[djmcmath]

No Jim, you're exactly right -- espresso shouldn't be bitter. Drip coffee should be bitter. Percolated coffee should be bitter. Turkish coffee, cowboy coffee, burnt coffee, and iced coffee should be bitter. Espresso, no matter how loudly praised by it's creator as perfect, should not be bitter.

Now, if you really want good espresso, Seattle isn't even the place for it -- no matter how loudly we often brag about how good our espresso is out here. If you really want good espresso, find yourself a little hole in the wall espresso shop in Northern Italy. The guy behind the counter needs to be about 90 years old, and he's been making espresso since he was 8 years old, when his Pa taught him how to operate the lever-op'd espresso machine in the family shop. If that espresso is bitter, he'll eat his hat.

Where's Isabo, isn't she Italian an' stuff? Seems like she often weighs in on these discussions.