If I wasn't an espresso addict before, I am now. My brother and his wife so kindly brought my Rancilio Silvia up from the States for me (thank. you. so. much). I think I am indebted to them forever.

So, I know you want to know how my barista experience has been thus far. The Rancilio Silvia is known to be a very finicky machine. This is because, unlike other machines in its class, it doesn't have a pressurized portafilter (which is kind of a cheater way to get espresso with crema). This requires more skill from the barista. Everything has to be right: grind setting, dose, tamp, heck I'm even learning how to temperature surf my machine so there is one less variable that can mess up my shots.

Have I achieved the perfect espresso shot, you ask? Almost.

I can get a shot that fits the golden rule (2 oz. in 20-28 seconds). And I've seen more crema than I ever thought possible from a home machine. I am still working on consistency though. I won't bore you with any more details, but this is where temperature surfing Miss Silvia comes in.

Oh, what fun. I am having so much fun!

And if you stuck with me that long, you must love espresso. You should come over and enjoy some with me.