Get Starbucks at Home
Coffee? Espresso? Latte? Mocha?Yes, call me the new coffee fiend. I simply got tired of spending $4 or more for some type of specialty coffee drink at Starbucks. Slee usually contributes more to Starbucks franchise than I do. So to save a little more money during these tough economic times, I've been brewing and making my own cups of Joe.
I do agree that I can't come close to Starbucks, when it comes to all the fancy flavors, but I can get the potency of caffeine. Plus I get my coffee from an inside corporate source at Starbucks for free! Thanks Big Al! Many will say, "It's not the same." Who cares? During these economic times, over the long run, it's a better investment to buy a good coffee maker/espresso maker that won't break your daily budget. Save money and still get the caffeine buzz!
I started off by purchasing a good burr grinder. Good coffee grinders are not cheap. Don't even bother with those $20 spinning blade grinders. Those grinders to not grind the coffee consistently, and they heat the beans. When beans get hot, they lose flavor. So if you're serious about coffee, invest in a decent conical burr grinder.
I purchased off Amazon the KitchenAid Pro Line Grinder. I would say that it's not the top of the line (in respect to other much more expensive grinders out there), but it's decent, especially when it comes to quality. You won't find much plastic on this baby. It's solid! Obviously, KitchenAid has built itself a name in the professional culinary industry, hence the reason why I went with this grinder. It does the job for what I'm looking for in a grinder and it's not very noisy.
When I feel like drinking regular drip coffee, I purchased the Cuisinart DC-1200 Brew Central. Good looking coffee maker that produces a decent cup of coffee. Has a built in water filter for water smoothness to enhance flavor. I Brita filter all my water, so it's basically double filtered water!
The latest aquisition is the Breville 800ESXL Espresso/Cappuchino machine. Got a killer deal off Woot.com. It was $150 + $5 shipping. It normally retails for $400. Since this unit is a factory refurb, it's still worth the price! Now I'm just playing around with it. Still need to find the perfect taste. It's all about temperature, proper grounds, tamper, milk temperature. It's a complete artform or science in making a perfect cup. Going to read some books and watch some YouTube videos.
So, there you have it. My little amature coffee station.
I do agree that I can't come close to Starbucks, when it comes to all the fancy flavors, but I can get the potency of caffeine. Plus I get my coffee from an inside corporate source at Starbucks for free! Thanks Big Al! Many will say, "It's not the same." Who cares? During these economic times, over the long run, it's a better investment to buy a good coffee maker/espresso maker that won't break your daily budget. Save money and still get the caffeine buzz!
I started off by purchasing a good burr grinder. Good coffee grinders are not cheap. Don't even bother with those $20 spinning blade grinders. Those grinders to not grind the coffee consistently, and they heat the beans. When beans get hot, they lose flavor. So if you're serious about coffee, invest in a decent conical burr grinder.
I purchased off Amazon the KitchenAid Pro Line Grinder. I would say that it's not the top of the line (in respect to other much more expensive grinders out there), but it's decent, especially when it comes to quality. You won't find much plastic on this baby. It's solid! Obviously, KitchenAid has built itself a name in the professional culinary industry, hence the reason why I went with this grinder. It does the job for what I'm looking for in a grinder and it's not very noisy.
When I feel like drinking regular drip coffee, I purchased the Cuisinart DC-1200 Brew Central. Good looking coffee maker that produces a decent cup of coffee. Has a built in water filter for water smoothness to enhance flavor. I Brita filter all my water, so it's basically double filtered water!
The latest aquisition is the Breville 800ESXL Espresso/Cappuchino machine. Got a killer deal off Woot.com. It was $150 + $5 shipping. It normally retails for $400. Since this unit is a factory refurb, it's still worth the price! Now I'm just playing around with it. Still need to find the perfect taste. It's all about temperature, proper grounds, tamper, milk temperature. It's a complete artform or science in making a perfect cup. Going to read some books and watch some YouTube videos.
So, there you have it. My little amature coffee station.
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