Introduction
Look at It

Look at it: a beautiful espresso on my kitchen table. I roasted1 the coffee beans. I ground them. I brewed this marvel. By espresso standards, I brewed a lot. I did so to show off the crema and its beautiful golden brown color. (What's crema you ask? Check out the Terminology page for a few buzzwords.)

Not so many years ago, it was an expensive proposition to make a real espresso at home. Now, things are so different and much more affordable. Are you interested? Read on, then.

Should You Be Here?

If you like Starbucks coffee, please leave now. If you enjoy flavored coffee, you must go away immediately and never come back. Go. Go now.

This site is intended for those engaged in the pursuit of making great espresso at home. If this is your aim, I hope that this site will be of some help. Even better, I really hope that you might help me. (We'll see.) In any event, feel free to get in touch via email to share an opinion, ask a question, provide additional information, recommend or not a product (or a link).

Seattle, San Francisco and Starbucks are irrelevant here. The ultrablended common Italian brands of espresso beans are equally irrelevant. My meaning of "great espresso" demands an explanation: When I go to Italy, I find the espresso there better than mine (made at home in San Antonio) only a small percentage of the time. Therefore, I consider my home-made stuff very good espresso: not great, just very good. The quest for going from very good to great will never end.

If you're really interested, and don't know much about this, be warned that buying one of those $400 espresso makers2 at a department store will not get you very far. (You'll need to spend that much to buy a grinder.) Nevertheless, this site will contain information even if you fall in this category. To have seen the same gadgets for sale in Italy should not impress you. After all, Italians drink pretty bad home-made coffee.3

Above: What many Italians use at home.

If you want to duplicate what most Italians drink at home, this task presents no problems whatsoever: Go buy a stovetop espresso maker and some Lavazza Crema e Gusto.

Don't expect good espresso in Italy all the time

In Italy, you will find a great espresso where you least expect it and will be disappointed if you expect to find great espresso at every fancy bar in a fancy location.

Above: A bad espresso in a fancy place. The place is the Galleria in Milan. The espresso had a very red crema, indicating that the blend used contained a lot of Robusta.
Slow food and fast coffee
An espresso is best enjoyed with pleasant company in a pleasant place, or just the latter if you happen to be alone. The view is very important. You can make a mental shapshot that lasts a lifetime when you find a great espresso in beautiful place.

Above: A view of Camogli. Once a fishermen's village, this little town with a tiny, rocky beach is packed with tourists.

Italy is a place where all the senses are stimulated, even when you think it's out of place. If traffic noise keeps you awake at night and is the cause of your awakening in the morning, you have chosen a proper place for your stay. (In a week, you'll get the hang of it.) Italy is a great place to visit, not a great place to rest. You'll do that when you get back home.

Above: The late Antonio Goggi, a leading citizen of Tortona, for a brief moment detaches himself from this world to admire his espresso in anticipation of the pleasures it will bring.

A lovely espresso must be admired before you consume it. Admire the color of the crema. Breathe its aroma and fragrance. Admire the lovely shape of the espresso cup. But don't wait too long, or the crema will disappear and you'll lose some of that great taste.

  1 After years of roasting my own coffee, I now buy roasted coffe from San Antonio Coffee Roasters, 138 W. Rhapsody, San Antonio, TX 78216; Contact person: Roger Chbeir, sacr@satx.rr.com, 210-308-8882 and 210-308-8883 (fax). Their retail outlet is called What's Brewing. They have an online store.
  2 Actually, I now believe that you can make an excellent espresso after you learn how to master a Rancilio Silvia. Start with this link to see whether you can buy one for less than $500, including shipping.
  3 I have received a very kind invitation from Gino, in Rome, to taste the coffee he makes with his stovetop coffee maker. If I'll get the chance to drop by, I'll let you know how it turns out.