This story appears in the June 28, 2015 issue of ForbesLife. Subscribe
By Brian Dawson
Max Levchin is a busy guy: A cofounder of PayPal and Yelp, he sits on Yahoo's board, dabbles in angel investing and currently helms Glow (maker of fertility-tracking apps for men and women alike) and Affirm (a digital consumer-finance platform).
So how does the 39-year-old Ukraine native manage it all? "I'm a little bit of a coffee fanatic," he confesses--the kind who is willing to spend north of $7,000 on an espresso machine: the La Marzocco Custom GS3 (lamarzoccousa.com), a NASA-caliber java-production unit handmade in Italy and begging for pride of place on your kitchen counter. The GS3 is "certainly the home barista's preferred choice," Levchin says.
When you make that kind of investment in your morning jolt, though, you'd be remiss to skimp on the appropriate accoutrements. These six Levchin recommendations are just the beginning of true espresso satori. "Several other levels of enlightenment exist," he says. "Referencing them here would be too obsessive." So consider this his decaffeinated version.
"It's a 'naked' portafilter, so you can really see what you're making," Levchin says. "It's a great tool for learning how to pull good 'spro." (Step one: Start calling it 'spro.)
With dual hoppers, the M3 eliminates cross-contamination of old and new beans, which prevents a stale taste in your espresso. And Levchin is evangelical about it: "If you're truly splurging, you should have one of these."
"With tasteful wood finish," Levchin says. Knock your tamper on no other box.
"You'll need a scale," Levchin insists, and this is sleek enough for Silicon Valley.
Great espresso is all about pressure, and this gauge will help you perfect yours. Says Levchin: "You're on your way to being a true coffee nerd."
"Appropriate earthenware is critical," Levchin says. "A true classic is ACF--which is sadly out of business, but plentiful on eBay. Espresso Parts produces good replicas. Just be sure to go with Barista World Championship Standard cups and saucers." Now you can actually drink it.
