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Posts:
295
From:
DC
Registered:
11/21/10
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(14 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Mar 5, 2011 11:11 AM
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> There will be a small % of folks that have Tassimos,
> but the vast majority will have moved to the Keurigs,
> until Kraft/Bosch folds tent and realizes they were
> passed by Keurig on the Autobahn as if they were
> standing still. Keurig is monopolizing the single
> serve industry and Tassimo is left behind like Wiley
> Coyote to the Roadrunner....
>
> Dontcha love my metaphors??
To me it reminds me of the Betamax vs VHS battle; and we have the Beta here. So sad!
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Carte Noire Kenya!
Yum Yum!
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Posts:
98
Registered:
10/12/10
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(13 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Mar 5, 2011 7:54 AM
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I will be passing on all the ideas in this thread. I will be including the thoughts of new buyers going with the Keurig machine due in part to the store presentation. Great conversation here, insight from consumers are invaluable, thank you all.
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Tonynia
LiveWorld, TASSIMO’s Inner Circle Management Partner
1-877-834-7271
customer_service@tassimoUS.com
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Posts:
691
Registered:
10/28/10
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(12 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Mar 5, 2011 7:19 AM
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 Yep, the metaphors. The visualization this conjures says it all. Some cartoonist should draw this one up as Kraft being the Wiley Coyote, and Gevalia on his tail pictured as dead weight. Sbux broke the chains, and Keurig wayyyy ahead.
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Posts:
210
Registered:
12/12/07
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(11 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Mar 5, 2011 6:46 AM
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Keurig is to Tassimo what the DVD was to VHS tapes.
There will be a small % of folks that have Tassimos, but the vast majority will have moved to the Keurigs, until Kraft/Bosch folds tent and realizes they were passed by Keurig on the Autobahn as if they were standing still. Keurig is monopolizing the single serve industry and Tassimo is left behind like Wiley Coyote to the Roadrunner....
Dontcha love my metaphors??
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Posts:
524
Registered:
11/17/10
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(10 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Mar 4, 2011 8:21 AM
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You hit the nail right on the head. All that Tassimo need do is to open up and allow other brands of coffee to make discs.
It's ironic that Kraft's own MH can be found in pods for the Senseo brewer. So why not permit others to make discs for the Tassimo.
Hosts, please pass this along; thank you.
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Kraft - Where Stupid is as Stupid Does!!
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Posts:
691
Registered:
10/28/10
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(9 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Mar 4, 2011 6:55 AM
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Add to jamesrgeib posting, the fact that Keurig is continuing to progress, not only in drink choices, but also machines. As Keurig pairs up with quality expresso makers [ie. Lavazza] they will be providing quality machines that may very well surpass our Tassimos in the future just ahead. And if its Keurig, you can bet those expresso capsules for lattes and caps will be just as prevalent in the stores as the k-cups are. Now that's innovation!!!!!
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Posts:
15
Registered:
3/4/11
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(8 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Mar 4, 2011 6:28 AM
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The problem is this: Without a recognized, premium brand to go along with the Tassimo machines in the USA, new buyers to the single-serve market will be purchasing the Keurig whether the Tassimo makes a better cup of coffee or not. Appearance is everything to a new buyer, and when you look at the in-store displays it appears the Keurig is the best machine to buy in terms of coffee brands to choose from.
Without new and exciting brands being added to the Tassimo Kraft will be left with a few die-hard Tassimo users and no new buyers. Without new buyers, the Tassimo system will be doomed. I remember when there were a few die-hard Betamax users even after the format was essentially dead. Sony killed Betamax in almost the same way Kraft is killing the Tassimo in the US. The lesson was already learned by other companies, but stubbornness somewhere in Kraft’s chain of command is taking the Tassimo and all its goodness down the same dead-end path.
I like the Tassimo machine a lot. It's ahead of the Keurig in design. It works great. I'm happy with buying Maxwell House lattes. BUT, with the current customer base, the Tassimo will not survive, and without adding new brands to the mix in the states, there will be no significant growth in customers.
The writing is on the wall. It's just a matter of time. It's not too late to revive the Tassimo 'idea' in the market place, but it's getting darn close to being too late.
