George Spencer
George Spencer is a pen name used by the Espresso Buying Guide research desk. Every guide published under this name comes from the same research process — no individual reviewer's opinion, no brand talking points.
How the research works
We read hundreds of owner reports, comb through forum threads, compare published measurements, and watch teardowns and review videos — then publish the straight answer on what to buy, what to skip, and where the marketing noise is. Affiliate commissions fund the research, but they never buy placement or inflate a recommendation.
What you'll never see here
- Hands-on testing claims. We don't pretend to have bought and tested every machine we cover. What we offer instead is honest, source-based research — and we say exactly what it's based on.
- Sponsored rankings. No pay-to-rank, no sponsored picks, no marketing fluff.
Latest guides
- Why Is My Espresso Sour? Causes and Fixes
- Why Is My Espresso Bitter? Causes and Fixes
- How to Backflush an Espresso Machine (and When Not To)
- Espresso Extraction Too Slow: How to Speed It Up
- Espresso Extraction Too Fast: How to Slow It Down
- Espresso Channeling: How to Fix It
- Espresso Beans vs Coffee Beans
- Single Origin vs Blend Espresso