I recently retired to Alaska. It love it here, it’s beautiful in the summers and we manage to keep cozy in the winter. One of the ways we keep cozy is because of our espresso machine. It steams milk for hot cocoa for our kids, has a boiling water dispenser for tea. But most importantly it makes an absolutely delicious espresso. Saves me tons at the coffee stands. It’s cold here most of the time so having a plumbed in espresso machine has made life so enjoyable here in the cold north. Feels like a little bit of happiness in a cup on a snowy day.
Being from Finland, I think you made me realize another great aspect of having an espresso machine. I hate the cold, but maybe that’s what makes me love coffee even more.
Always liked coffee, got into aeropress then chemex, moka pot etc.. espresso was just another way to make a similar drink for me. But then I got hooked on the hobby of it, improving my process, dialing in more efficiently. Now I just enjoy the procedure. It’s very zen for me. I still use my aeropress the majority of days for actual consumption.
Honestly comparing them (espresso vs coffee) isn’t even fair they are pretty different processes but my brain just saw beans -> caffeine so it lumped it all together.
There’s space for both the traceability, quality and science of third wave coffee, as well as the richness and depth of more traditional darker roast profiles.
i won’t buy Illy or Lavazza simply because i don’t know where the beans came from, when they were roasted or whether the farmers got a fair price for their work. i can still buy coffees with similar classic taste profiles and fresher quality from smaller, more “third wave” coffee roasters.
i still pay attention to the brew time, the scales and my puck prep even when i’m drinking a darker espresso because “good” just isn’t good enough any more
I’m deep in it. Roast my own beans and always buying the small farm single origins. The coffee cultivating and roasting world is immense. I like darker roasts as well but usually gravitate towards the lighter ones. I prefer a more sweet and acidic / fruity bean rather than a chocolate bomb, which I enjoy as well just not as much. In regard to machine, I think I’m good with my decade old bezerra bz13. Shit I JUST discovered a hidden preinfusion function that seemingly no one knows about. A new grinder is definitely in my future though. The funny thing is I drink espresso for both energy and to chill out. It’s a pretty short time but the relaxing effects I get from espresso after work are so strong—like an opiate.
A trip to Italy was a revelation for what a cappuccino could be. Couldn't find anything like it in the states, so I had to start making it myself. It's been a joy.
Same for me. Went to Rome last November and every cup I had was amazing. Came home and a friend made me a cappuccino on his setup and it tasted comparable, decided I had to have one for myself and finally pulled the trigger last week.
Mochas. I love mochas, but $6 for chocolatey coffee at a cafe was a bit much and therefore only an occasional indulgence. Now I make them in 5 minutes whenever I want.
Turns out I enjoy the coffee better than my drip machine as well. My favourite way to relax on the weekend was to put a pot of coffee on and chill on the balcony or watching tv. Now, I start my weekends with an espresso with breakfast and then watch some tv with an Americano and then if the mood strikes me I make a mocha to take to the dog park in the afternoon. And those three drinks cost me a few pennies and a matter of minutes of my day, which is probably still less time than waiting at the cafe for my drink.
About 23 years ago I got a job at Starbucks and we used the old La Marzocco machines. I enjoyed the process and learned to enjoy the drink too! I was bummed when they moved to automatic machines, I get it, but still.
Anyways I have a LM Mini at home now and love it!
Because I'm an obsessed weirdo and a perfectionist so I can't just enjoy things without overthinking the fuck out of them. Overthinking about coffee did lead me to James like everybody else here lol. All roads lead to Rome or in this case Sir Hoffmann the First.
I wanted my coffee to have more body but didn't want to go back to a daily french press. I also wanted multiple coffees in a day but didn't want the volume of two pour overs/aeropresses. Lastly, I saw all you mofos on this sub and wanted in on the fun.
A mix of dad getting an espresso machine, and a local specialty roaster (very rare in my country) that i became friends with showed me what could espresso is.
This lead me to wanting to learn more on my own which lead me to james hoffman
I once wandered into a coffee house run by a Turkish guy who served me the best coffee I've ever had in my life. It was so incredible, unlike anything I had ever tasted before. This man was an artist. That opened my eyes to what coffee can really be.
Ever since then, I've been chasing that level of perfection.
I always liked coffee--well, coffee + milk + sugar--and "discovered" espresso as the most flavorful, full, potent version of the drink (albeit, I'm still with my milk + sugar). I prefer it as my daily drink, to other preparations (and even though I'll drink less of it--it seems to fill my daily need/desire).
I always enjoyed coffee a bit but not as much. I didn't know what I liked since I had only been exposed to Starbucks and my mother's coffee. One I found repulsive, and the other too sweet (I don't like sugar/sweets).
Three years ago my mother passed away and I missed the fact that everyone would go to her house for coffee. The way she made it was everyone's cup of "tea". I wanted to pick that back up, or atleast use coffee to cope with the loss.
Not only did I find what I liked along the way, but I became the person that everyone comes to for coffee or coffee related questions.
I was born and raised in Italy. Espresso has always been something that surrounded me. Home with my dad's Moka. At the coffee place, in the morning, in front of a Carrara marble counter, the machine steaming like a dragon, the sound of hot cups and teaspoons clinking together as the barista empties the dishwasher and quickly puts everything in place while handling the wave of sleepy Italians heading to work. As a kid, I remember groups of adults that would all drink "il caffè" (that's how we call espresso) together after meals. It was at one of those lunches that I tried my first one. I was, I think, 10 or something like that. As a teenager, I would have espresso for 1.20 euros with friends, a price so low that we could afford to treat each other, taking turns. And then again, the coffee place in the afternoon, where everyone gathers: the elderly, teenagers, moms with children, all sharing a bar table without knowing each other. I tried all the hyped coffee drinks and arts from Americans, Australians, etc., but nothing does the thing for me. Only short, black, and unsweetened. To me, it's normal. That's why I love reading this thread!
That sounds so lovely. In the states, at least where I live in Pittsburgh, it’s common to see older men gathering at coffee shops in the afternoon just to sit and chat. I can tell from overhearing conversations that they were often of Italian-American heritage.
A trip to Italy in the ’90s was what hooked me on espresso…and other countries in the EU haven’t displaced the average Italian cafe from the #1 spot imo!
I’m all for sugar and milk, I don’t feel they take anything away from an espresso, just add to it. I can drink it neat too, but I just love what sugar and milk brings to it. It makes it a drink not a shot. I hate any other coffee like pour over or aero press etc, that tastes awful. Smells even worse l
Born in Spain, living in Ireland for many years. I just craved the good stuff they serve at any random cafeteria in my hometown, so I decided to make my own at home.
As a side note, I must add that the best tasting coffee that I've ever bought is from a roaster in Ireland 😅
Went to Italy the first time 2 decades ago (Florence, Milan, Cinque Terre?) and got hooked on the zeitgeist of standing and pounding a doppio, and then gtfo of the cafe. Suited my temperament. Now I stand in front of the machine, looking all goofie-ah trying to dial in some random bean from BFE Yunnan, China at 6:30am, trying to not burn my milk, and wondering how my coffee life ended up this way.
Covid! I’d been “loosely” into coffee/espresso, mostly while working in an office and some combination of a) office coffee (ugh), b) Starbucks, and c) local coffee shops. It became part of my work habit.
Covid came along and I was suddenly working remote, but still needed a coffee fix. I got an aeropress and dusted off an old DeLonghi I hadn’t used in a year. My wife got me a BBE for Christmas, and it was downhill from there.
Severe caffeine addiction. Got off of it for over a year. Decided to go for natural caffeine. Got coffee. Helped. Have always liked coffee but now I was drinking it daily to substitute energy drinks. My coffee machine broke. YouTubed coffee machines. Learned about espresso machines and how they worked. Tried some at local cafe. Was sold on taste vs my Folgers. Did research. Purchased espresso machine and grinder.
After realizing that I was becoming increasingly intolerant to caffeine, I decided that if I could only drink a few coffees, they should be the best possible coffees. I have always enjoyed espresso or espresso-based drinks more than filter coffee, but I never bothered to invest in an espresso machine before. That changed with my caffeine intolerance, and here I am.
In 2009 I walked in to blue bottle in SF. Blew my mind. I bought a bag of coffee but didn’t know how to make coffee. That began my coffee journey which quickly moved into espresso
My dad had a machine and his coffee tasted good. So i got on YouTube to find out more, i am now teaching my dad how to make his coffee taste good 🙃 sorry Dad
I used to drink nespresso because it was fast and more intense than drip coffee. I was drinking 2 3 cups a day, so I thought if I learned how to make them with a machine I could save money, lol.
I won't save money, but I gained a hobby. Not too bad if I say so myself.
I have to drink coffee daily for health reasons (fixed 80% of my IBS-C) and I really don't like bitter. Espresso actually tastes good to me with nothing in it (though I enjoy milk drinks, esp. for the extra protein after lifting), and it also gave me a fun outlet for my science lab training that I don't get to use very much any more. It's also fun to tinker with machinery (cars, sewing machines, etc.) so it's another machine I get to play with.
Was in Uganda many years and the hotel I was staying in had ran out of tea at breakfast. The waiter offered me a coffee instead but I had never tried coffee before. I chose an espresso and the rest is history.
A baby who refused sleep. I hated coffee and still do. I was desperate for an energy source when I returned to my demanding job and was managing 4 hour increments of sleep thanks to my adorable but horrible sleeper. My husband was drinking lattes and I started ripping straight shots of espresso before work. It was life changing. I started experimenting with carmel and chai lattes and they’re now my cup of sunshine in the morning. We recently upgraded our set up and I couldn’t be happier.
I liked that it’s very efficient as in no daily trash as a result, and use a small (relatively) bit of beans to make one to two cups at a time. With the pressure you get all the goodness out of the bean.
I was making a half pot of coffee in my moccamaster every day, then getting a daily afternoon latte at the coffee shop around the corner from my office. Made some great friends that worked there, but it was making my wallet thinner and my waisteline larger.
Picked up my Gaggia January 2020, so it became a blessing in covid, too.
Now that I make coffee at home, I usually only have one or two espresso drinks a day. Usually one short americano and one cortado a day. Saved thousands of dollars between my wife and I.
Edit: I'm also a fan of early 3rd wave-style medium to light roasts that have pronounced sweetness and smooth character. I don't care for acid bomb, juicy, fruity coffee as espresso, so I have pourover for that.
I was sent to Milan to oversee a recently acquired company.
