Overheard a guy at the local shop say espresso should always be above 90 seconds

I was getting beans at BrewLab on Main Street last weekend and this guy told his friend that any espresso shot under 90 seconds is undrinkable. I just stood there trying not to laugh because my best shots always hit around 25 to 30 seconds with my Gaggia. Has anyone else run into these espresso timing purists at cafes?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_thompson14d ago

Oh man, that reminds me of when my uncle tried to tell me that you have to preheat your mug for at least five minutes or the coffee is ruined. He spent more time warming up the cup than actually brewing the drink.

parker18314d ago

Wait, people actually believe that stuff? I've heard some wild coffee theories before but 90 seconds for espresso is wild lol. That would be so bitter and overextracted it'd probably strip paint off a wall. My Gaggia does best around 27-30 seconds too, any longer and it starts tasting like ash and regret. Those purists probably also think you need to weigh every single bean down to the milligram and do some kind of rain dance before pulling a shot. Honestly, if your coffee tastes good to you, that's what matters, not some random gatekeeping at the shop.

wendy62813d ago

Is it bad that I actually do the mug preheating thing sometimes? lmao. Not for five minutes though, that's insane. I just run hot water in it while the machine warms up, mostly so I don't burn my hands on a cold ceramic mug. But honestly half the time I forget and just pour into a cold cup and it tastes exactly the same. This thread is making me realize I'm probably the problem in my own kitchen though. I used to think I was being fancy with my little scale, but now I'm wondering if I've been doing some pointless ritual this whole time, lol.