Espresso Making Perfection: Perfect Espresso Every Time

I suppose it does the job in breaking down the basics but honestly it’s barely a scratch if that. I appreciate the other still writing about this to the world. If you are in the coffee world, barista, or thirds wave coffee this is not advance enough for you.

A quick and easy read. Mr Verona covers all the basics for a person wishing to become a barista. His tips on choosing the right grinder are right on target. I really appreciate all the work he put into the chapter on steaming and frothing milk. Very helpful inded. Highly 're combed this book to any and all budding baristas,!!!

I found this short book to be a great help to me for understanding about how to make espresso. I have been wanting to get an espresso maker, But I haven't the 1st clue about it really - I do like my caramel macchiato! She explains it at a very basic level, and doesn't assume you understand any lingo (thank you!) I now understand why there is such a quality difference from one coffee shop to another, even from one Dunkin to another or Starbucks to another.

I didn't know anything about espresso except that I love a good one enough that I'm going to get my own machine and start making them for myself. This short book gets right to the point and tells you what makes a good espresso and what makes a bad one. It also has several links to the author's website reviewing various machines. I haven't checked those, but I feel I know enough after reading this book to go shopping for one! No fluff here - just a very concise guide in making a great espresso. I really enjoyed this.

I enjoyed reading this book. Down to the point and well written. I am entering the espresso machines market and learned a few things for myself. Would recommend this book to others for basic knowledge. People with deep knowledge of the subject will not probably find something new in the book.

I have been roasting my own coffee for over 22 years and this is the first time I have ever heard anyone suggest using straight Robusta instead of Arabica (or a blend) for ANY coffee usage. In my little coffee world, Robusta is a low grade bean which is cheap to buy and generally used as a filler in low budget coffee blends. I'm sure you have tasted convenience store coffee which had a discernible "burned rubber taste"...that's Robusta. Yuck! Now don't get me wrong, there can be a place for Robusta in a blend for espresso but the ratio is generally 5% to 20% Robusta to Arabica. In any event, other than his subjective ideas concerning the "best" espresso machines and grinders, or his suggestion you heat water on the stove to preheat your cups when you can simply use the hot water from clearing the group head for that purpose...you can garner some very basic knowledge by reading this book. Just don't take it as gospel.

Very concise and perfectly understandable. Espresso as a drink and are form is clearer to me now. If I were to suggest one thing...for five stars.. more pictures needed to understand a little better some of the text and how some things should look like.

This was a short book and offered some great advice for the novice (ground you own beans, don't freeze the beans etc). However being quite the espresso connoisseur myself I was disappointed that only the traditional Italian expression done with machines was covered. None of the great stove and counter top espressos were mentioned. For example in Italy and Cuba (café cubano) stove top espresso makers are quite common and do a great job like the  Bialetti 6800 Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker . I also think that the Vietnamese and Turkish varieties should have been covered.

A brief read with some good info, however as others have mentioned, there is better info for free online. Worryingly, there are some inaccuracies presented. The author refers to under extracted shots as "bitter" which is incorrect and will confuse newcomers to the espresso hobby whose focus early on is to interpret extraction issues via taste correctly. There are other issues as well about pucks being dry or wet, this isn't clear cut as it'll depend on machine headspace etc. and isn't necessarily indicative of an extraction issue or taste.Overall would I recommend you buy this? No, probably not, go and watch James Hoffman on YouTube or read something by Scott Rao.

This book was a nice and easy read. It took me all of 30 minutes to complete. For the price I'd say it was spot on.I actually have one of the lever armed espresso machines from La Pavoni, very beautiful machine hand made in Italy. But making espresso like they do in Milan is a lot harder than they make it look. I was surprised to read that Mr Verona (the author) actually mentions this machine in the book. Lever armed espresso machines are hit and miss at the best of times, but I'm getting a few more hits now with the thick black liquid.If you haven't invested in an espresso machine yourself yet, you should read this book first. He describes the importance of choosing the correct grinder to go with the espresso machine, something that many people miss. With a bit of luck you won't need to spend any extra money for your espressos if you already have a good grinder.The author also goes into depth about finding quality espresso beans and keeping them fresh. There are also a few other little tricks that I've never read or heard of from anywhere else. An interesting read!

I'm so glad that I bought this book. I was about to go and buy an expresso machine, but this book stopped me wasting my money on a machine that probably wasn't all that good. Instead I will get a much cheaper machine and a more expensive grinder. This combination should make me a much better brew.There is lots of good information in here, particularly for newbies to express like me. And the recipes at the end will come in really handy.I thoroughly recommend this book.

Great book for the home novice barista excellent read.Gave the book 5 stars simply explains the best ways to make coffee.

This book really makes good on some of the myths around espresso. Namely that expensive espresso machines are better! That's not necessarily the case. The most important things are the small details which this book mentions in nice detail.A short book, an easy read and recommended!