I sat at a desk directly in front of a slot machine style espresso machine that used espresso pods.
All day long the entire office would stop by for an espresso and "Ciao".
So after awhile I decided to give it a try and that was it, I was hooked.
The funny part is that I started having a few too many and spent many sleepless nights in my hotel room staring at the ceiling.
Over the years I did a few mocha pots, went through at least 3 Saeco Starbucks machines, a Saeco Talea Giro for a good 10 years, 2 Nespresso machines and now I have a Quick Mill Alexia Evo that is giving me a lot of grief.
A trip driving around Sicily. Truck stop espresso there blew my mind. Proper baristas beautiful machines and a dedicated espresso bar in every one. Only one thing on the menu: espresso , no doubles, no milk drinks. Served with a biscotti and a small glass of sparkling water for 1 euro.
I gave away my Nespresso machine as soon as I got home and started exploring what espresso could really be.
I quit drinking alcohol. Always liked espresso. It’s a less expensive (at least my setup) and less physically damaging thing to spend my time and money with.
I drank a decent amount of Starbucks and wanted to spend less money. My mother had this little machine from ages ago that was ostensibly an espresso machine, though if you used it the way the instructions said it was more like a glorified drip coffee maker.
Got really into the process and one day tasted a shot that was half decent and thought I wanted to get some real gear and got myself a proper machine and a nice grinder!
Well, I can't say if I've saved money yet but I actually like what I drink a hell of a lot more now. It's even got me into drinking coffee other ways and actually liking it! Imagine that.
Yes, I am considering it! Especially as I like a roasted taste too, even dark roasted seems to have lost that taste, I feel a touch of it is important.
Mainly because I live alone.
Making a whole-ass pot of coffee for one person is incredibly wasteful.
Making a pour-over every time I want coffee is incredibly time-consuming.
It takes less time to make an espresso, americano, latte, etc. than it does to make a pour-over. I can approximate "regular coffee" when I want it (an americano), or I can make something fancy as a treat.
That same workflow suffices for up to two people, and if I need to make coffee for more than two people I can break out the Chemex or drip machine and brew a full pot.
At first I thought espresso was more of a means to an end. A caffeine delivery system more than for taste.
But then I found a local cafe that specializes in espresso, and I figured “people aren’t drinking it for no reason” so I tried one. It’s still the best espresso I’ve ever had. Blueberry notes and huge body and omg, been hooked ever since.
I think that was 2012ish. Still haven’t had any espresso come close (even at the same shop).
Always been on it. For convenience left it in favor of tea and pods.
Then was hit with significant health issues, requiring me to slow down a lot on my professional life.
Went back in the game with manual grinding and manual levers, as a morning ritual to start the day slow, without any interferences. Believe it or not, but that morning ritual really helped me get back on my feet (that and gardening).
As I slowly got better, got back to e61 group machines and electric grinders, but kept my manual setups for when I want to savor the process. Lately, a Decent has joined the countertop.
So, all in all, it did play a big part into getting me back on my feet. And I plan for it to remain part of my morning routine as a result.
Perfectly understandable. I was the same, tea before coffee.
But somehow, the manual ritual of grinding and pulling a LoFi (manual lever) shot was just what I needed to have a more serene post wake up time.
I got into espresso for a couple of reasons. 1: I am addicted to gogo bean juice. 2: I like to do things for myself. I’m a hands on person. 3: it’s very similar to my other hobbies, cannabis extraction. It’s all about prep work and attention to details. Time temp pressure. Material freshness. It’s my hobby and I enjoy it so it made sense that I would enjoy espresso extractions as well. And I do. The routine. The level of control. The coffee snobbing that ensues.
For me it's a mixture of loving the taste of coffee, having worked in a cafe when I was young, being addicted to caffeine, being enamoured with Italian culture, and getting to know some nice third wave roasters. It's just been a part of my life now, for the last 25 years.
I regularly drove ~3 hours to one of the sites I provided tech support to each week. Coffee became essential, and it was either dunkin donuts or starbucks for options. The starbucks was actually really good at that location. So when I changed jobs and moved, I went to starbucks. After a few months though, I found the quality starting to rapidly decline. Thinking it was just that location, I tried a few others, and the same brown-water sugar slop was being served at all of them.
So I discovered and made the switch to local coffeeshops. The quality was amazing in comparison even to the original starbucks I was enjoying. Fast forward a year and its become such a prohibitively expensive habit that I want to keep having good espresso drinks (specifically lattes) without selling my organs for money. Here we are, 10 years on.
Personally I really liked coffee for most of my adult life. Then I went to Italy for a holiday and got invested with the love for espresso. Started with a Moka Pot and a electric steamer and a cheap hario handgrinder powered by a drill. But it never really hit the spot. Got better coffee and equipment and are happy ever since.
I still love the classic espresso, but sometimes it is just fun to experiment
Those cute little mugs and saucers!!!
And you should have seen how proud of my flair manual machine I was when a storm knocked power lines on my car and blocked my house! And I just turned on the gas stove and lounged around with my espresso. Suck it electric slaves, hehe.
Man, I just really love straight espresso and I realized that it’s totally possible to produce it at home. Now I get to play the how-close-is-my-shot-to-my-favorite-roaster’s-shot game.
I’ve been with it for like 7 months from this subreddit and yt shorts and so I started off with a gaggia classic evo pro and a k6 kingrinder along with other good equipment and haven’t had the itch to upgrade yet and am making rlly good dark roasts that definitely hit their hints of flavor along with occasionally trying specialty beans and using those. My total cost was probably $800 USD for all of my equipment.
I will probably downgrade to a picospresso for a bit when I go to college though lol, but I guess I didn’t really go down ur path as ai enjoy the occasional specialty coffee and have a consistent top notch dark roast I love.
Wife spent too much going to Starbucks every single day of her life, figured I should be able to make something better at home and make her not want to go to Starbucks lol
Most random shit ever, my grandma bought an entry level machine but couldn’t learn how to use it, then I took it to my house and now I’m suddenly this big coffee nerd
Honestly? Never even cared for coffee. When I was working full-time, I started to try espresso at local cafes out of “early morning/tired as hell” desperation.
I had a job at a car wash that also had an espresso bar. I started fucking my boss, and he put me behind the barista counter so that I wouldn’t break my nails anymore.
Win-win, both wins for me. Hot guy, plus finding my favorite espresso beans, which is “Destroyer” by Ceremony Coffee if anyone’s wondering.
I ran the numbers on how much money I was handing to Starsucks and decided to give making my own espresso a try. I bought a Breville Dual Boiler and it paid for itself in just over a year. Eventually it died so I gave it to a buddy who likes to tinker with things and got a Bezzera Duo. Then came Hoffman and a parade of youtube/tiktok videos that got me making latte art and trying different things.
I'm seriously thinking of starting my own coffee food truck to keep myself busy when I retire. Fortunately I've got a couple more decades before that happens.
I grew up in western Washington, started to get loose on the juice in college, and dreamed about having a fancy set up once I got sort of established with a good job. No regrets.
https://preview.redd.it/8nmottdvun0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=40fb1bc91be5781ac58a1ba2caff8f606b91a493
I became friends with people who worked at a coffee shop next to where I worked. From them I learned what good coffee is supposed to be like. Then 2020 came and my favorite roastery + social hangout spot was shut down. So I bought my own machine to replicate the latte as I could still buy the beans - it wasn’t just the coffee, the whole smell/flavor was an important part of my well being at that point. So that’s how I got started…
I used to get my caffeine fix from a K-cup machine. Then, 7 or 8 years ago we were traveling in Europe with a friend who's English. Every time he wanted a cuppa (tea), we headed to a cafe. I hate tea. Hate it like Ted Lasso does. It's like putting some grass in boiling hot water, and then drinking it. So... I'd grab a coffee instead. Ah, they don't have regular coffee.... I'll have a cappuccino. Did that for about 10 days in row.
Got back from the trip and had one "coffee" out of the K-cup machine. Ordered a proper espresso machine that same week.
To this day, I can't believe I was ever content with a K-cup. Ick...
Always hated coffee up until my brother moved in with me briefly and introduced me to espresso. It was mind blowing to taste a great tasting shot and 3 years later I’m deep down the rabbit hole.
I was never a coffee drinker my entire life. But one day I met an amazing woman who was addicted to coffee.
Long story short, I bought her an espresso machine one Christmas — and helped her learn to use it. I’ve been drinking americanos every morning since
Semester in Milan.
The quick and casual omnipresence of espresso there was awesome. Walk up to the bar, slam a coin down, fast and tasty and head on your way. But you can also get fancy with it and chill when you want. That's why I keep my main routine pretty simple and fast but will try things out on the weekends.
I love a good speciality coffee shop. It always seemed like espresso was out of my reach due to cost, but my husband snagged me a Bambino plus for $150. We were gifted a Baratza Encore grinder when we got married 5 years ago, so I’m going to sell it and put it towards a DF54 (waiting for it to be shipped).
Down the line I’d like to sell the Bambino and upgrade to a Profitec Go or another similar machine. If we sell and save up then we can do it.
So, really, it was just a lucky chance that I was able to dive in. I knew too much to buy a super cheap thing, so I didn’t see the point of even trying.
I had the chance to live in Portugal. Espresso is built into the culture. After I left, I was desperate to find a cafe I could walk into and carry on the same routine. You can’t really do that in western culture so I bought a machine and l quickly learned how to make espresso and now it’s part of my everyday life home routine.
I hated coffee my entire life. 27 years of hating coffee. Then I had Thanksgiving dinner at my girlfriend's house and did a bunch of the cooking, including. Two dishes that her parents previously expressed they didn't like. They now ask me to make those dishes any time they see me. "Well I never liked it before, but *this* version is so good!" The same thing happened with someone else right around then that I watched. Then Tom Scott did his video with James Hoffman. "I hate coffee. Can James Hoffman change my mind?" It just made sense then, mirroring my experiences almost exactly. Then I bought a v60 and an aero press. Then I bought a flair 58. Then... Yeah.
Because I was young and ignorant, now it’s too late. My vacations are ruined, friends have stopped inviting us over, when they do, they just serve water .
My life is miserable 😂
It's been a long journey from the instant coffee and the stovetop percolator of my childhood, Melitta filters, cafetieres, stovetop Bialleti espresso, Aeropress, Coffejack and finally a 2nd hand Gaggia Factory G106 manual lever espresso from ebay.
