After many tries, over many years, I have finally found my very favorite coffee maker.
I hesitated to write this post, as I am a long way from being a coffee connoisseur. In fact, I bet many coffee drinkers are going to roll their eyes at my choice.
No, it’s not a cold-drip machine.
Nor is it a french press.
And I don’t grind my own beans.
Important factors
I’m not a high falutin coffee snob. But I know what I like.
A fresh cup of coffee
I don’t want coffee that has been sitting in the pot for a couple of hours, or — even worse — that has become burnt and bitter from sitting on the burner.
Different varieties of coffee
Sometimes I like a stronger blend. Occasionally I want decaf. And much to my husband’s horror, sometimes I want a little flavor, like vanilla or chocolate. I might want three different varieties in one morning.
It’s got to be easy
Basically I’m a lazy person. Especially at 7 a.m. I don’t want a complicated machine.
Frothed milk
I’m a big fan of the latte. My coffee maker needs to froth milk.
The Winner: Nespresso Coffee Machine
We first tried a Nespresso machine at a resort, and we couldn’t believe how good the coffee was. Even though I was leary of a single-serve machine, we bought one.
This is the exact Nespresso Machine that I have. It is the Nespresso CitiZ & Milk Espresso Machine. You can find it at Amazon, or on the Nespresso website. The milk frother is the cylinder on the right. You can also buy it without the frother, here.
Nespresso makes many models of coffee machines. I chose this one for a few reasons. First, it was less expensive than some. Second, it’s pretty simple to operate. Third, I like that the frother can easily be emptied and washed after each use.
A fresh cup every time
I didn’t think I would like a single-serve machine, but I really like it. Every cup is fresh and hot. After using this for a few years, now I’m really not thrilled to get a cup out of a pot that has been sitting for a while.
Many choices for the coffee
For my machine, there are currently 27 different varieties of coffee or espresso, from master origin costa rica, to capriccio espresso, to ethiopian master origin, to vivalto lingo decaf, to “vanilio” (again, much to my husband’s horror).
Nespresso machines do not use the standard K-Pak pods you can buy at the grocery story (pods for the Kuerig machines). You must order the Nespresso pods, or you can find them at a few retailers. I thought this would be a big problem for me, but it turns out it’s not at all. I order them on the Nespresso app, and they have free next day shipping.
You can also get them on Amazon, here. Our favorite is the Fortissio Lungo.
Nespresso makes two sizes of pods, depending on the type of machine you have. Be sure you are buying the right size for you machine. My machine takes the Original Line, rather than the Vertuo pods.
It’s so easy
You fill the water carafe. Pop your pod in the slot on top. Turn it on. Choose the size, and out it comes.
The frothed milk is so good
The frother is also easy to use. You pour in some milk (there is a mark indicating how much to put in), put the lid on, and turn it on. You end up with perfectly frothed milk.
There is no carafe to break
This probably doesn’t matter to most folks, but it had become an issue for me. I’m a carafe breaker; I was constantly breaking the glass carafes for our parade of coffee makers. And then I’d either have to order a new carafe — which meant several days without coffee — or just go buy a whole new coffee maker.
Great product and customer service
We’ve had our Nespresso for several years, at least four. I’ve never had any issues with the coffee maker. I did have an issue with the frother. The motor burned out, because I had not cleaned out the milk residue on the bottom before frothing a second cup. Even though that was my error, Nespresso sent me a new frother (it was still under warranty).
Darn good cup of Joe
I don’t know whether it’s the coffee pods, or the coffee maker, but it makes one terrific cup of coffee. If you do decide on a Nespresso, you might check out all the other models, with various bells and whistles. They might be well worth it. I’m afraid I’m just too lazy for all the hoopla, especially at 7 a.m.
For more of two dandelions’ favorites, please see:
