espresso

I have an obsessive personality, borderline OCD. Which goes hand-in-hand with my type A habits. I straighten piles of magazines, the first thing I do when I get home from a road trip is rigorously clean out my refrigerator, and when I find a new direction of interest, I tend to do a lot of research.

When I received this espresso machine as an engagement gift, I hit the ground running. First goes the starbucks coffee, replaced by Counter Culture Kenya Single lot (awesomely fruity and lively btw). My spice grinder style coffee grinder has been replaced by a hand crank burr grinder, with an automatic Virtuoso on the way. I’m considering a purchase of a non-compression filter with a better tamper. I didn’t know what a tamper was last week; it’s the tool used to press down the espresso in the filter before brewing, and apparently now I need a better one.

Then there’s the little details of pulling a better espresso. Warming up the cup and the filter holder. Using the right amount of beans. Tampering level and firmly. Priming the machine to bring the water up to temp. Adjusting the amount of water the machine pours. Apparently there’s this whole other world of espresso I didn’t even know about.

These upgrades have resulted in a much smoother, less bitter brew, with a creamy and sweet layer of crema. But it can be better. And I’ll get there, though I’m not sure my thrice daily taste testing is good for my health.