Espresso at home: worth it?

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One can make great espresso at home?

  • Sure enough!

    Votes: 34 97.1%

  • Not possible

    Votes: 1 2.9%
  • Total voters
    35
Thanks @Luftmensch for tagging me.
To this thread I can't be of huge contribution, but I try to put down few points that I consider interesting.

I have been living in Canberra for 3 years now, before I was in Sydney and before that I was in Italy, where I come from.

As an Italian, the way I grew up, coffee is a reason and an excuse to invite people over, or to visit friends/relatives. It is very common to enjoy coffee at home rather than having to go to a coffee shop/bar. Coffee at the bar was for breakfast outside, when we are lazy preparing it at home, for a boost of caffeine on the go (we Italians we do not take away coffee to my knowledge, we actually consume it on the bar bench, standing), or to digest, after any meal of the day.
Other than that, it is consumed at home.

At home we use the Italian coffee pot, works on the gas stove (not ideal with the induction). Ground coffee and water, that's it. I am not a fan of the coffee machine for home use. Coffee machines for home are very practical and faster and cleaner than the coffee pot, but the quality is not the same, to me at least.

To answer "Espresso at home: worth it?", for me it is totally. First it is much cheaper than having coffee outside, you also get to drink from your favourite ground coffee and you can add how much you desire of GRAPPA!!! or PRUGNA!!! - which are liquors commonly add to the coffee, for real men. Secondly, as I said, it is nice to invite friends over your place, and what is better than a good coffee to get all together.
 
Coffee in Melbourne is life...

Of course good cafes change grind throughout the day! Matt Perger works closely with St Ali. Au43 has the new Victoria Arduino Eagle One and were trained by James, Market Lane coffee has someone who previously worked for Square Mile, it goes on and on. These guys absolutely know what they are doing and basics like dose, extraction and timing are always considered. You can always tell the 'good' places in Melbourne, they generally have EK43 grinders. These places also usually roast their own coffee too.

A few years ago it used to be hard to find good coffee in Sydney, but is now easy enough to find if you know where to look.

There's talk of what the fourth wave of coffee will be. Matt Perger's got a new puck prep technique based on that recent paper that suggested a coarser grind will help with extraction. Ben from Sub-Zero coffee is freezing coffee properly so it becomes like wine vintages which can be stored indefinitely or the new wild species of beans bringing new flavours (like Yemenia).

But I think the fourth wave is already happening - crowdsourcing good equipment to the home user. Niche Zero, The Decent espresso machine, Robot, Kafatek, etc. Excellent home espresso is so accessible now, not to forget the incredible info available via Youtube.

But honestly, most of the time, a great V60 or Hario cloth drip pot is something else and my preferred way to drink coffee.

Oh, and I should say, I single dose and have an infinitely variable grinder. I adjust my grinder after almost every shot. Usually it's very small changes, but coffee does change over time, and my puck prep changes as I 'learn' how to get the most out of that bean.
 
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Moooza said:
Coffee in Melbourne is life...

Of course good cafes change grind throughout the day! Matt Perger works closely with St Ali. Au43 has the new Victoria Arduino Eagle One and were trained by James, Market Lane coffee has someone who previously worked for Square Mile, it goes on and on. These guys absolutely know what they are doing and basics like dose, extraction and timing are always considered. You can always tell the 'good' places in Melbourne, they generally have EK43 grinders. These places also usually roast their own coffee too.

A few years ago it used to be hard to find good coffee in Sydney, but is now easy enough to find if you know where to look.

There's talk of what the fourth wave of coffee will be. Matt Perger's got a new puck prep technique based on that recent paper that suggested a coarser grind will help with extraction. Ben from Sub-Zero coffee is freezing coffee properly so it becomes like wine vintages which can be stored indefinitely or the new wild species of beans bringing new flavours (like Yemenia).

But I think the fourth wave is already happening - crowdsourcing good equipment to the home user. Niche Zero, The Decent espresso machine, Robot, Kafatek, etc. Excellent home espresso is so accessible now, not to forget the incredible info available via Youtube.

But honestly, most of the time, a great V60 or Hario cloth drip pot is something else and my preferred way to drink coffee.

Oh, and I should say, I single dose and have an infinitely variable grinder. I adjust my grinder after almost every shot. Usually it's very small changes, but coffee does change over time, and my puck prep changes as I 'learn' how to get the most out of that bean.
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@Luftmensch What he said!
 
To specifically answer the OP's thread title "Espresso at home: worth it?" Abso-bloody-lutely!
As many have mentioned, a great espresso can be made at home. And one needn't take out a mortgage for the privilege - even a modest set up will do the job admirably. A few judicious choices around beans, roast, grinder, grind, water, dose and tamping and you're set.

As @Luftmensch mentioned, "going for a coffee" with people is a synonym for socialising. And that's the only reason I drink coffee outside of home. Or rather it was when we were allowed to go out for one! I'm from a very locked down Melbourne.
😢
 
Why no Italian moca pot? What do you think about it?
 
Thanks @friz, @Moooza, @Marek07!

I steered the thread off-course - so sorry to the OP! Coffee culture interests me, I couldn't pass the opportunity to discuss it. In my limited travels, I have come to appreciate coffee from here more so. But I also simultaneously recognise this is cultural.

friz said:
As an Italian, the way I grew up, coffee is a reason and an excuse to invite people over, or to visit friends/relatives. It is very common to enjoy coffee at home rather than having to go to a coffee shop/bar. Coffee at the bar was for breakfast outside, when we are lazy preparing it at home, for a boost of caffeine on the go (we Italians we do not take away coffee to my knowledge, we actually consume it on the bar bench, standing), or to digest, after any meal of the day.
Click to expand...

I suppose here we do the English "come over for tea" and we go out for "coffee". It is interesting about take away coffee. I think I noticed the same in Spain? People would consume coffee at the bar. I once saw a person in Sydney order a takeaway macchiato. It seemed so silly to me! He walked away with this tiny takeaway cup and saved himself at most two minutes.

Marek07 said:
As @Luftmensch mentioned, "going for a coffee" with people is a synonym for socialising. And that's the only reason I drink coffee outside of home. Or rather it was when we were allowed to go out for one! I'm from a very locked down Melbourne.
Click to expand...

:( Soon! Its been bad for you guys. Good to see the numbers coming down.


friz said:
Why no Italian moca pot? What do you think about it?
Click to expand...

I am curious about this as well. My sister happily uses one of these. The only thing she misses is the ability to make decent flat whites or piccolos.




Moooza said:
A few years ago it used to be hard to find good coffee in Sydney, but is now easy enough to find if you know where to look.
Click to expand...

If I had to choose a decade, I would say 'decent' coffee started in the 90's (yuppies?). Maybe it lagged the decline of the tuck shop and milk-bar by a decade or so? But my memory could be failing me here? By modern standards the coffee of then might be a bit crude. But I think there was a proliferation of cafes catering to the brunch crowd. At that time it was probably seen as decent and maybe it was!

I would say decent coffee is mainstream in the 2000's and artesanal coffee is budding but fringe. By 2010 I would say that artesanal coffee is a recognised minority finding a market in trendy, gentrified areas (hipsters?).

I could be wrong... that is my rough recollection. And I suppose it depends on how you define 'good' - but I would say it is worth recognising that our standards have increased with our understanding.

I dont know how home coffee features in this? When did espresso at home become more mainstream??

Moooza said:
But honestly, most of the time, a great V60 or Hario cloth drip pot is something else and my preferred way to drink coffee.
Click to expand...

I have been meaning to explore drip coffee more... Cold drip sounds really appealing on those 30+ days!!
 
Good point there @Luftmensch . At home with coffee pot we only make espresso. You don't do macchiato capuccino with those.

NOW, why in Australia I order capuccino and there is literally only half a centimetre of foam? Isn't capuccino supposed to be with lots of foam? 99% of the times Australia disappoints me with their capuccino......
 
To answer to the initial question: yes, no doubt about it.
I love to wake up, getting started slowly and having my first espresso without leaving home. Especially on weekends it's my first task... ok, second. Cats won't wait untill machine heated up ;)

I agree with the posts before, that a grinder and beans are more important than the machine. In fact it takes a lot of try and error to get the right coffee, but when you got it, it's great.
The grinder might not even be the most important, but the grind itself. I would suggest to speak to a barista of trust to get a first indication of how to do it.
But anyway, go for it. I'm sure you won't regret it.
 
friz said:
To answer "Espresso at home: worth it?", for me it is totally. First it is much cheaper than having coffee outside, you also get to drink from your favourite ground coffee and you can add how much you desire of GRAPPA!!! or PRUGNA!!! - which are liquors commonly add to the coffee, for real men. Secondly, as I said, it is nice to invite friends over your place, and what is better than a good coffee to get all together.
Click to expand...

Grappa! Yes, that's another good reason to have espresso at home. Though I have become partial to the Spanish 'carajillo' as I have them in Barcelona. It's an espresso with a shot of simple Baileys - really good!

