Our Coffee Maker

Without question, one of our most-used and most-loved things in our kitchen (and probably our entire house) is our coffee maker. I’ve had my fair share of espresso and coffee machines over the years and I finally feel like I found the one. Admittedly, I’m very intrigued by one of those ultra-fancy, freshly-ground beans, basically a barista machines, but our current setup is perfect for this season of life…which is one in which I want a fresh cup of coffee as quickly as possible at the click of a button. We got the Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe Coffee and Espresso Maker Bundle, which comes with the Aeroccino. The deluxe machine comes with a 60 oz. water reservoir, whereas the regular comes with a 40 oz. one. Since we use the machine multiple times a day, the larger option is nice for us to not have to refill the water container all the time!

We’ve had Nespresso machines in the past that are from the original line, so they only made espresso. What sold me on this machine was the ability to make both coffee and espresso, thus being able to meet all of our caffeine needs in one machine. I do still have our Keurig machine on our coffee bar, in part because I have k-cups I’d like to use up and also because I know our parents prefer a Keurig cup to the fancy Nespresso (although I intend to change that).

I find myself making a second cup of coffee every day, either in the late morning or early afternoon. My current favorite pods are the Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cake I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, but these have just a hint of spice that I like. I buy these via the Nespresso site. The other flavor I like is Vanilla Custard Pie, which has a little bit of sweetness. They have a lot of different pod options! We ended up ordering a variety pack of coffee and espresso pods from the Nespresso site to try the different options and find our favorites. I can’t bring myself to drink coffee without at least a little bit of half & half, so I froth that in the Aeroccino to warm it up and get a little foam. I’ll sometimes do a third of a pump of vanilla syrup, just to take the edge off, too. It makes a delightful “treat” for myself, even though it’s just coffee and some cream! The machine brews the coffee with a lot of crema (the foam), which makes it delicious.

I used to crave a Starbucks run pretty regularly, but now I find myself preferring to make a cup at home!