Free printable espresso home guide below!
Oh coffee. How I love you so.
I do enjoy a good cup of coffee; however an espresso is really where the love is at.
I’m pretty sure it was our love for coffee that my husband and I got married. If for some reason one of us was no longer able to drink coffee anymore… I would be worried.
We spend on average $3.50 per cup and between the two of us we purchase about 10 cups a week. That comes out to $35 a week, $150 a month, $1820 a year!! Holy cow, I’m actually amazed just typing that. It’s completely unnecessary. (Not the coffee… the money we spend on it.)
I casually talked to my husband, letting him know that I was making cut backs on our coffee budget. I saw the panic in his eyes… his pupils have never been so small. I think he instantly went through withdrawals.
I quickly informed him that all is well; I’m just going to start making them myself! This of course brought him some comfort because honestly he is a huge fan of anything I make homemade. But he’s biased…
So I purchased this wonderful device
This image is an AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK
And this is why:
1. I can steam the milk my own way without a “milk dispenser”. With a built in milk dispenser, the machine steams the milk to whatever temperature it ends up being. There is no control and a lot of the time it comes out too cold. I like to use a thermometer and steam the milk just to 170 degrees.
2. I cannot emphasize enough that you should not get an espresso maker with a milk dispenser. The milk dispensers are difficult to clean by hand, which means you have to run them through the dishwasher. Therefore, if you want to make a cup of coffee and the milk dispenser isn’t clean… guess what… no coffee for you.
3. Removable steam wand for frothing milk. The steam wand is great for making cappuccinos and lattes that have milk foam, but when you are making other espresso drinks it’s nice to be able to remove the steam wand. This easily pops on and off and can be rinsed without having to scrub it.
4. The machine is low maintenance. I’m able to keep it on the counter and rinse it off in-between uses with little work.
5. The price is perfect. I try to live a less wasteful lifestyle. This includes being less wasteful with our finances. I buy only what we need and make what I can, when I can. This machine pays for itself within this first week of having it: $34.99 (BTW it’s on sale and I think it was also on sale when I bought it too).
Con Panna means “espresso with cream” in Italian
Now that I am making my own con panna, breve, mocha, latte and cafe cremes, I made a little quick “do it yourself” guide to making my own coffee mixes that I’m sharing with you. I tacked it to the inside of my cupboard door so I don’t have to go looking for it when I want to make a drink.
This design is custom made by Bread & With It (Laurel Blow). It is made for personal use only. All that I ask in return is that you “like” me on facebook, “pin” me on pinterest OR subscribe to my blog. If you are a blogger wanting to share my design you MUST make a link available to my webpage and provide credit to me.
I can’t wait to make the Vanilla Ice-cream Affogato next time one of my girlfriends come over for a visit!
- 1 homemade whipped cream recipe
- 1 cup espresso
- Brew espresso to in your BELLA Espresso Maker