I also love the coffee from a moka pot, but not as much as from my Vibiemme, plus the moka is more work. I do have a Bialetti at home for when my machine needs service. Typically when I holiday in Italy the coffee in small airbnb or b&b is from a moka pot.
 
Wahnamhong said:
Grappa! Yes, that's another good reason to have espresso at home. Though I have become partial to the Spanish 'carajillo' as I have them in Barcelona. It's an espresso with a shot of simple Baileys - really good!

I also love the coffee from a moka pot, but not as much as from my Vibiemme, plus the moka is more work. I do have a Bialetti at home for when my machine needs service. Typically when I holiday in Italy the coffee in small airbnb or b&b is from a moka pot.
Click to expand...
Baileys is for women.
 
@friz Lol! Look, I love grappa. I have a bottle of Marolo grappa di moscato sitting here. But I much prefer to drink grappa on its own, especially this quality. You should try the Baileys - it's an underrated classic drink. In an espresso it's like adding a little bit of cream. I also like it straight on the rocks.
 
The biggest win for me making espresso at home is being able to choose the beans myself. I don’t think my tastes are mainstream enough to get fully satisfied at a coffee bar. If you have specific tastes you will be rewarded by taking plunge into DIY.

It is like learning to free hand sharpen knives. If you have a specific edge you prefer you will be much better off sharpening yourself so you can choose your own stone progression and process for each stone.

Trying to explain the flavor profile I am chasing with espresso is like trying to tell a coworker about the dream I had last night. Their eyes just glaze over and they are instantly bored. Best off just figuring it out myself and cherishing the quiet moment when I get the first sip of victory to start the day while everyone else is still sleeping.
 
Sounds like down under has good coffee culture.

Been told by roaster guy that Hawaii has a growing number of Barista. I'm just not in touch with it yet.

I once bought a bottle of Italian Amaretto put in my coffee. Must have liked it, used it all up. 😁
 
Australia is like an espresso Haven when compared to all countries except Italy, coffee is a rapidly growing market almost everywhere, some of it is really good but food companies gobble up a large share without any real change other than different marketing nonsense....(preground) barista coffee, barista milk, etc etc
 
Italy is the epicenter of poor espresso. Dark roast robusta-blends and under-dosed shots. Doesn't matter that they have a great culture around coffee, they drink pretty bad stuff.
I do agree that cappuccino should only be enjoyed in the morning though.
 
For what it's worth, I was into coffee long before the kitchen and Jknives.
The only downside to a high end setup is that it really takes the fun out of drinking coffee outside.
Beans I'm getting from Colonna in the UK. I get em in Israel in less than a week.
Me and my wife consume about 1.5kg/m
Little more during the pandemic.

Rocket Evo with rotary pump.
Grinder is Eureka Mignon Speacialita.

Worth every single penny. Take good care of it, it'll outlast every knife you own. I've seen machines of the caliber of up to 15 years and still kicking ass.

Technique is everything, good setup is a bonus (58mm grouphead of course, not your office Nespresso crap).
 

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Here's a quick shot of my humble at home setup, as well as my thoughts on home coffee:

hd5Hz5n.jpg


A while back I used to shoot IDPA. With any kind of shooting sport, there are people who buy ammo and people who reload their own ammo. I was talking with a great shooter (who also reloaded) one day about how much you can save going that route, and his answer was:

"You don't really save money. You just shoot more on the same money."

I didn't truly understand what he meant until I got into home brewing. Here's the math that made the lightbulb go off for me.

Let's say I go to Starbucks 3 times a week (not uncommon), and spend an average of $4 each time. I drink Flat Whites, which are just espresso and milk - no flavor. This ran me about $12 each week. Some weeks were more, some less, sometimes I got a free drink, etc. Regardless, the average was about $12 a week.

When I bought my Breville espresso maker, which was just over $500 on sale at Kohl's a few years ago, I figured out that I could *make* my own Flat Whites at home for just over $1 each. In my mind, that was saving me about $9 a week in theory...

The reality was much different.

Why? Because now that I have this super awesome, incredibly convenient espresso maker right in my own kitchen, I have a Flat White EVERY day. It's part of my morning routine. Sometimes I even have a second one when I'm dragging butt later on in the day. For arguments sake, let's say that I make a second Flat White 3 times a week. Now I'm just over $10 a week with my home machine.

And THAT is when I understood what "You just shoot (drink) more on the same money" meant. Because of the convenience and lower cost, you do it more often.

That said, I have been extremely happy with my purchase, and have told my kids that if the house was on fire and everybody was safe, if I could go back in for something it wouldn't be a computer or money - it would be the damn espresso maker!!!

