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I dislike drinking espresso. Anyone with me?

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  • I dislike drinking espresso. Anyone with me?

    Hi all.

    I have at various times tried to bring myself to enjoy a straight espresso.

    It is seen by some as the height of sophistication when it comes to drinking coffee (maybe others will disagree and say that a double ristretto takes the crown, but that is still an espresso).



    When I was in Italy I drank an espresso daily at the bar, at the cost of 1 Euro. I felt like I was the bee's knees drinking an Italian espresso while scanning the football pages of the La Gazzetta dello Sport.

    But to be really honest, I've never enjoyed the taste of it. It just tastes bitter and I feel like drinking water (or better still, milk) after finishing it.

    Maybe I've never really had a good espresso. But I've tried espressos at some of the top rated cafes in Sydney, so I'm sure I must have had some decent espresso a few times along the way.

    When I spoke to an espresso aficionado (the instructor at a barista course a few years ago), she said that she only drinks espresso as any milk based coffees taste just like milk to her.

    The way I see it, the espresso is to coffee what whiskey is to alcohol. Drinkers often start out drinking light beers or lagers that are light on hops, which are easy drinking. Then often they seek out the hoppier beers like pale ales, then IPAs, maybe then try their hand at red wine, and some end up being single malt whiskey drinkers (like some end up being single origin espresso drinkers).

    To me, a smooth foamed full cream milk balances out a good espresso perfectly, and separates out the strength and flavours of the espresso so you can actually taste and appreciate it. It's like watching an awesome lightning quick 10-second kung fu action in slow motion over 30 seconds, so you can actually see what the bloody hell is happening and appreciate it.



    Maybe in a few years I'll see this post I made and laugh at how much of a n00b I was now. But aside from the bitterness, a 220-250mL flat white is much more able to be slowly sipped and enjoyed as a wake-up morning drink, than a 30mL espresso or a 20mL ristretto which is gone in 2-3 sips. So if I ever became an espresso drinker, I would lose something I love about drinking coffee - the 5 or so minutes where I scan the morning news with the rest of the family asleep.

    So am I alone in this, in the "Coffee Snobs" forum, to declare I dislike espresso? Will this be like declaring I dislike straight whiskey on a whiskey forum and praising a watered down single malt?

  • #2
    I love a well crafted espresso with its lingering aftertaste but sadly these can be few and far between at a lot of cafes around the country.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Covalatt View Post
      Hi all.


      So am I alone in this, in the "Coffee Snobs" forum, to declare I dislike espresso? Will this be like declaring I dislike straight whiskey on a whiskey forum and praising a watered down single malt?
      Alone??. No as I am much the same but have only tried an espresso maybe a dozen times and whilst ok it is not how I enjoy my coffee so that is not how I drink it. I also enjoy American whiskey but not neat.

      Maybe I should add that I don’t really consider myself to be a true “Coffee Snob” but rather someone who will not and cannot tolerate s##t or instant coffee.

      Comment


      • tempeman
        tempeman commented
        Editing a comment
        I had my coffee epiphany with a ristretto pulled by a young Ethiopian barista– all he would tell me was that it was a Kenyan bean, pulled at five bar pressure. Bitterness was faintly in the background in the way that perfect seasoning is in a well crafted meal. the clarity of flavours was stunning, but sadly I have never been able to repeat this either with my own brews,or commercially.
        In most cafes the bean and the roast is selected to suit milk drinks, because that is the most popular, but as a ristretto or espresso the bitterness is often overpowering, to my taste anyway.

    • #4
      I'm the same Covalatt and all the coffee lovers around me too. I have never enjoyed an espresso shot but yet still try one every now and then to see if that's changed. If I run out of milk, I've run out of coffee too ?

      Comment


      • #5
        Originally posted by Covalatt View Post
        But aside from the bitterness, a 220-250mL flat white is much more able to be slowly sipped and enjoyed as a wake-up morning drink, than a 30mL espresso or a 20mL ristretto which is gone in 2-3 sips. So if I ever became an espresso drinker, I would lose something I love about drinking coffee - the 5 or so minutes where I scan the morning news with the rest of the family asleep.
        I went from piccolos and double shot small lattes to straight espressos about 3 years ago (after i started running the 2gr machine at church and dialling it in every week, decided I needed to know how to taste espresso properly so started drinking them exclusively. Took a few weeks but I got used to the intensity of espresso and started enjoying it). About a year ago I switched to more long black or filter coffee for the reason you speak of. Espresso can be mind blowingly incredible, but I don't tend to spend enough on beans to get that regularly. I leave it to bea special treat at select cafes or when I occasionally splurge on some extra nice beans. I find filter to be able to create more enjoyment overall per drink (how much I like it * how long it lasts) for similar money.

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        • #6
          This reads like a "I don't like black coffee" discussion and not necessarily espresso but u would probably get less sympathy from people if you put a splash of milk in at the end of an Ethiopian filter.

          Comment


          • #7
            Originally posted by greenman View Post
            I love a well crafted espresso with its lingering aftertaste but sadly these can be few and far between at a lot of cafes around the country.
            Yes, completely agree. It is all about the espresso hit and lingering aftertaste. For me it also depends on the time of day, milky coffees in the early morning and espresso in the late morning/afternoon. Each to their own.

