The Prefect Demitasse Espresso Cup - It's Chip Proof

Ever since getting a Saeco Superautomatic machine, I take at least one 2 ounce pull of espresso each morning. For years I had a set of cute ceramic demitasse cups -- I've lost the tiny saucers, but who cares about those anyway. But I've found that the cups haven't been up to the task for daily use, by me. I ding them on the sink, I ding them on the faucet. They have chipped more then twice and one ding took off the entire handle... the poor demitasse cup!

As much as I like the painted ceramic look, I knew I needed a better replacement. Something that could handle the rigors of daily use, by me, and my always-in-a-hurry dish washing skill set.

In some moment of reflection I recalled a hardy campsite technology that allowed me to enjoy both wine, water, and, ahem, coffee for several years of camping: enameled-ware. This is the stuff of roustabouts and cowboys, and Boy Scouts probably. Sturdy. And un-breakable. Certainly the enamel can be chipped, but that will just add to the character of the demitasse moment.

I found a pair of little espresso size cups. They are fantastic. I love them. I want to dig around the garage and find my old coffee mug size one, if it hasn't been lost or abandoned years ago. I think these cups are, simply, the perfect espresso cup. You can check them out at Amazon here.

New friend and old friend

The business entering the cup

Ah, mornings with a Saeco

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Trader Joe's Bali Blue Moon Coffee Beans espresso shot

I'm a big fan of most things Trader Joe's. Their whole bean coffee does make the list of favorable items. Most of their beans are dark or medium-dark roast, which tend to be too oily for a superautomatic machine like our Saeco Vienna Plus.

Among the lighter roast beans they offer is a medium roast from Indonesia: the Bali Blue Moon bean. The beans aren't oily at all and see, like a good match for the Vienna Plus. The first shot I pulled from the Saeco proved it can produce a nice, smooth demitasse of espresso. Nice crema, smooth with little bitterness. On subsequent trips to Trader Joe's I'll have to try some of their other lighter roast beans.

Waking up each morning to a Saeco Vienna Plus

Morale and mornings have improved ever since getting a Saeco Vienna Plus in our kitchen. You can check it out at Amazon here. In a nutshell, pressing two buttons and getting a nice demitasse of espresso is a thing of beauty. I wish the Saeco would produce a nectar-like god shot. But ain't going to happen with a $400 machine. No way, no how. But I can live with and enjoy the shots it does produce.


I've not yet tried to tune the grinder to make a finer grind but I might, since this could produce a longer, richer pull. But as it sits, I'm happy to accept an ounce of nice espresso each morning. I can't complain. Even with month old beans the result is fine enough for me.

Beans waiting in the hopper:

The shot begins:

The crema is acceptable:

AeroPress - King of coffee makers?

If you want to become a believer in the AeroPress than make a test batch with the same coffee grounds, one with the press and one in a drip machine. I think you'll notice the difference in bitterness immediately.

Invented by the inventor of the Aerobie disc, the AeroPress is no let down. In fact it is to most coffee machines what the Aerobie is to the Frisbee: much better.

But I must admit, ever since we got a Saeco Superautomatic espresso make I seldom use the AeroPress. Shame on me. But recently someone gave me some coffee they brought back from Costa Rica. The coffee was already ground so I knew this was a chance to start using the AeroPress again. As always, the AerePress delivered a refreshing and tasty mug of java. Side note: I almost always use the inverted brewing method, but not always. If you have an AeroPress, which method do you use?

You can check out the AeroPress at Amazon here.

Saeco Vienna Plus SuperAutomatic Espresso Machine

Ever dream of waking up and having pretty good fantastic coffee ready in minutes? Yeah, not possible unless you live in a micro roaster espresso shop. But a fairly good second place is have a good supply of fresh roasted whole coffee beans and a superautomatic coffee/espress maker.

One of the least expensive models that is basic, yet gets the beans brewed quite well is the Saeco Vienna Plus. No LCD screen, no bells, no whistles. Just a water tank, bean hopper, 3 buttons, 3 knobs, and 2 spouts.

With regular cleaning, descaling, and upkeep, some folks have gotten 7-8 years of use with this superautomatic.

We been using this machine for a few months now and I'm still tickled when pressing the "Go" button each morning. I usually take a 2-ounce shot of espresso with it. It delivers a nice taste of 3.5 star espresso. (Albeit, nothing close to the 5-star god-shot we all wish we could get at our home kitchen without spending $2,000. But heck, this thing is under $500.) But you can also fit a standard size mug under the coffee spout as well. You'll need some extra help with a tall travel mug though.

If you're a daily coffee/espresso drinker than do your mornings a favor and pick up a machine like this. You can check out the Vienna Plus at Amazon.