# Is espresso an acquired taste?



## ChilledMatt (May 9, 2015)

I don't like straight espresso. To me it tastes unpleasantly strong and I prefer a longer drink so all my shots end up in milk.

So my question to the straight espresso drinkers is, did you enjoy espresso from the get go? or was it a taste you got used to over time and then started to enjoy?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

From the outset.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

I got better at making espresso and understanding what i liked in terms as strength and preference

i also understood that espresso could be sweet and clean and delicious as opposed to "bitter and strong " which i had been served and made myself ....

Perhaps you are simply brewing it too strong..there is a wide range of strength ( 8-12 tds ) that could be considered technically as espresso.

Would u order espresso to try in a " good cafe ? "


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

ChilledMatt said:


> I don't like straight espresso. To me it tastes unpleasantly strong and I prefer a longer drink so all my shots end up in milk.


+1

How I currently feel about espresso but that could well be down to how I'm making them? What's fine for a double shot of espresso that's going into a 5/6oz flat white may well not be how one should prepare an espresso that is to be drank neat?


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Most people who dont like espresso simply dont like bad espresso. Neither do i!


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## Mister_Tad (Feb 9, 2015)

I started my coffee drinking career at around 12 with a Moka pot that my dad brought back for my from a business trip and instantly loved it, so espresso was the only natural progression from there. Never never any sugar, and I only started enjoying milky drinks within the last 5 years or so, but 90% of the time at home it's an espresso.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

DoubleShot said:


> +1
> 
> How I currently feel about espresso but that could well be down to how I'm making them? What's fine for a double shot of espresso that's going into a 5/6oz flat white may well not be how one should prepare an espresso that is to be drank neat?


I dial in my coffee , half i drink as espresso , half i drink as milk ...some beans are better in milk than others ...

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?17878-Poll-Results-Drinking-Milk-in-Your-Coffee&highlight=milk+poll


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Do the non espresso drinker also not like brewed coffee ?


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## Brewer in training (Feb 7, 2015)

I believe it is, but it does depend on who is making it and how.....

I will gladly drink double espresso at home or at my brothers or a friends.......

Find it too bitter in MOST public places........

Mind you, wasn't too fond of beer the first time...... But find it acceptable now....... Especially as it makes boring people bearable......


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## spune (Oct 3, 2011)

I agree with garydyke1. I wasn't keen on espresso until trying it in a decent coffee shop. That sparked the taste and interest in real coffee from then. That moment was in Redroaster, Brighton.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

garydyke1 said:


> Most people who dont like espresso simply dont like bad espresso. Neither do i!


Think that statement is spot on. Thinking about it now, most of the espresso that I've made and tried neat have been the first (double) shot pulled whilst dialling in a new bean. Inevitably it is by no means spot on or even close. Don't or haven't usually tried subsequent ones neat. They all end up in flat whites.

There is still hope for me yet in acclimatising my palate to neat espresso!


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

I liked it from the outset. But I also used to put a lot of sugar in it. This was from dodgy cafes and probably could not be classed as anything like good espresso. Since I started doing it at home with fresh beans I have never used sugar.

Strangely I struggle more with the taste of brewed. I'm hoping some different beans will change that, but I definitely prefer espresso.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

If you only like coffee with milk then that's fine. If you like brewed coffee without milk, then I struggle to see why you wouldn't like straight espresso, or Americano, if they were made as well as the brewed coffee.

At first, my only exposure was to traditional style espresso, which I still enjoy from time to time, but I had to develop a taste for it, often enhanced with sugar. With sweeter coffee, when I started getting it right, it was sweet & tasty without sugar...as I got better at brewing coffee I tried harder to chase those same flavours I found in brewed, as espresso.

There are two factors at play, the strength & the flavour (extraction)...after tasting a neat shot, dilute it with hot water stir & taste, a bit more water, stir & taste ...see if it is just the intensity/pungency that is off putting & if a weaker coffee starts to taste better (sweeter, less bitter or sour - rather than just less bad because it is less intense). If it never tastes good, before or after dilution, change the way you are pulling your shots. If dialling finer can't get you the sweetness/balance, pull longer shots.

If you only like coffee with milk, then carry on.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

spune said:


> I agree with garydyke1. I wasn't keen on espresso until trying it in a decent coffee shop. That sparked the taste and interest in real coffee from then. That moment was in Redroaster, Brighton.


