an entire pot and allows yourself the variety of having many choices. I used to have a cappuccino maker and believe me, The Tassimo T20 makes cappuccinos easy peasy!
I found that the froth on the Starbucks Cappuccino Primo was just perfect and I liked that I could add a bit more water at the end of my espresso. (You have 20 seconds to add more water at the end of a brewing cycle though I wish that there wasn’t a time limit because sometimes I got distracted and missed my window.)
For those counting carbs, if I recall correctly, the Starbucks Primo Cappucino was only 3 grams of carbs. The bad news is that the nutrition info for each of the T-discs is on the outer wrapper that you throw away and is not also listed on the inner boxes that the discs are stored in. And I cannot find the nutritional info on Tassimo’s website, nor on Amazon where I ordered some refills.
And the bar code technology is pretty cool. It tells the machine exactly how to make the drink each time.
Now, if only the Tassimo T20 would get up at 2:00 am and check blood sugars!
Cons
I looked at Target for refills and they had a variety of the refills, but not the ones I wanted. I wanted decaf cappuccino or lattes. If you want some of the more common varieties, I think you’d be in luck at one of your local stores, but if you want something a little more unusual, you’ll probably end up ordering from Amazon or from the company’s site.
When I ordered refills from Amazon, I did receive a discount (see below) and since my total purchase was over $25 including other items, I received free shipping.
If you make a milky drink (cappuccino, latte, hot cocoa) you’ll have to do a cleaning cycle which creates a couple more minutes of work for yourself. It’s not a huge deal because you just put an empty mug on the platform and run a cycle using the cleaning disc that is stored in the back of the unit.
Another con is that there is a bit excess packaging waste. The discs create waste (twice the waste if you are making a milk drink with 2 discs). Is this more waste than if you bought a drink at Starbucks and got a throw away cup and a sleeve and had to use gas to get yourself there? I don’t know. But it’s a trade off that you’ll have to be willing to make.
And the biggest con is probably the $129.99 price tag. Maybe the technology to instantly make super hot water isn’t cheap. My husband wondered if it is similar to tankless water heaters. This does seem like a quality product and I know many small appliances are this expensive. That being said, I’m am really enjoying my morning coffee!
Product Description (from Tassimo)
- Better brewing by design TASSIMO is a brewing system unlike any other; Remarkable in its ability to offer an exceptional combination of quality, convenience, consistency and versatility, only TASSIMO offers a choice of coffee
- Variety enjoy over 40 beverage varieties from 12 distinct brands. Choose from coffee, cappuccinos and lattes made with real milk, cream, tea and hot chocolate; TASSIMO is the only hot beverage system to feature perfectly brewed Starbucks coffee
- Smart Technology; unique bar code technology allows the brewer to read a bar code on each T DISC and deliver a perfect cup each and every time, each T DISC’s bar code signals to the machine the optimal amount of water and temperature required
- Exclusive flow-through water heater for faster, quieter brewing, a Bosch exclusive feature channels the water through tight coils and heats them on contact. This heats the water extremely quickly and more efficiently than traditional methods
You can order the Tassimo by Bosch T20 Single Serve Coffee Brewer from my affiliate Barnes & Noble or purchase it at a variety of retailers.
Giveaway
(This giveaway is closed. Thank you for entering.)
Read the official giveaway rules. Entry deadline January 7, 2011. US mailing addresses only.
Bosch sent me a Tassimo T20 for editorial consideration. I have an affiliate relationship with Barnes & Noble and receive a small commission on purchases. Monetary compensation was not received and opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure statement.
{ 60 comments }
I’m up multiple times throughout the night for blood sugar checks and feeding our 2 month old twins. The only thing keeping me up and going throughout the day is coffee and tea, and the occasional pepsi. This would be awesome.
The demands of the day and of diabetes care is what gets me going in th morning.
How nice would it be to have a yummy cappuccino to assist me as well!!
What gets me up and going in the mornings?? Coffee and lots of it, especially when for those 3AM checks at night. If we are out of coffee then the old standby is coke but really my day doesn’t start until that first cup : )
I get up before 6:00 AM to set up breakfast, my son’s meter, insulin, and get lunches ready for my two teenagers. My husband races out the door at 6:30, and the school bus comes at 6:45. It is only after my son is gone and I am sure he has his meter, insulin, carb appropriate lunch, and a snack if his sugar drops can I sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. I know I am not alone!
What gets me up in the morning? Usually, the rooster-like shrieks that come from the room of my two-yr old. Coffee is a close second.
My two year old is my alarm clock every morning- followed by blood sugar checks, breakfast, shower and coffee. Depends on how the night was as to how much coffee it takes to really get me going….
