Noooo! if the second cup doesn't go smoothly, then the third one will.
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Espresso Enthusiasts
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No need to "feel lame", at all.
And, no, not all of us have "fancy machines", and nor are they necessary (they can be very nice to have, and enjoyable to use, but, they are not actually necessary), for the preparation of a delicious cup, or mug, (or pot), of coffee.
At the end of the day, all you are doing is preparing a cup of coffee that you will enjoy drinking, and, as long as what you have does the job, and you like - and enjoy - the coffee you make, that is all that matters.
For my part, all I have is a French press, a moka pot, and several Hario drippers (a ceramic one, another one made from copper, one from plastic for travel, a Japanese one made from wood), for drip filter coffee when prepared with filter paper, and am currently contemplating purchasing a Chemex.
None of that is remotely fancy, but all make delicious coffee.
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All true. There is no price to entry for a great up of coffee -- except maybe for the beans. Expresso is a little different with a higher cost of entry because of how it is brewed. But, it all boils down to what you enjoy. There is no better.
I love super-automatics, and had quite a few of the Siemens brand. Easy peasy and great.
Though the espresso machine I have now - Sage (Breville) - do make better espresso, no doubt.
I must say that the automation and speed in the mornings goes better as it continues too.
Now it works good to be approx. 25% awake and doing espresso 😂
This is why coffee pod machines were invented.
Turn it on, put in pod, press button, remember too late to put cup under spout, clean up mess, put cup under spout, put in new pod, press button, drink coffee.
My wife would kill me if I were to add another appliance to the kitchen counter.
But, I'm jealous of your pods. I feel like having my second cup. So, I have to get up, turn on the machine, and wait 10 minutes. Then I begin my ritual. I'll be drinking in 15. Oh, what a world! What a world!!!
Here is my first drink of the morning. It turned in to more of a modern US macchiato than a cortado. The dark line in the middle of the glass is where the espresso finished, followed by the steamed whole milk, and finished with foam on top.
I’m still trying to get milk steaming down with the new machine. I tend to steam small amounts of milk and the steam is so powerful and fast I have not quite got there. Then I can try my hand at latte art. I used a NotNeutral Vero Cortado Glass (4.25oz) for this.
Edit to add my second drink that turned out more like my preferred cortado.
I’m still trying to get milk steaming down with the new machine. I tend to steam small amounts of milk and the steam is so powerful and fast I have not quite got there. Then I can try my hand at latte art. I used a NotNeutral Vero Cortado Glass (4.25oz) for this.
Edit to add my second drink that turned out more like my preferred cortado.
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I made a cortado today. My grandson wanted a latte, and I split the espresso shot (no whole shots for him - lol), so I just steamed a little cream to give it a try. I really liked it! Will definitely do those because it’ll be a good way to break me from having coffee with sugar - trying to quit sugar completely if I can.
I used some of my Yemen beans I finally roasted. It was super yummy, even if I probably didn’t roast them perfectly.
I used some of my Yemen beans I finally roasted. It was super yummy, even if I probably didn’t roast them perfectly.
Thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon coffee, made from a blend (of my own devising) of coffee from Bolivia, Colombia, and El Salvador.
It's one month in, switching from drip to espresso. One thing that I do miss is taking more time drinking. I can spend ten minutes on a big mug of coffee; I can barely get two minutes on my espresso, usually just one.
How about trying out different types of coffee at different times of the day?
In the morning, - especially, if I am abroad, or attending meetings, or, when served after an excellent dinner - I love an espresso, - there is nothing better, to my mind - but I find that other forms of coffee are more than adequate and perfectly welcome at other times of the day.
I'm jealous. I work from home, so all my coffee is from my kitchen. I can't reserve any more counter space for my habit. I'm already pushing it with my espresso machine and sundries.
Move to a bigger place.
I actually find especially American-style drip coffee a bit weak for my taste after decades in Europe.
Everything went well today in my espresso-making, and I am sipping on a delicious espresso at the moment. But yesterday was not perfect.
1st shot went well, but after tampered it and put in the portafilter something called my attention elsewhere in a very short moment. Then I went back to the espresso machine.
Unfortunately I thought that the portafilter wasn't removed and nocked out after the 1st shot.
But I had already tamped for the 2nd shot, so unused espresso grounds went into the tamp-box, what a shame. But I'm not running out of beans, so I am good.