Real espresso is quite recent but my love of coffee isn't at all.
Barista nearly a decade, if I could do anything regardless of income, I’d be a barista. I love making drinks, I love recommending coffee and pairings and doing taste tests. I love the regulars, I even loved the hard to please critics (not bc I like a challenge) but because it made those good interactions so much sweeter.
At the end of the day, I like coffee and my grandma introduced me when I was young and when I enjoyed it with her she bought me my first drip coffee machine and I used it RELIGIOUSLY!
Espresso and coffee just mean a lot to a lot of different folks and even reading through this thread it’s so amazing and cool to see what everyone’s favorite thing is.
Perspective is beautiful and (good) people are awesome.
My fiancée loves them. I do not. At all. But she does, so I got a machine and learned. I can’t tell which shots are good as I really don’t like them, so she tells me as I experiment and when I try new beans.
I enjoy making them whether I like the taste or not, and she gets an espresso every morning.
Though I did once make an espresso with Folgers Crystals just to see if she noticed.
I got divorced and agreed a settlement with a "deferred payment" which I never expected to receive. A few years later, she paid up. Myself and my new partner had a few too many glasses of fizz and decided that as this was a "bonus payment" we'd treat ourselves to an espresso machine. The rest is history.
I really enjoy coffee, and espresso brewing looked really fun. To be honest, I tend to like hobbies that allow for obsession over nice gear, so I quickly fell in.
I have however come to really love espresso, and I’ve learned so much about coffee in general going down the rabbit hole, so I would say it’s one of my best experiences with getting into a new hobby.
I was a caffeine addict, and decided that I need to detox and quit having any caffeine for a while. I really love coffee, and I did not want to give it up. Sometimes coffee shops don't always have all the decaf drinks and flavours, so I got into it so I could make decaf drinks however, and whenever I want. I'm so glad that happened because now I love making most of this stuff at home anyways.
For me it was after having delicious coffee out. It was a whole other deal of fruitiness, sweetness, intensity.
I had a cafetiere and an aeropress. Also a blade grinder. After looking online for how to brew coffee properly I realised it's a lot about equipment, but also a skill. The art of it felt elusive to me.
I thought espresso sounded the simplest, the most procedural technique. If I could get a half decent grinder and machine just follow the steps and voila, ez pz. That's why I started with espresso.
4 years ago or so I've tried a cup of latte at the local speciality coffee shop and was absolutely blown away by the taste of it.
Before that I only tried Starbucks, Costa, etc and wasn't a big fan of coffee drinks due to stomach problems at the time. But trying a good cup made me realize that coffee is not as boring and harsh as I'd experienced.
Then I started googling how to brew it at home and found a moka pot recipe videos by James Hoffman and some guy (don't remember the name) and slowly (thanks to Mr Hoffman) worked my way up to my first espresso machine - Breville Duo Temp Pro teamed up with Eureka Silenzio grinder.
Once I learned how to make a decent espresso to my liking it became a morning ritual. It feels to me like something soothing and with a clear tangible goal at the end of the process, gives me a meaning of life for a short period of time.
After a couple of years of using the Breville I upgraded my setup to Profitec pro 400 and I absolutely love it.
I really love brewing coffee not only for myself but also for my partner and guests I invite over for breakfast every once in a while.
Got emotional while writing this. Thank you author
Well it seems i understand espresso brewing well enough even before I purchased my first machine/grinder. All started with my love of coffee, purchased my first Dedica machine, and boom. Then all the YT videos from James Hoffman, Hoons, Lance etc followed.
Since then, i making Espresso at home , having the full control, its up to you (well most of the time) to make your coffee as you like it, instead of ordering it from other placing and crossing fingers that would be as you want it. It is as import cooking is (almost :P )!!
Back in 2003/4 when I was 11/12 domestic espresso machines became a thing in Norway and were advertised a lot, together with coffee bars becoming more widespread. I was very fascinated by the machines and their looks. That got me my first one aged 12 and I’ve been an espresso fanatic ever since.
My wife and I had some funds from her bridal shower and were deciding on if we wanted a pour over or espresso machine. I told her I’d probably be way more interested in the espresso machine for longer so we opted for it over the pour over. Best decision of my life. Who knows where I’d be if I chose the pourover set. Maybe r/pourover xd
Besides loving coffee, the cost. With my setup it will take about a year and a half to breakeven on the mechanicals. At two drinks a day, half that time. Aftter that, it is just coffee and future maintenance costs.
I've always drunk my coffee black so it was a hop and a skip really. A neighbor's relative passed on and they inherited their espresso machine. It sat on their shelf unused for a year before they gifted it to me because they knew I liked coffee. It was all downhill from there. <3
One night at the Soho Charcuterie, in NYC, I was served a cafe filtre spiked with espresso: delicious. This began my espresso adventure of more than forty years. Apropos of your post, just yesterday my son and I were talking about all the new coffee roasts, and we agreed that we are, and always have been Italian espresso people. We’ve tried all kinds of interesting, expensive coffees, but always come away disappointed in the flavor, so I will return to CoffeeAM’s Espresso Italia, great taste, great price. You should look at their site.
I was late starting to drink coffee at all and still to this day don't like drip or pour over very much. I discovered I liked the flavor of espresso at Blue Bottle especially and got a moka pot for the weekend and then an aero press for mornings. Just by chance I treated myself to a Bambino espresso machine in February 2020 and it turned out to be a lifesaver during COVID. And down the rabbit hole I've gone.
Thanks for this post OP! Love reading these.
My boyfriend had a DeLonghi Nespresso coffee machine at home, and missed it very dearly. For 1,5 years we were stuck with soluble coffee, I even got a taste for a jacobs cappuccino instant 3-in-1 that actually contains like 5% coffee in it...
A few days ago we saw a delightfully-looking Ariete 1381 on sale and started thinking that maybe it's time to cash out for a coffee machine after all. We read a bunch of reviews and found that Ariete can spit coffee at the walls, and decided to get a DeLonghi Dedica instead, which (conveniently) also happened to be on sale. Actually thanks to some old posts from this sub that made us sure that this is not a bad choice!
I've never had a coffee machine at home before, and my attempts at making coffee using a french press failed miserably, so I thought it wouldn't change much in my life. But, actually, I really enjoy making coffee in the morning! I'm really glad that my boyfriend actually enjoys coffee now, and I don't even let him make anything by himself xD And, well, the coffee actually tastes good now, miles better than that in the french press or in the moka pot I tried at my home.
I don't know where the road will take me, I may yet get bored in a few weeks, but so far, so good. And yeah, that James Hoffman video that was recommended to me in another thread here was nice... xD
In 2020 my friend sent me a James Hoffman video because she enjoyed his voice for falling asleep too.
It wasn't even about the coffee content she just likes his voice 😂.
And so my journey was started.
Put him on thinking I'd enjoy falling asleep to him as well and now I drink so much coffee I barely sleep 🤣.
For several decades I've been a "hobbiest", collecting all kinds of things, from watches, to fountain pens, to knives, to leather boots, etc... the list goes on. When 2020 came around and I stopped travelling for work so work was no longer buying me Starbucks daily, I got a Silvia and immersed myself in the Barista hobby... Several years later I now have a La Marzocco Linea Micra brewer and Etzinger EtzMAX LM grinder on the way... I'm fascinated by both the tech and the brands behind hobbies... and enjoy the forums. On the EtzMAX, alone, I translated a 160+page forum thread on a German coffee forum to intimately understand the nuances before buying, as well as having tried the Baratza 270Wi to understand grind-by-weight impacts to workflow.
Starbucks actually was my first introduction into espresso drinks; before that I just made very very strong coffee. Mostly I drank swill from truck stops with my trusted Stanley thermos to keep me driving until the sun came up.
I had no idea espresso even existed until around 1998…I guess I had my blinders on, plus I was a sheltered child🤷🏽
Bought my first machine in 99, a Jura.
I drank so much espresso that I needed to drink 2 just so I could get to sleep at night😴
I got into it because I loved coffee and my aeropress was ok but I wanted to do espresso drinks. I managed to avoid the rabbit hole mostly. Went from a mocha pot to a cheap steam pressure machine and finally bought a Gaggia classic and a Baratza grinder. I found a locally roasted medium espresso bean and I’m content with what I have. Other than some small improvements like using paper filters and weighing my beans, I’m pretty sure I’m done chasing the dragon until something breaks and I have to replace it.
Sounds corny but the intention of it. An espresso machine and grinder, when tuned right, produce a reliably perfect coffee. Some people think it's all the same, but once you get them a proper 2oz espresso that wasn't under or over extracted, they start to see why the process and control is so important.
Well Ive enjoyed espresso for as long as I can remember, but the real justification was fresh coffee anytime, especially since I work from home. Thats not really practical for a drip machine. Ive had keurigs and nespresso machines and the coffee kind of sucks, the plastic waste, and they always break. And pourover is still kind of a pain in the ass and not as good. I can produce an espresso or americano is about 1.5 minutes start to finish. Thats so practical for me in daily life.
I became a barista. I started at a small town 2nd wave shop and kinda just fell in love with the craft and started to learn about espresso on my own because I never got trained on how to do things like dial in or latte art. Now Im working at an amazing 3rd wave shop that has the highest quality, consistency, and best tasting espresso I’ve ever had. I mean we’re using wdt on every single drink and dialing in constantly throughout the day. Working at the new shop has made me completely fall in love with making coffee again.
Why? Because I LOVE the taste of a good shot of espresso, and also lattes. Oh, and I'm not in the income bracket where I can pay someone else whenever I want to drink one. And I want the convenience of not having to leave my house to get it. I don't enjoy hanging out in a cafe if I'm alone.
Started drinking Americanos to try something different than just black coffee. I also enjoy pressurized systems. I hope to build my own espresso machine someday.
a can of monster a day is extremely unhealthy, expensive, im addicted to caffeine, my kidneys were screaming, it doesn't trigger my anxiety, and financially more efficient long term
Started working for a company which had a coffee corner with a barista making drinks in the office. I really enjoyed the drinks, and wanted to match the quality at home. So I said goodbye to my old nespresso and the coffee journey started :)
I became a barista back in 2007. I hated coffee and loved tea at the time. Now I own a 12 lb roaster I built, and sip a few double shots in plain milk 3 times a day, and I never drink tea. It's an addiction!
I always wanted a fully automatic coffee machine as a teenager but my mom didn't buy one because she thought the coffee tasted like shit, lol.
