I can't imagine a world without coffee. This is probably the world's favorite beverage. Sorry all you tea drinkers out there. Java is where it's at. And your weekly coffee bill is proof of that. How much do you imagine the average American spends on Starbuck's or some other coffee shop in one week? My best buddy, who lives down in Irvine, California tells me he spends 10 dollars a day on himself. That's 70 dollars a week on coffee alone. Can you imagine what he spends in an entire year? You do the math. My point is that coffee houses have become one serious business. Even independent owners are making an utter killing.

There is one thing that everyone should know about today's coffee houses. Well, at least if you're a coffee addict like me anyway. Not all lattes are created equal. Take the stuff you'll find at Starbuck's. This is not by any means some of the best java around. An employee of this chain actually gave me the scoop. They buy the cheapest coffee beans you can find. Is this really a big shocker? Uh, not so much. It's to be expected from fast-food type businesses. They're much more interested in making a buck than making something great. On top of that, Starbuck's roasts their coffee beans pretty dark, hence leaving a burnt flavor in their espresso. Now, if you've tried some of the finer coffee houses around, you'd definitely notice the difference. Espresso that's prepared correctly has a much smoother, richer flavor to it. So far I've found about five outstanding coffee houses that bury the big chains.

If you're searching for a better espresso beverage that leaves the high-priced stuff in the dust, you may want to purchase your own machine. This way you can not only enjoy espresso drinks on a whim and whenever you please, but you can also choose the coffee beans. Gourmet coffee beans can be bought online or in certain grocery stores. Get them right after they've been roasted. This will make for a phenomenal cup of java. I'll bet you'll even prefer it to the local coffee houses. One thing is for sure, it'll save you some serious cash.