ESPRESSO AT HOME: How to cut your cost and calories by becoming your own barista
- Jun 14, 2016
- 4 min read
Look at these beautiful HOMEMADE healthy coffee drinks!
Anyone else out these addicted to fancy delicious espresso drinks?? But are the added calories and extra dollars causing your subconscious to occaisionally nag you into a state of shame and sadness? Oh, YOU TOO! Thank goodness- I thought I was alone.
I am a LOVER of all things caffeine and chocolate- the two really are a match made in heaven. So naturally I fell head over heels for the MOCHA... a chocolatey, milky, rush of delicious espresso energy. I prefer my mocha with soy milk and I will treat myself to the occasional addition of coconut syrup (so amazing if you like coconut & chocolate)- my usual order: a small triple mocha with soy milk and coconut syrup without whip cream! I used to go to my local coffee shop every morning and get this delicious beverage- sure it would cost me $6.00 due to the extra espresso shots, milk substitution, and shot of syrup but HEY after buying 10 to fill a stamp card- you get one free- so... worth it, right?
WRONG! I mean think about it..
$6.00 a day X 7 days a week X 4 weeks in a month = $168/month
That is kinda crazy if you think about it.
So I knew I had to make the switch to homemade- but coffee brewed through traditional domestic coffee maker tends to affect my body in a negative way that I don't experience with espresso. Espresso machines are EXPENSIVE, though! And from everything I've read- you're not getting coffee shop quality with an espresso machine that is less than $100. That's when I remembered visiting with a friend of mine in LA who was from Italy. In the morning she made me the most delicious cup of espresso and cream- ON HER STOVE. BINGO. So I started googling stovetop espresso makers and it was no shock that I was led straight to Bialetti
Bialetti is an italian company that makes stovetop espresso makers for A BARGAIN! Notice I did not say cheap- because despite the LOW price point- these babies are anything but cheap. And while I AM posting my affiliate links to Amazon- I am not in any way affiliated with Bialetti and will receive nothing for including their AMAZING product in my post; I genuinely LOVE this espresso maker- it is made of this thick aluminum that transfers heat well and seems endlessly sturdy- but just in case it's not it comes with a TWO YEAR WARRANTY. It's easy- add water to the reservoir, grinds in the cup, screw the top kettle to the bottom reservoir and put on your stove. I bought the six cup maker and at first it seemed to be more than I can handle but I have absolutely worked my way up- ESPECIALLY when poured over ice and soy milk. I bought my Bialetti for $23 and I prefer lavazza ground espresso- another Italian company. I mean Italians KNOW their espresso!
My secret MOCHA ingredient
Now you need MILK- I still prefer soy- I use Kirkland Organic but you can use ANYTHING! Some people like warm almond milk but I am not a fan. It's important to be mindful when adding acidic espresso to soy milk because it WILL more often than not coagulate- in other words you'll see little soy chunks (tofu!) floating in your coffee. It isn't bad for you in any way- however it can definitely change the consistency of your drink which sometimes is too much for me to handle. I have found that by first pouring the espresso into an empty cut before pouring it into my hot milk usually keeps the consistency from changing. Cow's milk heats up well in a pot on the stove and you can use a whisk to froth it up a bit. Microwaving soy milk tends to give it the frothiness (if shaken well!), too.
Now you have your milk and your espresso and you need your CHOCOLATE! I live (and am in love) with a Type 1 Diabetic and I try to avoid added sugars when possible so I have tried my fair share of Sugar-Free or No Sugar Added Chocolate syrups but honestly the most delicious low sugar option for making homemade mochas is Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Chocolate Mix! It is seriously delicious and only adds 60 calories to your mocha- 7 g of sugar AND 2 g of protein.
How Much MONEY am I saving?
So like I said before a $6 coffee a day for a month will cost you $168.
Homemade mocha costs:
$23 ONE TIME COST for the Bialetti espresso maker- unlimited mochas
$12.50 for SIXTY PACKS of Swiss Miss No Sugar Added Hot Chocolate Mix- that is SIXTY MOCHAS
<$10 for 12 boxes of Kirkland Organic soy milk from Costco (32 oz each)- which equals 48 cups. I typically use less than a cup in my mochas- so that is at least 48 mochas.
So for around $67 dollars I can make ALMOST two months worth of mochas- falls a little shy on the milk if you prefer more milk in your mochas but I can typically make it work. Two months going to my local coffee shop would have run me $336- that is $276 in SAVINGS.
TWO MONTHS AT A COFFEE SHOP- $336
TWO MONTHS OF HOMEMADE MOCHAS- $67
SAVINGS IN TWO MONTHS- $276!!
Have I convinced you? I can't believe how much money I have saved since starting to make my own fancy coffee drinks at home. My go to is my MOCHA or just a simple espresso and soy milk over ice! Plus I get to control what goes into my drink so I don't have to feel guilty about my morning indulgence. So what are you waiting for!? Don't give up fancy espresso drinks- just become your own barista at home! I hope you found this post useful and fun! Tweet me with your favorite homemade espresso drinks and stay tuned for some fun new recipes to come!
Comments