So she bought me a real espresso machine for my 18th birthday. Making espresso since then!
During my bachelor’s studies I was sharing a dorm room with one incredibely unhygienic guy with whom I could not reason with. So I started minimizing the time I had to spend in the dorms and ended up sitting in one coffee shop every evening because their working ours were actually longer than my uni library’s ones.
While there I would also scrol through coffee shop study playlist and aesthetic posts and through them sonehow learned about coffee scene. Realised that the coffee shop I was, essentialy living in, did not make the best espresso and I looked what other places are available in the town and through that my interest accelerated..
I was born in 1975. One of my favorite memories was going to the mall, that had a store that sold coffee beans and chocolate and they kept the super dark, swimming in oil beans in big barrels that my dad would open and smell and explain that the more oily the bean, the better, etc. In 1987 my family got moved to Rome, where I lived until 1993, so I learned to love Italian cafe culture and seeing everyone, including my dad’s, pure joy surrounding coffee whether in the morning on the way to school/work for a quick bar stop or after a meal or whatever. I was an at home Moka pot drinker and frequent cafe guy but I bought my first real espresso machine about 17 years ago and have never looked back!
Honestly it was to save money when my mom would go to Starbucks every day.
It’s been about 5 years since I got my current setup (with some grinder purchases afterwords) and while it wasn’t cheap I can proudly say it’s still cheaper than getting 2-4 lattes at Starbucks every day.
It was my wife. She wanted to invest in a machine instead of always going to shops to get coffee. I don't actually like coffee and everything I make is for her to try. If I drink anything with espresso it is diluted with milk and flavored syrup.
I used to get my caffeine fix from Diet Coke. I disliked the taste of drip coffee in the US and wasn’t really exposed to anything different growing up. I did research in Austria and Germany and was exposed to caffe crema, and couldn’t believe the difference between that and the “coffee” I was served at home! I finally kicked my awful Diet Coke habit several years back and started an espresso habit as a way to replace my old favorite drink. I still can’t quite get that caffe crema as I had in Austria though, but I enjoy my cappuccinos and long pulls nonetheless.
I drank instant coffee with lots of sugar as a teenager at my dad’s mechanic garage when skipping school to help him out. My grandma would then make the best instant for years. Why the fuck am I crying…. Anyway.
As time went by and many different types of espressos in cafes, I bought a simple machine which lasted us for years. Last year, I bought a better one and of course went down a very small rabbit hole of getting the needed items for it.
Every step works as it should and I have never looked for anything else since, perhaps only to sometimes try different beans but for now, I always end up going back to our local roaster.
I wake up in the morning and make us coffee and even though it tastes much better, It some times takes me back to those days working with my dad.
Cheers!
https://preview.redd.it/42lvcvwgto0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82fc2adfe1f360b354862be75d8df1cd0cd6cc34
COVID hobby. June 2020-June 2021 was spent in a place that I had access to a La Marzzoco 2 group head machine and giant Mazzer grinder. At 1st it was because no cafes were open for me to get a cappuccino so why not learn on a nice machine. Lost access to the machine so here I am trying to chase the consistency of the $25k set up with my $600 set up while really enjoying the surprises of new beans that wasn't part of my La Marzoco time becasue I was focusing on learning the machine and did get to the depth of bean profiling.
It’s my new favourite cult and caffeine is the leadership jk. Plant medicine extraction is something humans naturally get into. For me it’s wanting to get the most out of a little. Steamed nut water or what some may call plant based milks just completes it all. I do add coconut oil and nootropics because caffeine alone has higher anxiety then sativa that has sour terpenes profiles. Keep it fruity.
Knew the girl that I had a crush on really liked coffee shops so after asking her out and going on a few dates, I picked up a breville to fix up so I could make her lattes and coffee. One machine turned into a second project machine when we moved in together and it turned into our morning routine. Now, a few years (and a few thousand dollars) later, we make coffee everyday and she has far surpassed me on latte art quality!
Haven’t had a sip of coffee in my 34 years of living up until two years ago believe it or not. Now I’m all in on espresso. My buddy would always get these lattes from our local cafe and they looked so damn good. Figured I’d try them out and I’ve been hooked ever since. Not so much on lattes anymore but straight espresso for me. I enjoy the hobby very much so. Nothing like waking up in the morning and getting in that routine grinding the beans and dialing in that perfect shot. The aroma alone puts me in a good mood. It’s very relaxing to me believe it or not.
Aside from genuinely loving good espresso (and it being weirdly hard to stumble upon in the wild), this hobby was the only way to reel in my prior crazy caffeine habit. Found myself drinking multiple pots of coffee a day and realized it was mostly an activity more than something I needed.
Espresso helped me slow it way down and learn to enjoy coffee (and my mornings) more.
Post espresso, I finally understand Anthony Bourdain’s advice to “remember to take your time and eat slowly” ❤️
I was a regular drip Brew coffee drinker for decades. I started working at Dunkin' and I would put so much syrup and sugar in it that there wasn't much room for coffee so I would throw a shot of espresso in it. I like the way it tasted so I started talking about espresso with my wife. She and my best friend threw in and bought me an espresso machine for my birthday last December. I haven't brewed one single pot of drip Brew since.
Got into coffee shops in the early 90’s. Thought it was cool that I could sulk, get wired on espresso and smoke clove cigarettes. I found a cheap thrift store machine I could trade espresso shots to a friend for Ritalin to get even more wired. Became a chef after that and the rest is a lifelong affair with flavor, substances and that sweet jungle neuro-toxin.
I've always loved coffee, had countless types of brewers at home and at work, became a running joke among friends and colleagues. Being Italian, to me in some part, meant always having a Moka pot ready to go, then my sister got a Breville and I thought it was a nice treat every now and then to have real espresso and didn't consider it as my daily method. I eventually went to a friend's house to stay for a week and they used there espresso machine multiple times per day with their dropper and French press tucked away in a drawer, that's when my eyes opened to espresso really as a daily drink. I got a Bambino to go with the KitchenAid burr grinder I already had and since then it's history. I just got a Eureka Zero as an early father's day gift and couldn't be happier 🙂... That is until the Bambino is toast
I got an espresso machine ~8 years ago bc I was tired of spending $6-7 a day on coffee (including tip back then) quad venti caramel macciato was my go to, then Dutch caramelizer, or caramel blonde from black Rock. Extra shot of course.
So we got an espresso machine. I had not idea what I was doing. I just ground, smashed, and pumped (pressed the button). Used it long enough to no longer consider it a loss (I think it took. 8 months) and then went back to buying coffee, then again the money sitch. So I got in to French press(too acidic), , cold brew, moka pot, and finally I've cone back to espresso in the past 6 or so months. This time I'm trying to learn how to actually use my machine. I got the bottomless portafilter and managed to successfully not spew coffee all over the place and decided okay I know how to prep, and I can hit 2:1 ( I like 2.5) in ~30.... I understand the general how's of making espresso... but my dumb ass taste buds can't find the hints of this or that. Straight espresso isn't delicious to me. So I out my double spouted portafilter back on, and now I'm amusing myself trying to learn how to do latte art. The coffee I make is good. To me and everyone else in my house.
With my machine being fairly dated,I'm trying with the idea of updating it, but... I haven't fully sold myself on it. I've found sone beans I like, I can consistently hit my time and ratio marks. I only check occasionally or if it seems fast or slow. But I'm pretty content with where I am at. I like shiny things, but I've always been slow to pull the trigger. Not sure what would suit me or I'd it necessary at the moment. I'm kinda hoping my machine dies of old age to force me to get something. I've been looking at the Decent.. but anyways Ultimately I'm satisfied with what comes out of my machine. The internet is a crazy place, but in most posts you can find the people who ask the simple, important question- did it taste good?
I tried to steam milk using my dad's old $25 cappuccino express. He used it every so often for expresso, where he would put pre-ground coffee into the plastic portafilter and press it down with a little cup, but he never used the steam wand.
After some experimenting I got it doing something? But never anything close to actual espresso, or any decent quality steamed milk. Then my dad surprised me with the Bambino I'd been researching for my graduation gift.
Years ago, the YouTube algorithm showed me James Hoffman out of absolute nowhere. I have since stopped going to church and now pray to the algorithm.
Ah, I see this is a common thing then, I started watching him a year ago and finally was able to justify getting my own equipment yesterday.
Same. I first saw his French Press video. One month later, I placed an order for an 1zpresso jmax and a Flair Pro 2
It was the Tom Scott x James Hoffmann video for me.
I didn't even drink coffee before that
This subreddit. No joke.
I would add, I always enjoyed lattes, but it wasn't until James Hoffman that it occurred to me to make them myself
Anything is better than church.
I recently retired to Alaska. It love it here, it’s beautiful in the summers and we manage to keep cozy in the winter. One of the ways we keep cozy is because of our espresso machine. It steams milk for hot cocoa for our kids, has a boiling water dispenser for tea. But most importantly it makes an absolutely delicious espresso. Saves me tons at the coffee stands. It’s cold here most of the time so having a plumbed in espresso machine has made life so enjoyable here in the cold north. Feels like a little bit of happiness in a cup on a snowy day.
Awwww I came her eexpecting "im a caffeine junkie" and find these replies
Honestly, caffeine junkies don’t need espresso, I get fine with instant lol.
I can’t easily imagine anything better
Sounds like heaven.
Being from Finland, I think you made me realize another great aspect of having an espresso machine. I hate the cold, but maybe that’s what makes me love coffee even more.
Always liked coffee, got into aeropress then chemex, moka pot etc.. espresso was just another way to make a similar drink for me. But then I got hooked on the hobby of it, improving my process, dialing in more efficiently. Now I just enjoy the procedure. It’s very zen for me. I still use my aeropress the majority of days for actual consumption.
I’ve tried aero press and similar pour overs, I still don’t get it nor enjoy it. It has to be espresso based for me. So far anyway.
Honestly comparing them (espresso vs coffee) isn’t even fair they are pretty different processes but my brain just saw beans -> caffeine so it lumped it all together.
There’s space for both the traceability, quality and science of third wave coffee, as well as the richness and depth of more traditional darker roast profiles. i won’t buy Illy or Lavazza simply because i don’t know where the beans came from, when they were roasted or whether the farmers got a fair price for their work. i can still buy coffees with similar classic taste profiles and fresher quality from smaller, more “third wave” coffee roasters. i still pay attention to the brew time, the scales and my puck prep even when i’m drinking a darker espresso because “good” just isn’t good enough any more
I used to buy doubles from Starbucks every day before the gym. Then it hit me to get my own setup.