I had two moments when i though i might want more than a milky coffee

A yirg espresso pulled at the local cafe , made with a Tanzania - a sweet fruity intense cup of joy i didnt think was possible

A chemex made by TSK - where i got that coffee could be sweet and lovely if treated right , the reason i wasn't getting that from my espresso was coz i was mangling it inbetween grinder and the cup ...


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## Brewer in training (Feb 7, 2015)

spune said:


> I agree with garydyke1. I wasn't keen on espresso until trying it in a decent coffee shop. That sparked the taste and interest in real coffee from then. That moment was in Redroaster, Brighton.


And do you still enjoy every cup as much, or are you searching for the holy grail?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

I used to like espresso with sugar. I used to drink moka pot coffee with milk and sugar.

Once I started making espresso properly I no longer took sugar.

I also liked brewed coffee which is a completely different beast.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Brewer in training said:


> And do you still enjoy every cup as much, or are you searching for the holy grail?


No - still get shots I don't like but less often.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Being able to get shots with extraction yields above 21-22% has been a revelation.


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## Rompie (Apr 18, 2015)

I've worked in various coffee shops for the last 5-6 years and at the beginning I didn't even like coffee and it did take me a long time to love espresso. I think garydyke is right - bad espresso tastes bad. I think you've got to try different beans and see what sort of thing you like.


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## ChilledMatt (May 9, 2015)

Interesting replies.

There is a distinct chance that I have never had a good espresso.. When making drinks at home I use hight roast Java as this cuts through the milk well. So presumably this would not be a good choice of coffee for me to try as espresso?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

ChilledMatt said:


> Interesting replies.
> 
> There is a distinct chance that I have never had a good espresso.. When making drinks at home I use hight roast Java as this cuts through the milk well. So presumably this would not be a good choice of coffee for me to try as espresso?


Do you like any brewed coffee too?


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Being able to get shots with extraction yields above 21-22% has been a revelation.


just asking , but as I am typing I think I've worked it out , one of those you worked it out just as you ask moment , which helped the most a refractometer or the EK, ( I think I've worked out what you'll say but I am posting ithe question anyway)


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

Had a visitor last week at work and stuck a brew on the Brazen - Rave Yirg.

He asked if I had sugar and I said no, but I would go and get some from the other building if needed. He kindly declined and started drinking. His face was a picture after the first sip. He told me he had no idea coffee could taste like that and there was no need for sugar. Love to take some credit but the Brazen really is a doddle.

Still waiting to hit that point with espresso. Some taste amazing, others less so and best hidden in milk. When I get it right the flavour is hard to beat and lingers for minutes afterwards.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Acquired taste for me - but also I realised over time that most shops do a really bad job of it and that a flat white or filter was usually the safer option...

It wasn't until Macintyre's in Hoxton that I started really drinking espresso regularly.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

The EK is capable of really high extraction yields so, with roasts that have a lot of acidity, you get sweetness which balances out the acidity which, on its own, is not pleasant IMO. Refractometer only confirms the actual yield.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Ive had good / great shots from Other grinders - roburs, mythos, k30 too... Good beans , good skills , people that understand how to extract the best from what they have


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

If find it odd that people like one method over the other, or dislike brewed, or dislike espresso. They are the same drink just at different concentrations.

Espresso is hard to get right, especially on home / prosumer kit. Even if you hit the right numbers it can be unevenly extracted and taste pants. Brewed is much more forgiving.

I honestly believe many people enjoy the equipment, the ritual of making espresso & still never actually get to experience a well extracted shot of a really good coffee at home.

Dont get me started on water


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

The Systemic Kid said:


> The EK is capable of really high extraction yields so, with roasts that have a lot of acidity, you get sweetness which balances out the acidity which, on its own, is not pleasant IMO. Refractometer only confirms the actual yield.


wish I could say that's what I thought you were going to answer , but alas .....no I didn't , your answer was a lot more informative and precise .

i am going to go sit in the corner now and keep repeating my grinders are nice , my grinders are nice , my grinders are nice


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Thecatlinux said:


> wish I could say that's what I thought you were going to answer , but alas .....no I didn't , your answer was a lot more informative and precise .
> 
> i am going to go sit in the corner now and keep repeating my grinders are nice , my grinders are nice , my grinders are nice


Your grinders are nice , and well capable of tasty espresso ....


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## CamV6 (Feb 7, 2012)

I definately grew into espresso as my tastes changed over the years


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## ChilledMatt (May 9, 2015)

Mrboots2u said:


> Do you like any brewed coffee too?


