My big switch from a Nespresso Machine to a real espresso machine – and all my coffee nook must haves (and splurges). **This post contains affiliate links. A small commission may be earned.**
I finally made the big purchase and invested in an actual espresso machine and I am so happy! For the longest time I have been a Nespresso Girly. While I did enjoy my Nespresso machine I do have two complaints, single use pods and their cost. I always hated how many espresso pods we would go through as avid coffee drinkers. I hated how much waste I felt like I was producing as well as the cost of them (they run about $1.25 a pod).
So while the Nespresso Machine was a better deal up front (we bought our Vertuo Pop for $149), it felt like we ended up spending more money monthly on pods than we do now with our espresso machine!
I bought my first Nespresso machine back in 2019 when we moved to Montana. It was all the rage then and I absolutely loved the upgrade from a drip coffee machine. If you are someone who drinks only one coffee a day or a coffee every now and then it would be perfect. But between my husband and myself we probably drink 4-6 cups combined. Which is just a lot with the single serve pods!
I realized pretty quickly that the Nespresso machine wouldn’t be our forever machine, but we weren’t in a position to invest in a $600-$800 espresso machine. At the same time I didn’t want to invest in a lower end espresso machine that would just break with our extensive use.
I did my research and had it down to two machines – Breville Barista and the GE Cafe. The Breville retails at $749 and of my friends who have it, everyone speaks so highly of the machine! It comes in silver and looks so beautiful. I have heard the machine goes on sale 1-2 times a year (Black Friday being one), but we were never really in the position to spend the $500 on something just for ourselves at that time of year.
The GE Cafe retails for $579 and I’ve seen it on sale several times for $440. This one comes in 3 colors white, black, and silver and has rose gold accents. Obviously the looks are a big plus to this girly pop. Once again, the friends I have who own this machine love it! I think with any machine, there can be a little learning curve but if I can get the hang of it so can you.
An honorable mention that I didn’t do too much research on until after I bought mine is the Kitchen Aid Espresso Machine. It retails for $550 and comes in four colors. I think the Juniper is so pretty.
Come along to this year and my stars aligned. Right as we received our tax return the machine went on sale.. I don’t know how, I don’t know if it will every happen again but I got my hands on the Silver GE Cafe for only $249!!!! I seriously still can’t believe it. I was planning to pull the plug for my Mother’s Day gift, but February is even better.
SHE IS BEAUTIFUL. I’ll never get over this little coffee nook I’ve created.
So onto everything I bought – must haves and the splurges.
MUST HAVE:
- Knock Box – I didn’t know what this was at first so I’m glad I came across it in my research. This is a place to knock your espresso puck off so you don’t have to run it to the trash can each time!
- Espresso Cups – I feel like these are definitely necessary if you are doing iced drinks, but even with hot lattes this is perfect as a cup that can always fit under your machine.
- Iced Latte Cups – I bought this pack of cups to have for iced lattes, obviously pick which is your style but I thought these were great for all the time.
- Microfiber Cloths – These are perfect for cleaning off your steamer wand and they have a hook to hang easily and keep in reach.
- Stir Spoons – I did rose gold to match my machines but you could also do stainless steel wands or glass ones depending on your style!
- Jars – I got these beautiful antique looking, sunflower glass ones. I’ll just use these for extra coffee and brown sugar (I don’t use syrups), but they are so pretty sitting out with all my other supplies!
- Electric Whisk – I had this before my coffee bar but it is the perfect way to mix collagen into my coffee or make cold foam!
SPLURGE
- Icon/Charm Glasses – I had to set myself up with some super cute glasses and these charm glasses always call my names. I did some seasonal ones as well as the bow for all the time. I even found some cute dupes that are great quality and almost half the price.
- Glass Cups with Lids – These are going to be my on the go cups for my iced lattes! I love that the lids are glass as well (the bamboo ones can mold easily… sadly)
- Syrup Jars – Like I said, I didn’t grab these because I just use brown sugar, but I think they make the whole area look so cute!
- Acrylic Stand for Cups – This little stand is totally not necessary, but so cute to display your glasses, specifically those seasonal ones!
Obviously the goal is to make lattes at home so I’m not spending money and I think it’s so doable with this machine! I think the key factor is the beans you use. For a couple reasons:
- With this machine in particular, you want to be sure you’re using high quality beans. No shiny film, no flavors, etc. You can grab them at a local coffee shop or the Kirkland Brand from Costco – but the only complaint I’ve seen about this machine is the grinder not working anymore and the remedy is using high quality beans.
- Get the fancy flavors or milks you would get at the coffee shop! They might feel expensive up front, but you will be using them for a long time and save money on coffee trips.
- Get coffee cups you can take on the go! Usually my coffee runs are because I’m going out and about. A cute coffee cup for on the road is absolutely necessary. You can even grab disposable ones if you don’t want to deal with dishes in your car!
This would make the perfect Mother’s Day, Birthday, Anniversary, or Christmas gift.. Honestly it’s a great gift for yourself or your loved one for any occasion! And I love how user friendly the Cafe Machine is. I’ll be sure to do a full review when I have been using it more!
Treat yourself, you deserve it! xx Ciara
