There are plenty of ways to make great coffee, and a few separate methods to brew espresso drinks. But whichever you prefer, we've got an accessory for you, sure to make your morning caffeine ritual a little bit easier.
Let's begin with the Primula 8-Cup Classic French Press, a dishwasher safe, chrome version of the preferred European brew method. Perfect for those times when you're having a brunch or breakfast party, they are easy to adjust to your liking. Make sure you grind properly of course; your fine espresso or even normal drip style won't work as well as a nice, coarse grind. Cleaning is pretty simple, and the stainless steel filter fits snugly against the glass jar.
There's not much insulation, so don't expect it keep your coffee warm long, Also, the eight cups mentioned in the name are mythical; expect to get more like four real cups out of the 32 ounce vessel. Granted, this is not built to last forever- the feet can be a bit unbalanced- but for the extremely reasonable price of $20 or so online, it's hard to knock the Primula French Press. You can't argue with the Classic.
But if you're more of a fan of lattes, cappuccinos, or other espresso-based drinks that require milk, then you should instead consider the Capresso Froth TEC Automatic Milk Frother. We've tried out several other milk frothers, and like this one, they often come with swappable heating or frothing options. As standalone units, they are much easier to use than the average milk frothing attachment on a basic espresso machine. They hold more milk and are easy to handle, plus this one's German-made dishwasher safe glass pitcher is also transparent so you can see what's happening, and isn't metal that gets hot or could make your milk taste a little metallic. We needed to clean the disks by hand though.
We were very impressed by the results though- foam is stiff, nicely 'built'. It does take a while though; longer than some competitors. We tried using the Froth TEC with chai and hot chocolate as well, not simply coffee-based drinks, and it's ideal for the upcoming winter months. For lattes only, it's not quite optimal since we've seen faster, but our cappuccinos have turned out incredibly well at home and at work. Available now, online and in stores, for around $85.
