I used to love making Italian brand expresso coffee. I used to bring down my aluminum stove top express maker, my portable electric milk foamer. My parents used to love it. One time I ran out and went to the local gourmet tienda - I was floored to find the retail price of an Italian blended expresso was six times the price I paid in Vancouver. I went to a friend of my parents who not only sold coffee, but also serviced most of the commercial expresso machines up and down the coast. His Mexican blend was not close at all.
My vices have become so limited today, I thought I would retry coffee addiction. Can anyone recommend a local expresso blend which is even close, or better, than Italian expresso?