"A great espresso will make your eyes pop," says Prince. His Vancouver-based Web site, with independent reviews on coffee and brewing gear, is one of the most thorough consumer resources I've encountered on any topic. (Its highly caffeinated contributors even review user manuals!)
That ideal shot of espresso, though, is most commonly found in good cafes. Can mere homebodies channel their inner barista to re-create the texture and flavor of a true espresso at home?
It is one of the great challenges and quests of the modern kitchen. And it can be done, Mark Prince assures me. But at what price?
That depends, of course, upon how seriously you take your espresso, how much hands-on attention you're willing to devote to each cup, and how much your counter really needs some coffee bling, which can range well into the thousands.
I've been loyal to my stovetop espresso maker for decades. But those low-tech, largely sub-$100 Italian moka pots really can't deliver the syrupy coffee texture of an electric machine, let alone an obvious option for foaming milk. Experiences with the most inexpensive electric espresso machines, usually about $100 and outfitted with glass carafes, have been even less encouraging.
So plan on spending at least $150 for the most basic "pump" machine. These use an electric pump, rather than simple steam power, to pressurize the water enough to force its way through the coffee grounds at the necessary eight to nine atmospheric bars of pressure.
But espresso machines are much like cars, with options, conveniences, accessories and style points that can make them as different as a Fiat and a Ferrari. Some "superautomatics" are so tricked out with inner grinders, auto-milk frothers, and hidden grind disposals that all the challenge, and some of the romance, has been reduced to pressing a $3,500 button.
