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> Most espresso shots end up being sour and unpleasant for me Most are, even in cafes. I didn't realize this at first, and I bought an espresso machine to be m

> Most espresso shots end up being sour and unpleasant for me Most are, even in cafes. I didn't realize this at first, and I bought an espresso machine to be more convenient than starbucks. But, it took me at least 2 months of owning an espresso machine before I was able to get the grind, tamp, extraction temperature and extraction time right to pull a good shot consistently. Honestly, it was two months of pain. But, it's been heaven ever since. I don't mean to be a snob about it, but I used to enjoy starbucks espresso drinks -- not as much anymore. They're slightly bitter or sour most of the time, and once in awhile they're completely undrinkable. I live between two starbucks and I travel a lot, so it's not like it's just one bad location. I still go to starbucks once in awhile, but only if it's for a social reason... not for the coffee. My wife was not convinced at first, but now she agrees that my lattes are better and more consistent than Starbucks. I think anyone who likes coffee will have the same reaction as you... their mind will be blown when they have a proper shot of espresso and they will probably hate it until that time. So, if you enjoyed it more than coffee, you could take the plunge too. It's like a lot of things though, if you want to do it right you often have to do it yourself.

ntsplnkv2 7y ago
Similar experience here. I'd say maybe 2% of the cafes around me make pretty average/below average espresso. The ones that do (my favorite ones), are oh so good. I started delving into espresso and it is both immensely frustrating and immensely rewarding. It's really hard to pull a good shot. But once you do you can't go back.
copperx 7y ago
I have an espresso machine but I use the default settings. What changes have you made to get a better cup?
- omegabravo 7y ago
  it depends on the bean, how old it is, the humidity, your machine etc. It'll be hard/impossible to get a great espresso shot from a lot of machines as they just don't have the power. Compound that with the quality of grinder. Some beans are very forgiving and give a decent espresso with a wide range of parameters. Some beans are very picky on getting the settings right. I've had a range of machines - and my current machine is the only one that I can get a decent cup from (BES920). To your question, you need to adjust depending on the output from your machine.
  - copperx 7y ago
    I see. But you basically only tweak grind fineness and amount per cup? or does your machine lets you adjust other parameters?

ntsplnkv2 7y ago

Similar experience here. I'd say maybe 2% of the cafes around me make pretty average/below average espresso. The ones that do (my favorite ones), are oh so good. I started delving into espresso and it is both immensely frustrating and immensely rewarding. It's really hard to pull a good shot. But once you do you can't go back.

copperx 7y ago

I have an espresso machine but I use the default settings. What changes have you made to get a better cup?

omegabravo 7y ago
it depends on the bean, how old it is, the humidity, your machine etc. It'll be hard/impossible to get a great espresso shot from a lot of machines as they just don't have the power. Compound that with the quality of grinder. Some beans are very forgiving and give a decent espresso with a wide range of parameters. Some beans are very picky on getting the settings right. I've had a range of machines - and my current machine is the only one that I can get a decent cup from (BES920). To your question, you need to adjust depending on the output from your machine.
- copperx 7y ago
  I see. But you basically only tweak grind fineness and amount per cup? or does your machine lets you adjust other parameters?