Foo - best espresso?

who makes the strongest tastiest espresso?

Jittery Joes - mild espresso, flavor is ok but not strongest enough to mix with anything else. doesnt make me jittery enough

Peets - used to be exceptional, since they have become so large i dont think it is quite as tasty. also, flavor varies alot from bag to bag.

Dunkin - havent tried

Intelligentsia - my current favorite. strong but smooth. not quite as strong as starbucks but definitely tastier as solo shots.

Starbucks - as much as they are derided, they actually produce a decent espresso. they take all the passion out of making it but they produce a consistent quality shot. also, starbucks tends to have a bit more caffiene.


Macys - one of the best when its done right. quit buying this stuff because i felt it varied too much from pound to pound and that 1 out of 5 bags was over roasted. this was a while back and maybe they have better quality control. if you are a hippy, this is the coffee you should be buying - macys is the antithesis of starbucks.

Illy - always good, rarely great. too expensive. this is the standard fine dining espresso but priced almost twice as much as the others

La Vazza - best budget espresso, only get the whole been super crema and equivalents. if i couldnt buy Intelligentsia this is what id get.

Illy -- a small independent coffee shop on my usual cycling route serves this. The first time I went there, I ordered a latte, and WOW! This was the only latte that tasted superb with NO sweetener whatsoever. I figured it was something special, so I asked the guy and he said Illy. I don't own a conventional espresso machine, but when I do I am ordering Illy.

Illy - even the Italians think so.

Manuel (sp?) and Illy were the only two I ever had when I lived in Italy. Even though Illy is 10x more expensive here in the states I still buy it all the time.

Jittery Joes
Starbucks
Peets
Dunkin Donuts
Macys (flagstaff)

please.

please.

botto, what are your favs?

I've never had tasty espresso at a chain shop, but its coffee so I deal.

The best stuff usually comes from the small shops that actually know coffee: for one, a place that has fresh beans (heck, why not go so far as to assume they have real baristas who actually roast the beans?!).

A good shot of espresso requires making sure you have the proper grind and tamp, and proper length of time to fill. If you're really getting snooty, you'll want to brew the shot into an actual shot glass, so you can see that it has proper heart, body and crema.
Most of the big chain shops have the type of machines that grind and brew with the press of a button. what?

mm. I love coffee.

The BEST espresso I've had came from a shop I worked at in college was affiliated with Legacy Chocolates (http://www.legacychocolates.com)( the coffee/organic food has since branched off into a shop called the Raw Deal (http://rawdeal-wi.com/), so I'm not sure how their coffee surivived), I'm pretty sure its still the same, though.

if beans are used within 7 days of a roast they are still great. i agree that a trained barista is better than a super-auto machine. however, a super-auto (tho heartless) can make a good cup and sometimes finding a good barista is difficult. the chain stores rarely screw up roasting or at least have the QC to keep it from making it to your cup. the smaller in house roasters often over roast which can make a truly terrible espresso with less caffeine too.

check this thing out. i am sure the coffee sucks but its still a fun piece of engineering.
http://www.podmerchant.com/espresso-machines/HandPresso/handpresso-report-cg.html

Terroir Northern Italian Espresso

http://www.terroircoffee.com/store/more_info.php?gid=221

La Columbe (http://www.lacolombe.com/). Best espresso and best coffee anywhere, but that's just one addict's opinion.

None I've tried so far is any better than the one I make myself with my simple little one cup stovetop Bialetti. I do grind my beans fresh as I need them though (once a day).

Best espresso in the Sacramento area: The Naked Lounge on 15th and Q.

botto, what are your favs?

http://www.starbucksstore.com/images/products/shprodde/312864.jpg

I put starbucks. Though I don't drink coffee anymore. Or soda. or milk:)

Kahve is much better than espresso. A nice Cuban Espresso is nearly as good, though. ;)

Best local espresso: http://www.templecoffee.com/
Best chain: Peets
Best ever: Cafe solo at a little sidewalk cafe in Cedeira, Galicia, Espana.

I live in Seattle, so I'm getting a kick out of the available options.

In Seattle? Vivace, no question. Besalu, Ladro and Java Bean are also all quite good.

No chains in Italy AFAIK.

Johnny Monkey, I think you're ineligible for this poll. I bet you could squeeze out a dish rag from a Milanese caffe and get a better cup than Starbucks.

http://www.caffevita.com/

I do! Perhaps I might be biased.

Agree with MTBLover about La Colombe Torrefaction - wonderful espresso. Well worth visiting Philadelphia just to have a coffee there.


La Columbe (http://www.lacolombe.com/). Best espresso and best coffee anywhere, but that's just one addict's opinion.

Keans Coffee in Newport Beach, Orange County, CA Their classic cappucino is the best.
http://www.keancoffee.com/

Johnny Monkey, I think you're ineligible for this poll. I bet you could squeeze out a dish rag from a Milanese caffe and get a better cup than Starbucks.

That is true. I have never had a bad coffee in Italy. I have had bad coffee in every other country I've visited though.

The next best country for coffee IMO is Australia, but not in the chains in the small Italian-run cafes. I have noticed that coffee tends to be better in places where the people making the coffee are coffee drinkers themselves.

The main issue with most chains is that the coffee is too weak - it should be able to strip paint IMO and ristretti should blow the back of your head off.

Coffee is cheap in Italy and Australia as well.

^^^^^ +1

I have rarely found a good espresso in the UK and my experience is common judging by the opinion in the coffee forums.
Now I roast my own green beans and grind and brew using my own grinder and espresso machine. Expensive and time-consuming it is true, but satisfying.

^^^^^ +1

I have rarely found a good espresso in the UK and my experience is common judging by the opinion in the coffee forums.
Now I roast my own green beans and grind and brew using my own grinder and espresso machine. Expensive and time-consuming it is true, but satisfying.

understandable. the only places where i've found myself looking for a starbucks is Korea and the UK.

Daz Bog

We had horrendous coffee at a B&B in Costa Rica, run by an expat from MN. Great stuff everywhere else there that we went. I think Utah and South Dakota might be tied for worst roadside coffee I've had in the US.

So far, best expresso I've had was from a place called the Spider House in Austin.

So, I had to google illy, seeing as though its the leader second to "other"-- so do you all mail order your beans from them and brew yourself? I've always had a hard time brewing good coffee without the beneifit of a multi-thousand dollar machine :)

this thread reminds me- anyone seen the bucket list? Jungle cat coffee? mmm.

I haven't tried them all, but Starbucks is the go to espresso for me. Triple, please.

Peets - a little too bitter to me.
Illy's - I've made pressed coffee, but never espresso. Very good.
Not listed, Tully's and Seattle's Best are good, too, but not top of the list.

this thread reminds me- anyone seen the bucket list? Jungle cat coffee? mmm.


http://www.ravensbrew.com/images/kopiluwakmovie.gif (http://www.ravensbrew.com/NewFiles/kopiluwak.html)

Metropolis Redline (http://www.metropoliscoffee.com/)

and/or Intelligentsia Kid'O (http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/store/coffee/espresso)

my current favorite for making espresso.

later.

Espresso Roma Cafe-Berkeley Ca.
2960 College Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704


Espresso Roma Cafe-Boulder Co
1101 13th Street
Boulder, CO 80302

Espresso Roma Cafe-Eugene Or
825 13th Avenue East
Eugene, OR 97401

Peets (Berkeley or Cambridge)

and my all time Favorite...
The Original "Top'O the Mall/Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co".....Pre 1989 Earthquake-in two words.....Steve's Smooth

Intelligensia or Vivace.

for the win