First of all, you must have the correct lingo. Many people mistakenly pronounce or spell espresso as "expresso" which is incorrect.  The name is Italian, and was derived around 1900 to describe a cup of coffee that was brewed "expressly for you" (loose translation).

Espresso is often confusing to many people. Is it a strong bitter jolt of caffeine? Is it a trendy yuppie drink that some major coffee chain invented? It is supposed to make you purse you lips? Does it use sugar? What is this frothy stuff on top?

Espresso is confusing because more often than not, it isn't prepared correctly. True espresso, brewed with a pump or piston driven espresso machine is very demanding on the poor coffee bean grinds. But before we get into the relative 'torture' that ground coffee is put through to produce a superior espresso, let us take a step back and discuss a bit more the misconceptions about the beverage.

Espresso is not a type of bean: This is a common misconception, and inaccurate marketing by coffee chains, grocery stores, and even word of mouth give the impression that espresso is a type of bean. Any coffee bean can be used for espresso, from the most common Brazils to the most exotic Konas and Ethiopian Harar coffees.

Espresso is not a type of blend: This one is also a common misconception, but with some truth to the claim in that there are specific blends designed for espresso. The problem is, many people believe there is only one type of blend that is suited for espresso. Many high quality micro roasters would disagree with this - Roaster Craftsmen the world over work diligently on their own version of "the perfect espresso blend".

Espresso is not a Roast Type: Another popular misconception is that espresso can only be roasted one way (and usually the thought is that espresso must be super dark and glistening with oils). This is not the case. In fact, the Northern Italian way of roasting for espresso is producing a medium roast, or more commonly known as a "Full City" roast if you like on the west coast of the USA. In California, the typical "espresso roast" is a dark, or "French" roast, and in parts of the eastern US, a very light or "cinnamon" roast style is preferred. The bottom line here is this: you can make good espresso from almost any roast type; the decision is purely up to your own tastebuds.