i was *this close* to getting a nespresso machine. citiz+milk was the model i was eyeing on and i went on youtube to watch unboxing videos and demos practically all day & night. then again, was i really prepared to fork out 600 bucks for a single-serve machine that basically does nothing but dispense espresso? well, no i wasn't.


having tried frothing milk using both the wand thingy i got from IKEA as well as the immersion hand blender and yielded less-than-desirable results, i wondered if it was even remotely possible to make good frothed milk at home. not after i found out that the trick is to use a french coffee press, something that i hv stashed at the back of my kitchen cabinet. it was really simple and could just be done in a few secs. i was elated! watch this to see what i'm talking about.

i think the french coffee press does a great job and illy is good (i even get nice crema on top of the espresso!) and the cappuccino is identical to those served in cafes and restaurants. i can finally get my coffee fix right at home.

basically cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk & 1/3 foamed milk. i brew the espresso in the french press (the guide is to use 2 tbsps medium-grind espresso to every cup of near-boiling water). let it stand for 4 mins while stirring with a chopstick ocassionally, then press the plunger down. add 1/3 cup of espresso into the bottom of a cup, rinse the coffee press, microwave the milk for abt 20 secs, foam it with the plunger and top the espresso with 1/3 steamed milk then top the rest with the foam. it is kinda troublesome since i hv only one coffee press but with the fantastic result im getting and at the same time save a few hundred bucks on the nespresso machine or the aerocchino milk frother, i think its worth it!