Guilty Pleasure: espresso

 

Everyone should enjoy a good cup of espresso.  Unfortunately, many folks succumb to the cruelty of the world and are intimidated by a process of creation that is much easier than one might think.  For this reason, I’m going to tell/show you how easy it really can be to prepare a perfect cup of espresso.

Step One:  Fill the water basin of your espresso pot with water.  There’s a line inside that tells you where to stop.  (I know what you’re thinking.  “What’s an espresso pot? I thought I had to get one of those fancy machines like they sell at Starbucks for $3000.)  For about $20 you can pick one of these babies over at Bed Bath and Beyond.  This is how they made it back in the old days.  This is retro baby!

Step Two:  Fill the strainer attachment with finely ground coffee.  I recommend a bur grinder since the ones with a blade have a tendency to burn the coffee.  Level it off and lightly tap it down.  Wipe off the edges to insure a proper seal when you screw the pot attachment on top of it.  -Notice:  I have a tower of espresso cups and saucers.  The best way to drink this stuff, is in a properly sized cup.  You can get one of these sets at World Market for $10.

Step Three:  Recruit and train one of your “eager to please” children to do all the work.  In this picture, Katie is placing the espresso pot on the heat at a medium high setting.  It takes about 5 minutes for the water to boil, percolate through the coffee grounds, and rise up through the center column to fill the upper pot.  You can lift the lid during this process to check the progress.

Step Four: Prepare your cup.  I use 1 tsp of turbanado sugar.  If I’m adding lime, I’ll cut a sliver and have it ready also.

 

Step five: Pour, stir and add a squeeze of lime (if desired).  You should try the lime thing at least once.  It’s pretty surprising how it tastes.