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Notes -
I make brewed coffee at home, but I can't make a cappuccino at home without buying a bunch of special equipment I don't have room for in my kitchen and only would want to use a few times a year, but it's nice to get one before Christmas shopping or when you're on another fun outing.
My dad loves their drip coffee and it seems as cheap as any other restaurant's version.
As someone with an occasional craving for frothed-milk coffee drinks, moka pot coffee with French press-foamed milk scratches the itch reasonably well.
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It's not tiny, but I bought one of the smallest espresso machines available on Amazon with good reviews for around $100, and I've been slowly upping my cappuccino game with it. It's probably 12"x12"x4", and I was able to find counter space for it. I did already have a burr grinder, though. I'm not sure if it can make the best coffee, but I think it was a fun choice.
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I bought this milk frother during (or shortly before) Covid. I use it literally every day. One button, easy to clean, footprint is about the same as a large jamjar.
Thanks all for the suggestions, looks like it might be time to up my foamed milk game.
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I make lattes each morning on a little machine with an espresso press and steam wand, and it's lovely.
What model and what'd it run you? I've been considering one now that I'm working from home more.
I don't see the exact model, it was Yabano, with a pressure gauge and about $80 when I bought it three years ago. This looks pretty similar:https://www.target.com/p/anycold-20-bar-espresso-machine-compact-stainless-steel-maker-with-milk-frother-34oz-removable-tank-for-home-latte-cappuccino/-/A-1007776423#lnk=sametab
I did work at a coffee show for a couple of years, and don't mind spending ten minutes making the coffee myself, though that style of steamer does involve running a little litter of milk in circles for two or three minutes each cup.
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Yeah if I drank them every day, I'd probably get one. But for something I get 4 or 5 times a year, I'll rent the time and expertise from a coffee shop.
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