And how you getting on?
I’m deep in it. Roast my own beans and always buying the small farm single origins. The coffee cultivating and roasting world is immense. I like darker roasts as well but usually gravitate towards the lighter ones. I prefer a more sweet and acidic / fruity bean rather than a chocolate bomb, which I enjoy as well just not as much. In regard to machine, I think I’m good with my decade old bezerra bz13. Shit I JUST discovered a hidden preinfusion function that seemingly no one knows about. A new grinder is definitely in my future though. The funny thing is I drink espresso for both energy and to chill out. It’s a pretty short time but the relaxing effects I get from espresso after work are so strong—like an opiate.
I get the caffeine hit too, it’s makes me weirdly tired but anxious!
A trip to Italy was a revelation for what a cappuccino could be. Couldn't find anything like it in the states, so I had to start making it myself. It's been a joy.
Same for me. Went to Rome last November and every cup I had was amazing. Came home and a friend made me a cappuccino on his setup and it tasted comparable, decided I had to have one for myself and finally pulled the trigger last week.
Mochas. I love mochas, but $6 for chocolatey coffee at a cafe was a bit much and therefore only an occasional indulgence. Now I make them in 5 minutes whenever I want. Turns out I enjoy the coffee better than my drip machine as well. My favourite way to relax on the weekend was to put a pot of coffee on and chill on the balcony or watching tv. Now, I start my weekends with an espresso with breakfast and then watch some tv with an Americano and then if the mood strikes me I make a mocha to take to the dog park in the afternoon. And those three drinks cost me a few pennies and a matter of minutes of my day, which is probably still less time than waiting at the cafe for my drink.
About 23 years ago I got a job at Starbucks and we used the old La Marzocco machines. I enjoyed the process and learned to enjoy the drink too! I was bummed when they moved to automatic machines, I get it, but still. Anyways I have a LM Mini at home now and love it!
Because f@ck corporate coffee and excessive daily spending habits.
Because I'm an obsessed weirdo and a perfectionist so I can't just enjoy things without overthinking the fuck out of them. Overthinking about coffee did lead me to James like everybody else here lol. All roads lead to Rome or in this case Sir Hoffmann the First.
Definitely Italy!
I wanted my coffee to have more body but didn't want to go back to a daily french press. I also wanted multiple coffees in a day but didn't want the volume of two pour overs/aeropresses. Lastly, I saw all you mofos on this sub and wanted in on the fun.
A mix of dad getting an espresso machine, and a local specialty roaster (very rare in my country) that i became friends with showed me what could espresso is. This lead me to wanting to learn more on my own which lead me to james hoffman
I once wandered into a coffee house run by a Turkish guy who served me the best coffee I've ever had in my life. It was so incredible, unlike anything I had ever tasted before. This man was an artist. That opened my eyes to what coffee can really be. Ever since then, I've been chasing that level of perfection.
I always liked coffee--well, coffee + milk + sugar--and "discovered" espresso as the most flavorful, full, potent version of the drink (albeit, I'm still with my milk + sugar). I prefer it as my daily drink, to other preparations (and even though I'll drink less of it--it seems to fill my daily need/desire).
I’m with you, I see no reason to abandon milk or sugar!
I always enjoyed coffee a bit but not as much. I didn't know what I liked since I had only been exposed to Starbucks and my mother's coffee. One I found repulsive, and the other too sweet (I don't like sugar/sweets). Three years ago my mother passed away and I missed the fact that everyone would go to her house for coffee. The way she made it was everyone's cup of "tea". I wanted to pick that back up, or atleast use coffee to cope with the loss. Not only did I find what I liked along the way, but I became the person that everyone comes to for coffee or coffee related questions.
I was born and raised in Italy. Espresso has always been something that surrounded me. Home with my dad's Moka. At the coffee place, in the morning, in front of a Carrara marble counter, the machine steaming like a dragon, the sound of hot cups and teaspoons clinking together as the barista empties the dishwasher and quickly puts everything in place while handling the wave of sleepy Italians heading to work. As a kid, I remember groups of adults that would all drink "il caffè" (that's how we call espresso) together after meals. It was at one of those lunches that I tried my first one. I was, I think, 10 or something like that. As a teenager, I would have espresso for 1.20 euros with friends, a price so low that we could afford to treat each other, taking turns. And then again, the coffee place in the afternoon, where everyone gathers: the elderly, teenagers, moms with children, all sharing a bar table without knowing each other. I tried all the hyped coffee drinks and arts from Americans, Australians, etc., but nothing does the thing for me. Only short, black, and unsweetened. To me, it's normal. That's why I love reading this thread!
That sounds so lovely. In the states, at least where I live in Pittsburgh, it’s common to see older men gathering at coffee shops in the afternoon just to sit and chat. I can tell from overhearing conversations that they were often of Italian-American heritage.
A trip to Italy in the ’90s was what hooked me on espresso…and other countries in the EU haven’t displaced the average Italian cafe from the #1 spot imo!
Oh wow! Lovely to hear you had a great coffee experience here!
I’m all for sugar and milk, I don’t feel they take anything away from an espresso, just add to it. I can drink it neat too, but I just love what sugar and milk brings to it. It makes it a drink not a shot. I hate any other coffee like pour over or aero press etc, that tastes awful. Smells even worse l
Oh sure, if you like it so, go for it. :) I prefer it differently.
Got into it... I bought a cafe many years ago and thought "shit I better learn..."
2 months on the Amalfi coast!
Have you got close to emulating coffee from there?
Born in Spain, living in Ireland for many years. I just craved the good stuff they serve at any random cafeteria in my hometown, so I decided to make my own at home. As a side note, I must add that the best tasting coffee that I've ever bought is from a roaster in Ireland 😅
Went to Italy the first time 2 decades ago (Florence, Milan, Cinque Terre?) and got hooked on the zeitgeist of standing and pounding a doppio, and then gtfo of the cafe. Suited my temperament. Now I stand in front of the machine, looking all goofie-ah trying to dial in some random bean from BFE Yunnan, China at 6:30am, trying to not burn my milk, and wondering how my coffee life ended up this way.
I didn’t get into espresso. Espresso got into me.
Covid! I’d been “loosely” into coffee/espresso, mostly while working in an office and some combination of a) office coffee (ugh), b) Starbucks, and c) local coffee shops. It became part of my work habit. Covid came along and I was suddenly working remote, but still needed a coffee fix. I got an aeropress and dusted off an old DeLonghi I hadn’t used in a year. My wife got me a BBE for Christmas, and it was downhill from there.
Severe caffeine addiction. Got off of it for over a year. Decided to go for natural caffeine. Got coffee. Helped. Have always liked coffee but now I was drinking it daily to substitute energy drinks. My coffee machine broke. YouTubed coffee machines. Learned about espresso machines and how they worked. Tried some at local cafe. Was sold on taste vs my Folgers. Did research. Purchased espresso machine and grinder.
Because I like yummy yummy coffee time.
I saw videos online and thought it looked really cool lol
After realizing that I was becoming increasingly intolerant to caffeine, I decided that if I could only drink a few coffees, they should be the best possible coffees. I have always enjoyed espresso or espresso-based drinks more than filter coffee, but I never bothered to invest in an espresso machine before. That changed with my caffeine intolerance, and here I am.
Decaf is nearly zero caffeine, have you tried some?
It’s all I drink now, after the intolerance got too bad. I enjoy it a lot. Lots of good options out there.
In 2009 I walked in to blue bottle in SF. Blew my mind. I bought a bag of coffee but didn’t know how to make coffee. That began my coffee journey which quickly moved into espresso
My dad had a machine and his coffee tasted good. So i got on YouTube to find out more, i am now teaching my dad how to make his coffee taste good 🙃 sorry Dad
I used to drink nespresso because it was fast and more intense than drip coffee. I was drinking 2 3 cups a day, so I thought if I learned how to make them with a machine I could save money, lol. I won't save money, but I gained a hobby. Not too bad if I say so myself.
I have to drink coffee daily for health reasons (fixed 80% of my IBS-C) and I really don't like bitter. Espresso actually tastes good to me with nothing in it (though I enjoy milk drinks, esp. for the extra protein after lifting), and it also gave me a fun outlet for my science lab training that I don't get to use very much any more. It's also fun to tinker with machinery (cars, sewing machines, etc.) so it's another machine I get to play with.
I never grew up and enjoy playing with toys. This is a socially acceptable way of playing pretend barista as an adult.
My nephew broke my aeropress so I upgraded to an espresso machine
Was in Uganda many years and the hotel I was staying in had ran out of tea at breakfast. The waiter offered me a coffee instead but I had never tried coffee before. I chose an espresso and the rest is history.
A baby who refused sleep. I hated coffee and still do. I was desperate for an energy source when I returned to my demanding job and was managing 4 hour increments of sleep thanks to my adorable but horrible sleeper. My husband was drinking lattes and I started ripping straight shots of espresso before work. It was life changing. I started experimenting with carmel and chai lattes and they’re now my cup of sunshine in the morning. We recently upgraded our set up and I couldn’t be happier.
Because lattes are like $6+ here I’m at now. Every coffee I make at home I save $5+. Probably already paid off the espresso machine I got months ago
I liked that it’s very efficient as in no daily trash as a result, and use a small (relatively) bit of beans to make one to two cups at a time. With the pressure you get all the goodness out of the bean.
I was making a half pot of coffee in my moccamaster every day, then getting a daily afternoon latte at the coffee shop around the corner from my office. Made some great friends that worked there, but it was making my wallet thinner and my waisteline larger. Picked up my Gaggia January 2020, so it became a blessing in covid, too. Now that I make coffee at home, I usually only have one or two espresso drinks a day. Usually one short americano and one cortado a day. Saved thousands of dollars between my wife and I. Edit: I'm also a fan of early 3rd wave-style medium to light roasts that have pronounced sweetness and smooth character. I don't care for acid bomb, juicy, fruity coffee as espresso, so I have pourover for that.
I was sent to Milan to oversee a recently acquired company. I sat at a desk directly in front of a slot machine style espresso machine that used espresso pods. All day long the entire office would stop by for an espresso and "Ciao". So after awhile I decided to give it a try and that was it, I was hooked. The funny part is that I started having a few too many and spent many sleepless nights in my hotel room staring at the ceiling. Over the years I did a few mocha pots, went through at least 3 Saeco Starbucks machines, a Saeco Talea Giro for a good 10 years, 2 Nespresso machines and now I have a Quick Mill Alexia Evo that is giving me a lot of grief.