            Comment


            • #8
              To each their own and feel free to drink coffee however you choose.
              However, since joining CS, I've chosen to try at least the top drawer beans as espressos to experience the flavour unmasked by milk, even if that is just having a small sip of a shot before adding milk.
              Since upgrading to a double boiler (Profitec Pro 600) there has been a marked improvement in the quality of my shots and I find myself more often enjoying coffees without milk

              Comment


              • #9
                Originally posted by Covalatt View Post
                Maybe I've never really had a good espresso....
                Quite possibly. I would say that in all of the time I have been drinking coffee, I could count the outstanding shots on a hand or two and half of them were actually mine. In cafes, quite a few good/very good ones and plenty which were pretty ugly. Some which were undrinkable.

                If you find the right coffee for you, great espresso is there for the taking if you know what you are doing, but it's a naked coffee. No milk to help cover up fails in roast, technique and hardware.

                As with all of this stuff, it's personal. Your god shot might well be my sink shot and vice versa!

                Comment


                • #10
                  5-10% of coffees made in cafes are espresso... so you are far from alone on this. I happen to like espresso. I’ve found that as I have aged my preference for flavours that are bitter and acidic has increased.

                  Comment


                  • WarrenK
                    WarrenK commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Until I was 50, couldn't drink black coffee, had to have milk coffees, then did a complete 180°, now I only drink long blacks.

                • #11
                  Originally posted by Covalatt View Post
                  It is seen by some as the height of sophistication when it comes to drinking coffee (maybe others will disagree and say that a double ristretto takes the crown, but that is still an espresso).
                  And others will completely disagree and say that espresso is fine if you like to completely destroy what could’ve been a good coffee. To be honest I’m not sure why this idea that espresso is the pinnacle of coffee prevails, but it does seem it’s hanging around like a bad smell. Personally I drink most types of coffee, except for supermarket instant (specialty instant is different), large milk coffees or flavoured Starbucks style crap. A normal day for me is a small double shot flat white in the morning (18g coffee, 2:1 brew ratio, 170ml cup), and a filter coffee of some sort around the middle of the day. But I like to mix it up a bit as well and I’ll often have a short macchiato or piccolo if I’m out at a cafe. I still occasionally have a straight espresso but only when I’m at home, therefore having complete control over the brewing process and coffee I use. I even use my little old moka pot at work sometimes which can make a seriously good long black style coffee if used properly. I say drink what you like and don’t worry what you read or hear, but also occasionally try something new or retry something that you didn’t use to like. Our palates do change with time so being open to possibilities is good as you never know what you might like. Hell, I didn’t even drink coffee at all 15 years ago.

                  Comment


                  • #12
                    I'm sure you've heard that it really doesn't matter what others think, just make it how you want to make it. On the plus side your latte art gets a constant workout and it looks absolutely fantastic btw!

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                    • #13
                      Well, I don't get why it might be seen as the 'height of sophistication', but I'm not really sure that too many people are making that argument. People drink what they like to drink. I largely drink espresso-based milk coffees, but will have a straight espresso later in the day (just don't feel like milk drinks after about 11am), or if there's something that I'm not liking so much in my flat whites that I'd like to diagnose. And for some East African or Yemeni beans (when available) I'll almost exclusively have them as espresso. At a good cafe, you'll find a surprisingly strong relationship between the quality of their milk-based coffees and straight espresso (if you like espresso at all..).

                      Comment


                      • YeastNCaffeine
                        YeastNCaffeine commented
                        Editing a comment
                        I like what you said at the end ie. about the relationship between their espresso and milk coffee - people should think about why that's true :-)

                    • #14
                      A good scotch doesn't need coke ........ unless you don't like scotch to start with ....... or you're drinking bad scotch....

                      Comment


                      • #15
                        Yeah I think you maybe haven't had a really wellmade espresso . It really shouldn't be bitter like you say. They are intense and concentrated for sure, but it's overall a very pleasant experience if wellmade.

                        My first drink of the day is always a double espresso, then the next is whatever, usually a long black or double shot latte. Filters too, but espresso features high on list of my favourites. I love the purity of it... and I don't see it so much as the height of sophistication, but more as the richest of coffee experiences.

                        And I used to think that about espresso, that it's too short a drink etc, but I love that it really bring you into the present in such a deep and focused way, and I find I can enjoy it far more than a larger drink, as I savor the moment and really pay attention. And also a well made espresso lasts for hours after drinking!

                        But absolutely to each their own, whatever you enjoy most is more important, and there can be a bit of judgement amongst people really deep into a hobby, and I've seen some elitist attitudes around.

                        Years ago I made espressos for the security guard of a hotel, and could not understand how he could drink that... so I started with cappuccinos, to strong lattes, to piccolos, to long blacks, to espressos. I think if someone wants to explore espresso it's better to work your way towards it.

                        There are however some beans I roast or drink that I simply refuse to use in milk haha, and would see it as a waste as there's so much going on in it, but that's just for me not a judgement of others!

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