Christmas revisited

Actually I had no intentions of re-visiting Christmas until this morning when I realized I never did share the final result of the turmoil over what to buy for Warren.  

He had been talking....... and talking........ AND talking about the new coffee makers Keurig and Tassimo.  Every time we would be in a shop he would land up finding them and begin extolling their virtues.

Now my dilemma came from the fact he had a perfectly good coffee maker, and had just bought himself a perfectly good coffee bean grinder.  IF I bought one of these new coffee makers for him what would he do with the appliances / coffee he already had.

I brought the whole subject up at work.  One of the girls who works with me went on and on about the Tassimo - how good it was and how it wouldn't be a waste of money as she was sure Warren would love it !!  

To me it was another toy......... but then as I tend to buy him toys for Christmas it fell into the right category.  So I went out to look at them and price them.  WHOA baby !!!  The Tassimo was $189 +  ............. for a coffee maker??!!  I don't think so.

When I bought a new coffee maker a few years back - i bought the top of the line fancy dancy one that brews the coffee directly into a thermos that sits on a small hot plate.  IT cost me $89 and I was embarrassed by the cost.  At the time I thought 'who pays $89 for a coffee maker???'  BUT I am forever on the hunt for something that will actually make HOT coffee and keep it hot !  I purchased it and yeah - it did an ok job of making hot coffee and keeping it hot....... especially if I warmed up the cups first.  

BUT I wasn't paying $189+ for a coffee maker I wasn't even sure Warren wanted.

Then one day just before Christmas the girl from work came flying into my office and told me a local store had the Tassimo on sale for $89.00.  Ok that was more in line with what I thought it should cost so I ran out on my lunch hour and bought it for him....... along with some coffee discs to put in it .   Oh - for those of you who may not know.. the Tassimo is the one that reads the bar code on the disc and does everything but drink the damn coffee for you.

As it turns out Warren was delighted with his brand spanking new Tassimo - even making a couple of trips to the States to buy different flavoured discs - ones he couldn't find here in Canada.

So all's well that ends well.  You would think eh?


Except......... 


Now I wanted one.  My coffee maker was starting to act up.... leaking..... and not making the coffee very hot..... to the point I not only had to warm up the cups I also had to now warm up the thermos thingy......... and still couldn't finish a cup of coffee without it going cold.  And I will NOT drink coffee unless it is piping hot.

So last week - armed with my gift certificates - I went looking for a Tassimo or a Keurig (I wasn't fussy) during the 'after christmas' sales.  EXCEPT....... the coffee makers were now going for over $200+       WTF??!!   I decided I would continue warming my cups and the thermos.... there was no way I was gonna spend over $200 for a damn coffee maker.


Yesterday - Warren and I went out for lunch with friends.  (yes yes this is all gonna make sense I promise)  And Warren was talking about how great his new coffee maker was.. how he had packages and packages of different coffee flavours and how he wanted the stand thingy they sell to hold all the discs.  I said I was sure we had seen them at my local Walmart.  So after a lovely lunch Warren and I headed off to the Walmart.


We didn't find the stand thingy to hold his discs .......but wouldn't you know it ........ they were selling  the Tassimo coffee makers for $89.00 


And yeah - you saw this one coming didn't you?? - I bought myself one.  When we got home we set it up in the kitchen.  I am going to store away the one I have - for when I have big family dinners where I need 12 plus cups of coffee.  I cannot see myself making that many coffees individually.  


This morning I made myself my first cup of Tassimo coffee.  (well actually it was Nabob) It hissed and steamed and made quite a racket for 6:30 a.m.  BUT my god the coffee was hot.  AND I hadn't even warmed up the cup !!  AND the coffee stayed hot while I wrote this blog......... (I just finished the last mouthful) 


The pluses - the Tassimo is small and compact and doesn't take nearly as much room on my limited counter space as the old one did.  It made HOT coffee.  Clean up is a snap.  As was the making - you don't have to measure out water or coffee - nothing.. just pop a disc in and away you go.  (there is a water reservoir attached) 


The minuses - I only had Nabob coffee and as I had never had Nabob before wasn't entirely sure what it would be like.  Can I say "YUCK"?? It was strong with a decided bitter taste (in my opinion) BUT I have ordered Starbucks breakfast coffee which may be more to my liking.  (I am not fussy on strong coffee)  And there are umpteen different types of coffee I can still try ....... till I find just the right "fit". 

My addition to the kitchen. 
My post Christmas gift to myself.

    IMPORTANT POSTSCRIPT:
i just tried the Starbucks Cappuccino - I had to add some sugar cause it was still pretty bitter - but then - OH MY GOD !!  it is to die for.... definitely not a breakfast drink - far too rich - but yummy nevertheless!!