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’s an affordable alternative to similar machines from Nespresso and Keurig. It works in much the same way as its rivals, accepting proprietary capsules, piercing them, and forcing hot water through to brew your drink.

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

The Finesse Friendly is very simple to use and clean, with a blank disc stored in a slot at the bottom that enables a quick rinsing cycle between drinks. Its water tank is east to remove as well, though its small capacity (just 23.7oz / 700ml) means you’ll be making frequent trips to the sink if you’re making more than one or two drinks at a time.

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