The $300 espresso machine that my husband used as a paperweight for a year

Last March I finally got him to use the fancy espresso machine I bought for his birthday. The whole thing sat in the box on the kitchen counter while he kept insisting drip coffee was fine. Then his work schedule changed and he had to be up at 5am, so he cracked it open out of boredom. Turns out the grinder was set way too fine and the first shot came out like tar. He spent a full Saturday watching videos and messing with the dial, and now he won't shut up about crema. That $300 machine went from dust collector to the most used appliance in our house, and I'm honestly a little annoyed it took him that long. Has anyone else had a partner who finally came around to fancy coffee after resisting for months? What finally got them to try it?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielnelson29d ago

Three years ago my wife bought me a pour over kettle and I left it in the closet until our drip machine started leaking all over the counter one Tuesday. Now I'm the weirdo who checks the local roaster's Instagram for drop dates, so I feel your pain. @knight.felix, did your brother ever admit the French press actually makes better coffee than that old drip machine, or is he still pretending it's just a camping thing? The whole "I was fine before" attitude is frustrating, but I guess we all have our breaking point.

knight.felix1mo ago

My brother did the same thing with a French press that sat in our parents' pantry for two years. He only touched it after his regular coffee maker broke during a snowstorm and he was desperate. Now he brings it camping and lectured me about water temperature for an hour last week.