Impressive home espresso

Even these high performers were blown away, however, by the gleaming chrome gargantua of the Vibiemme ($1,500), a retro-styled semi-commercial machine weighing in at 63 pounds. With a computer board to monitor temperature, a big boiler that transitions with no time delay between coffeemaking and frothing (a major difference in some machines), and the option of going fully automatic or manual, this was the luxury limousine of the test. Its espresso was not just silky in texture, topped with a swirling, multihued crema, it sang ethereal notes of fruitiness and chocolate the other machines didn't produce.

Of course, not everyone has the counter space, budget or interest to commit to such a behemoth, let alone the hands-on mess of coffee grounds.

For these folks, the highly designed and colorful Francis Francis "pod" machines are a worthy option. Created by Italian coffeemaker Illy to be used exclusively with filter paper-wrapped discs of its coffee (perfectly premeasured, ground, tamped and sealed fresh), these have been advertised at discount rates ($195) in national magazines - provided you commit to buying four cans of Illy pods every month for a year.

There are far worse coffees to commit to than Illy (in fact, it's one of my favorites). And our snazzy red X6 model has performed admirably well, despite its lightweight handle, and some oil absorption from the paper pods that keeps its shots a shade thinner than those produced from fresh grounds on other Italian machines.

Even Mark Prince concedes that the nearly foolproof Francis Francis can produce "a better shot than 50 percent of the cafes out there."

The lack of a barista's touch in pod machines, though, ultimately has its limits: "It's not what I'd consider a 'culinary espresso,' " he says.

For serious coffee geeks like Prince, attaining coffee perfection at home is a lifestyle priority. In a helpful treatise on buying espresso machines on his Web site, he contends that we should think of our coffee bars more as entertainment centers (like plasma TVs) rather than as a simple appliance akin to a toaster - and prepare to spend accordingly.

And not only on that dream brewing machine.

"The real insider's secret to making a good espresso," Prince confides, "is having a good grinder."

Local spots and great shots

Osteria, 640 N. Broad St. 215-763-0920: Is it the Miscela D'Oro Italian coffee, or Marc Vetri's coveted 1961-vintage Faema E-61 machine? Whichever, a hot glass demitasse after the pizza Margherita here is like a baci kiss of gilded caffeine.

La Colombe, 130 S. 19th St., 215-563-0860: The Rittenhouse branch has the most consistent machine and baristas in town (this is where latte art first landed in Philly). But it's the elegant light roast of its chocolaty Nizza blend that makes La Colombe unique.

Chestnut Hill Coffee Co., 8620 Germantown Ave., Chestnut Hill, 215-242-8600: This two-year-old upstart from Seattle veterans Sultan Malikyar and master barista John Hornall roasts its own beans. The baristas transform them into an elixir that is dangerously dark and exciting, with a syrupy texture and complexity that lingers on the palate for half an hour after the coffee's gone.

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