Our Story

It started with a dream: daily coffee-shop-quality cappuccinos in the comfort of home. Visits to our favorite hangout (Yacht Club Café in Centurion) were pleasant but woefully infrequent; we needed a quality daily brew. With no roadmap and only a vague sense of ambition, we began our home coffee journey in the lowliest of places: instant coffee or “warm brown” as some call it.

From there, we edged forward to filter coffee, a mild step up that brought us a little closer to the real thing (or so we told ourselves). Eventually, we acquired a mocha pot, marveling at its ability to produce something like espresso. Somewhere in that period, a handy wire frother whipped up froth that was more foam mountain than latte art. And yet, the dream persisted.

Research uncovered those great Italian machines with boilers, brew heads, large conical burrs, and spectacular pricetags. How to replicate true espresso at a fraction of the counter space and cost? Cascades of research inched us closer, until carefully chosen tools and gadgets made their way into our kitchen: a Flair Classic manual lever machine, a Commandante C40 hand grinder, and a Bellman stove-top steamer. Freshly ground beans from our local roaster, espresso with thick crema, milk froth with a velvety texture . . . superb cappuccinos every morning!

Far from arriving, we’d only just started down this deliciously aromatic rabbit hole which every barista dives into.

By tackling scores of personal and professional projects, we’ve honed our research skills in other areas too. Through trial, error, and an alarming amount of research, we’ve learned how to discern what works and what’s just marketing hype. At Choozimo, we share that expertise, sifting through endless options to help you find what actually matters. Our approach goes beyond specs and sales copy—we keep things concise with key takeaways from fellow owners and everyday users, so you can savor that perfect morning cup without the slog of tedious guesswork.