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Posts:
691
Registered:
10/28/10
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(7 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Feb 28, 2011 6:11 PM
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Thank you for your review beachcomberjim ; ) Like I mentioned, I am extremely picky when it comes to coffee. I have had coffee from many different countries, and can attest to quality "just by the taste" of many of my SBux favorites. I already miss SBux for the Tassimo and was so hoping to see that line expanded in T-discs.
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Posts:
50
Registered:
11/22/09
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(6 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Feb 28, 2011 3:08 PM
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I strongly disagree about Starbucks not being "Premium" Coffee. I worked for Starbucks for some years, and only left because I chose a different career path. (I now sell Wine instead of Coffee) Starbucks is very picky about where it sources its beans, they only come from a certain elevation and up, similiar to the wine business, evelation = quality. And simple geography and economics hints as to why its higher priced. Elevation limits how much is grown therefore lower yields = higher prices.
The reason, coffee beans much like wine vines, need to struggle a bit to make a more concentrated bean or grape. The tougher the bean, the more flavor you can extract from it. Yes they do roast their beans longer then most, but they buy quality beans that can hold up to that roasting process and only those beans. They have people who do nothing but visit various plantations across the world to sample their coffees to find the best selections for their style.
While you may not enjoy the Starbucks style, to say that they arent quality or permium is rather short sighted. To make an analogy in the wine business, I know many people who do not care for the finer French Burgandies or Bordeauxs, that does not change the fact that the quality of these wines, or in Starbucks case coffees, is indeed premium. Its just that their style does not fit your taste buds.
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Posts:
691
Registered:
10/28/10
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(5 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Feb 27, 2011 5:45 AM
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Agree, Jacobs, Kenco, Mastro Lorenzo, and Carte Noirs are some good coffees. I also don't need 1000s of coffees. Problem is I'm not fond of MH, even the French Roast, sorry to say. I bought some, and really really tried to like it, the price is indeed good. My parents like it, so I'll keep it for them when they visit.
It certainly wouldn't hurt Tassimo to open up the door to a few more premium coffee brands besides G and MH; many on this board have been suggested. Not saying we need 100s, but more of a selection would be wonderful. And I think we deserve it. The available teas have taken a beating, and need to pumped up again. Lastly, the trend in the last few years has been to get the drinks out there, and then a few became totally extincted and others could only be obtained through DD. That nonsense needs to stop. I've said this once and it needs saying again, DD/Gevalia is not going to suffer any monetary loss by all T-discs being available locally as well. There are many people for their own reasons who will choose to use subscription only. In fact, sales may even increase for DD as more people would buy Tassimo surrounded by all those glorious European coffees, kenco, nabobs, ML, CN..... need I say more? YES!!!! Get those dang coffees back over here. Petit Dejeuner, european variety packages, all those coffees were sold here in the states. There is no import issue involved in this. Get the Nabobs, Carte Noirs, Kenco,Mastro Lorenzo, "all the different varieties of the above", on our store shelves. Our Tassimos are not advertised to be a subscription service brewer. Stop with the bull crap already!!!!
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Posts:
295
From:
DC
Registered:
11/21/10
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(4 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Feb 26, 2011 9:32 PM
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While I am not happy that SBux is leaving Tassimo, and I will miss it, I am going to stay with the Tassimo!!! I enjoy very much the MH French Roast and for the price is one of the best deals even beating most K-cups.
The Mastro Lorenzo Crema is also Awesome! I am sure that one of the Gevalia's will suit my taste buds as well.
I don't need 1001 varieties of coffee, I just need a few to like. I still to explore the Nabobs, Jacobs, Kenco and Carte Noir. I am sure that I will find what I will miss from SBux on some of these, perhaps even on the new Gevalia dark roasts coming up. So the world is not over! If you ditch your Tassimo, I am sure some of you will regret it.
Just my own 2 cents! =)
--
Carte Noire Kenya!
Yum Yum!