As most parents of a cwd, I NEED caffeine in the morning to help me get going. As a person who lives in a non-coffee drinking household (I don’t even own a coffee pot!), I rely on Coke Zero to get me jumpstarted in the a.m. I do however enjoy a hot chocolate or a sweet coffee drink on occasion and have been strongly considering a single serve unit.
I wld like to win this for my husband. For the past 10 yrs, he has taken on the additional responsibility of being my night~time guardian constantly checking my sugar levels and reviving me from my dangerous lows. What gets him going in the morning to his job in protecting the community, is a strong cup of coffee from home or Starbucks, whic adds up. Fingers crossed =)
Hubby says he wants one, but only if it works like the commercial. I think he is out of luck don’t you
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I would love to win this coffee pot. As parents of 2 T1 children ages 9 & 7, neither of us have slept through the night since the date of my oldest childs diagnosis at the age of 10 months old. It is going on 9 years. A good cup of coffee in the morning is a comforting wake up for the whole house to smell, and the parents to enjoy. A good cup of warm coffee is a subtle reminder of the joys of life after a night of testing two children making sure one child’s numbers come down while giving the other child a juice and hoping they come up. The mornings are rushed packing two lunches, writing all the carbs down for each, getting ready and out the door, so a quick single serve cup of coffee would be heaven on those busy days!!!!
Oh, me please! The only thing that keeps me up and going is a whole lot of caffeine! Coffee, diet coke, anything with a little boost to it! Exercising helps too, but that only comes after lots of that coffee!
I wanted one for Christmas sooooo bad but did not get one
great giveaway!! Count me in if Canadians can win!!
I have been wanting one of these, but alas, it was way out of Santa’s budget this year. I got a little Christmas cash, but not quite enough. Winning one would be amazing!
What gets me up in the morning? Sad but true, most days I wake up with an instant panic feeling, wondering if DD is ok. (This is thanks to a recent diabetic seizure she had while asleep.) Once I’ve checked on her, it’s on to a hot shower and some sort of caffeinated drink. I admit that many days I don’t have time to mess with coffee and just grab an icy cold Mountain Dew… I’ve really gotta quit doing that!
What really gets me up in the morning is my 2 year old sticking his fingers in my nose!
but after that, I NEED MY COFFEE!!
Would love to win!!!
I’m always on the go and must have my COFFEE! Keeping up with my two very hyper girls and my hubby, kinda hard to get through a day without it!
purrkittypurr79@yahoo.com
‘Hope’ gets me up in the mornings. Hope that someone will discover a cure for diabetes and today will be the day.
While hope gets me up, coffee keeps me going throughout the day. I have been wanting and wishing for a Kuerig or a Tassimo for the last 3 months and have ben trying to scrimp and save for one, but D always steals away and extra $ with extra needs.
::sigh::
Oh what a wonderful day it would be to wake up and discover I won. Yep! Almost as good as hearing there is a cure
Knowing that I have many things to do gets me up in the morning.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
What gets me up and going in the morning? A great cup of coffee. The first cup is always the best cup because your mind is still fogged and sleep deprived and there is nothing like the smell of fresh coffee brewing that puts a smile on my face and a kick in my step! I don’t usually get to enjoy a second cup; but what a great option the Tassimo can provide by offering coffee, tea or hot chocolate…yum!
What gets me up in the morning??? Coffee – I’m no good without my two cups in the morning. I’m not y “chipper & sunny” self until I have my first cup – It’s not a want, it’s a necessity!
A POT of coffee in the am…and another in the afternoons sometimes to keep me going! Please enter me for this awesome giveaway! Thanks!
a double dose of english breakfast tea and peace and quiet..there are days I need something a bit stronger though!..and my T1 13 yo has warm ovaltine and milk, everday for 12 years now!
What gets me up in the morning? My worries about Jill’s #’s in the Am and most days my 2 year old daughter. Then it is coffee in my Spongebob squarepants travel mug
Ok so what gets me up in the morning is my six kids but after that mommy needs a wonderful cup of coffee
I did not follow your directions the first time so my first comment can be used as the first entry and you can use this as my 
http://twitter.com/WeCARALot/status/19772328242053121. Sorry!!
What gets me going in the morning? I’m going to have to change everything soon. I was in nursing school, so the thought of oversleeping and failing class was enough to get me up and running. Now, waiting to take the nursing licensure exam, nothing scheduled in the mornings… I’m thinking caffeine will be needed the mornings I do have things going on.
OH MAN! I’m totally in for this! Sounds WAY COOL!
I love my coffee! Count me in on your giveaway!
Set up a twitter account and am now tweeting just for this coffee maker. Yep! I am one major coffee junkie
http://twitter.com/#!/mebsmommy/status/20309688356704256
What get’s me up in the morning? Promise of a new day. Hopes that anything can happen, and knowing I can do anything today! Hope I win thanks for the chance!!
I tweeted!
