#1 Use descent coffee... stupid
Its pretty obvious, you get what you pay for. Kick ass cafes use high quality coffee sourced from the best coffee roasters.
Coffee from the supermarket? ERRRRR well this is something else.
To get the best tasting espresso, you gotta use the best quality coffee.
AND, if it is roasted locally it BEST if it is 3-20 days from roasting.
#2 Get a descent quality espresso machine
Good brands are: La Pavoni, Vibiemme, ECM, Isomac, Rancilio, Rocket, Elektra
#3 Keep things clean... just like your mother used to tell you
Coffee gunge is the enemy of great tasting coffee. So it must be eliminated at all costs.
Keeping your espresso gear clean doesnt take alot of time. If you've got a machine that can be backflushed, backflush it with water every day (1 minute), and backflush with detergent every week (10 minutes).
Simple!
#4 Grind your coffee FRESH
Ground coffee goes off super quick! Dont buy IT.
Buy coffee beans and grind them fresh for every cup.
#5 Use good whole milk.
OK, if you are a purist coffee snob who only drinks espresso, then you can ignore this step. But for the 95% of you who drink "milk" coffee, remember to use whole milk (dark blue lid in NZ).
Whole milk will froth better and create a velvety texture. Its the fat that keeps it all bound together:)
Tastes better too.
#6. Don't take it all too seriously
Did we say there were 5 secrets?