6 ms·

> Why do we design the most important room in the house around the gear that simply provides our morning cuppa? Because there’s nothing simple about coffee anym

by nmilo 4y ago

> Why do we design the most important room in the house around the gear that simply provides our morning cuppa? Because there’s nothing simple about coffee anymore. Who is we? And on top of this being an absurd rich-journalist problem, you really don't need an espresso machine at all. A pour-over coffee filter and a bag of pre-ground beans is like $10 total and makes totally decent coffee. Espresso should be a treat for occasions like sitting in a cafe, and an espresso machine is like a pasta roller or ice-cream machine. Totally fine for hobbyists, but most people should just leave it to the pros.

prottog 4y ago
Hell, there are instant coffee brands that even coffee snobs could stomach.
rblatz 4y ago
How dare people enjoy espresso-based beverages, why can't they just drink my preferred way of making coffee? Starbucks got people hooked on lattes and cappuccinos, wanting to make your own at home instead of spending $7+ a day on Starbucks isn't unreasonable.
- aksss 4y ago
  I wouldn’t credit Starbucks with that, I was addicted to espresso from coffee stands long before my hometown ever got a Starbucks. Starbucks maybe gets credit for hooking a segment of population on double caf skinny unicorn frappes. I hit Starbucks way too much now because food and convenience (w/app + drive thru).
  - rhino369 4y ago
    I would. Espresso drinks were a "yuppie" drink before Starbucks (80's early 90's). But Starbucks expanded the market so that people who were drinking Folgers at home now drink espresso based drinks.
    - smegsicle 4y ago
      yuppies are people too maybe there's a bit of yuppie in all of us?
- neogodless 4y ago
  shrug We got a Mr. Coffee Barista which makes espresso/cappuccino/latte when it was on sale about 5 years ago for just over $100. 11" wide and 9" deep. Gets put away between special occasions. Don't need to dedicate 2-3 feet of counter space and buy one of the $400+ machines. But to each their own, of course! (The rest of the time, it's grinder + scale + pour-over + electric kettle, and the grinder/kettle do have permanent places on the counter!)
- Gregaros 4y ago
  > wanting to make your own at home instead of spending $7+ a day on Starbucks isn't unreasonable So spend $500-$1000 on an espresso machine instead when, as OP points out, there are perfectly fine, affordable options that will for most people be indistinguishable (and are certainly superior to Starbucks, just read anything written by the coffee afficionados)?
- nmilo 4y ago
  I said it should be a hobby. And complaining about your hobby espresso machine taking up too much space in your kitchen is like complaining about your model railway taking up too much space in your basement. No one is forcing you to have a big thousand-dollar espresso machine, and writing a WSJ article about it just oozes some kind of pretentiousness about the way you drink your coffee.
just_boost_it 4y ago
Percolators and French presses make excellent coffee too. Both are barely bigger than a cup and cost maybe $10. To me, it looks like people get those espresso machines so they can roleplay working in a coffee shop. I guess people get their kicks in all sorts of different ways.
- bobbyi 4y ago
  There are health concerns around unfiltered coffee (which includes percolators and French presses) that make some people not want to use those methods every day (especially if they consume lots of coffee): https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/why-french-press-coffee-is-bad-for-you https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/why-french-press-coffee...
  - just_boost_it 4y ago
    I'm sure there's some specialty version out there, but coffee made in a regular espresso machine doesn't count as "filtered" either does it?
  - louky 4y ago
    That's why I filter the results.
iancmceachern 4y ago
And even if frothed milk is your thing there are better ways to do it than these big machines. I drink matcha lattes, they make these magic things called "milk frothers" for like $30. In my case I add Oat milk up to the line, add a tablespoon of matcha powder, then push the button. Then it heats and froths the milk and provides a nice little beep when it's ready.
omegaworks 4y ago
>And on top of this being an absurd rich-journalist problem Journalist is a stretch here. OP is a fiction author, a blogger and columnist at best.
BiteCode_dev 4y ago
Yeah if "there nothing simple about coffee anymore", either you are a chill, or you belong to the 1%.
jemmyw 4y ago
Why should it be a treat for occasions? Why do you think the way you enjoy coffee should be the way everyone does? Why should we leave it to the pros? Should we give up cooking too and eat out every meal? Your opinion on this subject is a little bizarre imo. I personally don't really like any coffee other than an espresso and for money and time and satisfaction we'd rather make them at home. It's not that hard, there's plenty of info online.

