January 13, 2010

Good Espresso from Cheap Machines

Interesting article in the Boston Globe today that is worth a read - the findings are debatable, but they should certainly provide a bit of insight that makes people either cringe or nod their heads.

The premise is to find cheap machines on Craigslist, try out a whole bunch of coffees and then report back on how to get a good espresso out of the machines. Net, the finding that canned coffee from Italy is at least as good as any local coffee shop freshly ground ignores the fact that taste is subjective. I don't buy it. Find a better coffee shop. While I love some of the espresso coffees from Italy, and even use Cafe Bustello in a stovetop Moka Pot for Cafe con Leche, I don't think that they compare well to a freshly ground, well blended and roasted local blend that delivers layer upon layer of flavor and texture.

Another sad miss is the omission of steam vs. pump espressos. The extraction of even a low end pump machine is a lot better than steam based extraction.

What I do like about the article is that the author investigates about a dozen lesser known Italian Espresso roasts, and dives into the subject to examine a great subject - espresso on the cheap!

at The Boston Globe