best at-home coffee on a budget (just get the croissants)

Apparently, the world is amazing with spending $4 on a fancy coffee drink on the daily at Starbucks. Not working compounds my guilt on spending that much, unless I win Starbucks for Life. but here’s my back story.

I was always a decaf girl. until babies.
Drinking a little caffeine on an empty stomach resulted in a crazy frenetic version of me that only my closest pals could appreciate. In fact, I began to sense that my spouse was The One after he took pleasure in a brunch with an accidentally-caffeinated version of me. instead of being frightened, he was charmed.

And as you might imagine, motherhood has rewarded my natural tendency to go to bed early and wake up early with a sledgehammer taken to my blissful nights of eight hours of contiguous sleep.

Until I had my second baby boy. Now, I need a little mocha to get things started in the morning. When we’re in our groove, Alec makes one for himself before he heads off to work and leaves a little pot of espresso on the stove for me to make with as I please throughout the day.

Not wanting to jinx any sleep improvements with too much caf, I tend to meter it out through the day with splashes of espresso added to my very rich hot chocolates.

Here are the ingredients to the very best at-home coffee house experience. If you are anxious about saving money — like we are — but you have a developing coffee habit, this will pay off in less than a month:

Gear for aspiring at-home barista

Bialetti Moka express stovetop espresso maker, 3 cup.: enough for hubby to make some and leave behind the rest; considering that it works in minutes, it’s not a problem if you need to make more; true caffeine addicts may want the six-cupper.

Aerolatte Frother: wicked fun milk foamer; also good at making “fluffy milk” for picky toddlers

The very best ingredients:

Italian Roast espresso or Decaf (I just observed they have moka kits, but not in decaf, how odd)

Cocoa powder by the case from Guittard (use your own sugar)

To save a few a lot more pennies and the earth in general, we both have travel mugs. He takes his to work on the bus and I (theoretically) can drop my spill-proof cup in the stroller or diaper bag. but that’s a story for another day.

Now, go invite someone hazardous over for mochas!