tgp4

Why I gave up on the fancy espresso machine

2026-02-02

For about two years I owned a dual-boiler espresso machine that cost more than my first car. I descaled it on schedule. I bought a proper grinder, a bottomless portafilter, a WDT tool, a puck screen, and a small kitchen scale with a timer. I watched too many videos about pre-infusion.

Then, one morning in January, the pump started making an unhappy noise. Instead of ordering the replacement part, I pulled out the Hario V60 I'd shoved to the back of a cupboard and made a pour-over with the beans I had on hand.

It was fine. It was, if I'm honest, better than fine. It was also ready in three minutes, involved zero moving parts, and left me with a single filter to throw away and a cone to rinse. No puck to knock out, no screen to clean, no steam wand to purge, no tray to empty.

The espresso machine sat unused for a month before I accepted what had happened and listed it online. Someone drove three hours to pick it up and seemed delighted. Good. I hope he enjoys the ritual as much as I used to.

My morning now is: boil kettle, weigh beans, grind, bloom, pour, drink. It takes less time than brushing my teeth. I don't miss the machine, which surprises me more than anything else.