Would you believe me if I told you it’s taken me over ten years to figure out how I like my coffee? The big ah-hah moment happened for me last summer when I was visiting my parents. My step-dad is a MAJOR coffee guy. He’s very passionate about the entire process and the man does his research. When you drink a cup of hot coffee that’s been brewed and poured by him, you can rest assured that some serious love went into your mug. Growing up I totally took home-brewed coffee for granted and was definitely guilty of calling his traditional coffee post “old-fashioned.” Jeez I was such a brat!!!

It’s no surprise that I soon lost my way in the coffee-appreciation department after high school and in my years following college and moving to New York. I could never could decide on a go-to order at Starbucks and I 100% purchased multiple small appliances to try all the trending coffee pod fads, all in hopes of finding my own perfect brew. Absolutely nothing stuck and I’d just come to accept that I’d always just have to order a cappuccino or iced latte at whatever coffee shop was nearby.

Then I visited my parents and was re-introduced to the coffee of my teenage years: my stepdad’s “old fashioned” joe freshly ground and brewed in a traditional coffee pot. A major lightbulb moment happened when I took that first sip. I remember thinking… Wow all this time and the drink I like most is a plain hot cup of coffee? What’s that saying? Absence makes the heart grow fonder? It took a lot of trial and error to figure out I like a simple cup of hot coffee, but boy I’m glad I did! LOL I could’ve saved myself a lot of money and trips to Starbucks if only I’d realized this sooner.

I know that was an aggressively long way to get to my point, but I think the backstory gives this post much more context. So what did I do once I figured out I liked home brewed hot coffee? I impulsively ordered all the supplies of course. I was so excited about my big crealization that I picked out the first coffee bean grinder and low budget 4-cup coffee pot (I think it was only $20!) I could find with overnight shipping and called it a day.

Fast forward seven months later and I’m happy to share that I’ve been happily brewing my own coffee at-home. Woot woot! It’s been a learning process for sure (I was so used to inserting a pod & pressing one button) but I love making my own coffee and lemon detox water every morning. That time in the kitchen has become one of my favorite parts of my daily routine and made me realize that if I’m going to invest into any kitchen appliance it should probably be for the one I use the most: my coffee maker.

WHAT I’M WEARING // High Waist Leggings | Similar Pink Pullover | Similar Leopard Flats | Watch |  Lipstick

I recently upgraded to the Cuisinart Grind & Brew 10-Cup Coffee Maker and I’m obsessed! I’ve found that it’s best to use appliances that can tackle multiple steps when you live in a small space. This one not only brews an amazing cup of coffee, it GRINDS the beans too. It’s definitely bigger than my starter pot, but it looks super sleek on my counter and now I don’t have to use a separate coffee bean grinder.

HOW I MAKE MY COFFEE

INGREDIENTS:
Coffee beans of your choice (I order these in bulk or I use Trader Joe’s French Vanilla coffee)
1 tbsp Trader Joe’s Coconut Creamer
1 tbsp Trader Joe’s Hazelnut Coffee Creamer
1 tbsp Coconut Sugar

MUST-HAVE APPLIANCES // Cuisinart Grind & Brew 10-Cup Coffee Maker | Cuisinart 8-Cup Food Processor

All this talk of my kitchen tools brings me to another topic: wedding registries. Small appliances are a top item for most couples when they’re putting together their registry. I’m clearly impatient and went ahead and purchased my own coffee maker, but we’ll likely included a few other Cuisinart products from Bloomingdales on ours. We don’t have the space for any more appliances right now, but once we move to a new apartment I DEFINITELY want to get a tricked out toaster oven and air frier. How awesome does this one look? I don’t think I’d ever have to use my regular oven again!

Sidenote: I shamelessly spent a few hours the other day browsing the The Registry at Bloomingdales. If you’re a bride-to-be make sure you check it out because there are so many helpful tips and advice for putting together your registry. I already saved these checklists that breakdown exactly what tabletop items you need for a formal dining room setup, along with these guides to kitchen knives and stemware.

If you’re in the same boat as me and starting to think about your wedding registry, you can’t go wrong with a food processor. I feel like adding one to your kitchen is kind of a right of passage into adulthood. Like hey look, I’m a real grown up! I recently invested in this Cuisinart 8-Cup Food Processor (so good for homemade salsas and hummus) and have also been eyeing this handheld blender. Ah! So many options and not enough cabinet space!

Big thank you to Bloomingdales for sponsoring this post!

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