Also I use Death Wish Valhalla Blend coffee exclusively in it. I've tried Starbucks brand (actually from the store) as well as Lavazza, Kicking Horse, and a few others I can't remember, and for me, DW is hands down better than all of them, so put me in the "I can make it cheaper AND BETTER at home" camp.

Finally, I can even make it quicker. If you look at my setup, there is a Breville "Frother" next to the espresso maker. My wife got this a while back for making hot chocolates and heating up stuff, but then stopped using it. I use it to heat the whole milk I use to the perfect temperature while I'm pulling the espresso shots. The frother also has 2 mixers, one for regular froth, and one for Extra froth (which is WAY too much froth, if that's possible), so the milk is perfect and consistent time after time as well!

All in all, I started brewing at home and have never regretted it for a minute.
 
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Lars said:
Italy is the epicenter of poor espresso. Dark roast robusta-blends and under-dosed shots. Doesn't matter that they have a great culture around coffee, they drink pretty bad stuff.
I do agree that cappuccino should only be enjoyed in the morning though.
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It's been 10+ years since I last visited Italy, but back then it was definitely the dark roast blends and a lot of hit-you-over-the-head robust shots. While I have ordered some beans like that here in the States I prefer some of the much more flavorful roasted beans I can get from smaller US roasters. Italy was a great introduction to espresso for me, and I hope it has evolved there over the last 10 years.

As far as cappuccinos go, I have no problem drinking them in the afternoon, or even after dinner. And I have ordered them after dinner in Italy. I really don't care what the 'rule' is about it -- that's pretty silly in my opinion.
 
I don't agree that Italy is the epicenter of poor espresso, that epicenter MUST be the US ;-)
In Italy I have had horrible espresso too, yet on average they do OK, not stellar but OK. Sure they love their dark roast with a pinch of Robusta, not roasted anytime recently...but still...setting my own preference for single origins, of a recent medium roast aside, they do what they do pretty well. With a dark roast 14 gram simply works, it;s the Italian official norm, like the US claims the 'world series'they claim the standard espresso recipe for the world
 
ever tried the "bica" in Portugal? People may not see it as the first or best Espresso that comes into everybodys mind, but it has a long tradition, too. Dark and strong... Love it.
 
Regarding Italy.. the coffee culture has largely changed over the decades and what used to be the coffee capital of the world is no more. Most of that due to the second wave of coffee and the fact the coffee industry had to change due to competitive pricing, eventually affecting quality and control to mass produced product.

You can rarely find a decent cup of coffee, but when you do, it's marvelous.

Also, they're still the kings of machines and hold the world's best brands when it comes to machinery as the knowledge they gained over the years is light years ahead of what any other culture could posses.

One of my wet dreams is a bag of Gardelli Speacilty, but even I can't justify the overall cost of a shipped bag.

The sensual black liquor called espresso is still theirs to claim, and we owe it all to Italians.

And let's face it, when traveling, they still offer one of the best coffee experiences in the world. No hotel that I ever went to in Italy has served me an American diner style black coffee
 
So, in 1982 I started my company installing, servicing and monitoring alarm systems. This is the same year Howard Schultz started working at Starbucks. Shortly after, we installed the alarm system in their commercial building on Airport Way So. in Seattle. This was a very old wooden building that was in pretty bad shape located in the industrial part of Seattle. This is also the building where they roasted the beans and it was before they had retail coffee shops which was Shultz’s idea. I was fortunate and was able to watch and talk to their one coffee roaster who was roasting coffee daily for the couple of weeks I was there. It was a large roaster with a chimney that was about 3 story’s high. Our office was fairly close to theirs and when the wind was blowing in the right direction the smell was fantastic. Every couple of months, or at least it seemed like that, you would hear the fire engines heading towards the Starbucks building because the chimney was on fire. This went on for some time until they finally fixed the problem. A few short years later Howard Shultz bought the company, they started opening coffee shops and the rest is history.
 
Coffee in Italy was largely awful As mentioned above, though espressos after meals at good places was still ok.
The dedicated coffee and cafe subculture in countries like Australia has elevated it far beyond the origin of the food.
A busy street kerb cafe in Sydney or Melbourne would be Far more likely to serve a good coffee than a busy place in Italy.
Increasingly Singapore is taking after that AU cafe trend too. Though I’ve not checked recently I’m sure the same would have been going on in London and NYC/SF et al

Also I’m a huge fan of milk based espresso variants, which is a newer thing vs the Italian pot.
I give mad props to Starbucks for creating a food culture, then leaving so much headroom for improvement that cafes flooded in to fill the vacuum.
Without Starbucks, it would be 2 more decades before great coffee is ubiquitious
 
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