How far would you go?

[Hen]

Thank you to all of you who have shared their wisdom on what I should do to solve my coffee situation (I should say lack of), but it has set me wondering how far have you hardened coffee experts have gone in the name of the perfect coffee - I'm just beginning to realise your total dedication!

It reminds me of Anthony Capella's book "The Food of Love"...for any of you who love food....and coffee this would be a fab read. The Ristretto's produced in the Barista in the story are via extreme means....I don't want to spoil the story by telling how...

....who can beat him?

Hen

[CakeBoy]

So many people have done so many things that it's almost impossible to list them. Upgraditis and kit mountains are fairly commonplace, though few can match Joris' stash of medieval armour and weapons ..... and rumour has it that he wears some of it when making coffee!

[HughF]

Most of my kit (list below) was funded by a major chunk of redundancy pay (17 years!) followed shortly by another permanent job.
Other things were sorted so the only fun spending I did was on coffee gear. Once I bought the S1 (owned and hated a Gaggia Carezza), I've mainly changed grinders - from Dualit (great for brewed coffee) to Rocky doserless to Iberital MC2 to Mazzer Mini E to Macap MXK - useful improvements at every stage (except from the Rocky to the more adjustable but cheaper MC2 which grinds as well as a Rocky).

My Zassenhaus 156 is disappointing but at least it's a very portable hand grinder.

Cheers,

Hugh

[johnny]

I discovered that the right "setting" and surroundings are just as important to the perfect coffee as actually pouring the shot.

So trying to find the perfect colour bit of chocolate to match my 1940's Norweigen espresso cups, just to make the perfect setting, put me off chocolate for life !

[GeorgeW]

I've had my wife locked in a cupboard for forty years and all because of my love of coffee. I do regret this of course, but it was necessary as she would chat on while I was counting down while pulling my shot. Again, she would knit while I was roasting beans and the sound of her needles meant that I had difficulty in hearing second crack. I think that you'll agree that I was fully justified in my actions although it is true that I have an occasional twinge of conscience on anniversaries and the like and I do miss the company. Now that I think of it I haven't heard from her for a while.....hmm.

[fred25]

Time to find the key for the cupboard, George?

I'm not very far at all in that coffee journey thing, but "The Food of Love" is a really nice book indeed!! A great read, and makes you both think about food and want to go to Rome - what's wrong with that

[CakeBoy]

She knitted whilst you roasted eh George? Darn it, now that's just wrong

[Joris]

So many people have done so many things that it's almost impossible to list them. Upgraditis and kit mountains are fairly commonplace, though few can match Joris' stash of medieval armour and weapons ..... and rumour has it that he wears some of it when making coffee!

[Hen]

Mmmmm, I think the prize has to go to George...for chutzpah!

I'm glad none of you has suffered injury and worse like the coffee hero in the novel!

Johnny - this is tragic - what about a little bar of Rococo?...or even better a box of Chococo?

Hen