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Express Espresso

A unbreakable vessel

By Antoinette L BreyPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Express Espresso
Photo by Laura Seidlitz on Unsplash

The smell of coffee, the social engagement which accompanies drinking it.

The romance of the poet, writing his heart onto the paper, being kept alert, by his cup of coffee. The stronger the better. The Paris cafe, the beret hat. I guess it is not surprising that when I got older I was seduced by the desire to experiment with coffee. I never liked it black and I had learned as a child that it was no good mixed with a half a cup of milk. The way my mother made it for me when we went to social engagements. I quickly learned that sugar does not usually complement the taste of the brew. And yes I did drink it when I wrote, and no , it didn't make me more creative. Coffee in inexpensive dives was often watery, so I aimed to go were the flavor would be richer, and unfortunately more expensive.

Coffee by the time I reached my twenties was one of my largest expenditures . By my fifties it was a accepted stable in my life. For the last few years I would get an Americano two or three times a day. Six days a week. An Americano is two shots of espresso mixed with water. Unlike a shot of espresso, an Americano comes in a regular size cup, so it can be savored longer. It even though it has water in it, does not does not taste watery. Espresso beans seem to have more flavor.

In the coffee shops, the baristas used a large. very expensive machine to make my drink. I always admired the barista's skill. I had even thought about applying for a barista job. It had never crossed my mind that I could both have the skill and the financial means to be able to make an espresso in my own apartment. I read a lot of postings on face book about fancy coffees. It is hard to remember where I saw the first ad for an in home espresso machine. But I do remember timidly looking at the price. It was under 100 dollars. It was not as fancy as the coffee shop machine, but I did not see any reason why it would not work. The price motivated me to do a search on Amazon. I found one that was a similar style that was under 50 dollars, a Brentwood. It arrived at my apartment on Oct.6 2019. This adjustment in my routine saved me about 20 dollars a week , Even with me dropping in once a week to visit the coffee shop workers. I learned that I actually liked espressos with half and half better than Americanos. But this espresso maker was not my solution . I don't know if I didn't clean it well enough or what, but by July 2020 I went and bought another one. This time a Yaban espresso machine. Again it was the traditional style and again within months it stopped working.

I know what you are thinking , do I buy the same style apparatus again. I would have been throwing away my good money. At least that's the way I saw it. So I decided to buy a traditional coffee maker. The ones with the glass craft. This acquisition came through the hands of a friend . She bought me one. This coffee maker worked well until my mop hit the glass pot. Sending it crashing to the floor. My mind broke with the pot. I didn't really know what to do next.

So I returned back to my expensive habit of purchasing coffee shop Americanos. I did this for a couple months. And then one day I saw an ad for an Italian stovetop espresso maker. It was inexpensive and made of metal. It was also easy to clean. And it looked easy to use. I asked around. I didn't find out any information about this kind of espresso maker. But the key factor in the decision was that it looked unbreakable. I decided to give it a try.

Again I went to my trusted merchant, to select the model. I ended up buying the Grosche Milano stovetop 6 cup espresso maker on Amazon, I have had it several months, and finally I am convinced that I have found the solution. It's outside surface is scarred from it's labor but it probably will never break, it made more than one cup of espresso at a time. It was easy to clean, and I could put it in the cupboard after it had been used and cleaned.

There are several different brands of this style of espresso maker on Amazon. Some are decorated, but the one I have may not be pretty but it works great. If I don't need all the coffee I make, I pour the leftover espresso into a teapot, so I can drink it later. I sometimes use the espresso mugs, but it makes 6 espresso cups so if I want I can use a regular mug. Most importantly I have a great tasting cup of coffee, It is definitely a no drama espresso maker, very dependable.

cuisine
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About the Creator

Antoinette L Brey

I am an elder in a time of freedom. I am now retired. All i want to do is have fun. Without a daily routine, my imagination is one of my only salvations. I am not planning on writing a book, it is just for my own pleasure

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