I'm not going to get into the details about the finer points of making espresso but the author has no idea what he is talking about or has not visited a decent cafe.

I have enjoyed espresso for many years from little Italian bakeries in Toronto and Montreal, to wonderful coffee shops in DFW, Austin and almost every place I have ever been in America and Canada does it right.

About the only thing I can agree with is that Starbucks is swill. It is like drinking poison once you have enjoyed a good espresso or for that matter coffee.

Starbucks along with all chains use essence to make their coffee taste the same everywhere. It is flavored and doesn't require a high grade of coffee bean.

My advice is to visit these small micro roasters that create some the best espresso in the world. Better than anything you can find in Italy.