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Everyday Beans Podcast - Mostly About Coffee and Other Stuff
It's about coffee, food, life and what other randomness I feel that'll be helpful to the common coffee drinker or to anyone who likes to be entertained by a stranger, briefly.
Everyday Beans Podcast - Mostly About Coffee and Other Stuff
Why I Don't Recommend Espresso Makers
In this episode, I share my honest thoughts about choosing the right coffee maker and the unexpected journey that can follow. When a friend asked me for a coffee maker recommendation after her Keurig died, I suggested a simple, reliable Zojirushi drip machine—something straightforward and effective. Instead, she decided on a Breville Bambino espresso machine, which got me thinking about the deeper implications of that choice. I talk about my own experiences with Breville products, the complexity of espresso making, and why that seemingly simple decision might lead her down a much more complicated path than she anticipates.
Through this conversation, listeners will learn about the real difference between simple drip coffee makers and espresso machines, understand why espresso making can become an obsessive and expensive journey, and gain perspective on choosing coffee equipment that actually matches their lifestyle and commitment level. I share practical wisdom about the coffee learning curve, the frustration and rewards of espresso making, and why sometimes the simplest solution is actually the best one. Whether you're considering upgrading your coffee setup or already deep in the coffee rabbit hole, this episode offers honest insights into making smarter choices about your coffee journey.
For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com
For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans
[00:00:00] She asked me which coffee maker to get. Hers just recently crapped out, a Keurig, which happens a lot. It's one of those things where now we get a clean slate. We can get whatever we want. And it was her time to get something new. So she asked me, which coffee maker should I get?
[00:00:33] I thought about it for a little bit and I thought, a Zojirushi coffee maker. A drip machine. Something simple. Works. Effective. Great reviews. American Test Kitchen approved.
[00:01:19] She said, thanks. I've laid eyes on many Breville products. I've gotten many of them too. And, lack for a better rant or say, Breville's hit or miss. Most of the time miss. But I looked up this machine, this Bambino, this espresso maker.
[00:02:16] Supposedly warms up in three seconds. So then I kept reading the reviews, which I don't normally do. And people were happy and raving about it. Some people saying that it's a good start into espresso. And I would agree with them. That's true.
[00:03:10] I mean, I'm not happy with the decision even though it wasn't mine. As you can see, I have my Crew back there. It doesn't get used all the time. When it gets used, it does make magical cups of coffee. It does. I like drinking it black straight up. I like my macchiato. From time to time I make my wife a cappuccino.
[00:04:07] But you can still find joy and happiness in the making of the beverage. The reason why I'm thinking about this whole Bambino thing is because it's a gateway. It's the place that you start because it's just an entry-level.
[00:06:03] Cup of coffee, drink it black, or doctor it, it doesn't matter. And then you move on with your day. If it's weak that day just add a little bit more coffee. If it's just right keep going on that road. Very soon you'll find your rhythm and groove and you get to do other things.
[00:06:28] But this espresso machine will teach you and frustrate you and annoy you all at the same time. It's rewarding. It truly is. But a lot of times I don't think people are ready to go down that journey. And I think that's the thing that I'm really struggling with right now. It's not that I'm trying to tell her what to get.
[00:06:54] It's her life. It's her process. It's her coffee journey. But the journey is not going to be easy. It's going to be really frustrating. It's going to be something where you think that you knew coffee and then you get better and then it slaps you right in the face again. And then you're wondering, okay, I need to get this next thing. I need to get this next thing. I think that's the same thing that happens with pour over. But if you just want good coffee, you just want to push a button and it makes your coffee.
[00:07:33] I think majority of the people, that's where they're at. That's all they want. That's the only thing that they care about. But espresso making, it is literally the top of the top when it comes to actually making coffee. Grounds, water temperature, time.
[00:07:57] And you're going to keep going down this rabbit hole of trying to figure out, trying to get the right drink, trying to see what works for you. You're going to see what doesn't work too. And then you're going to get slightly better. And then you're going to be wondering why you went down this rabbit hole.
[00:08:20] Sometimes it can really mess you up. It's trippy that way. Other times it's actually where we want to be. But I think getting a machine like that is either a gateway drug to wanting more, diving deeper into the rabbit hole to figure it out. I truly really think that.
[00:08:41] Or it can just be something that you realize that it's just way too much. It's too complex, is something where you thought that you wanted to do. But it's really not something that you want to do. And a simple drip machine could have actually solved your issue.
[00:09:06] But that's neither here nor there. This Bambino may work for her. It may be exactly what she needs in order to ignite that coffee craze that she may feel that she has. Only time will tell.
[00:09:24] But I know for sure that people are going to make up the decisions that they want to. They're going to understand and try to justify anything. I do it all the time too. I justify buying a coffee maker or the special paper or this gadget to help me get better at coffee.
[00:09:50] So it's our journey, it's the thing that we like to do. But I guess what I'm saying is that be mindful, be careful. And take your time with this whole thing because it can get really expensive. It can get really frustrating. Then you're second guessing yourself whether you're doing the right thing with this whole coffee thing.
[00:10:13] So this is me on my soapbox just for a little bit. Choose wisely. Choose smartly. But no matter what you choose, you're going to go down that path. That coffee path, your journey. I'll talk to you later.