A few thoughts, from an off-list friend, on the coffee discussion thus far.
He's quite sold on the coffee (and the pizza) in Napoli. Something to do with the water and the volcanos and some such. _____________________ Yes, a few. 1) I don't put a lot of emphasis on the beans. Of course you do need the right kind of bean and the right kind of roasting for the kind of coffee you're making, but I believe the point of diminishing returns to effort and refinement in this area is reached pretty quickly. 2) I'm a little surprised by the cult of connoisseurship around things like cappuccino and macchiato, which are basically kids' drinks, and the limited attention given to the basic characteristics of coffee (by which I mean espresso). My own three-item checklist for a good cup of coffee: not burnt or bitter; syrupy consistency; layer of coffee foam at least 2mm thick. Achieving these three characteristics on a regular basis is part art and part science, and experience has taught me not to trust anyone outside of napoli (it's theoretically possible for others to achieve the same results, but the percentages don't work for me). 3) I'm only reciting my prejudices here, but the only marginally valid coffee tradition outside the neapolitan is the south indian. And I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to get good south indian coffee around here given the difficulty of finding fresh milk. (Airlines is two strikes away from falling off my list.) 4) Incidentally, the "napoletana" referred to in the thread was used in neapolitan homes until a few decades ago, but has almost died out. It produces a coffee similar to our decoction (minus the chicory)--high on caffeine, low on texture, making it good base for concoctions with milk but not so good for drinking on its own. Bar coffee in napoli ( i.e. the real thing) has always been made with plain old espresso machines. 5) I'm not sure what "gourmet" means in connection with coffee (or anything else for that matter). It's either good or it isn't, and it's important to understand what makes it good or not good, but I'm convinced that the secret lies in better judgement rather than in greater sophistication or refinement.
