Time To Step Up My Game

I've decided that 2021 is the year that I step up my coffee game. Specifically espresso-based coffee drinks. That's an area I feel I have yet to dial in properly. Oh dang! Pun not - but also definitely intended!

On most mornings, I use the V60 method for #myamritual. Then in the afternoon, I'll make myself an Americano or a nondairy-based latte. And when I'm freakin' crazy - I'll rock out a variation of one of those at 10 pm for no good reason.

I make my wife a honey latte every morning. Or other coffee drinks when she's down to try something new. So in all, I would say that I make, on average, three espresso-based drinks per day.

I do my best to weigh out the grind using my trusty Hario scale. I then watch the time and amount extracted using my Breville Dual Boiler Espresso Machine.

But there's always been a disconnect. Am I grinding at the correct size? Am I stopping or allowing the extraction to continue too long? The Hario scale is too big to fit on the tray during the extraction during the process. (Thankfully, a recent purchase will help with that)

But beyond the mechanics and proper measurements, I want to train my palette better. Yes, there are times where the tasting notes are immediately apparent. But I know that I lack skillZZZZ in that department, making it hard for me to fully appreciate the complexities of the coffee I am honored to be partaking in.

So, seeing as my home coffee station is the only coffee shop that I am visiting these days, why not turn it into a testing lab of sorts and have some fun. Let's see where this goes.