Coffee Adventures
28th of April, 2025
Last year I got interested in brewing coffee basically on a whim. I was always a hater of the beverage, seeing it as nothing more than an unpleasant way to get caffeine into your system. Then, by what I can only assume was a setup for yet another joke by the universe, I happened to order a latte at a local coffee shop and found myself actually enjoying the coffee flavor hidden behind the milk.
Naturally, I decided that it would be nice to have a way to brew coffee at home to see if it’s actually good or that was a one-time miracle. My kitchen is very compact, so those huge over-engineered home coffee brewers won’t really fit, but I also wanted a more hands-on approach. By the twist of fate I have landed on Drip Coffee brewers, the V60 in particular. For those unfamiliar, imagine a funnel with a paper filter you fill with coffee grounds, place over a coffee pot of a mug and slowly pour hot water into to brew the beverage.
Crude diagram from memory provided by yours truly
I have been enjoying making coffee this way a lot! Doing it manually takes a bit of time, yes. But I would argue that it only seems too time-consuming if you are used to instant coffee or drinks made on an espresso machine. My guests usually really enjoy the process of watching me make coffee; the motions look calming and therapeutic. I would agree that the whole process has that appeal of a ritual, which is something I happen to talk a lot about on this blog here and there. You need to pay all your attention to the details, measurements and movements to insure a nice tasting drink is served. The process itself and the results are very pleasant to me, so I do not mind spending 7 minutes or so doing something I like. Sometimes it’s good to slow down.
I liked it so much, in fact, that I decided that it would be a good idea to go and learn how to be a barista. Now, obviously I am just a beginner and at the time of writing this haven’t yet worked at a café of any sort. However, I do know how to operate an espresso machine now and how to make classic milk drinks. I’m pretty bad at it, but some might say I can draw a heart or a tulip in your cappuccino pretty well.
Good heavens is there a lot that goes into making coffee. I was telling a friend of mine about some of the peculiarities and she said "Wait, so the machine doesn’t do all this automatically??". Very funny but that is the common idea of how commercial espresso machines work. Even though there is machinery involved at every step, with the grinders and steamers and boilers, a good cup can only be achieved by an at least competent operator. The ritual factor is kicked up to the max, as there are countless motions you need to perform oftentimes at the same time.
Let me paint a picture for those who haven’t experienced making espresso. Let’s assume this is the first brew of the day. Firstly, you need to dump out the first two servings of ground coffee from the machine. You can use the second one to brew a cup that no one will drink, because there are still residual chemicals in the grouphead from cleaning (I have made the mistake of sipping a cup full of chemicals, it is unpleasant). After you’ve done that you can proceed to making the first cup of the day. The standard amount of coffee grounds is 18 grams, however, depending on the recipe and the size of the basket (or the poratfilter) this number may change. You need to temper the grounds in the portafilter creating a dense puck that has to be even for a good extraction. After that, purge the water left over from the last brewing, insert the portafilter into the grouphead and pour 36 grams (varies on the recipe) of hot sludge into a cup, getting 2 shots, also known as a serving of espresso. Now you can taste the most likely terrible concoction and think of what adjustments to make in order to make the final product taste less ass. Imagine every step I’ve described having more nuance and unmentioned extra steps and that’s pretty much what it’s like. That’s not even mentioning the milk… My personal record so far is setting up the machine and getting a drinkable cup in about 40 minutes, which is alright for someone only doing this for 6 days.
approximately what the machine looks like, depends on the model
Another thing that I find very difficult and hope to get better at is understanding and describing the flavor profile when it comes to black coffee. I can only sometimes vaguely taste some sour berries or smell flowers or some baked good, but the tutors at the training center would pinpoint flavors like chocolate, honey, apricot seeds, mango, spice and much more. Obviously, that is something that comes with developing your pallet, like with most things. But it is very daunting when you are expected to find these specific flavors right away. As one of my tutors put it “the most important thing is under the threat of death never say ‘it tastes like cofee’”.
I’m really glad I got to experience different drinks like this. I knew that I liked black coffee and now I know how it appreciate its rich flavors even more, but now I have a new favorite milk drink as well! I really like Flat White, but Cappuccinos are certainly a close second. I think I finished every flat white I made during my studies they were just that tasty.
It’s certainly a pain in the ass, but at the same time making coffee is extremely fascinating. And nothing beats the joy of making a delicious drink for someone. I’d say that’s my main motivation in all of this. After I finished the courses and got certified (lol. lmao even) I was gifted a bag of nice specialty coffee, washed Kenyan beans roasted for filter brewing. That paired with some tips on the V60 from professionals definitely elevated my home coffee game. It’s nice that I can make something that my loved ones enjoy.
Hopefully I’ll find ways to develop these skills further. There’s lots more to learn but that all comes with practice and input from other people that know what they are doing. I think it would be nice to try and refine a craft like this. These are very turbulent uncertain times so it’s hard to plan for the next day, let alone the future. But I hope that there’s something here that I could possibly hang onto be it as a profession or as a hobby. It was terrifying to go and learn something new like this, getting burns and barely containing tears from how scared I was of the new people, but it was worth it. I read in a post somewhere recently “It gets better. But you have to try” and I couldn't agree more. Happiness has to be fought for. So let’s all try our best together!
as above so below