I do, but again I would drink it with milk.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

garydyke1 said:


> still never actually get to experience a well extracted shot of a really good coffee at home.
> 
> Dont get me started on water


i am doing my best goddamit.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Do occasionally drink espresso, just prefer it with milk.


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Always liked espresso once into coffee really but didn't realise how much properly until walking into fruit, creamy and smooth spro surprise last year going wow, I was raised a Mormon so not till early twenties really when I actually tried lol that popped out didn't it haha. My rebellious side had me trying other things and I wasn't curious about coffee not hard enough on the rebellion table!

Only had made by others when out however as I didn't have the ability to make a decent one at home for years. All home drinks consisted of milk based coffees for brews, cappas all.

Then last year one espresso changed my thinking on them again it blew me away and my love of them went from thinking of it as an intense flavoured treat to something that had so much more to offer than being that intense coffee punch in the face and I had be able to recreate it at home. I ended up on here earlier this year after buying a Classic and starting my quest.

In answer to Boots and brewed since coming on here starting to make my own drinkable, enjoyable espresso I have found that now where as I used to drink milk in brewed always I no longer do and now only drink brewed without. This is due to my small mind and being anal while trying to find the closest to as is flavour of bean and roast without actually chucking one in my mouth and chewing.

Espresso is my preferred but since dropping milk from brewed I have found I am enjoying them more and finding them more interesting as a coffee drink but not as much as a spro.

Cappas/flat white's have come into play but reduced in size by half for the sake of coffee flavour strength preference rather than being lost in the huge milky ones I used to make, I still have to make that style for the better half she won't back down on milk content, big cappas!! Both have now lost out to my mini cortado that I have started to make if i split a shot to have along with a straight espresso. It's only 2oz so more a macchiato sized thingy but milk to espresso break down is more cortado it's just a small one.

From my experience so far and though always liking a spro, the mind and taste bud blowing one I had last year (had a few since to). Then majority of the rest just good but I like them.....with a search and bit of effort it may surprise you with finding something you like as they can be vastly different and not all as intense as you might imagine.

I have had about three or four I really didn't like one a light roast no good just wasn't going on but okish as a brew but only ok and then two darks as spro I couldn't hack. One ok in milk the other not and neither likeable as brew or spro at all.

I wouldn't say I acquired my taste for a spro and in earlier years sometimes the taste of a bad spro I would put up with for the intensity.

It's been more surprised by a really good one and then educated by people who have made me something that is nothing like what I thought represented a spro along with trying loads, making loads, failing quite a bit and hunting out different ones to find ones that made me go wow.

The amount of 'bad spros' I have drank in the past is probably not worth counting but I didn't realise how many till now.

However with my now more 'educated' rather than 'aquired' palette I can recognise a 'bad spro' or 'disliked spro' for being one due to being badly prepared, dialled (by me generally) or just being a bean/roast I don't like.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Mrboots2u said:


> Your grinders are nice , and well capable of tasty espresso ....


i know and I am just joking , sometimes when you read so much about the EK you do feel you are missing out . To be honest though I feel if I owned one I think it would set me back and cause much frustration I don't believe for one minute that using it for espresso is an easy and solve all problems , in my hands it would create all manner of issues and bring extracting espresso to whole new level and not in a good way .

(just my opinion)


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

ChilledMatt said:


> I do, but again I would drink it with milk.


To add sweetness?...again perhaps a different brew method? Type of bean , extraction might alter this ?


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Espresso neat is a pretty full on flavour. Just like neat scotch. Some like it mixed, some like it over ice. Different strokes.


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

garydyke1 said:


> I honestly believe many people enjoy the equipment, the ritual of making espresso & still never actually get to experience a well extracted shot of a really good coffee at home.


I think this is so true. I occasionally produce a shot that I think is bang on the money and tastes great, yet to the more experienced on here it would probably be a sink shot.

I really need to try brewed at a decent shop so I get an idea of what it can taste like when it's done right.


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## Milanski (Oct 10, 2013)

garydyke1 said:


> Espresso is hard to get right, especially on home / prosumer kit. Even if you hit the right numbers it can be unevenly extracted and taste pants. Brewed is much more forgiving.
> 
> I honestly believe many people enjoy the equipment, the ritual of making espresso & still never actually get to experience a well extracted shot of a really good coffee at home.
> 
> Dont get me started on water


This is me. Love the ritual but still ocasionally get blown away by the odd cup from a good indie (or Harris & Hoole) which tells me I still can't make espressos bang on.

