My morning routine has taken a turn for the better over the last couple of weeks. In days gone by I have always started the day with a large cup of tea but now it is all about the coffee, more specifically cappuccino if I'm honest.
I've always liked coffee but I've never been able to make a cup as good as those you get when out but now I do get a really decent cappuccino and for a fraction of the price. Actually, my morning cappuccino now costs me about 47p per cup (or £3.77 for a box of 8) and I've ordered the Cafe Au Lait with this weeks shopping and they are even more cost-efficient as I need just one pod to make a cup and that is 24p for a seriously well-brewed cup of coffee.
So what am I using to make my delicious coffee? A NESCAFE Dolce Gusto Mini Me machine made by quality manufacturer De'Longhi. I see these retail for £59.99 at John Lewis and I think that is a good price for a machine with a 2-year warranty that has no fuss required. I just op in the pod of my choosing, select the volume I want (to match that suggested or to my own desire) and hey presto the machine regulates the pressure to ensure I have my coffee come out just the way I like it, be that a strong and sultry espresso or a frothy Latte Macchiato.
I'm trying to limit myself to one cup a day as I like to add sugar to coffee and the regular cappuccino is 84 calories per cup although I've also spotted today there is a light version which is just 20 calories so I'll be trying that next. It's funny that I'm thinking about the calories when you look at the next picture though as I have found the cappuccino is super with cake!
I'll tell you what else is pretty cool, it is the Facebook page for NESCAFE Dolce Gusto as there is a real community feel there, you can chat, upload photos, be in with a chance to win pods, give feedback and even find fabulous recipes like this one below, I WILL be making this very soon...
They have also launched a new fun app called The Pod and this allows you to play games and collect stamps for fun and there is also the chance to win prizes when you complete the mini-tasks to earn the stamps. There is nothing laborious, it might just be giving your feedback on literally one question or saying what your favourite pod is etc.
It is always good to have a browse and see what is about and I've just found out that there is a code in each one of my pod boxes and by entering these on the website I can be in with a chance to win a years free coffee - result!
Anyway, I'm sure this will be the first of many NESCAFE Dolce Gusto posts as I've been selected to be a #DolceGustoblogger and that means I will get to try out all sorts of flavours and fun things.
Disclosure: The mini me machine and a starter pack was sent to me free of charge for the purpose of trying out the products and writing this post. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.