espresso maker Archives - Listen to Lena

Confession: I called my husband and asked him if this title was “funny and cool”.
Further confession: His opinion matters, because he’s my personal barista.

I’m not sure when it happened, but it did: at some point in our relationship, I stopped making coffee. Morning after morning, it just became tradition for my husband to bring me a steaming, aromatic mug of much-needed caffeine. In fact, I became so accustomed to the arrangement that in the rare circumstance I was saddled with the task, I became flustered with even the most basic machines.

The good news? My husband is happy to accept the responsibility, so my life – in terms of my coffee consumption, especially- is actually perfect.

Of course, since he’s spent years honing and perfecting his craft, my husband loves to test out any and all of the coffee makers, espresso machines, and everything coffee-related in between, that he can get his hands on.
Therefore, when the Breville the Bambino Plus arrived at our door for review (and to give away! Read on for the link), I could tell that my husband had ascended to java nirvana. …

Hands down, my husband and I are really, really bad at gift giving.

It goes something like this: I’ll say I don’t want anything, because I really don’t. He’ll ask and suggest and try his best to find a gift I’ll love – only to abandon all attempts and concede that when I want something, I’ll simply buy it myself.

He’ll say he’s good, there’s nothing he wants… except that $5,000 watch and the $2,500 audio system or a $10,000 European vacation. I’ll laugh and serve him breakfast in bed (maybe) and tell him I’ll think about his wish list (unlikely).

This year, I’ve decided to go back to basics, and think about the things that make us happiest; the products we use in our everyday lives that bring us closer and strengthen our love. For us, it’s our coffee ritual. Our morning coffee is a chance to go over the flow of the day; who will be home, who’s got the kids, who’s in charge of dinner and what needs to get done. Our afternoon coffee happens any time we can fit it in; if we’re both working from home, it happens around 2:00pm. If my husband is on the road, it may take place at 5:00pm. But we never have that second coffee alone – it’s part of our routine, part of our togetherness.

The only caveat: the coffee must be delicious, and it must be easily, quickly brewed. I’ve dabbled in single-serve coffee makers in the past, reluctantly sacrificing quality for convenience. “It’s so easy!” I’ve declared. “It’s so convenient!” I’ve parroted.

And it was. They were. But they weren’t Nespresso.
Nespresso revolutionizes the world of coffee with Evoluo. Using the unique and innovative Centrifusion and barcode reading technology of the VertuoLine system, Evoluo brews both large-cup, high-quality coffee and authentic espresso with ease and effortless maintenance. This technology guarantees that each precisely portioned cup of coffee is brewed to perfection and finished with a silky and generous crema – a sign of world-class coffee. …

Breville the Bambino Plus: We Be Frothin’

Our Ritual, Our Togetherness: Nespresso Evoluo