I used French press most of my coffee drinking life (from about the age of 20) but I made them using twice as much water as grounds then realised it was the taste of espresso I was after.


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

It's not for everyone, coffee is bitter and some people are more sensitive than others to bitterness. There is some science behind it as most natural poisons are also bitter hence evolution has possibly made us more aware of bitterness in food/drink. Since espresso has a relatively high concentration of bitterness then its very possible not to like this and still like weaker beverages IMHO.

All this said there is a gargantuan difference in the quality of espresso out in the wild (as well as in my kitchen!!) so my advice would be to try a few different, well reviewed, speciality places until you find something you might like but remember that personal preference will come into play also. Try to take recommendations from espresso drinkers, I can make shocking espresso that might taste OK as an Americano or Cappuccino, if someone is recommending a place because they had a decent flat white then it does not necessarily translate to good espresso.


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

garydyke1 said:


> Espresso is hard to get right, especially on home / prosumer kit. Even if you hit the right numbers it can be unevenly extracted and taste pants. Brewed is much more forgiving.
> 
> I honestly believe many people enjoy the equipment, the ritual of making espresso & still never actually get to experience a well extracted shot of a really good coffee at home.
> 
> Dont get me started on water


Consistency is a git and the more I look at more advanced machines with temps etc can only add to variables and make harder as you climb the perfection ladder.

Toys gadgets yep many males fall foul of this, including me.

Ritualistic side of prep for coffee, anyone who has ever had any other previous type ritual preps can relate to that I expect.

The and never experience a well extracted shot at home bit could put off people before they start lol.

Water....I've tried reading some of the water threads and my head generally ends up inside out and I walk into walls confused and lost.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Sk8-bizarre said:


> Consistency is a git and the more I look at more advanced machines with temps etc can only add to variables and make harder as you climb the perfection ladder.
> 
> .


the more stable a machine is temp wise , the one less variable you have to play with .....

or worry about


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

I didn't drink coffee at all until just under three years ago - on holiday in Venice. Before I went, a a friend suggested that I rely ought to try a caffe corretto, which I did. It was a slightly weird experience. I then wondered what an espresso on its own would taste like and thought, mmmm, that's interesting - far more interesting than I had imagined it might be. Then I realised that not all espresso is created equally, and that made it more interesting. I started with a stove top, then got an aeropress although appreciated that this wasn't making espresso. I then read a review by Maxwell in the Observer Tech Monthly about different ways of making coffee, which included a less than whole hearted reference to a Gaggia Baby. In the meantime, I was starting to enjoy what was coming out of the aeropress and realised that it was one of any number of ways of making brewed coffee. But, I had this idea that I wanted to make espresso at home. I then read another review - in the Guardian or Observer and I now can't remember what machine it was. I googled it, though, and up popped a mention of it on this very forum - essentially saying, don't bother with it - go for a Gaggia Classic, which just over a year ago is what I did. That led, last November, to an LI. I am more fascinated by espresso than I could have imagined possible and equally fascinated by the variety of brewed methods and how different the same bean can taste. I don't add sugar and don't add milk (I really don't like the taste). I haven't looked back.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Sk8-bizarre said:


> Water....I've tried reading some of the water threads and my head generally ends up inside out and I walk into walls confused and lost.


Essentially some waters will result in pretty nasty espresso regardless, and others wont....with varying degrees in between.

Id take good water with a mediocre machine over crap water with a dream machine


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

garydyke1 said:


> Dont get me started on water


Go on, you know you want to&#8230;..


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Ahhh yes get that bit but there are ones you can change the temp on yeah?

That better machine while being at one temperature is is more consistent/stable also opens up a variable as some beans will be better at one temp rather than another so you have to find the best temp for bean? Once found admittedly better more consistent but you need to find best.

Or are most beans best at the same temp?

Sorry six squillion questions and I am waffling like a twat tonight. Got my coffee learning Wurzel Gumadge head on


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Sk8-bizarre said:


> Ahhh yes get that bit but there are ones you can change the temp on yeah?
> 
> That better machine while being at one temperature is is more consistent/stable also opens up a variable as some beans will be better at one temp rather than another so you have to find the best temp for bean? Once found admittedly better more consistent but you need to find best.
> 
> ...


nice to see someone putting thier head on the block.


