First shote of freshly roasted espresso - look at that crema! |
After spending 10 blissful days in Italy for our honeymoon, it took several months to adapt back to american food and culture. One element that we missed the most was espresso. Real Italian espresso. Before we signed up for the Citi Thank You card and received 55,000 points, we purchased a Mr. Coffee "espresso machine". I put that "espresso machine" in quotes, because the little guy was basically high pressure drip coffee machine that was on the verge of exploding with each use.
In our desperation, we kept it anyway. After the handle unscrewed and blew hot coffee grounds on me (twice) and the espresso pot overflowed down the counter, we decided it was time to upgrade. Shortly after this fiasco, I discovered that I could redeem our 55,000 points for $550 in Williams-Sonoma gift cards the Citi Thank You rewards center! After an additional sale at Williams-Sonoma, our new Breville Barista 870XL and pair of glass espresso cups set us back a mere $32 after taxes. That was actually cheaper than the Mr. Coffee "espresso machine" that retails for $39.99!
We now enjoy making espressos, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and lattes. There is really no going back to brewed coffee now (which taste like coffee flavored water now)! When this espresso machine croaks, we decided that is worth paying full price to have quality espresso drinks at home. I would highly recommend this product if you are in the market for one, or are considering going to graduate school.
The Citi Thank You card no longer offers 50,000 points for their card Premier card, only for the Elite card which has a high annual fee of $450. I would recommend either the Amex Gold Card or the Chase Sapphire (50,000 points + 5,000 pts after spending $4,000 in 1st 3 months).