I’m currently brewing in an Aeropress, and considering one of the lower end espresso machines.
But based on a few comments from James Hoffmann about him drinking filter coffee at home, I’m wondering if an espresso machine is something that people end up using every day, or if people are brewing with simpler methods and just making espressos when they’ve got time on the weekend or people over?
What’s your experience, did you buy a machine and it mostly just takes up counter space, or is it a daily source of joy?
For me it was a daily source of coffee, but I wouldn’t say it was a daily source of joy. I used mine for a couple few years before deciding it wasn’t for me.
It takes more effort than I realized to pull good shots. Dialing in grind settings requires multiple pulls and you end up either over caffeinated (me) or tossing out a lot of mediocre shots. And you have to do it whenever you try new beans. And even sometimes with a new batch of “the same” beans.
My advice would be to just understand that you’re taking on a hobby; not just a different brewing method.