You can buy a $2,000 espresso machine. You can buy a precision grinder. You can perfect your puck prep until your tamping arm is sore. But if you are putting old, stale beans into the hopper, your espresso will always be disappointing.
The French Press was actually the first ever daily method my wife and I used to make our morning coffee almost 15 years ago now. It is one of the most forgiving brew methods, but it has one nemesis: "fines." If you have ever taken a sip of French Press coffee and ended up with a mouthful of sludge, you know the problem.
If you order a "black coffee" in a shop, you might get asked a follow-up question: "Americano or Drip?" To the uninitiated, this seems pedantic. Isn't it just hot water and coffee beans? That's what I thought for years anyways.
If you are looking to get into home espresso on a budget, you have likely come across the Delonghi Stilosa Espresso Machine. It is everywhere. It is cheap, it looks decent on a shelf, and it promises to make you a barista overnight.
If you walk into a specialty coffee shop today, the menu can be overwhelming. Cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, macchiatos, it is easy to get lost in the ratios. But for me, there is one drink that stands above the rest when it comes to the perfect balance of milk and espresso: the Cortado.
When you start shopping for espresso gear, you will hear three terms thrown around: Super-Automatic, Manual, and Semi-Automatic.
There are coffee makers, and then there are machines that look like they belong in a museum of modern art. If you are searching for a "high end drip coffee maker," you aren't just looking for something that heats water. You are looking for reliability, design, and, most importantly, perfect coffee every single morning. You want consistency.
A good Latte was really the first reason my wife and I wanted to make the leap into espresso in our home. While we love drinking it black it is also a nice change to enjoy a good latte without having to go out. Though to do this you really need a machine that doesn't just pull a great shot, but one that can also steam milk well.