Classy Coffee Ad Makes the Best of a Bad Situation

Model shown above not necessarily subject to recall

Last night while checking my emails I noticed a large advertisement near the bottom of the page with the picture of several cups of what appeared to be espresso. Superimposed over the picture were the words "Discover Tassimo Stories" together with the web site tassimo.ca/stories . Curious, I clicked on the link, whereupon I found a series of videos and some text on a Swedish product by Bosch that allows you to brew individual cups of coffee that taste purportedly just as good as those prepared by an experienced barista.


All seemed well until I noticed the words "Safety Recall" on the web site. Clicking onto that page, I came across a message to consumers announcing a recall of the Tassimo Home Brewing System as a result of reports that the T-Discs containing the coffee or tea mixture can burst and spray hot water or coffee grounds onto bystanders. There have been two recalls announced: one is related to the T-Disc, the other to the brewer itself. Both recalls apply only to the U.S. and Canada.

I found this whole experience a noteworthy one for a number of reasons. I found it surprising that a company wanting to sell its products would go to the trouble of advertising its products so aggressively on the web at a time when those same products were being recalled. But perhaps the whole reason for the web site was to advertise the recall to affected consumers. Maybe there was a legal reason behind the advertisement. Whatever the reasons, the advertisement by Bosch is unlikely to sell many home brewing systems, but can still be seen as a classy effort by a company doing what is undoubtedly the right thing. 

Note to Reader: Not all of the brewers produced by Bosch are being recalled. If you happened to be someone who has purchased a Tassimo Home Brewing System, click on the above link for further information related to the recall.