Un cappuccino perfetto

I have crazy-high expectations for cappuccino. The coffee has to be sweet, not bitter. The serving size should be modest, not sloshed into a cauldron the size of a 19th century dyers' kettle. There should not be a burnt aftertaste. I want to drink it from a porcelain or glass, not from stryofoam, cardboard, or plastic. Another marquee characteristic of a perfect cappuccino is the quality, consistency, and presentation of the frothed milk.

Needless to say, Starbucks doesn't get it right.

So unless you are fortunate enough to have access to a small, independent, purist-owned Italian cafe like Pittsburgh's La Prima, the only hope for a good quality cappuccino rests in the home kitchen... or a vacation in the Mediterranean.

Fortunately, my very good friend is something of an espresso connoisseur. He has great hardware, including a sweet-looking La Pavoni with built in burr grinder. Grinding the beans right before brewing, by the way, is one of the keys to a good espresso. His most recent addition is a 100 dollar Nespresso milk frother. Simply add milk, turn it on, and in three minutes you have a perfect froth. No need to fiddle with the frothing attachment on the espresso machine itself... no matter what the brand, that thing is hard to master.

For now, I'll continue to use my stovetop Bialetti with pre-ground Kimbo coffee for my morning espresso. A hand held milk frother from Ikea, which costs about a buck, does a surprisingly good job frothing up both soy and whole milk and suits my purposes well enough.

Until I finally decide to upgrade my equipment, my friend will be seeing more of me than he might like.