wilburpan Maybe my experience is a good example of focusing on a great cup of coffee, and not getting caught up in the minutiae, even if my choice of espresso maker kind of forced the issue.
Exactly, 100% this.
I suppose it’s a bit of a double-edged sword. The internet is a great source of info but it’s also millions of peoples information combined which quickly adds up to a ‘best of the best advice’ list.
On the other side, you’ve got influencers and bloggers and YouTubers who inevitably want to find a unique angle to capture inquisitive minds. It’s difficult to gain attention if you’re just posting the 1000th ‘How to dial-in your grind’ video, so finding new ways to improve coffee, no matter how incrementally, is a good way of getting peoples attention.
Inevitably this means anyone who finds themselves wanting to get into home espresso, gets on Google or a forum and asks advice, and ends up with a shopping list as long as their arm and an overwhelming list of instructions.
It’s not like the ‘good old days’ (literally a few years ago…) when you’d ask a coffee-loving mate in the office how to make espresso at home, get your Gaggia Classic and your Vario and just make shots until they tasted passable.
I always think to begin with, everything that isn’t crucial to a passable cup of espresso should be stripped out of the workflow until consistently ‘decent’ shots can be made. Then add things incrementally - play with temperature, WDT, flow control etc etc as these are things that are supposed to improve the quality rather than form part of the critical path of espresso making.
I know I make snide remarks about over-complicated workflows but I see people getting in a right old two and eight as to why they can’t make consistently good shots and they list like 10 variables… it’s no wonder they’re frustrated.