Espresso News and Reviews – TheShot.coffeeratings.com

Yes, this is the San Francisco legend — a meeting place for writers of the 1950s Beat movement; where Francis Ford Coppola wrote the script for The Godfather; where espresso was first introduced to the West Coast in 1956. This café is rather old-school Italian to the core — one of the fewer and fewer [...]

Yesterday’s Toronto Star featured a few interviews on what it takes to make a great espresso — including the opinions of Stuart Ross, an award-winning barista and co-owner of Bulldog Coffee in Toronto, and Coulter Jones, the 2006 Canadian barista champion from Vancouver’s Caffe Artigiano. However, only Mark Prince, of coffeegeek.com, was able to answer [...]

Here’s an item in today’s news: Nestle reportedly to open luxury coffee shop in Brazil – MarketWatch. In some parts of the world, Nestlé’s Nespresso system, at least on the surface, appears to be making money hand-over-fist for them. Part of Nestlé’s strategy has been to open up Nespresso stores in places such as Geneva, [...]

According to an article in today’s Frederick (MD) News-Post, the coffee pod revolution isn’t exactly winning over fans en masse just yet: Users, vendors not fans of coffee pods – The Frederick News-Post. Citing a recent NPD Group report, the article notes that beyond single-serving convenience, pods don’t exactly represent a step forward in the [...]

An article published in tomorrow’s The Age (Australia) explores the growing popularity in home espresso equipment — and in new training courses and centers for the home barista: Cafe society, BYO machine – Epicure – Entertainment – theage.com.au. For example, Lavazza has been running courses in Australia for industry and home enthusiasts for the past [...]

If there’s any wonder about the importance of machine service and its impact on the quality of espresso, look no further than the home version of the espresso making game. Over the past several weeks, my home espresso machine was showing the telltale signs of failing gaskets and seals, which need replacement about once a [...]

Canadian Business magazine recently reposted a 2001 article on the deep and seemingly bottomless pit of home espresso perfectionism (something I can identify with all too well): A cuppa perfection | After Hours | Gotta Have It | Canadian Business Online. The article is even more accurate today than it was when first published. It [...]

An article published in yesterday’s The Wall Street Journal noted the growth of coffee pod use in the U.S. for both office and home: Wall Street Journal Notes Growth In Coffee Pod Sales @ Vending Market Watch News at AMonline.com. Customized and convenient, coffee pods have been pushed by the industry as an alternative to [...]

Today, Canada’s Tandem Online featured a story on the evolution of home espresso machine design: Raising the bar for espresso machines – Milan architect continues series of user-friendly designs – Tandem – Online magazine. Ten years ago, Luca Trazzi, a Milan architect and designer, joined forces with Trieste-based FrancisFrancis (founded in 1994 by Francesco Illy, [...]

That great bathroom reading staple, Automatic Merchandiser, cited research today that shows U.S. coffee consumption away from home has grown from 58 percent of sales in 2001 to nearly 68 percent in 2005: Research Indicates More Consumers Choosing Coffee Away From Home @ Vending Market Watch News at AMonline.com. Expectation is that this shift will [...]