Update 1/08:
A little more than a year after getting my first decent pump-driven machine and six months after getting a good grinder (see below), I’ve upgraded to a QuickMill Anita HX machine that I picked up off craigslist for less than half its retail price.
It’s a joy to use, a challenge to perfect, and a beauty to look at. It would have intimidated the hell out of me last year, but after a year of grinding and pulling shots, I was ready for the next step.
Original Entry:
True espresso aficionados can spend a bucket o’ cash on their hardware. I’ve contented myself with a Gaggia Evolution, which is a pump-driven machine with a full-size chromed-brass portafilter and grouphead, and can be had for under $200. For the all-important grinder, I refurbed a Mazzer Super Jolly that I found on craigslist for 1/7th its retail price.
The rest is tamping, using the right beans at the right time, grinding to the right fineness for the blend, getting the temperature right and keeping it there … all for some crema on the top of a shotglass or two of coffee. It only happens now and then, but it’s a great way to pursue morning zen.