With 4 boys invariably one of them gets me up in the morning, although like other parents of T1 kids the concern of where we start the day with my 4 yr olds blood sugar numbers gets me out of bed the fastest!
It practically takes dynamite to get me up and going in the mornings. But a shower usually does the trick.
My alarm gets me up in the morning, but I’m useless without my first cup of coffee. With 5 coffee drinkers in my house it’s always a race to the pot before it runs out. It would be nice for everyone to brew their own!
I tweeted to win a Tassimo! @DVCMom
http://twitter.com/#!/DVCMom/status/21960600544354304
Yep…a 15 month old is usually what gets me up in the morning…the second or third time I get up! My alarm clock gets me (or my hubby) up for the early am BG checks. We would love to win this awesome prize. Thanks!
Oooh, I would love this. Even if the commercial is kind of annoying.
I’ll tell ya what gets me up in the morning…my kids! Whether I like it or not…neither one of my children has ever slept in past 7am in their entire lives. 
Hope (along with a little caffeine) is what gets me up in the morning! I am a young adult with diabetes, and hope that a cure can be found in my lifetime keeps me waking up every morning. Coffee gets me through the day though!!
Oh my goodness I would LOVE one of these. My pick me up in the morning is always caffeine, and usually coffee. Considering I get up one to two times a night (at least) I need this to get my self going for the morning. I don’t just drink it in the morning either. I can go for a good cup of joe any time of day!
What gets me up in the morning? A shower. I cannot function without it. The bad part is I usually don’t take it until after the kids are off to school she they leave on a wing and a prayer that I got it all together correctly.
About the only thing that gets me up in the morning is the baby or the fear of being fired lol
RT’d giveaway: http://twitter.com/angiewith3/status/22370004141871104
Tea and Hot Chocolate keep me going when I’m up all night with my 2 month old.
ERobertson29@gmail.com
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What gets me going in the morning? Checking my Blood sugars, like 3 cups of coffee, and finally my baby girl(18 months old). She is up and ready to go by 6am.
A cup of coffee and a shower!
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Blogged it!
I need a good wake up helper ’cause my alarm goes off at 3:30am! I host a radio news program that airs from 5-9am and I’ve got to be awake and alert to get my listeners on their way every morning. On a good day, what gets me going is a strong cup of coffee in my commuter cup. On a bad day, it’s my six year old stumbing into my room needing a BG check. Like all the other D-families out there, we just take it as it comes!
Wow – don’t know what I would do without my coffee. Between a 21 month old who still does not sleep through the night and still checking Jack 2-3 times through the night – I feel like I haven’t slept in years. My coffee is what gets me going in the morning – need it right away to start the morning! LOVE my coffee – sometimes I dream about it! LOL!
Oh, I love coffee! I have 3 kids, so they are usually what gets me up and going, albeit not by choice. Coffee is just what helps keep me up and awake.
3 words to get me through the day… Coffee, Latte, Tea! LOL… This machine looks awesome, I could pick & chosse my favorite in a second… Great Idea, Great Giveaway, Great Blog!
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Getting going in the morning is pretty rough, especially now that I decided to cut buying coffee from my budget. (CGM sensors are expensive!) Recently, I’ve been relying on instant coffee. Seriously not as tasty (especially since I don’t go for the fancy Starbucks stuff) but it’s been doing the trick! I would LOVE one of these coffeemakers! It would be perfect for my husband and I since he prefers dark roasts and I like medium or flavored varieties.
What gets me moving in the morning? The words: Mom, I’m low! I need a juice box! Works every time!
My beautiful 13 yr old daughter getting ready for eighth grade- she loves hot tea,chocolate and every once in a while coffee. Diabetic for 10 years now.
Ack! Better late than never!!
Coffee’s it. That’s all that gets me movin. Love me some coffee.
If I win, this is going in my room so I can have coffee, THEN get up.
My feet carry me DIRECTLY to my coffee in the morning! I can’t function without it, and you don’t even want to talk to me until I’ve had at least 1/2 a cup!
I just started following your blog and think your amazing.
COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE >>>>>> It’s like air to me, or insulin to my son ! LOL
I have a feeling my old coffee maker is on it’s last leg:-(
So winning this would be awesome
My daughter needs a med 1/2 hour before she eats so I jump out of bed to make sure she gets it so I don’t have to deal with the being late rushing. Then bs check, lunches packed, breakfast and drop off. Then I get my my real wake up…I love cappucino but not plain coffee so at this point it’s the instant mixes. Not great but can’t shell out the big bucks to just buy a freshly made one everyday so it works lol.
I am a type one with two type one kids (ages 7 & 9)! I am also a junior high teacher who has to leave the house at 6:30 in the morning. I have a great husband who gets the kids on the bus but I love something warm to make the morning a little more comfy & cozy and can’t afford a stop at the local coffe shop each morning so this would be AWESOME!
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