Edit: so it turns out that every hobby can be expensive if you do it long enough.

Also I love how you talk about your hobby as some addicts.

  • Yonrak@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    Coffee.

    I blame James Hoffman entirely.

    Within a year I went from:

    Drinking instant coffee at home, but really enjoying “proper coffee”

    To

    Buying a cafetiere (~£15) + preground coffee

    To

    Buying a Nespresso (~£60 on offer) + pods

    To

    Buying a budget espresso machine (~£120) + preground coffee

    To

    Wasting my money on a cheap manual coffee grinder (~£50) + beans

    To

    Immediately replacing it with an entry level Sage grinder (~£170)

    To

    Buying an entry Level “proper” espresso machine (~£700)

    It took me a good 2-3 weeks of practicing and dialling in before pulling a good shot of coffee that I’d actually want to drink, but by that point it was also about learning a new skill, learning how different aspects of the process affect the end result and learning how to make all sorts of different espresso-based drinks.

    My girlfriend thought I was nuts at first, but a year or so later even she agrees it was worth the investment. I still for the life of me can’t get the hang of latte art though.

    The problem is now though that I’m a waaaay more critical of coffee from coffee shops, because I spent a long time making bad coffee whilst learning!

    • abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I can’t believe I answered “board games” to this before. Yes, espresso wins it over. I just got an espresso machine for my 10th anniversary (price too high for me to be willing to admit). And here I have a wishlist of $500+ in “devices” for it.

      Like you, I’m about 3 weeks in and just now getting my burr grind just right for that perfect 26s shot. Luckily my vendor was giving out a free badass scale. It keeps telling me how bad my shot is.

      I still for the life of me can’t get the hang of latte art though.

      Ditto. I just got my first “correct emulsified foam” today. Usually I end up with hot milk with hot whipped milk on top.

    • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Espresso is the line I won’t let myself cross (and I don’t have the counter space lol), but the $350 for the Kinu M47 was hard to swallow.

      Plus side, it’s also a great espresso grinder if I do ever eventually head down that road.

    • Lorax@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Similar but different : tea! You go from cheap bagged tea to going down the rabbit hole of loose leaf variations, temp control kettles, brewing vessels and brewing styles.

      • abraxas@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Even low-grade Dragonwell is eyeopeningly expensive. And nothing tastes quite like it.

        It tastes a ground up $20 bill soaked in hot water ;)