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Posts:
691
Registered:
10/28/10
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(3 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Feb 26, 2011 6:07 AM
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SBux for me was an acquired taste. SBuxs also was the coffee that had me pulling my Braun out of the closet after the european choices became extinct, and subsequently led to me buying two Bosch(s). I found the SBux expresso(s) to have much more depth than MH or G, and really found the African Kitamu to be enjoyable. Having SBuxs come on board, was also a sign to me that Kraft was becoming progressive; was finally going to expand. Silly me!!!! I'll admit, I'm a very fussy coffee person. I didn't ever like MH and I did subscribe to Gevalia for a while before Tassimo was ever heard of. Neither MH or G can be considered a premium coffee when it comes down to it and I have long preferred buying whole bean coffees from roasters or picking up whole beans from other countries during travel. I have read the reviews about SBuxs on Coffee forums, word for word what you just posted. Despite this, one has to consider there is a very large following for SBuxs coffees, and after experimenting with many of their offerings [not just the Tassimo branded T-discs, but their various whole bean offerings], there are several that do not have that burnt edge and there are several that are very smooth with low acidity. One thing I've learned is coffee bean roasters are very competitive ; )
Despite the notion all SBuxs coffees have been roasted too long, etc. SBuxs remains to be a very popular company and cater to all the relative tastes customers have. SBux does have premium coffees in their inventory, rather than the manufactured coffees G & MH produce. I have to admit again, I stayed away from SBux for a lot of years due to those reviews. I'm glad I acquired a taste for the T-disc lattes and caps, because I never would have explored all the other offerings you can get at SBuxs that have been wonderful coffee experiences.
As you mentioned, SBuxs is gone now, that story is over. But this is a prime time for Kraft to make new changes for new coffee brands other than G or MH. There are excellent coffees out there in the good old USA. Here's hoping they take advantage of it.
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Posts:
20
Registered:
7/18/10
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(2 of 14)
Re: Not sure why the fuss
Feb 25, 2011 12:10 PM
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I'm not the biggest SB guy either but I do (did) buy it for my Tassimo as I don't mind it once in a while and our Tassimo coffee selection in Canada is poor.
I guess the biggest issue is Tassimo is said to have only 3% market share for single cup coffee makers in North America. Many people bought the Tassimo BECAUSE of Starbucks. How many of these people will now migrate elsewhere? Kraft could get away with losing SB if they had a much larger market share and a larger selection of coffee/other drinks, but they don't have either of those.
They need to step up big time now.
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Posts:
2
Registered:
2/25/11
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(1 of 14)
Feb 25, 2011 11:56 AM
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Personally, I think starbucks coffee stinks. So for me (and my husband) its a non-issue that they are ending their contract with Kraft. My personally opinion is that they are not a "premium" coffee brand (sure their prices suggest they are but they aren't). If I have to give a reason(s) (since I am sure some of you will want one) here's why Starbucks as a brand isn't a premium coffee:
1. burnt beans
2. price alone doesn't make a "premium coffee"
3. watered down branding (they are everywhere diluting their "coffeehouse" roots as well as how they make and serve their coffee)
4. The flavors are weak and have no richness (what most people take for "boldness" in Sbux coffee is really a burnt bean flavor). I have only found one, possibly two in their line that are halfway decent. For the price so not worth it.
5. Ubiquity alone also does not make a brand "premium" IMHO- i.e. just because it's popular and can be found on literally almost every street corner in America doesn't mean it's good.
I am hoping that this will force Kraft to find A real premium coffee brand, possibly more European ones since those are actually good coffee. I would also like to see more hot chocolate varieties, possibly a mulled or hot apple cider variety and more tea varieties. And I am willing to wait for it because, unlike Keurig which may offer tons o' varieties by making it's K-Cups one size fits all, I think Tassimo's system is far superior to most one cup coffee makers on the market today.
Now, I have to agree that it's disturbing that Kraft didn't work harder at getting a "premium" (ugh I again I hate that starbucks is considered a premium coffee) coffee replacement for Starbucks when they knew they were leaving but I think it will find something more appropriate for its brewer.
Also we should be aware that the market for single cup coffee makers is so tiny in the US. Its so much bigger in Europe where the system is "open" and any coffee/tea/hot cocoa manufacturer can create a pod/t-disc/k-cup or whatever for any and all machines it chooses to. I think if the future is in single cup brewers here in the US we should stop this proprietary nonesense and move to a more Open European like system so stuff like this thing with Starbucks doesn't happen.
And lastly, it seems to me that Sbux pull out of Kraft has more to do with its own aspirations of creating a single cup brewer than it does with moving its business to Keurig or Senseo or whatever other brands are on the market. I, personally, think they will fail at this endeavor.
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