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

garydyke1 said:


> Id taste good water with a mediocre machine over crap water with a dream machine


This ^


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Thecatlinux said:


> nice to see someone putting thier head on the block.


Least my body isn't attached as usual, it fell off earlier and I'm kicking it about the front room picking up occassionally to try and suss things.

I'm a lost cause man.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Sk8-bizarre said:


> Ahhh yes get that bit but there are ones you can change the temp on yeah?
> 
> That better machine while being at one temperature is is more consistent/stable also opens up a variable as some beans will be better at one temp rather than another so you have to find the best temp for bean? Once found admittedly better more consistent but you need to find best.
> 
> ...


Temp is a variable to extraction

same as other variables

you can choose to change it

you dont have to ...

change one thing at one time

see the effect ..

at the moment , its not stable , so its changing and you dont know what effect its having or if it;s one of the other variables


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Thecatlinux said:


> , in my hands it would create all manner of issues and bring extracting espresso to whole new level and not in a good way .
> 
> (just my opinion)


If it helps, I agree - I have been finding the ek43 a beast to get to grips with - it's so flexible in the type of espresso you can produce that it's hard to step back and work out what a desirable flavour is sometimes.

Practising traditional ratios and times on more standard gear and tweaking around that would have been far easier I feel.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Doesn't it all come down to what makes a good espresso , as others have said its a difficult thing to achieve a good extraction , surely it s down to what you taste in the cup and wether you are happy to drink it or not , the most important piece of equipment you are going to have in your arsenal to achieving a good coffee in any shape or form is going to be your taste buds and a knowledge and understanding of how to manipulate procedures to improve things to cater for your personal taste and what you perceive to be a good cup of coffee .

no truer word has been said than what does it taste like, and importantly it is most defiantly going to come down to the ingredients you start with . Good coffee can make a bad coffee, but sure as eggs is eggs bad coffee will never make a good one.

sure good bits of kit are going to make your life easier , but they aren't necessarily going to do it all , your taste buds are the bit of kit for that.

drink whatever tastes nice to you that's a good place to start, but be adventurous,too surely that's why we are all here ?

dont know if this post is out of context apologise for rambling


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Mrboots2u said:


> Temp is a variable to extraction
> 
> same as other variables
> 
> ...


Aha yes, makes perfect sense!

As I have got better (yeah I have a bit, honest), as I then get better again hopefully I still have a variable out of my control leading to any given inconsistency I can taste etc that could be down to the temp or not. It may be down to that it may not but an uncontrollable varying temp may lead me to questioning my consistency in another area that is not the problem while actually being the temp.

I could never be 100% sure.

Well if that isn't a good argument for a better machine I don't know what is!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Yep taste buds are key ..

Tasty and extractions isn't always linear , which can lead to to sometimes people stopping on a path to tasty .....

So the extraction ladder can go sweet >sour > sour > bitter > sweeter > sweeter > bitter

Sometimes it about how to get a picture of where you are on the ladder

Hence terms like " pre hump nom " that get thrown around

Sometimes its about understanding the shot may be nominally good extractions wise but tasty wise , the strength is clouding the taste or it just to strong for your brain....

Sometimes people find it hard to tell if its bitter or sour


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

What tastes good to one will taste like arse to another - you also can get very used to your own spiral of flavour and not move out of it. (I've gotten used to glasgows darker coffee and then gone to London only to be competely ruined when returning to glasgow again)

thats is why refractometers aren't a bad idea co they give a rough idea of why something tastes the way it does and helps you measure consistency. In the absence of other benchmarks (good shops) I think you need that.

also yes.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

I pretty much use silhouette in London as my barometer for a good spro these days FYI


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

robashton said:


> it's so flexible in the type of espresso you can produce that it's hard to step back and work out what a desirable flavour is sometimes.


Just get the refractometer and put yourself out of this misery


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

If I wasn't going to a wedding in Israel next month and a birthday in Poland this month I'd have the damned thing already!


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Do birthday, great wrecked, think I don't care while drunk and order refractometer. Cancel wedding they are all the same anyway, become coffee hermit with new toy to occupy and life of solitude means no consequences through contact for not attending wedding.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Sk8-bizarre said:


> Do birthday, great wrecked, think I don't care while drunk and order refractometer. Cancel wedding they are all the same anyway, become coffee hermit with new toy to occupy and life of solitude means no consequences through contact for not attending wedding.


All of of this so true.


