The espresso machine and burr grinder are on the counter, and I have a coffee shrine shelf with moka pot, an old school percolator, pour-over gear, a french press, a stovetop steamer, and hand grinder for power outages. I am not a snob, though, really! Just prepared.

So when my live-in adult children started buying instant, I was a bit dismissive, but sure, whatever, eh. Then I realized they were getting Italissimo instant espresso, and I smelled it and a flood of childhood memories came back, it was the brand all my relatives and their friends had on standby when the moka pot would be too fussy... and it's actually good.