Coffee Makers

I'm a big coffee person. I've been in love with coffee since I was in high school. My mom would only let me have it every so often and I was forced to drink green tea (which I love, but not as much as coffee).

In college, I always had a coffee maker in my dorm room. As a post-grad, at one of my jobs, there was a Starbucks in the lobby of my building and that was a 2-a-day (bad) habit. 

 At home, I have four ways to brew my caffeine. I have a regular drip coffee maker, a Nespresso, a french press, and a Bialetti. In an effort to save money, I brew my own coffee at home. I have travel mugs galore, and also disposable ones should I need those for some reason. Let's just say, I'm prepared for all coffee situations, ha! 

For me, it's not really the caffeine (although, that's a plus), but it's the taste and the ritual that keeps me coming back for more. I LOVE the flavor of coffee. I also love the ritual of sipping it in a warm mug. I love the way it smells and I love the sound of it brewing. 

I also love that coffee can be both casual or elegant. You can grab a cup to go after a morning workout, or you can be dressed elegantly enjoying coffee service in gorgeous bone china at a hotel. 

I personally only drink hot black coffee or a plain double espresso (yes, even in the summer). Every once in a while, I'll whip up a cappuccino or order one from Starbucks. 

So today, I figured I would review the machines that I have. I know a lot of you are registering for your weddings (so exciting!!!) since I get frequent e-mails about what to register for! I thought this would be helpful. I always joke and say whenever I get married, I will have nothing to register for because I already have everything (like I even have china and silver service for 12, it's ridiculous, I know, I blame my mother, Grammie, and Aunt for this). 

Drip Coffee Maker// I linked to Kohl's because this is where I bought mine. I really recommend checking out Kohl's for any of your appliance-needs because any given day, they have soooo many coupons. The full price is around $100, but I think I got mine for half off with all of the coupons available. It's also available, here, but again, I think you can probably get the best price at Kohl's. 

This is the machine that gets the most use. I use this every morning. What's great about this is that you can preset it the night before. However, I will say, I am not in love with this machine and I have no loyalty to it. I haven't replaced it because I feel like it's silly to spend the money to replace a perfectly good coffee machine. 

The pros of this machine is that it is quick and efficient. Easy to use/program. The stainless is attractive and sleek. It also keeps coffee very hot. The machine has a 'bold' setting (I love strong coffee) and my issue is that I don't think the bold setting makes any difference. Also, the water reservoir is in the back and my coffee maker sits in a corner, it's beyond frustrating to have to pull the entire machine out from the wall and turn it around just to fill it up. The water reservoir should be on the side. 

Would love to know if you have a drip coffee maker that you absolutely love!

Nespresso Evolu// I've used a Nespresso machine for years and love it. I used to be a huge latte person and a Nespresso machine is great for crafting espresso-based drinks. But, what I love about this machine is that you can make both espresso and a full cup of coffee. Since I use my drip coffee machine, I typically use this on the weekends to make espresso. I also love adding a shot of espresso to my drip coffee for a bolder flavor as well as using this to quickly brew a cup of decaf coffee for after-dinner! 

French Press// The French press is the newest acquisition in my coffee repertoire. My aunt got it for me for Christmas! I loved ordering French press at restaurants so it was nice to receive this to recreate the flavor at home. I actually prefer French press coffee over anything else. I think it makes such a strong, flavorful cup. It's just a little time consuming so you have to be patient. I mainly do this on the weekends! Does anyone else feel fancy when they bring out their French press?!

Bialetti// I have had a Bialetti for years now and it's one of my favorite ways to brew espresso. I think it creates such a bold flavor. It's also fun to make when you have people over because many don't know about this great little carafe! It's a great inexpensive option if you want to brew espresso at home. It's also great for those who can't spare counter space for another machine.

Coffee Cup// This is my all-time favorite coffee cup. I collect beautiful mugs- especially ones from my travels, but this is always the one I reach for. It's huge so that it holds a lot of coffee, but it's thin so it's not heavy. It's simple and classic and pretty much pairs well with any place setting! It's under $5 and holds up wonderfully in a dishwasher.

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