Available in three different sizes — demitasse, cappuccino and latte — these lovely mugs are sophisticated and fun. Check ‘em out in this review video.

Watch her whip up this delicious steak rub, grill on the ‘cue and then find out what one of SCG’s lovely carnivores thinks of the concoction.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup finely ground coffee — we chose Middle Fork’s Tough as Nails blend to give it maximum oomph!

Directions

Combine all ingredients together and mix until well incorporated. Thoroughly coat your steaks … you can either throw them right on the grill or let them hang out with the rub on them for awhile if you want a more powerful flavor. Cook to your desired temperature and enjoy!

So while I did ‘borrow’ the instruction booklet from Rachel in Customer Service, I already felt as if I knew my way around the Breville Barista Express automatic espresso machine. I quickly whipped up a few shots of Velton’s Bonsai Blend espresso to sip and then a caramel latte to check the frothing potential with my imaginary froth-o-meter. (Kaylie and I are going to invent this device in order to empirically rate microfoam.) Somewhere in the middle of espresso prep it occurred to me how much easier programmable semi-autos are to operate.

Besides ease of use, a few changes were made from the previous model (the well-loved BES860XL) that make the 870 worth consideration: a dedicated hot water spigot, PID temperature control within a few degrees and a smoother pathway from hopper to  grinder. These factors alone are not enough to convince the truly reluctant among us, though.

My essential battle with the Breville Barista Express boils down to the integrated grinder. Are you for it, or are you against it? The SCAA recently declared it Best In Show: Coffee or Tea Preparation & Serving Equipment (Consumer). However, when I hear Best In Show, I think of the movie and then I giggle.

If you see the benefit of saving money with an integrated grinder, saving counter space by having an all-in-one appliance and saving time with programmable dosing then you, my friend, are not sitting with us over here in Camp Reluctant.

If you see the integrated grinder and immediately flashback to the ill-fated combination dual tape deck + record player purchase you made in college, then you are going to need a few more facts before hopping on the Breville Barista Express bandwagon.

• Fact: Upgraded stainless steel conical burrs are easily accessed for cleaning and can be removed for replacement.
• Fact: The grinder can be adjusted for different espresso bean blends within a certain range.
• Fact: A better bean hopper configuration allows whole beans to travel smoothly to the grinder.
• Bonus: I like the removable bean hopper to empty, fill or re-fill without having to awkwardly scoop beans (or vacuum them up!)
• Super Duper Bonus: Currently includes a new dosing tool called The Razor which sounds menacing but really confirms you have the right amount of coffee tamped into the portafilter.

Overall, I am less hesitant about this machine after reviewing these facts. Also, this is not truly a new  model, it’s one that Breville has improved upon over time. Ready to jump head first into the all-in-one pool? This model makes it a pretty safe dive into the deep end. Although I thought I would enjoy a Breville Infuser BES840XL paired with a Breville Smart Grinder more, I am now reluctantly considering the Breville Barista Express BES870XL for my next home espresso machine. In my case, reluctance is just another word for lazy and Breville makes espresso machines that are so easy to use, I can’t ignore them!

Enough talk — let’s show it off, eh? Watch Gail talk about the features of the new Barista Express BES870XL, give us a tour of all the goodies it comes with and then demonstrate making a latte.

Watch as Bunny brewed these up using a coffee press, to allow the folks to taste some of the differences between the Premium House, Qualita Oro, Qualita Rossa, Crema e Gusto, Tierra Intenso and Caffe Espresso blends.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 tablespoon finely ground coffee (we used Middle Fork’s Tough as Nails)
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup crispy chow mein noodles

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine coffee, marshmallows and noodles together, then pour in melted chocolate mixture.
3. Stir until everything is well-coated in the chocolate.
4. On a non-stick surface (such as a non-stick pan, wax or parchment paper), spoon out about a tablespoon of the mixture, piled up like little haystacks.
5. Let them set in the refrigerator for about an hour, then serve.

Watch as she shows how easy it is to swap this out and then demonstrates how it performs.