Toward a More Perfect Espresso

Italian roaster Illycaffè will introduce this month a coffee machine in the U.S. Called Hyper Espresso, it pairs a custom machine produced by Illy, which runs $600 to $800 for home versions, with a coffee-filled plastic capsule, also made by Illy.

Like other single-serve systems, including Nestle's Nespresso and Kraft's Tassimo, it's meant to make it easier for groggy consumers or harried waiters to make a serviceable cup.

But it also represents a departure: Current one-cup setups take the familiar brewing process of an espresso or drip coffee maker and put it inside a disposable disc or cartridge.

Illy's system, on the other hand, tweaks the espresso recipe--changing parameters like temerature and pressure that baristas and jittery espresso geeks long considered absolute.

From an article appearing August 31, 2007 in The Wall Street Journal by Jeff Grocott.