V for Verismo

What’s worse than running late in the morning? Running late and not being able to stop for coffee (that is the worst way to start a morning—especially on a Monday). As much as I love my morning pit stop at Starbucks before work, the long lines were a hassle—and would often make me late.

So, when the holidays rolled around and Starbucks debuted their new Verismo V home brewing system, I was tempted to buy it so I could make my favorite coffee at home—and save some time in the morning. As the lines got longer each day, I got more and more intrigued about buying my own home brewing machine.

And then that day arrived. The Verismo was marked down after the holidays and came with two free boxes of pods. How fast can you say…sold?

It was the day before an impending snowstorm and I figured the timing was perfect. It was a win-win. Plus, I saved a lot of money by purchasing it after the holidays, when the price dropped (the original price was $149, and I paid $59—a savings of $90!).

I have been using the Verismo every morning for the last two months and I can’t imagine how I lived so long without it. It makes brewing your favorite Starbucks drink at home a breeze and the machine is easy to set up and use. Once the machine is turned on and the lights stop flashing, you are ready to insert your pod and begin. There are buttons for a milk pod, rinse, hot water, espresso pod, and brewed pod. To begin brewing, you will need to remove the pressure tab from the bottom of the pod, then lift the handle and drop the pod into the chamber. All you have to do from there is select the button for brewed pod and let the machine do its magic. My favorite part is that it cleans itself when you select the rinse button…but I digress.

I typically drink the Pike Place Roast from Starbucks every morning, but the Verismo comes with a set of instructions to make some of your favorite drinks—like an Affogato, Iced Caffè Americano, Café Au Lait, and many more. There is also a milk frother that is sold separately, if you want to get fancy with your home brewing. With the Verismo, you can be your own barista from the comfort of your home. I haven’t experimented much with the different coffees you can make, as I am usually running out the door as the machine is just finishing brewing my morning cup of Joe. But this baby can do everything with the touch of a button!

This machine was the answer to my prayers. It makes my morning a whole lot simpler, and I get to save time and money every day by skipping the stop at Starbucks. While I miss my favorite baristas, I can now brew my beloved coffee whenever I want.