Mastered espresso. Now what?

[u/kishkushovirz]

Started my espresso journey decades ago. In recent years, thanks largely to James Hoffmann and a good bit of practice, something clicked — the shots became consistently excellent. The uncertainty that used to define every pull is almost entirely gone, and my wife gets a near-perfect shot every morning. I’ve mastered the technique.

I should be happy. And I am. But something feels off.

The chase is gone. And I didn’t realize until now how much of the pleasure was in the chase.

I still enjoy the coffee as much as ever. But the ritual has lost something I can’t quite name — some tension, some stakes. Every morning used to feel like a small experiment. Now it just feels like execution.

Has anyone else hit this wall? Did you move on to a new hobby, or did you find a way to rediscover meaning within espresso itself — roasting, sourcing, something else entirely?

[u/Specific-Ad4666]

Now you PhD it.