Disclaimer: This post is NOT SPONSORED by Nespresso. These are my own personal thoughts and evaluation of their products. I believe my readers should be introduced to wonderful products whether or not I am paid for it. If I love a product, I will share it with you, if I don’t I won’t. It’s that simple.

My very favorite kitchen appliance these days is my DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima Plus Espresso Machine. We have 3 adults in our family and we use it every single day, usually twice a day each, a total of at least 6 times and it hasn’t failed us yet! In fact it makes getting up a pleasure and it helps us to start our day off right.

Last year, when my father in law came from Rome to stay with us here in Vermont, coffee was one of the first major concerns. For Italians, coffee is lifeblood and it can mean the difference between happiness and utter ruin.

Coffee is a simple ritual, but a vital one and it has to be done right, or else forget about it. Everywhere you go in Italy you can find good coffee made the “right” way. In the U.S., according to an Italian, not so much. The importance of getting the coffee thing right was made clear from the start. As soon as my father in law stepped off the plane, his first flight ever in his life, across the Atlantic, the first thing he did was complain about the coffee on the plane, the most pressing need. He had never experienced such an affront to his coffee loving senses, what an abomination! Well I learned quickly coffee was going to make it or break it for him!

Before my father in law stepped foot on American soil, we didn’t drink coffee all that much. When we did we used a Bialetti stovetop Cafetière, which most Italians have to make coffee at home, a gift from my mother in law the first time she came to visit us in the U.S. (hmmm, now I am thinking, who was the gift actually for???). But after spending a month in Italy all together last summer, we all developed a bit of a coffee habit and knew that the cafetière was going to be inconvenient. We all get up at different times and even if we made coffee for all of us at once, the one we had wasn’t big enough. That is where my American sense of streamlining came together! Time to get a machine.

While we were still in Italy, I did my litmus test. I went to a Nespresso store and sampled a decaf espresso, plain. It was perfect, it had all the layers, the perfect crema, everything and so we decided to get a machine when we came home.

Again, a true American, I tend to go more for a cappuccino or a café latte versus straight up espresso (although I do drink them too). So I knew I wanted one of the machines with that capability. After researching, we purchased a Lattissima Plus and I have loved it every single day. In fact I bought myself this sign*TRUTH.

So let me tell you the top reasons why I love my Nespresso!

Delicious, Rich, Full-Bodied Italian Style Coffee EVERYTIME
(Instead of cigarette butts soaked in muddy water – come on admit it, you know exactly what I am talking about – Starbucks, I’m looking right at you!)
You can get single origin, find your own favorite signature blends or try special and limited editions. They are ALL good, it is all about finding which ones you like the best and in this house, we all have different favorites. This is the real deal and you can use any kind of milk you like to make coffee drinks.
There are many capsules to choose from, but when I first got my machine I also got the Nespresso Variety Pack  to help us all decide our favorites.

Cheaper Than Going Out For Fancy Coffee
I don’t really love drip coffee and so I used to enjoy going out for coffee to get real espresso drinks, fancy coffee. Not anymore. Now going out is just a back up in case I am not near my Nespresso because Nespresso is better AND cheaper. Each pod is about .80 at the highest, so even when I make a limited edition latte with farm fresh raw milk (as if you could ever get that going out!), we are talking less than $1 per drink.

Ease Of Use
I have a tenuous relationship with technology and especially machines. I love when they help me, but often they frustrate me because they don’t work the way I think they should. Not so with this baby. My Lattissima Plus is a no-brainer and I love using it. It makes a perfect cappuccino in less than 2 minutes, even faster after the machine has warmed up. It is easy to clean and to operate. No complaints.

Recycling and Eco-Collaboration Program
I know what you all are thinking, what is a tree hugger doing using a pod machine? Well my friends, I am happy to tell you that Nespresso has a recycling program. You can take your pods to Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma as well as Nespresso Boutique stores. If that is not convenient for you (not for me either, I live 1 ½ hours from a store like that), you can use their custom designed recycling bags. Recycling bags can be ordered through the Nespresso Customer Relationship Center, online or picked up at a Nespresso Boutique. They also have an Eco-Collaboration program to improve sustainability. They are partnered with the Rainforest Alliance and they are committed to reducing their carbon footprint by making more energy efficient machines.

Customer Service
Nespresso has some of the best customer service I have had to deal with. They are very professional, quick to respond, polite and helpful. When my frother was acting wonky, they guided me through several tests and when that didn’t solve the problem, they sent me a new one, even though it was not covered under warranty.
When they told me that Vermont was not yet part of their mail recycling program, I explained to them how important the recycling program was to me and that although I loved my machine and the coffee products, I was going to have to stop using them if I couldn’t recycle my pods. They sent me 6 recycling bags in the mail that very day, no questions asked.

If these reasons alone are not enough to convince you, go visit a Nespresso Boutique store. Or find a friend that has a machine. I guarantee once you taste it for yourself, you’ll buy one as soon as you can!