Homemade Cappuccinos Here We Come!
My morning coffee has always been a sacred part of my day. I thoroughly enjoy the ritual of a warm beverage to ground me and think about the day ahead.
When I lived in Omaha, I had a drip coffee pot so I drank a lot of straight black coffee. I also lived directly across the street from the best coffee shop in Omaha so if I wanted a proper beverage or matcha, then I’d go there.
When I lived in Tulum, I made a pour over every morning. I really enjoyed the slower coffee making process and it helped cut down on my caffeine consumption. Whenever I’m traveling, I seek out a cafe nearby. I’ll drink it there if it’s a cute cozy spot, or I’ll take it on a walk to go.
Now that we are living in The Netherlands, I had to make some adjustments because the cafe culture here is very different. Most Dutch people have a nice espresso machine at home so there are very few cafes that will open before 8 or 9am. As an early riser, it was such a challenge waiting until they opened to “get my day started.”
Right when we moved here in June 2025, I bought a cheap “pod-style” espresso machine for $200. Well… it broke after a month. Instead of being a responsible adult and buying another machine, I got a takeaway coffee from the place on our street every single day (or twice a day…) for the next 8 months. I don’t even want to know how much I spent on all of those but my excuse was that I was pregnant and then had a newborn.
Well now that we’re out of the newborn bubble, I decided it was time to make the investment in a proper espresso machine. There’s a store near our place that sells a variety of Sage and Jura machines, as well as a ton of additional coffee making supplies. After taking with the worker, I bought a Sage Bambino. It’s SO cute! I appreciate the small size because our kitchen is tiny. I also bought a separate grinder since the Bambino doesn’t have one on it. For me, this was no problem. I just ground up 2-3 days of beans and put them in the glass jar on my little coffee station.
I was a barista in college for a few years so I am trying to remember the tricks of the trade. I also had a barista friend come over to show me some extra tips that have helped a lot. We’ll see if I ever accomplish any impressive latte art… probably not but never say never.