A trip driving around Sicily. Truck stop espresso there blew my mind. Proper baristas beautiful machines and a dedicated espresso bar in every one. Only one thing on the menu: espresso , no doubles, no milk drinks. Served with a biscotti and a small glass of sparkling water for 1 euro. I gave away my Nespresso machine as soon as I got home and started exploring what espresso could really be.
Italia
I quit drinking alcohol. Always liked espresso. It’s a less expensive (at least my setup) and less physically damaging thing to spend my time and money with.
I drank a decent amount of Starbucks and wanted to spend less money. My mother had this little machine from ages ago that was ostensibly an espresso machine, though if you used it the way the instructions said it was more like a glorified drip coffee maker. Got really into the process and one day tasted a shot that was half decent and thought I wanted to get some real gear and got myself a proper machine and a nice grinder! Well, I can't say if I've saved money yet but I actually like what I drink a hell of a lot more now. It's even got me into drinking coffee other ways and actually liking it! Imagine that.
Well, now you need to go down the path of roasting your own!
Yes, I am considering it! Especially as I like a roasted taste too, even dark roasted seems to have lost that taste, I feel a touch of it is important.
my ADHD required me to hype fixate on a new hobby and I like coffee
Me too, ADD and ASD
Mainly because I live alone. Making a whole-ass pot of coffee for one person is incredibly wasteful. Making a pour-over every time I want coffee is incredibly time-consuming. It takes less time to make an espresso, americano, latte, etc. than it does to make a pour-over. I can approximate "regular coffee" when I want it (an americano), or I can make something fancy as a treat. That same workflow suffices for up to two people, and if I need to make coffee for more than two people I can break out the Chemex or drip machine and brew a full pot.
For me, watched a lot of James Hoffman, what’s not to like a nerdy Britt with passion for details. Just my cup of coffee
At first I thought espresso was more of a means to an end. A caffeine delivery system more than for taste. But then I found a local cafe that specializes in espresso, and I figured “people aren’t drinking it for no reason” so I tried one. It’s still the best espresso I’ve ever had. Blueberry notes and huge body and omg, been hooked ever since. I think that was 2012ish. Still haven’t had any espresso come close (even at the same shop).
What country/
Always been on it. For convenience left it in favor of tea and pods. Then was hit with significant health issues, requiring me to slow down a lot on my professional life. Went back in the game with manual grinding and manual levers, as a morning ritual to start the day slow, without any interferences. Believe it or not, but that morning ritual really helped me get back on my feet (that and gardening). As I slowly got better, got back to e61 group machines and electric grinders, but kept my manual setups for when I want to savor the process. Lately, a Decent has joined the countertop. So, all in all, it did play a big part into getting me back on my feet. And I plan for it to remain part of my morning routine as a result.
It’s funny, as a Brit, I can’t stand the smell of coffee in the morning, it has to be tea.
Perfectly understandable. I was the same, tea before coffee. But somehow, the manual ritual of grinding and pulling a LoFi (manual lever) shot was just what I needed to have a more serene post wake up time.
I got into espresso for a couple of reasons. 1: I am addicted to gogo bean juice. 2: I like to do things for myself. I’m a hands on person. 3: it’s very similar to my other hobbies, cannabis extraction. It’s all about prep work and attention to details. Time temp pressure. Material freshness. It’s my hobby and I enjoy it so it made sense that I would enjoy espresso extractions as well. And I do. The routine. The level of control. The coffee snobbing that ensues.
For me it's a mixture of loving the taste of coffee, having worked in a cafe when I was young, being addicted to caffeine, being enamoured with Italian culture, and getting to know some nice third wave roasters. It's just been a part of my life now, for the last 25 years.
Brown juice make body and mind go brrrrr
I regularly drove ~3 hours to one of the sites I provided tech support to each week. Coffee became essential, and it was either dunkin donuts or starbucks for options. The starbucks was actually really good at that location. So when I changed jobs and moved, I went to starbucks. After a few months though, I found the quality starting to rapidly decline. Thinking it was just that location, I tried a few others, and the same brown-water sugar slop was being served at all of them. So I discovered and made the switch to local coffeeshops. The quality was amazing in comparison even to the original starbucks I was enjoying. Fast forward a year and its become such a prohibitively expensive habit that I want to keep having good espresso drinks (specifically lattes) without selling my organs for money. Here we are, 10 years on.
I find most coffee shops even quality artisan ones, are not a patch on street bars in Europe.
I don't understand what you said.
What part don’t you understand? I added a word for clarity.
For the gear. Did you think we actually drink the espresso?
Yeah we are kit snobs.
Personally I really liked coffee for most of my adult life. Then I went to Italy for a holiday and got invested with the love for espresso. Started with a Moka Pot and a electric steamer and a cheap hario handgrinder powered by a drill. But it never really hit the spot. Got better coffee and equipment and are happy ever since. I still love the classic espresso, but sometimes it is just fun to experiment
Those cute little mugs and saucers!!! And you should have seen how proud of my flair manual machine I was when a storm knocked power lines on my car and blocked my house! And I just turned on the gas stove and lounged around with my espresso. Suck it electric slaves, hehe.
Man, I just really love straight espresso and I realized that it’s totally possible to produce it at home. Now I get to play the how-close-is-my-shot-to-my-favorite-roaster’s-shot game.
I’ve been with it for like 7 months from this subreddit and yt shorts and so I started off with a gaggia classic evo pro and a k6 kingrinder along with other good equipment and haven’t had the itch to upgrade yet and am making rlly good dark roasts that definitely hit their hints of flavor along with occasionally trying specialty beans and using those. My total cost was probably $800 USD for all of my equipment. I will probably downgrade to a picospresso for a bit when I go to college though lol, but I guess I didn’t really go down ur path as ai enjoy the occasional specialty coffee and have a consistent top notch dark roast I love.
What’s this dark roast you like?
Wife spent too much going to Starbucks every single day of her life, figured I should be able to make something better at home and make her not want to go to Starbucks lol
Most random shit ever, my grandma bought an entry level machine but couldn’t learn how to use it, then I took it to my house and now I’m suddenly this big coffee nerd
Honestly? Never even cared for coffee. When I was working full-time, I started to try espresso at local cafes out of “early morning/tired as hell” desperation. I had a job at a car wash that also had an espresso bar. I started fucking my boss, and he put me behind the barista counter so that I wouldn’t break my nails anymore. Win-win, both wins for me. Hot guy, plus finding my favorite espresso beans, which is “Destroyer” by Ceremony Coffee if anyone’s wondering.
I ran the numbers on how much money I was handing to Starsucks and decided to give making my own espresso a try. I bought a Breville Dual Boiler and it paid for itself in just over a year. Eventually it died so I gave it to a buddy who likes to tinker with things and got a Bezzera Duo. Then came Hoffman and a parade of youtube/tiktok videos that got me making latte art and trying different things. I'm seriously thinking of starting my own coffee food truck to keep myself busy when I retire. Fortunately I've got a couple more decades before that happens.
I grew up in western Washington, started to get loose on the juice in college, and dreamed about having a fancy set up once I got sort of established with a good job. No regrets. https://preview.redd.it/8nmottdvun0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=40fb1bc91be5781ac58a1ba2caff8f606b91a493
I became friends with people who worked at a coffee shop next to where I worked. From them I learned what good coffee is supposed to be like. Then 2020 came and my favorite roastery + social hangout spot was shut down. So I bought my own machine to replicate the latte as I could still buy the beans - it wasn’t just the coffee, the whole smell/flavor was an important part of my well being at that point. So that’s how I got started…
I used to get my caffeine fix from a K-cup machine. Then, 7 or 8 years ago we were traveling in Europe with a friend who's English. Every time he wanted a cuppa (tea), we headed to a cafe. I hate tea. Hate it like Ted Lasso does. It's like putting some grass in boiling hot water, and then drinking it. So... I'd grab a coffee instead. Ah, they don't have regular coffee.... I'll have a cappuccino. Did that for about 10 days in row. Got back from the trip and had one "coffee" out of the K-cup machine. Ordered a proper espresso machine that same week. To this day, I can't believe I was ever content with a K-cup. Ick...
Tired of paying $7 for a mediocre latte.
Starbucks closed next to my work, office coffee sucked. Googled how to make espresso and dove into the rabbit hole.
Always hated coffee up until my brother moved in with me briefly and introduced me to espresso. It was mind blowing to taste a great tasting shot and 3 years later I’m deep down the rabbit hole.
Because I don't really want to pay $5 for a cup anymore every day..
I was never a coffee drinker my entire life. But one day I met an amazing woman who was addicted to coffee. Long story short, I bought her an espresso machine one Christmas — and helped her learn to use it. I’ve been drinking americanos every morning since
I am Canadian part Italian. Need I say more?
Semester in Milan. The quick and casual omnipresence of espresso there was awesome. Walk up to the bar, slam a coin down, fast and tasty and head on your way. But you can also get fancy with it and chill when you want. That's why I keep my main routine pretty simple and fast but will try things out on the weekends.
I love a good speciality coffee shop. It always seemed like espresso was out of my reach due to cost, but my husband snagged me a Bambino plus for $150. We were gifted a Baratza Encore grinder when we got married 5 years ago, so I’m going to sell it and put it towards a DF54 (waiting for it to be shipped). Down the line I’d like to sell the Bambino and upgrade to a Profitec Go or another similar machine. If we sell and save up then we can do it. So, really, it was just a lucky chance that I was able to dive in. I knew too much to buy a super cheap thing, so I didn’t see the point of even trying.
I had the chance to live in Portugal. Espresso is built into the culture. After I left, I was desperate to find a cafe I could walk into and carry on the same routine. You can’t really do that in western culture so I bought a machine and l quickly learned how to make espresso and now it’s part of my everyday life home routine.
I visited Italy in the early 2000’s and fell in love. It was coffee but quicker and yummier.
I hated coffee my entire life. 27 years of hating coffee. Then I had Thanksgiving dinner at my girlfriend's house and did a bunch of the cooking, including. Two dishes that her parents previously expressed they didn't like. They now ask me to make those dishes any time they see me. "Well I never liked it before, but *this* version is so good!" The same thing happened with someone else right around then that I watched. Then Tom Scott did his video with James Hoffman. "I hate coffee. Can James Hoffman change my mind?" It just made sense then, mirroring my experiences almost exactly. Then I bought a v60 and an aero press. Then I bought a flair 58. Then... Yeah.
