I Heart CBTL!

Coffee lovers unite! Y'all know how much I like my lattes and Earl Grey in the morning, actually it's more like all day long. And you also know how much I love free stuff. Put all that together and you've got one great giveaway. On Saturday in celebration of National Coffee Day, myself and thousands of others waited in line for the new CBTL coffee machine. Crazy... no doubt. Worth it... heck yeah!

Here's the deal. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf announced that it would be giving away 2,500 of the Kaldi single serve machines. The catch was that you needed to bring in your old coffee maker in exchange. I was so down for this. I was a barista for four years, and my old espresso machine was on the fritz. So why not "Trade Up Your Cup" for something even better.

My gang and I woke up early that morning to go get our new machines, but we weren't the only ones. As we were just blocks away from the Coffee Bean near Sunset Plaza, we noticed a long line forming. I immediately jumped out of the car, grabbed a wristband, and held my spot in line. Before I even realized it, nearly a hundred people were standing behind me, and then more. There were even entire families waiting with their old coffee makers to trade up. Supposedly, a few dedicated folks had set up camp since noon the day before to get not only the new Kaldi, but also a milk frother (only for the first 200 in line). I must have been number 1,240.

Surprisingly, the line moved swiftly. We made it inside the event and were greeted by CBTL CEO Mel Elias and the most enthusiastic volunteers who took our old machines and added to the batch. Eventually these trade-ins will get donated to charity. Sharing is caring. Ok, so after that we got vouchers for our new coffee makers. But which one? There was silver, blue, red, and black.

I am so indecisive. While I mulled over my choices, I decided to test out the samples. A really sweet CBTL barista showed me just how the new machine works. Let me tell you, the espresso was perfecto! No cream or sugar needed when the shots are pulled just right. As I danced and sipped my coffee, I made my decision... the red one! I picked up my new baby and hugged it tightly. When you find the right espresso machine, you can never let it go.

Thank you to the whole gang at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and also Wagstaff Worldwide for such an awesome party. You guys rock! Now, thanks to my new CBTL Kaldi, I can wake up with my own perfect cup of coffee, tea, or espresso without leaving the comfort of home. Sweet!