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honest truth is that other than for latte art (which i don't indulge in too often, as I need to drop some #), the coffee I get from my Rancilio Silvia PID and low-end Baratza grinder will be better than anything I get from a large chain and on par with what I get from most smaller outfits.
I measure the amount of beans I grind, and the amount of grind I tamp down. Those two factors are some of the most important to getting a decent espresso. While I have no doubt that some of the best establishments don't need to do this b/c they have sufficient amount of experience to render it unnecessary, that's not true across the board. It's awfully disappointing when the shot produced by a fancy La Marzacco machine at a commercial establishment produces something not nearly as good as what I can get at home.
Then again, if i'm traveling in Pennsyltucky country, even Starbucks would be deemed good enough
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