Back when I was a working girl, doing the 9-5 office thing, my first and last stop of the day was a just steps away away from the San Francisco BART subway station.

There was not only a Starbucks right there, but another one kitty-corner across the street and another Starbucks kiosk inside one of the office buildings at the same intersection.

It was my motivation to get out of bed, get ready and head to work. It was my reward for job well done during the day.

To think of the hundreds of dollars spent on mediocre coffee makes my stomach turn!

These days, the trek to Starbucks is 20 minutes away, but only steps to really STELLAR latte in my kitchen.

I’ve been using the Nespresso Latissima machine, which makes espresso as well as any milk drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.

I’ve been using soy milk lately – both Scott and Nathan are sensitive to milk. First, the Nespresso Lattissima heats and dispenses the milk.

Luxurious. It’s become my morning ritual.
And mid-morning ritual.
And after-lunch ritual.
And 3:00pm ritual.

Then the espresso is extracted into the cup.

Beautiful foam and crema on top.

I was lucky enough to cook with the late, great Marcella Hazan and one of the things she taught me was that espresso (even without milk) should always have a touch of sugar – which brings out the flavors of the espresso bean.

This Demerara Sugar is my favorite, which is sugar made from sugar cane and tastes like toffee! It’s very much like sugar in the raw. Do you know what Demerara Sugar is?

This one is from India Tree Spice Company.

Just a pinch.

The Demerara Sugar slowly melts and drifts into the coffee.

As for the espresso capsules, I love all of the Nespresso capsules, but have been experimenting with different brands that offer Nespresso compatible pods.

Nespresso capsules are about $.70 to nearly $1.00 each.

This green capsule is Caffee Luxe capsules are $.30 each – such a better price! They make several varieties. In terms of quality, I feel it’s almost as good as Nespresso. The crema isn’t as thick. But the flavor is nearly as strong.

Caffe Molinari has 2 varieties on Amazon – the capsules are individually (and excessively) packaged in sealed pouches (each pouch holds 1 capsule). Great espresso – rich and smooth.

About $.57 each.

But my favorite pod by far is this:

Made by Coffee Duck. I grind and fill the plastic capsule myself. It’s incredibly easy to use.

Why I love the Coffee Duck Capsules:

1. I get to use beans of my choice

2. Cheap – the Coffee Duck is $16.00 for 3 capsules that you can use over and over again.

3. Easy to use – the lid is hinged on and snaps in place

4. Don’t feel guilty about packaging waste

This below was a waste of money. Didn’t work well at all! You have to place the sticker EXACTLY in the right spot.

Nespresso Lattissima Giveaway

Thanks to Nespresso for providing a Nespresso Lattissima machine for Steamy Kitchen readers! Enter to win below. Good luck!