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

I think I wasted about 3 years with issues on my coffee journey which I could of solved in a few weeks with a refractometer and coffee tools . Ah but it was kinda fun the hard route


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Thecatlinux said:


> Doesn't it all come down to what makes a good espresso , as others have said its a difficult thing to achieve a good extraction , surely it s down to what you taste in the cup and wether you are happy to drink it or not







This was one of my first shots with the EK, and one of the best. Looked like a bomb going off, tasted amazing


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

That's still one of my all time favourite clips


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Suspect that would have ended up down a lot of sinks but can still remember it. So tasty


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

Mrboots2u said:


> That's still one of my all time favourite clips


That and the one where Patrick took the thwacker off his EK and then ground some coffee







(sorry about that by the way!!)


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## Xpenno (Nov 12, 2012)

jeebsy said:


> Suspect that would have ended up down a lot of sinks but can still remember it. So tasty


The EK is a crazy beast, quite how a shot like that can taste amazing defies all instinct. Crazy grinder, crazy coffee!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

That was a yirg g3 from a sample roast a local shop gave me, don't think it ever made it into the wild unfortunately


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

drinking bad espresso is an acquired taste.....I would imagine....


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

From the original question: I think it makes sense that espresso is an acquired (not as in you acquire it but as in not for everybody) taste. People like all different things depending on what they've learnt they like, their taste buds perhaps being different, their brain being wired strangely and preferring tea etc.

That said also tons of people would tell you they don't like coffee but they might have decided that when they tried a nescafe from home or whatever. It's likely worth trying a good cafe or two to see how you get on there.

IF you don't like it but like other coffee variants then stick with them, I don't think anybody would judge you harshly (you big girls blouse -KIDDING!)


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## Mr O (Jan 14, 2015)

My girlfriend will only drink brewed americanos, she loves Aeropress, Sowden and Clever Dripper coffee but I just can't get her to like an espresso. So espresso is not for everyone. Neither of us used to to drink milk in coffee but now I have the occasional flat white, so perhaps I had to learn to like milk based coffees?


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> That's still one of my all time favourite clips


LOL, you should have panned round the rest of the room to see what else it hit


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## Tewdric (Apr 20, 2014)

I'm sure I've managed sour and bitter in the same shot in the past - it takes great skill to achieve the optimum level of incompetence in grind, dose and tamp to achieve this.

Nowadays I just make sure I weigh in, get my basket loaded nice and level with the Reiss recommended light tamp, and then let the lever do its thing. Every shot is great, I wouldn't dream of putting sugar in my espresso these days and even friends who swear blind they can't stand espresso like it when they taste it. I feel like I'm cheating but it's nice to be able to not worry about it and just enjoy the coffee.


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

Tewdric said:


> I'm sure I've managed sour and bitter in the same shot in the past


Totally done that, more than once!!!

As for Jeebsy's vid it fills me with joy and some hope that things happen to us all not just me. Though when I get shots like that though thankfully and slowly getting less frequent they taste of a dead ducks ass lol.


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## Dallah (Jan 31, 2015)

For me espresso was like beer. I started drinking both in my early teenage years and I had to acquire a taste for both as at the time they were both quite bitter to my taste.

There is some science behind that. We are all born with what some researchers have referred to a super taste buds which are highly attuned to a bitter taste. This is why it is difficult to get most children to eat cruciferous veg like broccoli and cauliflower. Especially in the case of cauliflower, what tastes to most adults as very bland, will taste to most children as very bitter. Speculation in evolutionary biology is that this developed so that young children would learn to not eat poisonous plants which apparently tend to taste bitter. As we age and learn to recognise the need for those particular tastebuds declines and for most people they are replaced by ordinary tastebuds.

I thought all espresso was supposed to taste like Starbucks. I grew up in Canada so that is what was available at the time. I hid espresso in those big gulp milky drinks. It is only this year and when I discovered lighter roasted single origins that I really liked espresso. A gorgeous shot at Takk in Manchester (served with s small side glass of sparkling water - best idea ever) and the Rocko Mountain Reserve from Foundry and from my Gaggia Classic were the turning point. Now its a 50-50 split on espresso on its own or in a flat white. At work its brewed from an Aeropress. I won't even go into how much better brewed can be compared to the nasty batch brew that I grew up drinking in Canada. All I will say on that is there is a reason why one of the most popular ways to drink coffee in Canada is called a "double-double." Two shots of cream and two spoons of sugar. Ergh.


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