This coffee and hot drinks machine ticks the boxes for affordability, versatility and a compact footprint, as well as decent eco credentials. The only aspect that could leave a bitter taste is the dinky water tank that demands frequent refilling, and would benefit from being easier to refit.
If you’re already a fan of the Tassimo system and its range of generic and branded coffee and hot drinks disc-style pods, you’ll love what the Finesse Friendly brings to the table: ease of use, low maintenance and a size that’s equally suited to smaller kitchens and home offices. For the price, it’s hard to dwell on its downsides, which are a water tank that could use a rethink in terms of both size and ease of reseating it, as well as being tied into a system that doesn’t provide choice outside of Tassimo’s pods. In short, if you’re likely to feel unconstrained by the lack of options that other pod machines can provide, the Finesse Friendly is a great-value maker with the bonus of sustainability too.
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Affordable -
Dishwasher-safe parts -
Intensity button
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No choice of drink size -
Small water tank -
No bin for used pods
Key Features
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Review Price: £89.99 -
Type
This is a pod coffee machine, suitable for use with Tassimo pods -
Customisable brewing
An intensity button can tweak the outcome to your liking.
Introduction
Three years ago, Bosch launched its popular Tassimo Finesse coffee pod machine. What better way to build on its success than to give it a distinctly more eco flavour?
Enter the Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly coffee pod machine: virtually the same, but made with up to 60% recycled plastic, and an A+ energy efficiency rating, plus its manufacturer claims it’s robust enough to withstand 10 years of use (based on four cups daily). All of which are designed to make you feel a bit better about buying, and the continued cost of running, this compact drinks maker for years to come
Design & features
- IntensityBoost option
- Adjustable cup platform
- 700ml water tank
Whether your kitchen doesn’t have space for a big, bulky coffee machine or you don’t want to give up worksurface area to one, the Finesse Friendly is a good option. Compact and lightweight (2.1kg), it only takes up a small footprint and could be stored in a cupboard when not in use.
As mentioned, it looks exactly like the Tassimo Finesse: clad in plastic, it’s available in the same four colours: black, red, white and cream.
Its workings are some of the most simple for a pod machine. There’s a head that lifts up so the pod can be inserted, with a barcode reader that allows the machine to know how to dispense the chosen drink.
Once the head is closed, there’s one button to press for dispensing.
The length of the drink can be altered: either tap the button to stop early, or hold the button down for a bit more – although it can be tricky to catch this in time when dispensing shorter coffees, such as espresso. Like the Finesse, holding the button for a few seconds activates the IntensityBoost, which intensifies the flavour of a coffee.
The adjustable cup platform allows for several different types of mugs. It’s not closed in, so you can use wide mugs, and can be raised higher so espresso cups can be closer to the spout to avoid splashes.
Or you can remove it altogether for taller cups, although the clearance is 15cm, so on-the-go cups may not squeeze below.
At the back is where things become less convenient. While the water tank is brilliant in that it has a built-in carry handle and no lid to lose, it’s awkward to refit it once filled, can’t be topped up in-situ, and is only 700ml – meaning that all you need to make is three or four longer drinks and you’ll have to refill it.
One aspect I did like though, was that the drip tray and even the removable part of the spout are dishwasher safe.
Performance
- Brewed decent espresso
- Produces a lot of steam
- Simple to operate
With the Tassimo system, you can only tinker with the size of your coffee so much, making the Finesse Friendly’s IntensityBoost option a welcome addition. It’s easy to select and only works with coffee pods, so there’s no accidentally making milk more intense.
I made espresso shots with and without the IntensityBoost to compare the difference.
Visually, both shots looked the same. It’s worth noting that the ‘crema’ is more like foam on top, rather than the silky-smooth aromatic layer you’d find with a pod coffee machine that brews using 15-19 bar pressure (the pressure for the Finesse Friendly is 3.3 bar). However, the flavour profile was noticeably different. The intense shot had a more complex flavour and depth and was slightly sweeter.
As I’ve found the basic milk pods not to my taste in the past, for this test run, I tried the Cinnamon Roll Latte Pods. I expected them to be overly sweet but was surprised that they were more balanced.
One issue I did find with the Finesse Friendly though was the amount of steam both the coffee pods and milk pods tended to emit towards the end of the brewing cycle. While this isn’t an issue in a kitchen, in a small space, such as a home office, excess steam could be problematic over time.
The lattes I made were very frothy and a good size for the average cup. Milk pods left the odd messy drip behind though: it’s a shame that there isn’t a cleaning cycle that’s easily run after each use. I tended to insert the orange cleaning disc after making milk-based drinks (stored at the side of the machine with a handy instruction leaflet, and also used when descaling) but it’s not ideal that there’s no other way of running some water through.
As you might expect for a machine that prides itself on better eco credentials, it doesn’t stay on for long after making a drink, turning off after just over a minute. I preferred to flick it off at the socket (as there’s no off button) but this could be a good energy saver if sometimes you leave appliances on.
Should you buy it?
You’re looking for a good-value compact drinks maker
From hot chocolates to cappuccinos, the Tassimo Finesse Friendly is a crowd-pleasing all-rounder.
You like to experiment with different flavours and types of coffee.
The Tassimo system is wildly convenient but there’s a narrower choice of drinks than with other pod or coffee machines.
Final Thoughts
Bosch isn’t reinventing the wheel with the Tassimo Finesse Friendly coffee pod machine. Much of what’s been good about previous incarnations is here: the ability to turn out creamy lattes, Americanos and more, along with attention to durability and using recycled materials.
Pod coffee machines tend not to consume that much energy – many are high wattage but tend not to be on long – but the savings from the A+ energy rating and quick auto-off will stack up over time. Plus, if you can buy it when it’s on offer, the Tassimo Finesse Friendly could prove to be excellent value. That said, if you’re a coffee aficionado, the system could feel restrictive. For a pod machine with a greater choice, opt for the classic Nespresso CitiZ, or you could splash out on an espresso maker with dizzying options, such as the Philips Barista Brew Espresso Machine or something else from the list of best coffee machines or best pod coffee machines.
How We Test
We test every coffee machine we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Used as our main coffee machine for the review period<br>
- Tested for at least a week<br>
- Pod machines are tested with a variety of compatible capsules<br>
- Depending on capabilities, we test each machine’s ability to make espresso and cappuccino
FAQs
It is only compatible with Tassimo pods.
Test Data
| Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly |
|---|
Full Specs
| Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £89.99 |
| USA RRP | Unavailable |
| EU RRP | €124.99 |
| CA RRP | Unavailable |
| AUD RRP | Unavailable |
| Manufacturer | Bosch |
| Quiet Mark Accredited | No |
| Size (Dimensions) | 15.7 x x 36.6 CM |
| ASIN | B0DP56SQH4 |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 20/11/2025 |
| Model Number | TAS162EGB |
| Coffee Machine Type | Pod |
| Maximum mug height | 15 cm |
| Pump pressure | 3.3 bar |
| Number of boilers | 1 |
| Milk frothing | No |
| Water capacity | 0.7 litres |