1st shot went well, but after tampered it and put in the portafilter something called my attention elsewhere in a very short moment. Then I went back to the espresso machine.
Unfortunately I thought that the portafilter wasn't removed and nocked out after the 1st shot.
But I had already tamped for the 2nd shot, so unused espresso grounds went into the tamp-box, what a shame. But I'm not running out of beans, so I am good.
My sympathies on the messy situation, but it's for the best. You moved on to a younger puck, tossing the aging one to the curb. I have no respect for anything naively awaiting my return - so needy. (But, don't share your experience with my wife; I don't want her to realize that she can do much better.)
I started making my own espresso drinks during the pandemic.
I first had a Nespresso pod machine. I used it every morning, but the cappuccinos weren't as good as the ones I could get in a cafe.
So I bought a used Breville machine, which didn't work at all until I bought a Sette 270 grinder. I found local roasters and my coffee got much better, but the milk steaming wasn't great. It was good, but not great.
I went to a local shop, Clive Coffee. They had a big assortment of espresso machines, and I bought the Bezzera Duo. It's in a segment of fairly expensive dual-boiler E61 machines, such as ECM Synchronika, Lelit Bianca, Profitec, and several others. The Bezzera included wood trim and it has a touch screen which lets me program temperatures and wake time, so the machine is pre-heated and ready. It is a plumbable machine, so I don't need to add water or remove the drip tray. Because it has two boilers, the water is always ready for both brewing espresso and steaming milk.
I didn't have room in my kitchen, so I bought a kitchen cabinet at Lowe's for about $125 and a butcher block countertop for another $100. I put these in my breakfast nook and plumbed it. Later, my wife switched to decaf, so I bought a second grinder, the Sette 270w, which weighs the espresso as it grinds it.
Now I have a full-fledged espresso bar in my kitchen, and we love making cappuccinos every morning. My wife and I travel frequently, and we always seek out the best specialty coffee bars wherever we go. Occasionally, we'll find someone who makes better cappuccino than I do, but my drinks are consistently better than Peet's and Starbucks. My favorite coffees are Verve Street Level and George Howell Espresso Blend A.
I first had a Nespresso pod machine. I used it every morning, but the cappuccinos weren't as good as the ones I could get in a cafe.
So I bought a used Breville machine, which didn't work at all until I bought a Sette 270 grinder. I found local roasters and my coffee got much better, but the milk steaming wasn't great. It was good, but not great.
I went to a local shop, Clive Coffee. They had a big assortment of espresso machines, and I bought the Bezzera Duo. It's in a segment of fairly expensive dual-boiler E61 machines, such as ECM Synchronika, Lelit Bianca, Profitec, and several others. The Bezzera included wood trim and it has a touch screen which lets me program temperatures and wake time, so the machine is pre-heated and ready. It is a plumbable machine, so I don't need to add water or remove the drip tray. Because it has two boilers, the water is always ready for both brewing espresso and steaming milk.
I didn't have room in my kitchen, so I bought a kitchen cabinet at Lowe's for about $125 and a butcher block countertop for another $100. I put these in my breakfast nook and plumbed it. Later, my wife switched to decaf, so I bought a second grinder, the Sette 270w, which weighs the espresso as it grinds it.
Now I have a full-fledged espresso bar in my kitchen, and we love making cappuccinos every morning. My wife and I travel frequently, and we always seek out the best specialty coffee bars wherever we go. Occasionally, we'll find someone who makes better cappuccino than I do, but my drinks are consistently better than Peet's and Starbucks. My favorite coffees are Verve Street Level and George Howell Espresso Blend A.
I'm having a mug of some red honey processed coffee from Colombia.....a nice way to start the day
Ah, this is a feeling that I am more than familiar with.
What beans did you decide (eventually) to buy?
I bought some Colombian red bourbon which I've had before and couldn't resist, and some of the inevitable local heirloom variety from the Sidama region of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian is from a new source and came highly recommended.
Both arrived today.
Oh, yum.
They sound wonderful.
Do let me (us) know how the respective Ethiopian and Colombian coffees actually taste.
Finishing the last of the previous month's coffee supply......it's a leftovers blend!
Cabinet makers have been away on a large job and finally came back to finish yesterday by adding the crown molding to the new espresso/beverage bar, replacing cabinet doors that didn’t fit, and adding some trim molding on the sides of the cabinets. Very happy to have my home back.
