Cafissimo
Cafissimo is a single- serving coffee system with capsules, espresso and coffee machines distributed by Tchibo in Germany for the Caffita capsule system (also known as Caffitaly ) developed in Italy . It has been on the German market since March 2005 and, alongside systems such as Nespresso , Senseo and Tassimo, is part of the range of single- serving machines .
Procedure
The Cafissimo system uses mainly plastic capsules with the logo of the Caffita system, which contain 7 - 8 g of coffee or espresso powder between two plastic sieves. The upper sieve in the capsule takes over the function of the shower of a normal espresso machine and the lower sieve the function of the portafilter and sieve. Depending on the machine type, the capsules are inserted directly into the machine or in a capsule holder, which in turn is hung into the machine. When locking the capsule shaft or the capsule holder in the machine, the capsule is punched at the top and bottom with a pin. The capsules have an outside diameter of approx. 45 mm and weigh around 3.16 g when empty.
The advantage of the capsule systems compared to classic espresso and coffee machines with loose beans or ground powder is that the content is sealed until it is used and does not come into contact with the air. As a result, a large part of the aroma is retained - the disadvantage is the comparatively high portion price and the resulting packaging waste.
machine
Apart from the capsule holder mechanism, the design of the Cafissimo machines largely corresponds to a common, simple single-circuit espresso machine with a vibration pump . Some of the machines have a steam pipe with Panarello for making milk foam. Like all single-circuit machines, these have to heat up or cool down when switching between steam and espresso preparation (e.g. by drawing off water). The electronics allow the amount of water to be freely programmed for three variants: coffee, caffè crema and espresso. The machine works with the typical maximum pump pressure of 15 bar for espresso machines. The working pressure itself is determined by the degree of grinding and the lower sieve in the capsule.
Cafissimo Classic
With the model change in autumn / winter 2006, new color variants of the Cafissimo Classic were introduced and structural improvements made. The water tank has been enlarged to 1.4 l and is now in a convenient position on the back. A sensor has also been integrated to warn of idling. From this generation the steam pipe has a ball joint and can be moved more freely. The distance between the spout and the drip tray has been increased and allows the use of large cups; a fold-out tray has been integrated for small espresso cups. The new electronics offer a descaling program and their feedback is also given acoustically. The heating time has been shortened. The machine has become quieter. However, the new generation of Cafissimo has had an error in the electronics since its introduction: the programming of the amount in the espresso program is not carried out correctly. The Cafissimo is set to 50 ml Lungos at the factory, the typical espresso size of 25 ml cannot be programmed. Another problem with the machine is that it has to be vented more and more frequently via the steam pipe as the operating hours increase. The models from 10/07 are also louder than their predecessors.
The old model from 2004–2006 will continue to be sold under the label "Eduscho Cafissimo" in the Eduscho range (part of Tchibo AG) as an inexpensive alternative, the capsule type has remained the same.
Models Duo, Picco, Compact and Latte
In May 2011, Tchibo announced the introduction of the "Cafissimo Duo" from mid-June 2011 through advertising in branches, with the Picco and Compact models added later:
- Picco: capsule holder, two brewing pressure levels, removable 0.9 l water tank that can be filled in the machine
- Classic: capsule holder, three brewing pressure levels, hot water and milk frothing function, removable 1.5 l water tank, descaling indicator
- Duo: capsule holder, two brewing pressure levels, removable 0.3 l water tank
- Compact: capsule shaft, collecting container for used capsules, three brewing pressure levels, removable 1.2-liter water tank that can be filled in the machine, decalcification indicator
In March 2014, Tchibo announced a new machine that was developed in cooperation with the manufacturer Saeco .
- Latte: capsule shaft, collecting container for used capsules, three brewing pressure levels, removable 1 l water tank, fresh milk supply from 0.5 l milk container
sorts
For the Caffita (ly) capsule system used by Cafissimo, there are currently coffee and espresso capsules from Tchibo. The type of coffee can be determined by the color of the capsule, namely blue for filter coffee, orange for crema, and black for espresso. These colors can also be found on the control buttons of the machine. The Tchibo capsules correspond to the brands introduced by this manufacturer for classic coffee machines.
Other providers with limited availability are ÈCaffè and Caffè Chicco d'Oro, and only in Austria Eduscho, coffee.orange and Julius Meinl; Caffè Cagliari (only in Italy) and Dallmayr (only for commercial customers).
Since January 2015, teas in capsule form (green) have also been available from Tchibo.
criticism
The coffee systems are criticized because of the so-called lock-in . This means that the acquisition costs for the respective coffee machines are low, the follow-up costs for the coffee capsules or pads are several times higher than for conventional coffee.
The systems are not compatible with each other; different coffee pods or capsules are required for each system. Originally, these were only available from the respective manufacturer, which limited the options very much. Meanwhile, however, coffee portions are also available from other providers.
The capsules are also criticized because they are not compostable and have to be disposed of with household waste.
See also
Web links
- Tchibo website
- cafissimo - all in one entry in the blog "Culinary notes for connoisseurs"
Individual evidence
- ↑ Operating instructions for the Cafissimo compact ( Memento of the original from July 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. of November 22, 2012 (PDF; 3.8 MB), last accessed on January 8, 2014
- ↑ Fact sheet of the Cafissimo Latte ( Memento of the original from March 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 1.3 MB), last accessed on March 7, 2014
