Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly review: a cheap and cheerful coffee maker, but beware the cost of its capsules

Boch Tassimo Finesse Friendly: one minute review

The Tassimo Finesse Friendly from Bosch is a compact capsule-based coffee maker that is an affordable alternative to similar machines from Nespresso and Keurig. It works in much the same way as its competitors, accepting proprietary capsules, piercing them, and passing hot water through to prepare your drink.

Unlike some other small coffee makers, it can also brew dairy drinks such as lattes if you use separate pods for milk and coffee, with impressive results. The downside is that these capsules (called T-Pods) can be quite expensive, especially for two-part drinks.

The Finesse Friendly is very simple to use and clean, with a blank disc stored in a slot at the bottom that allows for a quick rinse cycle between drinks. Its water reservoir is also easy to remove, although its small capacity (just 23.7 oz/700 ml) means you’ll be making frequent trips to the sink if you’re making more than one or two glasses at a time.

It’s a well-built and friendly little coffee maker, but if you regularly enjoy lattes, you may instead want to consider learning how to use a compact espresso machine with a manual steam wand. Although the initial cost will be higher, you could save money in the long run by using fresh milk for your regular infusions rather than capsules. Take a look at my roundup of the best espresso machines for options at different price points.