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Q: I have a coffee maker, and brew my coffee every morning. For Christmas, I was given an Espresso maker, but I have 3 or 4 big containers of regular ground coffee. Do I have to buy special coffee for my Espresso, or can I use what I have or grind the grounds that are more finer or something? Help!!

A: It tastes best if you use Italian or Espresso roast. You can drink it with the regular coffee though, - it won't blow up or anything. Pre-ground canned coffee would probably be too coarse and make weak Espresso. You could get a grinder and grind your old coffee, but it won't be as good as fresh beans, roasted for Espresso, freshly ground for your Espresso maker. You will LOVE having an Espresso maker. It's fantastic - Probably not. You would have to use ALOT of regular coffee grounds to get anywhere near the taste of an Espresso. Besides, you wouldn't want to drink it in the morning anyway. Cappucino is just an Espresso made with milk. If you want to experiment for awhile, buy a small bag of Espresso beans and grind them at the grocery store. Put your other coffee in the freezer or if the cans are unopened just leave them in the pantry. You can, but you will not get the level of flavor that you get from Espresso grounds. Espresso grounds are much finer than regular coffee grounds, making it easier to extract the flavor and oils from the bean. If you don't have a grinder, buy one, and do an experiment to see the difference...Regular grind will not work in an Espresso maker. The grind is too big to make an effective cup of Espresso. You need to either buy whole beans and grind them yourself, or buy Espresso grind coffee. The difference is huge...and once you have Espresso, you won't ever want that coffee in your house again.