For people who are at their "pinnacle" of buying the best you can afford, does having such equipment take the "challenge" out of making excellent espresso?
Each time I make a shot I need to challenge myself and my equipment to get an excellent espresso. Does that "rush" leave when you are able to get consistently great results?

Any thoughts welcomed!

Thanks

Randy

No, just the same way owning a high-end carbon fiber Dura-Ace or XTR equipped bike doesn't take the challenge out of cycling. It still depends upon your skill and fitness, but the top notch equipment does make it easier to consistently achieve better results and makes the activity itself more enjoyable.

Not here! I thought long and hard about committing precious $$ to my current set up and happy to report after almost a year with my Slayer (and 9-months with my Monolith) I am even more engaged with all things espresso/espresso drinks than ever before. Being able to quickly and easily adjust brew temp, pre-brew/infusion, etc., allows me to, just like this afternoon, pull dark roasts and light roasts near back to back with bullseye precision in the cup.

I would put it in a slightly different way... In espresso making, we have a myriad of variables. Uncontrollable variables are the challenge, not so much the variables themselves. Inconsistent temp, inconsistent dose, inconsistent grind size etc that come from the equipment require constant and conscious effort from the barista to get them under control..all these will make you feel like you're fighting against the equipment to get a great shot. When these unpredictability are taken off the equation, the variables now become tools that you can use to steer your shots to the direction you want.

So yes, challenge is gone with high end equipment as you no longer have to work against the machine and that allows you to focus more on the variables that matter (coffee, flow rate etc).

No! "High End" is relative, but with my Vibiemme Domobar Double espresso machine and a Kony grinder it is just as easy to make bad espresso as it was the the Silvia/Rocky. But what the "low end" equipment gave me was the experience, skill, and knowledge as to how to get good espresso and what to do when it was bad. The high end of espresso gear is just like a high end table saw - A $3000 Powermatic 1792002K 3 HP saw can make sawdust just as well as an $800 10" Delta Contractors saw. The difference is that with skill and knowledge the better saw can make fine furniture with less effort.

it forces you to find better roasters

For me the transition to better (I.e. more predicatable and reliable gear) has allowed me to spend more time actually enjoying what I'm drinking. You get to a point where you feel your exploring coffee, origins, and tastes rather than focusing on trying to get the shot / brew right.

The excitement is the ability to try new things and enjoy familiar ones rather than challenge yourself with the process.. Also, knowing if something does go wrong it was me, not my gear is actually re assuring.

When you make the move to high end equipment the challenge simply moves from trying to get the best out of your equipment to trying to get the best out of the coffee, which is a more rewarding challenge in my opinion. That said your equipment won't bore you either, there are still plenty of parameters to tinker with to keep you on your toes!

keno wrote:No, just the same way owning a high-end carbon fiber Dura-Ace or XTR equipped bike doesn't take the challenge out of cycling. It still depends upon your skill and fitness, but the top notch equipment does make it easier to consistently achieve better results and makes the activity itself more enjoyable.

I loved my Full XTR in my Cannondale lefty Rush and yes XTR does not take the challenge out of cycling, but it really does save a lot of weight ( lighten your bike ) thus makes me easily overcome a steep hill climb.

Top notch equipment but in budget price, I would consider Decent Espresso DE1

chris_n wrote:it forces you to find better roasters

+1!