Sunday 23 November 2014

“Nice One Nails”




Alexus is turning 6 today and already graduated from Senior Kindergarten.  I am writing this because I want to remember the first phrase that Alexus read while we were on our way grocery shopping.  He just blurted out, “Nice One Nails” without anybody teaching him. I felt proud at that time. He was happy too and became confident reading the stores names and signs after this.  Today, he is in Grade 1 and his teacher told me that his reading level is the same as Grade 2’s.  He can finish a book (with pictures) in one sitting.  I couldn’t believe that I no longer have a baby, he refused to be called such. He is growing up fast. Thank you to all who taught him how to read, to the Leap Tag, Dr. Seuss and Geronimo Stilton books and for the phrase “Nice One Nails”. 

Sunday 16 November 2014

Tassimo: our early Christmas present

Lito and I were eyeing that single cup coffee maker for a while now.  It was only until today when it was time to spend the points we earned and Tassimo prices dropped to almost 50 percent, that finally we decided to get our early Christmas present.  We were undecided which machine to get, we were to choose between a KEURIG or a TASSIMO. They have many similarities. Based on the internet, Keurig and Tassimo manufacture some of the most popular single-cup coffee makers, a.k.a., coffee pod machines. These machines puncture and brew conveniently pre-packaged, single-serve cups of coffee, tea, or other drinks. Both machines usually take 2-5 minutes to heat up and brew the contents of a cup. For the difference, here are some: Keurig use K-Cups and Tassimo use T-discs. Keurig has over 200 varieties of coffee brands including Starbucks while Tassimo are limited to less than a hundred without Starbucks. Nabob, Tim Hortons, McCafe, Cadbury, Gevalia, Maxwell house are some of the brands that Tassimo cater.

Now you may ask, why we opted for TASSIMO? It’s the barcode technology! Tassimo is using barcode technology, the system reads every T DISC individually and adjusts for temperature, water volume and brew time. A Keurig machine has 3 options for the quantity of coffee so if you choose the largest cup, the K-cup will be adjusted to fill the cup.  I'm not sure but it looks like the flavor is compromised because there is more water with a larger cup. The Tassimo manual says, The barcode holds information about the quantity and temperature of water needed, as well as the brewing time required to craft the perfect cup of your favourite beverage. The instant your T DISC is scanned, your TASSIMO brewer is ready to make your drink the right way, every time. Another thing that attracted me is the BOSCH manufacturer - German Ingenuity.  I also found out that Mondelez International (Kraft) owns Tassimo.

What I like most about are the many options I have: delicious caffĂ© crema, cappuccinos, latte macchiatos and exquisite espresso, tea and hot chocolate. Here in the picture is my first cup of cappuccino from our new Tassimo. I hope my sister will not have second thoughts about her Keurig.  But you can always find a good deal for T, Wendy, the black friday sale might offer this kind of deal.

Happy Coffee Brewing!