The last thing I wanted for my birthday was a coffee machine. Sure, the ads with George Clooney promoting Nespresso on television, on the Internet, in print newspapers, and even on billboards were enticing. But coffee machines are expensive and the fancy little coffee pods make drinking coffee almost an unaffordable extravagance. I could do without.
Or could I?
I am a three-cups-of-coffee-a-day person. I enjoy drinking coffee, but there is never enough time to fully appreciate the drink.
My coffee of choice is cappuccino. I order my first cup of the day at the Aroma coffee shop a short distance from my office in Tel Aviv. I am such a regular customer that the baristas start their preparations as I walk in the door. I pay for my order, set up my laptop, and pick up my coffee at the counter. Then I sit down for forty minutes of creative writing but despite having this much time before going to the office, I feel like I’m in a rush. Before I know it, I am hurriedly packing up my laptop.
The day’s second and third cups of coffee are not as good. Although my office has a coffee machine, it is quite a monstrosity. It offers a variety of drinks, from espresso to latte to cappuccino. But it seems that every time you prepare to make a cup, the warning signals light up. Add more coffee beans. Rinse the machine. Clean. Empty. It’s all too complicated and time-consuming. I don’t need this hassle and this is yet another reason I didn’t want a machine at home. I would never have the time, or patience, to make fancy coffee.
The coffee I drink at work is instant coffee. Taster’s Choice. Nothing exciting, nothing special, but certainly a level above the classic Elite powdered instant coffee that I remember from back when I first began drinking coffee. I can’t imagine drinking that powder today.
Enjoying my Saturday coffee
The only time I fully enjoy the coffee drinking experience is on Saturday mornings. I pour my coffee at breakfast with my wife and then I savor it slowly. I take my time and my cup is still half full an hour later. It’s not that I prefer to drink cold coffee, but just that I want to make my morning drink last as long as it can.
As my birthday approached, I wondered why I shouldn’t take the coffee drinking experience to the next level. Why shouldn’t I have the best coffee on Saturdays, when I have time to fully enjoy it? It would be worth the expense, I convinced myself. I could splurge on Hazelnut. Vanilla. I could even buy coffee pods at Aroma, allowing me to drink my favorite cappuccino at home.
“Okay, let’s get the coffee machine!” I declared, surprising even myself with the decision.
Now, the new, black Nespresso coffee machine sits in a prominent place on the kitchen counter. It rumbles slightly as the coffee drips into my cup. And there’s the foamed milk. I had totally forgotten about this essential part of the drink! As I spoon the foam into my cup, I realize I’ve created the perfect cappuccino. Not only can I fully enjoy my Saturday coffee, but I can have a second, and third cup as well.
I’m experimenting with different flavors and blends. L’OR Ristretto. Elite 100% Guatemala coffee pods. Aroma classic. Nespresso Lungo.
George Clooney would be proud.
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