I’m not a coffee drinker.
Here’s the scenario: We’ve had a Keurig at home because Mark drinks coffee, so the single cup + convenience option was perfect for our needs. I’ve never made any “coffee drink” for myself from home other than a cup of hot herbal tea. I’ve always run to Starbucks or our local coffee shop if I wanted my favorite drink – the soy chai tea latte. As I said, I’m not a coffee drinker, but maybe that’s not entirely true. You see, I’ve recently become a convert to the delicious soy vanilla latte. But, I still wouldn’t categorize myself as a coffee drinker. That title belongs to the best of them!
Moment of honesty here: During pregnancy, I began treating myself to a feeeeew too many Starbucks drive-thru runs. I used to be really good at limiting the treats for both nutrition and budget purposes, but as my pregnant self was running the girls around to classes and school and errands, I would think “oh let me just run through the drive-thru so I can sip my favorite drink and make this outing a little more enjoyable”. I’ll admit, it became a bit excessive and of course, costly. I talked to Mark about the ability to make a latte at home and we both agreed that investing in the right equipment would save us money in the long run. (He would often stop at Starbucks, too!)
We both like to research all of our options before we make big purchases. So, I asked for a little help in my Instagram stories to point me in the right direction, and we took our research from there! This post is in no way sponsored by any of these brands. We simply want to share our research with you, because this would have been entirely helpful to have presented before us while we were debating our purchase decision. Instead of having all the facts in one place, we hopped from website to website, reading review after review, trying to find the best option for our at home Espresso maker.
What we have here is a time saver for you because it gives you a collection of our research + our thoughts + recommendations on making your own coffee drinks from home. Want to join the more budget friendly espresso drinker train? Keep reading…
This post contains affiliate links.
Our Goal:
My original goal was to have the Espresso Machine we chose perform 3 functions: 1. Make a regular cup of coffee for Mark; 2. Make a latte with non-dairy milk; and 3. Have the ability to also make a chai tea latte. Mark was open minded while looking at the options, but knew we would replace the Keurig with whatever we decided on.
Our Research:
We researched a variety of different options but will highlight the top 4 to give you our personal reviews.
Option 1: DeLonghi Combination Pump Espresso and 10-Cup Drip Coffee Machine with Frothing Wand
Pros:
- Includes both the espresso maker and drip coffee
- Has frothing wand attached
Cons:
- You have to froth the milk on your own with the wand and then combine with your espresso on your own. (Not an all-in-one machine.)
Thoughts: This is actually a great option at a great price given all of the capabilities it has. We seriously considered this option since it had both the ability to make coffee and espresso (for lattes/cappuccinos). It’s also a good size to keep on your counter. Which ya’ll know how I feel about keeping my kitchen + counter space clean!
Option 2: Ninja Coffee Bar Brewer System with Glass Carafe
Price: $150.99
Pros:
- Can make a cup OR carafe of coffee.
- Variety of options for brewing.
- Has frothing unit attached.
Cons:
- Not a true espresso maker, although it has a specialty brew option that mimics it. (I seriously didn’t know much about espresso before this research. I’m learning as we go, but if you want to make a latte, this is important.)
- You have to manually froth milk.
- You have to heat up milk prior to frothing (the unit does not heat up your frothed milk).
Thoughts: This was the most frequent recommendation in my Instagram stories! It seems many people have the Ninja Coffee Bar option, though there are also other Ninja models at lower price points that have great conveniences to them as well! We did like the coffee cup/carafe feature but I did not want to have to heat up the milk separately + froth separately. Call me a diva if you’d like, but I want this process to be as quick and easy as possible, otherwise I’d likely drive right back to Starbucks. And that certainly isn’t the point of making an investment like this.
Option 3: Nespresso Vertuo Evoluo Coffee and Espresso Aeroccino
Price: $129.99
Pros:
- Good reviews on espresso maker quality.
- Small and compact, so easily fits under cabinets.
Cons:
- Separate frothing machine, so you need to manually measure and froth your own milk, and combine.
- Coffee capsules specific to this brand machine.
Thoughts: First, I literally can’t pronounce this name. Second, there are several Nespresso brand makers that are great options. The Vertuo is the new line of Nespresso that also makes a cup of coffee, not just espresso. Nespresso has it’s own “capsules” (think: Keurig K-cups) so you have to purchase that specific brand and some say they are significantly more expensive than what you can purchase for a Keurig. There is a reusable pod to use for your own grounds but it doesn’t have the greatest reviews. This option really does achieve all of the goals I laid out, but the separate frothing still had me a little skeptical.
Option 4: Mr. Coffee Café Barista Premium Espresso & Cappuccino System
THE WINNER!
Pros:
- Automatically makes cappuccinos and lattes with the automatic frothing function. Frothing function heats up the milk, so the drink is hot.
- Milk container can easily be stored in refrigerator after each use. (Not refilling and/or washing each time.)
- Small and compact, so easily fits under cabinets.
Cons:
- Does not make regular cup of coffee, only espresso.
Thoughts: This obviously didn’t fulfill all the goals since it does not make a plain cup of coffee. But, this won due to the convenience and function of making a latte. Mark has decided to slow drip coffee using an affordable filter. It’s just as quick as the Keurig, actually. This also won as it was more affordable than some other options by De’Longhi and Nespresso.
Initial Product Review: We LOVE this. We have enjoyed vanilla almond milk lattes that are hot and tasty. The reviews were spot on – it’s easy to use, the milk storage can be quickly put in the fridge to save for your next drink, it’s compact on our counter and it is a speedy process. The machine is a little noisy (as the reviews also said) but not annoying at all. Just what you would expect in a coffee shop, but thankfully, now from home!
Are you sold yet? Tell me if you frequent your local Starbucks or coffee shop + what your favorite coffee drink is!
And in the meantime, who wants to join me at home for a latte?
XO