The most requested post EVERRR is finally here. It’s crazy to think I’ve had my good ole Nespresso machine for over a year now. This bad boy feels like he’s spent an eternity with me LOL. But, I don’t know where I would be without him today…. probably in a pile of debt owed to Starbucks hahah.
I used to hate coffee
I wasn’t a coffee drinker until my junior year of college. I always tried to like it – my mom drinks her coffee straight black everyday. So I knew I had coffee in my genes lol but could never get myself to love the taste. It wasn’t until I was knee deep in papers and finals that I decided to start chugging coffee (I do not recommend this hahahah). I eventually purchased a Keurig but never found the k-cup or creamer for me. I would dread drinking homemade coffee and always found myself at Starbucks or a local coffee shop purchasing overpriced drinks.
The time i was a barista….
Then this one time senior year I worked at a hotel bistro and they had the full line of Starbucks. Overnight I had to learn how to be a barista, ever since then I loved making my own coffee creation! I can’t remember when I first heard about Nespresso, but I knew I always wanted one so I could continue to play barista LOL. My best friend Lauren also had a Nespresso and she ALWAYS raved about hers, so I knew I needed one. For my birthday Lauren surprised me with a Nespresso gift card and off I went to buy my machine!
I actually ended up purchasing my machine on sale at Bloomingdales and used Lauren’s gift card for my first round of Nespresso pods. I was lucky enough to work in Chicago for a week, right after I purchased my machine, and the hotel I was staying at was directly across from a Nespresso store. Everyday after work I would pass by the Nespresso store to try a different type of pod! I learned then what the different types of coffee were and the different levels of intensity.
It takes time
Trust me I did not find what I liked instantly. It took me a while of trying different coffees to see what worked best for me. First, I should say I really hate strong coffee or coffee without sugar. So all my creations will either have sugar or milk in them to balance out the strong coffee taste. Don’t get me wrong I do like coffee just not to the extent of drinking it black yet.
When I first started drinking coffee I would only drink iced coffee. Since having my Nespresso I do enjoy drinking hot coffee now. All my recipes can be used hot or cold and I just pick what I want based on my mood each morning. I was lucky enough to purchase a machine that came with a milk frother. If you are looking to buy a machine I would recommend purchasing a machine with the frother included. It actually is such g a great deal and a huge savings.
Milk + Sugar
To give you a little back ground so you understand when I say milk + sugar…. I do not buy dairy milk. I usually only drink almond milk. My favorite kinda to buy is Silk Almond Milk “Light Original”. I also love liquid stevia and just purchase the Walmart brand of liquid stevia. I will always refer to these as my milk and sugar but now you know what I really mean hehe.
Background on the different types of coffee
Nespresso has a very large range of coffee. There is something for everyone. They list out clearly on their app and website the different intensities of each coffee. All my coffee listed below are a #6 or under. Anything over an intensity of a #6 is too strong and I usually do not like. Also, they coffees range in sizes: 1oz, 2oz, 5oz, 8oz and 14oz. 1oz is a single shot espresso, 2oz is a double shot espresso, 5oz is a smaller coffee, 8oz is a regular coffee and 14oz is a xl coffee. I typically use the 2oz espresso and the 5oz coffee, but I do own the single shot espresso and the regular 8oz coffee as well.
Favorite Nespresso Pods
Espresso (1-2oz): Voltesso + Double Espresso Chiaro
Gran Lungo (5oz): Aflorazio
Regular Coffee (8oz): Melozio + Giornio + Caramelizio
Latte Recipe
- Double Espresso Chiaro
- 6oz Milk
- Sugar
- Ice (optional)
Can be made two ways… First, put ice in a cup, pour in milk add sugar then brew espresso over. Second, Pour milk in frother, turn it on, brew coffee in a mug, then pour frothed milk over espresso and add sugar.
Seasonal Latte
You can always jazz up any latte with different syrups. I love adding in pumpkin spice syrup or even just go basic with vanilla. You can purchase different syrups anywhere and add into your lattes. For iced lattes I like to put in the syrup with the milk and then brew the espresso on top. For hot latte I like to pour the syrup in the milk frother with the milk and froth them together. When I use a syrup I typically DO NOT add sugar. The syrups usually contain enough sugar and adding your own will make it too sweet.
Coffee Recipe
- Aflorazio, Melozio, Giornio or Caramelizio
- 2 – 4oz milk
- Sugar
- Ice (optional)
Guys, I promise this isn’t rocket science. I make my coffee the same way I make my lattes. If I want iced coffee then I put ice in a cup and brew my coffee over it. After that I add in my milk + sugar! For hot coffee I brew it in a mug then will pour a splash of milk in it and add sugar. If I am filling extra fancy I will froth my milk to pour in my hot coffee, but I don’t always.
Easy Peasy
As you can see I literally do nothing fancy. I just had to find the different coffee that I like and my favorite milk + sugar. I honestly think every different component makes everything different, from the coffee to the milk to sugar. It will take you a little bit to figure our what works best for you, but once you do…. Starbucks will be history to you. I genuinely love making homemade coffee more than I like purchasing it at Starbucks. I never thought I would get to that point but I have and you can too!
Shop my Machine + Pods
xoxo, Cass
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