I think that it is to no surprise what a coffee junkie I am! It is truly something I look forward to each morning and helps me get up and my day started nice and early. For today’s post, I am excited to have partnered with illy and to share some ways to make those must have lattes, espressos and good ole cup of joe right from your kitchen counter! The illy X1 Anniversary espresso and coffee machine is a beautifully designed machine that you would expect from an Italian brand like illy. The anniversary edition is retro in many ways – an homage to the first espresso machine built in 1935 and it is a celebration of illy’s heritage when it comes to innovation. Using this multi-beverage coffee machine, I had the most incredible hands on experience with Giorgio Milos, illy’s Master Barista, learning how to perfect my own Barista skills and learn the machine. So many people are becoming passionate about coffee, leading to many people starting their own coffee shops. Anyone looking to do the same should visit the Iron and Fire website for all their wholesale needs.
First things first, living in the city I always try and keep items (especially those out on my counter) to a smaller scale. This machine is the perfect size, comes in three colors and fits in seamlessly with my decor. When I pop into coffee shops, machines that can “do it all,” they are typically larger in scale and would take up a ton of counter real estate. If we are being honest though, fancy coffee machines like this typically intimidate me, but after 15 minutes of watching and learning from Giorgio I felt like a pro Barista! With this being said, whether you decide to go for a budget espresso machine or something that is a bit more on the pricier side, either way, hopefully you’ll get the results you are after when it comes to making that perfect cup of coffee.
The machine warms up and is ready to use within 30 seconds, which is great for someone on the go who enjoys a good cup of coffee before work. It’s also great for entertaining. Whenever we have apartment guests, I offer four different selections to meet everyone’s individual taste: coffee, cappuccino, latte or espresso. With only needing to know how to operate two buttons and a wait time of less than 10 seconds in-between making each drink, I can easily have a hot glass ready in the matter of minutes. I also love seeing people’s reactions that it’s that easy to make these drinks from home. Truly, if you wanted to make a change and stop spending $5+ daily on a latte, you could make comparable ones of even better from home. Personally, I prefer how yummy and easy this machine makes them, plus this way I can also use my own almond milk (although I learned whole milk gives the best froth) and add other personalized touches, like chocolate drizzle or a touch of cinnamon.
Also, with the holidays approaching, this is a great gift option as well, especially if you are like me and typically go in with a sibling on a gift for your parents/in-laws etc. While I am definitely a latte type of girl, I would love to hear your favorite drink of choice! Giorgio told me that he can take back around 7-10 espressos a day, so I have some serious catching up to do! illy also offers a coffee subscription service where you can have different coffees delivered each month which is a great way to try out a variety of beans. They also carry tea and the most adorable accessories including the latte art pitchers which were so fun to use! Just a little FYI, the smaller pitcher works best and you only need to fill it 1/4 of the way and it is great for one latte. If you have any other questions about the machine or otherwise, let me know!
If you live for coffee, you will enjoy the articles over at the Full Moon Cafe, a virtual cafe! If you want to make espresso but don’t have a machine, you can learn how if you don’t own an espresso machine in an article from Full Moon Cafe.
Photography by Nora Varcho
A big thanks to illy for partnering on this post!