Espresso is one of the best hobbies for men for so many reasons. I'll list them.
1. Machines are manly. Steam powered machines are even manlier. There's a reason trains are so cool, and so are espresso machines.
2. It's an active hobby. I open a beer and pretty much drink the brewer's vision. No such thing with espresso. You will waste a lot of great coffee learning how to prepare that cup properly, but you also get to experiment and tweak it to your liking.
3. This is related to the last one. There is always more to learn. Making espresso is a simple but highly nuanced process which I believe is impossible to perfect, but gives enough positive feedback that you will keep trying. The way all the variables interact is magical... or scientific. It really doesn't matter if you are an artist or engineer personality type. Both approaches can work.
4. Ever play with a chemistry set? I have scales, various sizes of cups, scoopers, baskets, tampers...
5. When you get it right you will say "wow" to yourself. Then you will try to make espresso for everyone who enters the immediate vicinity of your machine to make them say it too. *BAM* "It's for you!"
6. I can enjoy a complex beverage at 9am and no one will look down on me for it. An early morning whiskey not so much...
The downside - You will hardly ever be able to order a coffee when you're out. Most of it is terrible!
I'll do an equipment post outlining my current setup at some point, but I will probably not do too many guides. I'd just be regurgitating what I learned reading Home-Barista. It's the best place to learn about coffee online (or off for that matter).
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