I love lattes! I remember telling friends all the time, I wish I could have one of these everyday. They’re smooth and creamy and I just love the texture and taste. Because of this love for lattes, I would often go to Starbucks. Earlier this year in May, I decided to look at how much I spend at Starbucks. When I looked up 2017, I was shocked to see I spent $374 that year. What!?! [insert screaming emoji] The average American actually spends $1100 per year on coffee, and Katie and I may be close to that when you look at other coffee shops and coffee at home. When I saw that I had already spent $135 at Starbucks from January to May 2018, I knew it was time for a change.
My biggest hesitancy for buying an espresso machine that also makes lattes was price. You can easily spend $1000 or more for a good one and then the cheaper you go, usually you get less the quality. After researching several different brands (Ninja, Breville, DeLonghi, Keurig, Nespresso, and many more), I surprisingly settled on Mr. Coffee Café Barista.
Yes, you read that right, Mr. Coffee. The reviews on Amazon were definitely mixed, but after reading several that I know weren’t sponsored people, I was convinced it was worth a try. The tipping point for me was actually a 3 year warranty that you can add on through Amazon. I’ll talk about that a little later.
Here are a few reasons I like Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista:
- Froth. That might be a funny one, but I like lattes that are frothy and creamy. Mr. Coffee does an AMAZING job of frothing milk. The froth level is adjustable and the adjustment works really well.
- Ease of use. The portafilter has two sizes for single and double shots. The milk container is easy to fill. The water container is easy to fill and place back in the machine, although we just use our sink sprayer.
- Everything is automatic. Besides having to put the ingredients in, you just press the button of what you want, espresso, cappuccino, latte, etc. You can even make americanos if you put water in the bin.
- Easy to clean. The milk container is dishwasher safe (top rack only). There’s a clean setting that seems to do the trick.
I am now six months in and the machine is working great. I make at least one latte per day. It’s glorious!
Here’s the low down on price:
- Amazon is awesome. I bought this for $199 and now it’s available for $140. Of course, I’m jealous of the price it is now, but it was still worth it back then. Click here to see.
- Square Trade 3 year protection plan. $10. Worth it. They offer these in various ways through Amazon. I think the guarantee is great and I’ve used it successfully with other products.
Extras
- Torani Syrup, about $12. I love Cinnamon Dolce Lattes from Starbucks. :). The next best thing is Torani Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup.
- Starbucks Verdana Blend, about $6.50 for small bag. I get about 34 scoops per bag.
- Cost: Each latte costs about 40-50 cents (15 cents per pump + 20 cents per scoop + the cost of the little bit of milk). Compare that to $5.20 for the Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte at Starbucks? Winning!
Here’s a video of Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista in action and How to Make a Great Latte!
