There is a lot of good advice about how to store your fresh coffee. It also might be easier to have fresh coffee if you find one that works well for both styles so that you can use it every day.

The difficulty with making good espresso is that it takes time and practice. It might take a little longer before you can pull a great shot if you only try a few times on the weekend. The better you get then you might realize that espresso should be your every day beverage

Well, that was my thought -- why "only on the weekends"?

Aaron wrote:The better you get then you might realize that espresso should be your every day beverage

I'm not the original poster here, but I do have to say that, while espresso and cappuccinos are both wonderful beverages, I REALLY enjoy a properly brewed cup of "drip" or vac-pot coffee. Blasphemy here, but there are times I actually prefer that over espresso. Plus, at 5:30 in the morning, it's a heck of a lot easier to brew a single thermos full instead of screwing around with an espresso machine. The latter is something I truly enjoy on a slower-paced weekend morning.

One time when I do agree that a properly brewed shot is incredible, is mid-afternoon... on ANY day!

Interesting, Bob. I find it far easier, and far quicker, to make a latte for my wife and a cappuccino for me, than it is to brew up a pot . . .

Ah, well.

But it's not blasphemy to prefer a brewed cup over a shot at certain times . . . depending upon mood, I'll sometimes brew a 14-ounce mug's worth of coffee to have in the car on the way to work, while other mornings, I just pull a double ristretto of an SO to have before I go.

Cheers,
Jason