Edit: so it turns out that every hobby can be expensive if you do it long enough.

Also I love how you talk about your hobby as some addicts.

  • Yonrak@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    95
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Coffee.

    I blame James Hoffman entirely.

    Within a year I went from:

    Drinking instant coffee at home, but really enjoying “proper coffee”

    To

    Buying a cafetiere (~£15) + preground coffee

    To

    Buying a Nespresso (~£60 on offer) + pods

    To

    Buying a budget espresso machine (~£120) + preground coffee

    To

    Wasting my money on a cheap manual coffee grinder (~£50) + beans

    To

    Immediately replacing it with an entry level Sage grinder (~£170)

    To

    Buying an entry Level “proper” espresso machine (~£700)

    It took me a good 2-3 weeks of practicing and dialling in before pulling a good shot of coffee that I’d actually want to drink, but by that point it was also about learning a new skill, learning how different aspects of the process affect the end result and learning how to make all sorts of different espresso-based drinks.

    My girlfriend thought I was nuts at first, but a year or so later even she agrees it was worth the investment. I still for the life of me can’t get the hang of latte art though.

    The problem is now though that I’m a waaaay more critical of coffee from coffee shops, because I spent a long time making bad coffee whilst learning!

    • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      1 year ago

      Espresso is the line I won’t let myself cross (and I don’t have the counter space lol), but the $350 for the Kinu M47 was hard to swallow.

      Plus side, it’s also a great espresso grinder if I do ever eventually head down that road.

      • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Me too. Besides, I have just enough space for my AeroPress. Gettin a machine of any type would make it difficult for me to do other things in my small kitchen.

        Besides, I’m not entirely sure I would appreciate the flavors I can get out of coffee using an espresso machine. I’ve tried a bunch of different drinks at several cafes and I just don’t see the value in owning a machine like that. AP coffee is just fine or even really good as long as you use the right type of beans.

      • Goopadrew@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Aww cmon, you might be able to find a used flair lever machine for under $100 like I did, and then it’s game over

      • Yonrak@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        I genuinely almost did!

        Not branched out into different brewing methods yet though. I’ve already claimed enough kitchen surface space, my GF will kill me!

    • Lorax@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      Similar but different : tea! You go from cheap bagged tea to going down the rabbit hole of loose leaf variations, temp control kettles, brewing vessels and brewing styles.

    • dlok@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      Also would like to know the machine you went with, you’re quoting GBP so same country

      • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        If you don’t want to splash out too much to start with, I can highly recommend the Beko bean to cup machine for about 250. I’ve had mine three years now and it produces better coffee than any shop

      • Yonrak@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Sage Barista Pro. Really happy with it to be fair.

        It goes on sale fairly often so you could save £100 or more on the price I quoted.

    • abraxas@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      I can’t believe I answered “board games” to this before. Yes, espresso wins it over. I just got an espresso machine for my 10th anniversary (price too high for me to be willing to admit). And here I have a wishlist of $500+ in “devices” for it.

      Like you, I’m about 3 weeks in and just now getting my burr grind just right for that perfect 26s shot. Luckily my vendor was giving out a free badass scale. It keeps telling me how bad my shot is.

      I still for the life of me can’t get the hang of latte art though.

      Ditto. I just got my first “correct emulsified foam” today. Usually I end up with hot milk with hot whipped milk on top.

      • agent_flounder@lemmy.one
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        Not op, but ours is a Lelit Elizabeth dual boiler. Not cheap but I expect it to last like our Gaggia Espresso Deluxe did, about 15 years. I could’ve gotten away with a single boiler, truth be told but the ability to preinfuse (in a somewhat proper way) depends on it. Non negotiable was the PID temp control. Timed shots is nice to have.

        But really I could’ve spent more on the grinder and less on the machine. The grinder I first got wasn’t up to the task of espresso. Didn’t have the range of settings and the grind quality was subpar. Had to get one a year later (grr) and settled on the Eureka Mignon Silencio. The flavor profile is so much clearer (this was obvious from the first shot I made with it) due to grind quality and it has stepless adjustment. So I can dial in the shot pretty well. Timed grind is nice too.

        But damn what a lot of money for all this. Still worth it. It’s not much over 10-15 y. And it pays for itself quickly. I can have an espresso drink every day that is far better than many places offer and it costs significantly less even for the super expensive, fancy beans.

      • Yonrak@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Sage Barista Pro. Definitely an entry level machine, but I’m very happy with it… I’m not invested enough to go for a dual boiler or higher end machine quite yet - They start to get very big and very expensive very quickly, and I have limited space.

    • Bob@feddit.nl
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      It took me a good 2-3 weeks of practicing and dialling in before pulling a good shot of coffee that I’d actually want to drink,

      Could you elaborate? I’m a chef so I’ve helped myself to a fair few coffees from the big espresso machines and I’ve found it easy every time, and the coffee very potable indeed. Just haven’t got the hang of foaming milk yet.

    • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Before diving into this hobby I was worried that I might not be able to tolerate the type of coffee that happens to be available to me at some random gas station or cafe along the way. That hasn’t been a problem for me yet, but how about you?

      Having spent some time experimenting with my AeroPress, I have learned to notice some basic flavors and notes, but I wouldn’t call myself a experienced coffee taster yet. I can tell the difference between light and dark roast. Trying to tell the difference between two expensive coffees is usually very difficult for me, so I guess gettin an espresso machine might not be worth it yet.