Considering the amount of time and energy I spend on espresso, some might consider it a hobby but I don't. I started w/ espresso in the 70's as a student in France as the only method to get caffeinated after the noon meal in the student restaurant. At home it was a melitta cone. I wasn't particularly enamored of what I had to drink. In the late 80's in NYC, some friends got me to buy a Cremina as they're espresso was better than what I remembered and liked it. My home experience wasn't that great and eventually I learned about burr grinders after I had moved to the boonies. As there was no local source of fresh roasted coffee, I learned to do this as it was much cheaper than mail order. In 2004 I discovered coffeegeek.com and then got a Mazzer Mini and I continued to evolve. I can now afford to internet(mail) order coffee w/o roasting but prefer the choices available and the freshness as a home roaster. Roasting is somewhat of a chore and the rare times I travel to where I can buy good roasted beans w/o postage (hairbender in NYC, leftist in Ithaca area), I do so. Like most people, I enjoy eating and do make decent food at home, being somewhat of a localvore and have a garden. I buy half a grass fed organic cow from a neighbor each year. This does not make me a food hobbyist and I look at my coffee efforts in the same light.

Marvin

I think I'm going to answer this poll straight, instead of trying to interpret.

Question: What is Espresso to You?

Answer: Ultimate method for preparing and experiencing coffee

And now for clarification.

I learned that I enjoyed coffee young. I can remember the very first sip of coffee I ever had. It was walking to Kindergarten with my Dad. He stopped off at the 7-11 on the way and picked up a coffee. I asked him what it was and he looked down at me saying "coffee, would you like a sip?" Of course I had to try a sip of this strange dark liquid. And it was that moment I realize that is what I wanted to drink when I grew up.

I won't go into the rest of my childhood history with coffee, but I wasn't allowed my own cup of coffee until middle school, and wasn't allowed to make my own coffee until I moved out. That is where the fun begins!

Knowing I liked coffee but didn't know coffee inspired me to try any method of brewing coffee I could. I went from percolator to drip. Pour over to french press. I stuck with French Press for the longest. I was actually a bit afraid to get into espresso. I was under the impression it contained more caffeine than a press pot cup of coffee. Knowing how much coffee I drank, I thought espresso would be the end of me. And at the time investing more than $100 in equipment seemed insane (but I remained envious of those who would go the extra mile)

Finally I broke and decided to get my first espresso machine. This actually wasn't too long ago. Sometime last year I purchased my Le'Lit PL041. And at the moment it arrived and I pulled that first shot, I knew I was in! I love the frustration, the challenge, and the reward of learning, experiencing, and enjoying espresso.

So personally, espresso is my ultimate method for preparing and experiencing coffee.

Thanks for reading.

malachi wrote:Related topic here.

Great article!!
I'm yet to try the italian espresso taste, but thanks to the article (it is relatively short) and the discussion below I understand how the italian espresso is culture, not just drink, coffee, method etc.
For me it was also an interesting reading because I'm involved actively in culture, that is music & photography mostly, and besides I'm also passionate for cooking and interested in traditional medicines - chinese and tibetan - and in spirituality... and everywhere in those there are the traditions, and it is interesting to find out what tradition can be. Thanks you!

Tara,
great story! Looks like in your family there was a tradition of coffee, too! Thank you for sharing that!