Magic Bullet Cappucino

I’ve always wanted to “act now” in response to an infomercial. I just didn’t know which magic beans to buy. Well, after years and years and years, and almost buying the Ginsu knives, I pulled the trigger on the Magic Bullet.

Is it all that? Yes and no. It’s great for making smoothies, because it’s a much easier clean up than a full scale blender, not to mention it’s much easier to pull out of the cupboard than my macdaddy blender, since it’s so light and compact. However, I’ve noticed that the blades aren’t as sharp as they were during the first few weeks of use. Initially, the blades would pulverize ice and frozen strawberries in a nanosecond. Now, they do duty akin to that of Jamba Juice Smoothies-a few stray strawberry pebbles here and there. However, my major affection toward the Magic Bullet is the blade attachment that foams milk.

I use to trot over to Starbucks everyday with my daughter for a cappuccino. The problem with that is once my daughter started walking, she would make a beeline to the milk and treats case and help herself to chocolate milk and cookies. At first, I thought it was charming. She and I would sit in a couple cozy chairs near the crackling fire and enjoy our morning drinks. It became a ritual. And, that’s the problem. Chocolate milk and cookies every now and then: fine. Everyday: not so fine. And, it really didn’t seem fair to get myself a beverage, but deny her one.

So, I began shopping cappuccino makers. I’ve had a few machines in the past, but they were what I would consider imitation cappuccino makers (in the $100-$200 range). They didn’t hold up well and produced substandard espresso. There is no way around it: a good espresso machine is an investment (in the $1000 to $2000 range). But, I have a wish list of high-ticket items, and an espresso maker doesn’t make the top five cut. So, that’s where the Magic Bullet comes in. The blade attachment that foams milk does a superb job. Just yesterday, I made a cappuccino for S, and he loved it. He said it was far better than Starbucks. Now, I’m not sure that’s a compliment, because ever since Starbucks did away with hand pulled espressos and switched to automatic espresso makers, their cappuccinos are just okay. But, he meant well. So, you’re probably wondering why I chose Starbucks everyday. It’s about twenty steps from my front door. And, when you have a small child, you choose the easiest way possible to your destination. Plus, it seems silly to bundle up my daughter, schlep her to the car, secure her in her car seat not always with her cooperation, and then drive three miles to a decent espresso shop just for a cappuccino. At any rate, it’s also a huge money saver. I figured I’m saving $40 per week by cutting out the mommy daughter daily trip to Starbucks. That’s over $1900 per year, not counting weekends. Coincidently, that’s enough to buy a good espresso machine.

The recipe is one heaping teaspoon of instant espresso (I like Medaglia d'Oro) to 3 oz. of boiling water. While your water is boiling, put 4 oz. of milk in the magic bullet and jizz it up for a minute. Then heat the milk uncovered in the microwave for 40-50 seconds. As soon as you see the milk rising in the vessel, pull it out. Then just pour the milk and foam into the espresso. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how to form the cool heart shape in foam. But, it tastes just as good without the heart.

Note: I’m not affiliated with the Magic Bullet or its sales in any way (although I wish I were).