I know that Tabs and Isabo are going to have my hide for not just going out and buying the correct gear to make proper espresso with, but I've been desperately trying to perfect my coffee without diverting any funding from the Porsche budget -- I'm sure you understand.
Anyhow, one of the articles at coffeegeek.com was about a shop that did it correctly -- have two separate baristas, one working milk, one working espresso. Finish both parts of the process at the same time so as to minimize temperature differential and preserve the crema. Never ever leave the espresso sitting somewhere while you make the milk, because then the crema goes away.
Well, there's only one of me, and my little coffee machine can only support one operation at a time, so I needed a workaround to keep the crema from disappearing off my espresso while I made the milk. What kills crema? Temperature change, mostly. ... So I just need to keep the little demitasse hot for 2 minutes while I froth my milk, yes? Easy.
Enter a bowl full of boiling water. Preheat the demitasse in the bowl, pull the espresso, then back into the bowl of boiling water to keep it hot. I'm used to entertaining myself while frothing the milk by watching the crema disappear, but this time it stayed! Woohoo!
If anybody else has Poor Man's Workarounds for fine coffee, I'd be thrilled. Enjoy my humbly submitted input.
Dan