My cappuccino cravings meet Krups’ Nescafé Dolce Gusto

I just got back from a whirlwind Europe trip that included a week in Italy. Needless to say, I kinda OD’d on the cappuccino there. I’m talking every morning, sometimes twice…once even three times. Don’t judge me.

The funny thing is, I don’t normally drink coffee to start my day. But when in Rome…

And I have to say, I REALLY miss my daily caffeine injections. So when I was invited to check out the coffee creations by Krups Nescafé Dolce Gusto this morning, I was more than game.

It was held at the sleek MEET at the Apartment lounge in Soho. I was quickly led to a machine to take a stab at the machine myself.

It was pretty simple: Just stick in a pre-packaged capsule of milk that is dispensed warm and frothy in the cup; then another capsule of 100% Arabic roast and ground coffee that is mixed in and you have a warm cup of cappuccino in under a minute.

I made a little video of it too:

Some more features:

You can have your coffee, latte, or cappuccino made hot or cold. Just pull the switch to the left for cold drinks instead of the right for the warm setting

They come with 10 beverage varieties, including hot chocolate for the kiddies

It comes in a sleek red, black, or cream color to dress up your kitchen counter

Design expert Stephen Saint-Onge, who has been named one of the top 15 designers in America and is a regular on TV appearances like Oprah and The View, was also at hand to give us some designing tips.

Here are some I found the most useful:

De-clutter: If you want a design makeover, clear off all the counterspace so you can start with a fresh canvas and create a focal point. If it’s your pretty red coffeemaker for example, add red mugs, or a framed picture that plays off that color.

Go through your house for old items that you can decorate with: Not everything has to be brand new. Sift through cupboards and closets for old lamps or shades that you’ve forgotten about.

Baby steps: Even if you think your whole home can use a makeover, start slowly by tackling smaller areas and spaces and then go from there…you don’t want to overwhelm yourself.

Back to the Dolce Gusto machine, the obvious question is price. It retails for $149.99 but they’re offering a $30 rebate until 12/31/09. The starter kit included in that includes a white cappuccino cup and saucer set; a tall macchiato glass, and a variety pack of drink flavors. To buy more capsules, it’s $8.49 for 16 capsules.

Check it out on amazon.com here.

Would you guys invest at a coffee/cappuccino maker at home, or do you not mind the daily coffee run?

x
Shy