Because I was young and ignorant, now it’s too late. My vacations are ruined, friends have stopped inviting us over, when they do, they just serve water . My life is miserable 😂
It's been a long journey from the instant coffee and the stovetop percolator of my childhood, Melitta filters, cafetieres, stovetop Bialleti espresso, Aeropress, Coffejack and finally a 2nd hand Gaggia Factory G106 manual lever espresso from ebay. Real espresso is quite recent but my love of coffee isn't at all.
Barista nearly a decade, if I could do anything regardless of income, I’d be a barista. I love making drinks, I love recommending coffee and pairings and doing taste tests. I love the regulars, I even loved the hard to please critics (not bc I like a challenge) but because it made those good interactions so much sweeter. At the end of the day, I like coffee and my grandma introduced me when I was young and when I enjoyed it with her she bought me my first drip coffee machine and I used it RELIGIOUSLY! Espresso and coffee just mean a lot to a lot of different folks and even reading through this thread it’s so amazing and cool to see what everyone’s favorite thing is. Perspective is beautiful and (good) people are awesome.
My fiancée loves them. I do not. At all. But she does, so I got a machine and learned. I can’t tell which shots are good as I really don’t like them, so she tells me as I experiment and when I try new beans. I enjoy making them whether I like the taste or not, and she gets an espresso every morning. Though I did once make an espresso with Folgers Crystals just to see if she noticed.
I got divorced and agreed a settlement with a "deferred payment" which I never expected to receive. A few years later, she paid up. Myself and my new partner had a few too many glasses of fizz and decided that as this was a "bonus payment" we'd treat ourselves to an espresso machine. The rest is history.
I really enjoy coffee, and espresso brewing looked really fun. To be honest, I tend to like hobbies that allow for obsession over nice gear, so I quickly fell in. I have however come to really love espresso, and I’ve learned so much about coffee in general going down the rabbit hole, so I would say it’s one of my best experiences with getting into a new hobby.
I was a caffeine addict, and decided that I need to detox and quit having any caffeine for a while. I really love coffee, and I did not want to give it up. Sometimes coffee shops don't always have all the decaf drinks and flavours, so I got into it so I could make decaf drinks however, and whenever I want. I'm so glad that happened because now I love making most of this stuff at home anyways.
I have ADHD and espresso piqued my interest 3 yrs ago, I hyper-focused on learning as much as i could and now i make espressos nearly everyday.
For me it was after having delicious coffee out. It was a whole other deal of fruitiness, sweetness, intensity. I had a cafetiere and an aeropress. Also a blade grinder. After looking online for how to brew coffee properly I realised it's a lot about equipment, but also a skill. The art of it felt elusive to me. I thought espresso sounded the simplest, the most procedural technique. If I could get a half decent grinder and machine just follow the steps and voila, ez pz. That's why I started with espresso.
4 years ago or so I've tried a cup of latte at the local speciality coffee shop and was absolutely blown away by the taste of it. Before that I only tried Starbucks, Costa, etc and wasn't a big fan of coffee drinks due to stomach problems at the time. But trying a good cup made me realize that coffee is not as boring and harsh as I'd experienced. Then I started googling how to brew it at home and found a moka pot recipe videos by James Hoffman and some guy (don't remember the name) and slowly (thanks to Mr Hoffman) worked my way up to my first espresso machine - Breville Duo Temp Pro teamed up with Eureka Silenzio grinder. Once I learned how to make a decent espresso to my liking it became a morning ritual. It feels to me like something soothing and with a clear tangible goal at the end of the process, gives me a meaning of life for a short period of time. After a couple of years of using the Breville I upgraded my setup to Profitec pro 400 and I absolutely love it. I really love brewing coffee not only for myself but also for my partner and guests I invite over for breakfast every once in a while. Got emotional while writing this. Thank you author
Well it seems i understand espresso brewing well enough even before I purchased my first machine/grinder. All started with my love of coffee, purchased my first Dedica machine, and boom. Then all the YT videos from James Hoffman, Hoons, Lance etc followed. Since then, i making Espresso at home , having the full control, its up to you (well most of the time) to make your coffee as you like it, instead of ordering it from other placing and crossing fingers that would be as you want it. It is as import cooking is (almost :P )!!
Back in 2003/4 when I was 11/12 domestic espresso machines became a thing in Norway and were advertised a lot, together with coffee bars becoming more widespread. I was very fascinated by the machines and their looks. That got me my first one aged 12 and I’ve been an espresso fanatic ever since.
My wife and I had some funds from her bridal shower and were deciding on if we wanted a pour over or espresso machine. I told her I’d probably be way more interested in the espresso machine for longer so we opted for it over the pour over. Best decision of my life. Who knows where I’d be if I chose the pourover set. Maybe r/pourover xd
Besides loving coffee, the cost. With my setup it will take about a year and a half to breakeven on the mechanicals. At two drinks a day, half that time. Aftter that, it is just coffee and future maintenance costs.
I've always drunk my coffee black so it was a hop and a skip really. A neighbor's relative passed on and they inherited their espresso machine. It sat on their shelf unused for a year before they gifted it to me because they knew I liked coffee. It was all downhill from there. <3
One night at the Soho Charcuterie, in NYC, I was served a cafe filtre spiked with espresso: delicious. This began my espresso adventure of more than forty years. Apropos of your post, just yesterday my son and I were talking about all the new coffee roasts, and we agreed that we are, and always have been Italian espresso people. We’ve tried all kinds of interesting, expensive coffees, but always come away disappointed in the flavor, so I will return to CoffeeAM’s Espresso Italia, great taste, great price. You should look at their site.
Definitely will thanks!
I was late starting to drink coffee at all and still to this day don't like drip or pour over very much. I discovered I liked the flavor of espresso at Blue Bottle especially and got a moka pot for the weekend and then an aero press for mornings. Just by chance I treated myself to a Bambino espresso machine in February 2020 and it turned out to be a lifesaver during COVID. And down the rabbit hole I've gone. Thanks for this post OP! Love reading these.
My boyfriend had a DeLonghi Nespresso coffee machine at home, and missed it very dearly. For 1,5 years we were stuck with soluble coffee, I even got a taste for a jacobs cappuccino instant 3-in-1 that actually contains like 5% coffee in it... A few days ago we saw a delightfully-looking Ariete 1381 on sale and started thinking that maybe it's time to cash out for a coffee machine after all. We read a bunch of reviews and found that Ariete can spit coffee at the walls, and decided to get a DeLonghi Dedica instead, which (conveniently) also happened to be on sale. Actually thanks to some old posts from this sub that made us sure that this is not a bad choice! I've never had a coffee machine at home before, and my attempts at making coffee using a french press failed miserably, so I thought it wouldn't change much in my life. But, actually, I really enjoy making coffee in the morning! I'm really glad that my boyfriend actually enjoys coffee now, and I don't even let him make anything by himself xD And, well, the coffee actually tastes good now, miles better than that in the french press or in the moka pot I tried at my home. I don't know where the road will take me, I may yet get bored in a few weeks, but so far, so good. And yeah, that James Hoffman video that was recommended to me in another thread here was nice... xD
French press and any pour over is like cigarette ends to me. Yuk.
In 2020 my friend sent me a James Hoffman video because she enjoyed his voice for falling asleep too. It wasn't even about the coffee content she just likes his voice 😂. And so my journey was started. Put him on thinking I'd enjoy falling asleep to him as well and now I drink so much coffee I barely sleep 🤣.
For several decades I've been a "hobbiest", collecting all kinds of things, from watches, to fountain pens, to knives, to leather boots, etc... the list goes on. When 2020 came around and I stopped travelling for work so work was no longer buying me Starbucks daily, I got a Silvia and immersed myself in the Barista hobby... Several years later I now have a La Marzocco Linea Micra brewer and Etzinger EtzMAX LM grinder on the way... I'm fascinated by both the tech and the brands behind hobbies... and enjoy the forums. On the EtzMAX, alone, I translated a 160+page forum thread on a German coffee forum to intimately understand the nuances before buying, as well as having tried the Baratza 270Wi to understand grind-by-weight impacts to workflow.
The tiny cups make me feel like a giant.
For the women and the power. Wait thats the white powder. Got into the brown powder cause I like the taste.
My parole officer told me it would help with my anger issues.
Have you tried co-fermented coffee? I can actually taste what it says on the tin! My entire flat smells like fruits now
I want it to smell of coffee though lol
Covid...
Because I like it?
Starbucks actually was my first introduction into espresso drinks; before that I just made very very strong coffee. Mostly I drank swill from truck stops with my trusted Stanley thermos to keep me driving until the sun came up. I had no idea espresso even existed until around 1998…I guess I had my blinders on, plus I was a sheltered child🤷🏽 Bought my first machine in 99, a Jura. I drank so much espresso that I needed to drink 2 just so I could get to sleep at night😴
Wife
Because I'm a wannabe Italian poser.
I got into it because I loved coffee and my aeropress was ok but I wanted to do espresso drinks. I managed to avoid the rabbit hole mostly. Went from a mocha pot to a cheap steam pressure machine and finally bought a Gaggia classic and a Baratza grinder. I found a locally roasted medium espresso bean and I’m content with what I have. Other than some small improvements like using paper filters and weighing my beans, I’m pretty sure I’m done chasing the dragon until something breaks and I have to replace it.
Sounds corny but the intention of it. An espresso machine and grinder, when tuned right, produce a reliably perfect coffee. Some people think it's all the same, but once you get them a proper 2oz espresso that wasn't under or over extracted, they start to see why the process and control is so important.
Well Ive enjoyed espresso for as long as I can remember, but the real justification was fresh coffee anytime, especially since I work from home. Thats not really practical for a drip machine. Ive had keurigs and nespresso machines and the coffee kind of sucks, the plastic waste, and they always break. And pourover is still kind of a pain in the ass and not as good. I can produce an espresso or americano is about 1.5 minutes start to finish. Thats so practical for me in daily life.
Because i hate bad coffee and cafes became too expensive in my area. $7 for an oat latte with a $1 tip
I got a free hand me down machine.. Rabbit hole engaged.
