I&#x27;m not going to get into the details about the finer points of making espresso but the author has no idea what he is talking about or has not visited a decent cafe.<p>I have enjoyed espresso for many years from little Italian bakeries in Toronto and Montreal, to wonderful coffee shops in DFW, Austin and almost every place I have ever been in America and Canada does it right.<p>About the only thing I can agree with is that Starbucks is swill. It is like drinking poison once you have enjoyed a good espresso or for that matter coffee.<p>Starbucks along with all chains use essence to make their coffee taste the same everywhere. It is flavored and doesn&#x27;t require a high grade of coffee bean.<p>My advice is to visit these small micro roasters that create some the best espresso in the world. Better than anything you can find in Italy.