Hi there! My name is John Corney, and thank you for visiting Espresso Coffee Snobs.
I became an espresso coffee snob growing up drinking coffee in the wonderful cafes of my native New Zealand, and working for a time as a barista at MacFarlane's Cafe in Inglewood, New Zealand. The combination of good coffee and the sense of community that surrounds it in the cafes of New Zealand forever tied a sense of well-being and community, for me, to drinking a delicious espresso coffee drink. Ah, the sheer delight of good espresso coffee — especially my favorite, the "flat white".
Upon moving to the U.S., in the late '90s however, I discovered a completely different coffee experience. For a start, the industry here was, and still is in 2026, dominated by a few large corporate giants, such as Starbucks, Peet's, and Seattle's Best. Coffee shops in the US are built around corporate profits, turnover, and economies of scale. What's more, cafes in New Zealand are typically informal restaurants offering a wide selection of light meals, often with table service, and often with wine available too. The coffee beans are often roasted on the premises, filling the air with the rich, dreamy aroma of roasted coffee beans. They are a complete community experience — a place not just to get superb coffee, but also to hang out with friends. And the coffee is almost always served in a ceramic cup if you are ordering to stay and linger in the cafe. If you want it in a paper cup, then it's an order to "take away". This again demonstrates a key difference: it's not a matter of grabbing a cup of coffee on the run; it's a matter of lingering and savoring your coffee with friends, or a book, paper, or magazine. Be civilized and don't rush!
So I experienced a sense of loss to discover that coffee shops in the U.S. are basically "factories" designed mostly for high turnover, with the coffee dispensed in paper cups. You are not really a guest, and you are expected to be on the run.
But even worse, I found what was served up as espresso-based drinks in the U.S. was, in my opinion, an inferior product. Sure, there's a huge menu on offer, with any combination of flavors, milk, and so on — but the essence of the drink, the espresso itself, was not made in a way that produces espresso rich in flavor and crema. For me the greatest shock of all was to see espresso extracted by the barista into small stainless-steel pitchers, then poured out into a separate, usually paper, cup. Why anyone would do that was beyond me, since it leaves much of the crema that's produced when making good espresso stuck to the sides of the pitcher. OK, just go ahead and throw away the best part of the espresso, why don't you! (See my post on The Golden Rule for Perfect Crema for a photo showing how much crema is lost using this American methodology)
When I first arrived in the U.S. several years ago, I attempted to "direct operations" from my side of the counter, with limited and mixed success, and ultimately abandoned coffee shops in favor of making my own drinks at home. I guess it just goes to prove that I'm an espresso coffee snob, but inferior espresso drinks just won't do.
My friends appreciate me for the espresso snob that I am. Ask any of them what they think of my espresso coffee drinks, and they'll tell you that what I serve them is superior in taste to anything they pay for at a coffee shop chain. And I do it all with equipment that's modestly priced and designed for the home.
So, several home espresso machines, grinders, and bean suppliers later, I am here to share all that I know, so that you too can discover what you've been missing all this time: superior espresso coffee drinks!
So welcome to Espresso Coffee Snobs. I trust that what I've shared with you on these pages will enable you to discover "the joy of coffee." Take some time to read the information you'll find here at ECS, and before you know it, you'll be an espresso coffee snob too!
By the way, in the time I have lived in the US, there are more independent coffee shops making much better coffee than when I first arrived. A notable example here in Southern California is Urth Cafe which has expanded their locations over the years. They come highly recommended, and the frequent lines to get into their shops is a testament to the fact that great coffee sells better anywhere.
Dear Mr. Corney,
ReplyDeleteI just read an article you wrote about the Solis Maestro Conical Burr Grinder. The Plus model is a little better if you are interested in using a French press.
It has 30% greater range of grind than the original. This increase is on the coaser settings allowing you to get a better grind for drip or French press. The grind has increased by 100% to 40 levels giving a huge range of grinds.
The advantage increases your ability to fine-tune your espresso grind settings. You can pick this up at numerous places for $149.00
Thank you.
Sincerely,
R. Harris
Hey John. Stumbled across your site while we were doing some research and just wanted to say that, wherever you are in the world, there's nothing wrong with appreciating great coffee - it's what we do every day. Keep being snobby!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement to remain snobby, Wyatt. ;-)
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