recommend a ground espresso coffee for home espresso coffee maker?

[stratford]

I know the brands of regular coffee I like to get, but not so much about espressos. It's only recently that I got an espresso maker and tried it with the Illy brand medium roast, which I liked and could recommend to others. But I don't know what others there are for ground espresso. What are some brand recommendations that you like?

[monku]

Lavazza from Italy

[thew]

espresso is a method, not a bean - that is any coffee you like can be made into espresso.

[stratford]

There is ground coffee specifically for espresso machines. You can't put just any ground coffee in. And it doesn't look like every brand makes coffee for this purpose. Any recs?

[monku]

Correct, must be espresso grind which is the finest grind. Any coffee can be used, but ground for espresso to make espresso.

[thew]

i recommend getting a grinder, and using whole beans that you like, ground finely for espresso. I find the freshest beans come from coffee stores, not markets, and are loose beans

i like a mix that is 1/4 - 1/3 a dark roast like french roast, and then a mix of african beans like a peaberry, and a south/central american bean. but by no means to i stick to that exclusively.

it's only coffee - no need to limit one's self

[chocolate]

I love Illy brand too. I also use their medium ground roast (for drip coffeemakers) for my everyday coffee. Having a cup right now..so good.