We bought a Breville model that grinds the beans for us and eventually spits out espresso. It’s a stainless steel futuristic-looking thing perching on a stand my husband built from scrap wood. Nobody walks into our kitchen without their jaw dropping. The espresso maker is literally the most expensive thing in it. Our entire kitchen remodel only cost us a bit more, since we hand-made everything possible. It’s a celebration of creativity and individuality. I wish I could invite every one of my Medium readers to come in for a cappuccino and a slice of homemade sourdough bread. It’s a taste of Europe.