My Little Moka Pot

The latest in my favorite kitchen tools: the Bialetti Moka Pot. After my formerly awesome Cuisinart coffee pot began taking 4+ hours to make a pot of coffee, I decided to invest in this $20 stovetop coffee maker that is wildly popular in Europe and elsewhere. Filled with espresso, it makes 10 oz and is the perfect pot for my weekday morning cup of joe. And since treating myself to a "fru fru" coffee drink at Starbucks is a) cost-prohibitive now that I'm no longer employed and b) more effort than it's worth with a toddler, I splurged on the Bialette Cappuccino and Latte set - complete with a milk frother - and a 3-pack of vanilla Torani Syrup on Amazon. While it's not considered to be a true espresso maker, every morning is a treat with a vanilla latte better than anything I can get at Starbucks (and I used to work there).

While I love, love, love this little pot that's perfect for my little kitchen, the one thing I'm still searching for is the perfect espresso bean. I'm trying to avoid the temptation to buy Illy coffee because I fear it will be an expensive habit to break. So I have tried Lavazza Espresso and Trader Joe's Espresso - both okay but not the best I can do, I'm sure. Tomorrow I'll be opening a pack of Lavazza's Crema e Aroma espresso beans (another deal on Amazon)... I almost can't wait to wake up in the morning, just to see if my wish for the perfect bean has been answered. To be continued...