Raising The Bar

[GeekDude]

For the last few weeks I’ve been in the throws of a construction project related to another of my favorite past times. I’ve been building a bar in my basement. I do this with the expectation that, some day, I can joyfully entertain my geek friends and family with a flavor-filled brew in one hand and a TV Remote/Universal Translator in the other. Its also my hope that this bar will be the nursing ground and place of inspiration for future igeekscafe.com articles.

Now I know what you're thinking. I bet you're thinking that I’m suffering from some form of geeky Hemingway complex. But, this couldn’t be farthest from the truth. You see, we at igeekscafe.com take our technology seriously and the only thing we take even more seriously is our love of coffee (espresso - to be exact).

This Christmas, a close friend, knowing that I was building an espresso bar, gave me a Krups XP4030 Espresso Maker. I must confess that upon receiving it a lump formed in my throat because the gift brought back many fond memories. Some years back, in another life, my friend and I worked together for one of the municipal agencies here in New York City. During this stint, we spent many an afternoon in front of an earlier model Krups, brewing our favorite blend and scheming for ways to circumvent- huh improve the workings of a lumbering bureaucracy. But, I digress.

Like a child with a new toy, I couldn’t wait to play with my new espresso maker. So I brushed away a power-drill, hand sander, a saw zaw and related saw dust, and carefully placed my shining new espresso machine a top an unfinished bar counter.

Let me first state emphatically that I love my new espresso maker. Like its predecessor, which lasted over 11 years before succumbing to the ravages of time, it's built like a brick. The machine looks and feels solid. It touts some 1200-watts of heating power (I can’t wait to see my electric bill!) and its pump system produces 15-bars of pressure to put out some of the silkiest tasting espresso you’ve ever had. It comes with 3 interchangeable stainless steel pre-measured filters. These inserts hold enough ground coffee for, a single or double shot, or an Easy Serving Espresso (E.S.E.) pod. The removable water tank holds 32 oz. of water and the unit comes with a steaming nozzle for frothing milk and making cappuccino or latte.

Not to seem bias toward this machine, given my previous experience, here are points of concern which perspective buyers should consider.

- This only makes espresso. Thus, the pre-measured servings are for demitasse cups (about a 1/3 cup serving).

- It's not automatic. You need to turn off the dispenser when you’ve reached your 1/3 cup serving.

- It's heavy (don’t drop it)

- If you don’t properly seat the removable water tank, you will make a mess.

Finally, to end on a positive note: It's easy to clean as most of the parts that require cleaning are removable.

My personal track record with the Krups family of espresso machines has been a good one. Therefore, if you're in the market for a moderately priced quality espresso machine, I highly recommend the Krups XP4030. Having said this, if you’ve had any experience with this or other brand/model espresso makers, please let us know. Your input is of value to us as a community of coffee lovers and friends.

I’m going to go make another cup of espresso. Maybe it will help me finish this bar before the next New Year. Oh yeah! I almost forgot… Happy New Year!