Like a couple of others I roast my own beans. I am using a small Fresh Roast SR300, but I really think I had better results with the stainless bowl and heat gun method. The roast was more consistent and the "hulls" blew out of the bowl. For a grinder I use a Baratza Virtuoso which is the basic entry level and for espresso I have a Rancilio Silvia. For just a cup of coffee
I use an Aeropress and like it a lot. Like all hobbies, there doesn't seem to be an upper limit on the amount you can spend.

This may be unique to this group. Read the threads here: We're serious about everything from watches to firearms, and we like to research thoroughly, understand what's worth getting, then get it. :)

I mean, are normal people like this?

No.

I have a super automatic machine. It makes very good coffee Americano and cappucino with little effort, but the espresso is so-so. If you want good coffee without a lot of fuss, it's great. If you're a coffee hobbyist it's not for you. The price has come down 40% since I got mine 3 years ago.

Saeco Incanto Deluxe Automatic Espresso Machine

We recently went the bean-to-cup route with this little Swiss beauty:

Jura ENA9
http://www.za.jura.com/ena9_330x250_black_large.jpg

Effortless coffee at the touch of a button. I have messed around with a grinder and manual espresso machines in the past. Too much trouble with inconsistent results. This little Jura makes cup after cup of perfection.

It's "I like my coffee the same way I like my women - black, strong and hot enough to burn the hair offa my chest".

"I get my coffee the way I get my women - cold and bitter."

I got a Jura (swiss) over 2 years ago, I just looked at the counter it has brewed 2401 coffee cups! (and brewing one as we speak)
Still working like new.. Definitely worth buying a good one that lasts..

you !#@$%^&*()_'s motivated me to buy a refurbed espresso machine dang it!

it will replace the one I spent over $20 on, about 10 years ago

The most common mistake people make is to treat the grinder as an accessory to the espresso machine, when in fact it's the other way around. Invest in an espresso-capable burr grinder and decent espresso can be had with most espresso machines.

Lots of good advise here; I've read many good things about Gaggia.
My path was like this- Farberware $40 machine got me through school, Francis Francis X1 took me to the next level $500 and I loved it for 10 years, currently I have a PID Rancillio Silvia and my first real grinder-Macap M4 totaling ~$1400. This setup is capable of making very, very good coffee with a good bit of tweaking and charm.

i drink coffee. plain and simple.

if i crave an espresso..i hire the job out to the local barista. i like ILLY espresso. there is a coffee shop in little italy that makes a great one.

Or:

http://www.coffee-a-roma.com.au/shop...ads/Stella.jpg

I am the same. I use espresso grind in a 4 cup Melitta cone dripper. Strong, fast & it doesn't use up the entire kitchen counter with coffee apparatus! With my coffee habit, multiple daily espressos are too short & too acidic.

Blue Bottle in SF has the 'bestest' espresso that I have tasted in recent memory.

Ian

Unfortunately the price of Illy can be a bit prohibitive.

_

what is the optimal temperature for espresso?

I thought it was 190 oF, but the fancy Cuisinart machine I spent nearly $30 on is putting out water at 150 oF.

The brewed temp in the cup needs to be 160-170; so the temp of the water hitting the coffee needs to usually be in the low 200s, but there's no absolutes because it has a lot to do with the pressure of the water through the coffee and how fine the grind is and the density of the puck after it has been tamped, etc.

For my machine to get a nice 165 or 170 degree shot I need to have the water right at boiling, which is about 202 here, and I need to 'shoot a blank' BWAHAHAHAHA to get the plastic water lines and the brew group preheated a little bit. Water boiling at around 200 is one of the difficulties of getting a perfect shot at altitude.

Just put a variac on that thing and get it hotter, man!

Stovetop? I have a TopMoka I picked up in Italy. These are what the Italians use at home. About $25 -$30. I really like it. They are called Moka pots. Not true espresso but very similar. Less pressure.

Check it out.

Larry

I get MY coffee the way I get my women....I go out and buy it. ;)