The perfect espresso

My boyfriend and I spent the month of July eating our way through Italy. We had countless three hour lunches followed by five course dinners and late night gelatos. How did we manage, you may be wondering. Espresso is the answer. This phenonenon has not quite caught on in the States, but Italians swear by a shot of espresso at the end of a meal. Espresso, in Italy, is about three tablespoons of thick, rich coffee usually accompanied by a packet of sugar. The jolt of caffeine and strong coffee is just what it takes to not only aid digestion, but help get you moving from the table (sometimes the hardest part after a long meal).

Picture courtesy of justespresso

Upon our return to the States, we began to crave espresso after dinner, before work, and in our dreams. We bought a stovetop espresso maker, or "macchinetta", for ten bucks at the local housewares store, but were utterly disappointed by the watery, bitter quality of the coffee it produced.

My boyfriend's birthday is around the corner and I've decided to get him a real, automatic espresso maker to hold him over until our next trip to Italy. These machines are notoriously pricey and can cost up to $2,000+.....not exactly in my coffee budget. But I did find this:

FrancisFrancis! X6 Espresso Cappuccino Machine

This machine is made by the Italian company Illy, one of the most popular brands in Europe. I love the sleek, ulta-stylized look of the machine (the perfect kitchen accessory?) and with a $400 pricetag, it's cheaper than a trip to Italy, and makes some great espresso!