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June 17, 2003

Good, Cheap Coffee

One of the things I've grown fond of over the past few years is good coffee. In particular espresso. It all began on a Friday morning in the early 1990s when I stopped into a downtown bakery cafe near my office called La Boulangerie. I normally bought a dark coffee, but that day decided to try a cappuccino.

Wow! I fell in love immediately. I really loved the rich flavor of espresso blended with creamy and slightly sweet foamed milk. From that day onward I began getting cappuccinos on Fridays as a reward for making it through the week.

My love of good coffee was reinforced on my trips to Germany in the mid 90s, particularly because of Matt Henderson, who happened to have his very own Italian Gaggia espresso maker and loved to make cappuccinos for his guests.

Seeing Matt enjoying his espresso machine at home got my gears churning... what if I could make cappuccinos and lattes right at home? Hmmm. Well, I loved the idea of home-brewed espresso, but a good quality machine like a Gaggia was a bit beyond of my budget at the time. However, I stored the idea in the back of my mind.

It wasn't until 1998 that I began seeing inexpensive espresso makers appear at stores at prices I could afford ($50-100). I asked for an espresso maker for Christmas and was surprised to receive a Krups espresso maker from my little brother Pete. Woohoo!

Since then, my el-cheapo Krups espresso machine has provided me and many guests with delicious espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. I make a coffee for myself almost daily, and I've found I really enjoy brewing "fancy coffees" for guests.

Some thought the little Krups unworthy of good coffee, like Roberto, and Italian friend of mine in Germany who would supply me with Illy coffee on my trips to Europe. When I told Roberto about the Krups he politely told me "Throw it away! You need a good Italian machine for good espresso!" Well, I haven't thrown the Krups away and despite its low cost, I think it still makes a great coffee. Besides, I still don't have the budget for a "real" coffee maker.

I do enjoy "fancy coffees" when I go out, now and then, but when I see their prices I realize how inexpensively I can make the same drink at home! A cup of milk and a half ounce of high quality Illy ($11 per 8.8oz) or even less expensive Goya ($2 per 8.8oz) espresso costs maybe 50 cents. That makes a $4 latte at Starbucks a pretty hard sell!

So, why am I sharing this? Well, because I love good coffee and I know others do too. I also thought it might encourage those of you addicted to $4 lattes at Starbucks to consider a cheap $30-50 espresso machine for your home. You can save $3.50 you would have spent on a fancy Starbucks espresso drink. Besides, you might impress your friends and family with "fancy coffees" after a nice meal or just for the heck of it. :-)

June 17, 2003 1:11 PM | Food & Drink | add to del.icio.us