by nmilo 4y ago

prottog 4y ago

Hell, there are instant coffee brands that even coffee snobs could stomach.

rblatz 4y ago

How dare people enjoy espresso-based beverages, why can't they just drink my preferred way of making coffee? Starbucks got people hooked on lattes and cappuccinos, wanting to make your own at home instead of spending $7+ a day on Starbucks isn't unreasonable.

aksss 4y ago
I wouldn’t credit Starbucks with that, I was addicted to espresso from coffee stands long before my hometown ever got a Starbucks. Starbucks maybe gets credit for hooking a segment of population on double caf skinny unicorn frappes. I hit Starbucks way too much now because food and convenience (w/app + drive thru).
- rhino369 4y ago
  I would. Espresso drinks were a "yuppie" drink before Starbucks (80's early 90's). But Starbucks expanded the market so that people who were drinking Folgers at home now drink espresso based drinks.
  - smegsicle 4y ago
    yuppies are people too maybe there's a bit of yuppie in all of us?
neogodless 4y ago
shrug We got a Mr. Coffee Barista which makes espresso/cappuccino/latte when it was on sale about 5 years ago for just over $100. 11" wide and 9" deep. Gets put away between special occasions. Don't need to dedicate 2-3 feet of counter space and buy one of the $400+ machines. But to each their own, of course! (The rest of the time, it's grinder + scale + pour-over + electric kettle, and the grinder/kettle do have permanent places on the counter!)
Gregaros 4y ago
> wanting to make your own at home instead of spending $7+ a day on Starbucks isn't unreasonable So spend $500-$1000 on an espresso machine instead when, as OP points out, there are perfectly fine, affordable options that will for most people be indistinguishable (and are certainly superior to Starbucks, just read anything written by the coffee afficionados)?
nmilo 4y ago
I said it should be a hobby. And complaining about your hobby espresso machine taking up too much space in your kitchen is like complaining about your model railway taking up too much space in your basement. No one is forcing you to have a big thousand-dollar espresso machine, and writing a WSJ article about it just oozes some kind of pretentiousness about the way you drink your coffee.

just_boost_it 4y ago

Percolators and French presses make excellent coffee too. Both are barely bigger than a cup and cost maybe $10. To me, it looks like people get those espresso machines so they can roleplay working in a coffee shop. I guess people get their kicks in all sorts of different ways.

bobbyi 4y ago
There are health concerns around unfiltered coffee (which includes percolators and French presses) that make some people not want to use those methods every day (especially if they consume lots of coffee): https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/why-french-press-coffee-is-bad-for-you https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/why-french-press-coffee...
- just_boost_it 4y ago
  I'm sure there's some specialty version out there, but coffee made in a regular espresso machine doesn't count as "filtered" either does it?
- louky 4y ago
  That's why I filter the results.

iancmceachern 4y ago

And even if frothed milk is your thing there are better ways to do it than these big machines. I drink matcha lattes, they make these magic things called "milk frothers" for like $30. In my case I add Oat milk up to the line, add a tablespoon of matcha powder, then push the button. Then it heats and froths the milk and provides a nice little beep when it's ready.

omegaworks 4y ago

>And on top of this being an absurd rich-journalist problem Journalist is a stretch here. OP is a fiction author, a blogger and columnist at best.

BiteCode_dev 4y ago

Yeah if "there nothing simple about coffee anymore", either you are a chill, or you belong to the 1%.

jemmyw 4y ago

Why should it be a treat for occasions? Why do you think the way you enjoy coffee should be the way everyone does? Why should we leave it to the pros? Should we give up cooking too and eat out every meal? Your opinion on this subject is a little bizarre imo. I personally don't really like any coffee other than an espresso and for money and time and satisfaction we'd rather make them at home. It's not that hard, there's plenty of info online.