"Today I have a 1-in-20 chance of walking into a cafe and getting a good or better coffee," he says. "In five years I want it to be 1 in 10 cafes."

Meanwhile, his site aims to teach ordinary coffee fans to pull their own God shots, while Starbucks and its ilk catch up.

Glenn Surlet, a sales executive for Rancilio, a company that makes high-end consumer espresso machines, said recently that coffeegeek had helped increase sales of the Rancilio Sylvia -one of Prince's all-time faves -ten-fold. This while the Sylvia can't be found in stores. "He's done a lot of really good things for Rancilio," Surlet told the New York Times.

Features on the coffeegeek home page include "Single boiler vs. heat exchanger?" "Jura Capresso F9 First Look," the "2003 Espresso Tamper Shootout."

In a review of the Mazzer Mini, a coffee grinder, Prince discusses in great detail the machine's "micrometrical grinding adjustments," its "burr assemblies," and whether the machine might be too hot for delicate beans.

Prince has 27 automatic, semi- automatic and lever espresso machines, mostly sent to him for review by manufacturers. He has six super-automatic machines that make coffee at the touch of a button. (One is Intemet capable).

He has a dozen tampers -the presses used to push ground espresso into the machines' metal baskets, six coffee roasters, eight coffee grinders, bins full of green coffee beans, score sheets from taste tests, 38 vacuum brewers, including a replica of one first produced in 1840, more than 300 different types of espresso cups and two tiny "Barista Action Figure," dolls, one of which is still in plastic. Pertect espresso doesn't come'"' easy. In J.J. Bean, a Vancouver cafe, Prince stands watch as Tina Albrecht, a 24-year-old professional barista who was runner-up in this year's Canadian Barista Championships, goes to work.

She begins by cleaning out a manual grinder, then starts the process of "dialing in" the machine so it takes coffee to the perfect consistency. She uses organic beans just days from the roaster, and whirrs several batches, testing for the perfect grind.

Albrecht "doses" the coffee into the metal portafilter, and then levels the grounds with her fingers. With a push from her shoulder and a twist of a tamper, she presses the grounds, leaning in with 30-pound pressure.

Her first shot disappoints. Its "overextracted," Prince tells her, knowing without even tasting, noting a blond, dotted crema in the centre of the cup.

The next shot underwhelms, too. So she pulls another, and fails. Then one more. This one pours too long. So Prince pulls out the big guns, invoking the name of the world Barista champion.

"Try Paul Bassett's overstuff tamping technique," Prince instructs. "Put in about 10 to 15 per cent more coffee and try again."

The result bubbles up in the cup with "The Guinness effect." Crema rises and settles in perfect tawny flecks. Prince pulls back the crema with a spoon, showing its depth and resilience. He smells it, deeply, as a baron might smell his wine.

And the taste, rich but subtle espresso that's naturally sweet with the taste of blueberries and chocolate, is an epiphany.

Albrecht, relieved, smiles.