I bes talkin' about the new Marco Polo over at Yelp! Check it out.

We found ourselves swinging through the Dutch Brothers drive through 3-5 times per week. For a small peppermint mocha and a medium caramel latte plus tip, that was $7 per pop. While certainly not a bank breaking habit, when you add in the times we stopped on weekend afternoons, and the times we ran out for coffee when friends stayed over, it was quickly becoming an annoying habit. Honestly, the staff there, however, were so friendly and happy that it made a great start to the morning!

But, we're trying to make the best choices with our hard earned resources. Once again we braved the world of home espresso machines. Buoyed by the promise of success thanks to a fantastic peppermint mocha a friend had made me in her own kitchen, we experimented.

We wanted to buy something local if possible, to avoid return hassles. While it's a big box store, Bed Bath and Beyond is a favorite; when I asked about their return policy, the manager simply said, "Yes," and that's pretty much it. You can return things. Period. Don't sweat the details (although we keep boxes and packaging until certain it's a keeper). Two local kitchen stores carried high end brands which we looked at.

We wanted something above the bargain basement, but not as much as a small car. We researched and avoided the draw of the machines sold locally that began around $2000 -- the ROI on such a machine was simply too long.

We chose the Breville Café Roma Espresso Macine. That and a good burr grinder came in at $300.

A few days of trying and we were getting worried -- why was it still so bitter? Of course the machine is only as good as the beans, and with the plethora of options available in even the most basic grocery, not to mention gourmet grocers, places like World Market, etc... THAT choice is probably just as important, if not moreso, than the machine. So we tinkered with that.

For now we are using Illy beans: medium roast, very sweet, easily available and often on sale at World Market. And for the best froth, use whole milk. A small indulgence. A quick trip to Cash and Carry, a restaurant supply store, and we were in biz with Ghirardelli pump bottle of chocolate, and Torani syrups.

Mornings are now most excellent. After a time or two through the routine, I came to quickly whip up our desires, which we now deem better than Dutch Brothers, and do it without donning clothes and venturing out. Plus, we can do it again at 3pm, or any old time we wish.

The machine is well designed, easy to use, SUPER easy to clean. Excellent design, metal body, very durable compared to some of the other plastic monsters we saw.

Ahhhhh.