I became a barista. I started at a small town 2nd wave shop and kinda just fell in love with the craft and started to learn about espresso on my own because I never got trained on how to do things like dial in or latte art. Now Im working at an amazing 3rd wave shop that has the highest quality, consistency, and best tasting espresso I’ve ever had. I mean we’re using wdt on every single drink and dialing in constantly throughout the day. Working at the new shop has made me completely fall in love with making coffee again.
Espresso is absolutely divine
Because I was consuming too much sugar with french press coffee and I like it strong. I can happily drink espresso straight with a bit of cream.
I had good espresso once out of a bunch of times I just beared it so wanted to figure out why and learn the science.
Why? Because I LOVE the taste of a good shot of espresso, and also lattes. Oh, and I'm not in the income bracket where I can pay someone else whenever I want to drink one. And I want the convenience of not having to leave my house to get it. I don't enjoy hanging out in a cafe if I'm alone.
Started drinking Americanos to try something different than just black coffee. I also enjoy pressurized systems. I hope to build my own espresso machine someday.
Drugs aren’t legal
I went to Argentina and tried an espresso for the first time. It was sublime, and I had to recapture the memory.
a can of monster a day is extremely unhealthy, expensive, im addicted to caffeine, my kidneys were screaming, it doesn't trigger my anxiety, and financially more efficient long term
Started working for a company which had a coffee corner with a barista making drinks in the office. I really enjoyed the drinks, and wanted to match the quality at home. So I said goodbye to my old nespresso and the coffee journey started :)
James Hoffman!!! That man is a paid actor for espresso industry who lured me to the hobby /s
mom bought a bbe and old starbucks beans, then one day I saw a bottomless portafilter video
Cheap lattes. And not needing to drive to the coffee shop anymore.
A tastier way to get my caffeine fix
I became a barista back in 2007. I hated coffee and loved tea at the time. Now I own a 12 lb roaster I built, and sip a few double shots in plain milk 3 times a day, and I never drink tea. It's an addiction!
I always wanted a fully automatic coffee machine as a teenager but my mom didn't buy one because she thought the coffee tasted like shit, lol. So she bought me a real espresso machine for my 18th birthday. Making espresso since then!
Covid
During my bachelor’s studies I was sharing a dorm room with one incredibely unhygienic guy with whom I could not reason with. So I started minimizing the time I had to spend in the dorms and ended up sitting in one coffee shop every evening because their working ours were actually longer than my uni library’s ones. While there I would also scrol through coffee shop study playlist and aesthetic posts and through them sonehow learned about coffee scene. Realised that the coffee shop I was, essentialy living in, did not make the best espresso and I looked what other places are available in the town and through that my interest accelerated..
I was born in 1975. One of my favorite memories was going to the mall, that had a store that sold coffee beans and chocolate and they kept the super dark, swimming in oil beans in big barrels that my dad would open and smell and explain that the more oily the bean, the better, etc. In 1987 my family got moved to Rome, where I lived until 1993, so I learned to love Italian cafe culture and seeing everyone, including my dad’s, pure joy surrounding coffee whether in the morning on the way to school/work for a quick bar stop or after a meal or whatever. I was an at home Moka pot drinker and frequent cafe guy but I bought my first real espresso machine about 17 years ago and have never looked back!
Honestly it was to save money when my mom would go to Starbucks every day. It’s been about 5 years since I got my current setup (with some grinder purchases afterwords) and while it wasn’t cheap I can proudly say it’s still cheaper than getting 2-4 lattes at Starbucks every day.
Yeah I was halfway down the rabbit hole and then realised I was very happy with my Moka Pot coffee. Saved myself a few grand 🤣
It was my wife. She wanted to invest in a machine instead of always going to shops to get coffee. I don't actually like coffee and everything I make is for her to try. If I drink anything with espresso it is diluted with milk and flavored syrup.
I used to get my caffeine fix from Diet Coke. I disliked the taste of drip coffee in the US and wasn’t really exposed to anything different growing up. I did research in Austria and Germany and was exposed to caffe crema, and couldn’t believe the difference between that and the “coffee” I was served at home! I finally kicked my awful Diet Coke habit several years back and started an espresso habit as a way to replace my old favorite drink. I still can’t quite get that caffe crema as I had in Austria though, but I enjoy my cappuccinos and long pulls nonetheless.
Worked as a barista and couldn't abide the French press at home any longer
I loved coffee but wanted to get away from the bloated feeling after.
I drank instant coffee with lots of sugar as a teenager at my dad’s mechanic garage when skipping school to help him out. My grandma would then make the best instant for years. Why the fuck am I crying…. Anyway. As time went by and many different types of espressos in cafes, I bought a simple machine which lasted us for years. Last year, I bought a better one and of course went down a very small rabbit hole of getting the needed items for it. Every step works as it should and I have never looked for anything else since, perhaps only to sometimes try different beans but for now, I always end up going back to our local roaster. I wake up in the morning and make us coffee and even though it tastes much better, It some times takes me back to those days working with my dad. Cheers! https://preview.redd.it/42lvcvwgto0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82fc2adfe1f360b354862be75d8df1cd0cd6cc34
COVID hobby. June 2020-June 2021 was spent in a place that I had access to a La Marzzoco 2 group head machine and giant Mazzer grinder. At 1st it was because no cafes were open for me to get a cappuccino so why not learn on a nice machine. Lost access to the machine so here I am trying to chase the consistency of the $25k set up with my $600 set up while really enjoying the surprises of new beans that wasn't part of my La Marzoco time becasue I was focusing on learning the machine and did get to the depth of bean profiling.
It’s my new favourite cult and caffeine is the leadership jk. Plant medicine extraction is something humans naturally get into. For me it’s wanting to get the most out of a little. Steamed nut water or what some may call plant based milks just completes it all. I do add coconut oil and nootropics because caffeine alone has higher anxiety then sativa that has sour terpenes profiles. Keep it fruity.
Knew the girl that I had a crush on really liked coffee shops so after asking her out and going on a few dates, I picked up a breville to fix up so I could make her lattes and coffee. One machine turned into a second project machine when we moved in together and it turned into our morning routine. Now, a few years (and a few thousand dollars) later, we make coffee everyday and she has far surpassed me on latte art quality!
Haven’t had a sip of coffee in my 34 years of living up until two years ago believe it or not. Now I’m all in on espresso. My buddy would always get these lattes from our local cafe and they looked so damn good. Figured I’d try them out and I’ve been hooked ever since. Not so much on lattes anymore but straight espresso for me. I enjoy the hobby very much so. Nothing like waking up in the morning and getting in that routine grinding the beans and dialing in that perfect shot. The aroma alone puts me in a good mood. It’s very relaxing to me believe it or not.
I just love coffee so much I wanted to broaden my daily horizons
Aside from genuinely loving good espresso (and it being weirdly hard to stumble upon in the wild), this hobby was the only way to reel in my prior crazy caffeine habit. Found myself drinking multiple pots of coffee a day and realized it was mostly an activity more than something I needed. Espresso helped me slow it way down and learn to enjoy coffee (and my mornings) more. Post espresso, I finally understand Anthony Bourdain’s advice to “remember to take your time and eat slowly” ❤️
Cafes are expensive and inconvenient, Nespresso is expensive, limiting and wasteful.
I was a regular drip Brew coffee drinker for decades. I started working at Dunkin' and I would put so much syrup and sugar in it that there wasn't much room for coffee so I would throw a shot of espresso in it. I like the way it tasted so I started talking about espresso with my wife. She and my best friend threw in and bought me an espresso machine for my birthday last December. I haven't brewed one single pot of drip Brew since.
Got into coffee shops in the early 90’s. Thought it was cool that I could sulk, get wired on espresso and smoke clove cigarettes. I found a cheap thrift store machine I could trade espresso shots to a friend for Ritalin to get even more wired. Became a chef after that and the rest is a lifelong affair with flavor, substances and that sweet jungle neuro-toxin.
I've always loved coffee, had countless types of brewers at home and at work, became a running joke among friends and colleagues. Being Italian, to me in some part, meant always having a Moka pot ready to go, then my sister got a Breville and I thought it was a nice treat every now and then to have real espresso and didn't consider it as my daily method. I eventually went to a friend's house to stay for a week and they used there espresso machine multiple times per day with their dropper and French press tucked away in a drawer, that's when my eyes opened to espresso really as a daily drink. I got a Bambino to go with the KitchenAid burr grinder I already had and since then it's history. I just got a Eureka Zero as an early father's day gift and couldn't be happier 🙂... That is until the Bambino is toast
I got an espresso machine ~8 years ago bc I was tired of spending $6-7 a day on coffee (including tip back then) quad venti caramel macciato was my go to, then Dutch caramelizer, or caramel blonde from black Rock. Extra shot of course. So we got an espresso machine. I had not idea what I was doing. I just ground, smashed, and pumped (pressed the button). Used it long enough to no longer consider it a loss (I think it took. 8 months) and then went back to buying coffee, then again the money sitch. So I got in to French press(too acidic), , cold brew, moka pot, and finally I've cone back to espresso in the past 6 or so months. This time I'm trying to learn how to actually use my machine. I got the bottomless portafilter and managed to successfully not spew coffee all over the place and decided okay I know how to prep, and I can hit 2:1 ( I like 2.5) in ~30.... I understand the general how's of making espresso... but my dumb ass taste buds can't find the hints of this or that. Straight espresso isn't delicious to me. So I out my double spouted portafilter back on, and now I'm amusing myself trying to learn how to do latte art. The coffee I make is good. To me and everyone else in my house. With my machine being fairly dated,I'm trying with the idea of updating it, but... I haven't fully sold myself on it. I've found sone beans I like, I can consistently hit my time and ratio marks. I only check occasionally or if it seems fast or slow. But I'm pretty content with where I am at. I like shiny things, but I've always been slow to pull the trigger. Not sure what would suit me or I'd it necessary at the moment. I'm kinda hoping my machine dies of old age to force me to get something. I've been looking at the Decent.. but anyways Ultimately I'm satisfied with what comes out of my machine. The internet is a crazy place, but in most posts you can find the people who ask the simple, important question- did it taste good?
Lol
Among other things...to save money.
to make ice coffee.
Because i wanted to be cool
I crushed on the girl at the Coffee Connection in 1989.
I tried to steam milk using my dad's old $25 cappuccino express. He used it every so often for expresso, where he would put pre-ground coffee into the plastic portafilter and press it down with a little cup, but he never used the steam wand. After some experimenting I got it doing something? But never anything close to actual espresso, or any decent quality steamed milk. Then my dad surprised me with the Bambino I'd been researching for my graduation gift.