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If you know me, you know that I. Love. Coffee. I love everything about it – the comforting taste that mitigates a morning of yawns, the bubbling foam of a cappuccino that leaves a sneaky milk mustache, the clinking sounds of a coffee shop combined with conversations of reconnecting old friends. Coffee is a universal connector. Has anyone ever said no to “Want to grab coffee?” No. Well, maybe if they only drink tea. Their loss.

Sorry for being sappy. I had to get that out of the way. Now onto the point of this article.

I spend a lot of time at coffee shops, and thus a lot of money on lattes and cappuccinos. At the beginning of the fall semester, I thought it was due time to cut back on my spending and invest in an espresso machine to lower my weekly average spent on Blacksheep, Faro, Flour, and the like. Instead of buying coffee out multiple days a week, I’d allow myself only one time a week to revel in the loveliness of a coffee shop and instead invest in my own coffee shop in my room in Eliot House.

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I found a beautiful Nespresso on Facebook Marketplace out in Malden, MA that came with an old Nespresso frother, and some knock-off Lavazza pods. I got a pretty good deal. These Lavazza pods lasted the entire fall semester, but this semester I ordered a bunch of Nespresso pods, and wow, do these make a difference. Each morning I meticulously pick out which vibe I’m going for. Do I want a sweeter Cioccolatino, or a classic Italian Ristretto? Or maybe something more bitter like the Napoli.

I borrow milk from HUDS and keep it in our fridge to make cappuccinos each morning. Pouring the velvety frothed milk into my espresso is quite satisfying (but I’ve yet to master latte art) and the layer of foam that it forms to top off my cappuccino is… just… mwah.

And, have I mentioned the smell??? Each time I brew my espresso, it fills my common room with such a comforting, warm aroma, making Eliot feel even more like the home it already is.

Each night I go to bed anticipating the following morning when I’ll wake up oh-so-excited to make my coffee. While you might call this an addiction, I call it romanticism. And while I don’t get the coffee shop vibes… the satisfaction of creating my own, perfect cappuccino is comparable. I highly recommend investing in your own espresso machine as well, so you too can experience the joy. And spend less money on $7 lattes (looking at you, Bluebottle). What a win-win.

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