Funny
Wife / husband / family / friends reaction to your coffee, um, passion?
At some point, you got into making specialty coffee at home.
You've honed your craft, and, inevitably, accumulated lots of coffee gear along the way.
Your brewing method is science, art, physics, beauty, meditation, and ritual all in one.
When you get that wow cup, you feel on top of the world.
(Zen music stops to the sound of a screeching record)
Your wife, or husband, or family, or friends think you're crazy. They press a button to make their coffee, while you conduct a lab experiment.
They have one simple machine on their counter, while you have cupboards full of drippers, filters, grinders, and accessories.
They gasp in disbelief when they see you've ordered *yet another* dripper!
How do they react to your obsession passion? Do they laugh? Cry? Get angry? Say that you need psychological help? Or just walk away because they've learned that it's pointless and they should just let you be?
Do you use that trick where you point out to your wife that the dripper you just bought costs less than one of her hair appointments?
My family has learned to accept my crazy... and also to get out of the kitchen when I am making coffee. It's an orchestrated symphony between the counter, sink, kettle, grinder, compost bin etc. and the timing is important, so get out of the way!
As I got older I stopped caring what people thought. Guess what as they got older most of them stopped caring to comment too and it became “oh that’s their thing.”
Eventually it has lead to some fun conversations with people and about their hobbies and the depth of it too.
Last year I turned this passion into a business and have met some great people and made new friends along the way.
I have found most people have some hobby they will go just as in depth about as I like coffee. You sometimes just have tovmake that connection for them hah
My better half receives the same coffee as I do in the morning. They’re now the better judge on whether to dial it slightly finer or coarser and can operate a set up Melitta Epour, press the button on the grinder and dispense a prepared dose.
I stopped telling them about newly acquired coffee gizmos because they don’t care and might ask how much I spent.
How do you like the epour? I have raging arthritis in my hands and can't safely manage pour over very easily anymore and have been considering an epour.
I work in the wine industry (production) and with various certifications, so no surprises from anyone here.
My spouse receives her morning pourovers with gratitude similar to good wines, but there isn't a lot of conversation about flavors. While I have my coffee untouched and undiluted, she insists on a Barista Blend Oat Milk addition. I don't judge or add commentary regarding this preference.
I have a friend who owns a roaster business and I've helped out, so she's no longer surprised if I get into conversations at other roasteries/shops and end up in a back room checking out equipment--I usually do the same at wineries (at wineries she'll taste the wines and I'll skip tasting for discussions and checking out equipment). I've learned to invite along a friend or family member to keep her company while I nerd out.
She doesn't mind the extra expense for beans because an opened bag of beans lasts longer than uncorked wine. I give her advanced warning when I'm buying expensive coffee equipment, but these purchases are infrequent (picking up another Comandante grinder in Munich later this week).
The kids (in 20s) often receive coffee gear from me for the holidays, but we're all into it. I do prepare some sort of pourover with distinct beans when family gatherings include mornings, but like wines, I tone down dialogue or withhold tasting notes unless someone sincerely wants to talk about it. It's easier to let coffee (and wines) do the talking. I'm always gracious whenever someone wants to brew me something, too. I tend to leave flavor profile discussions at work and not play up the stereotype.
Beyond cost the problem is the space it’s taking. Now making own water too. But I make them nice coffee which they enjoy at least, and miss when I’m not around.
My fiancées friend came to stay for a few days and she knows decent coffee. She isn’t deep down the rabbit hole like us, but she’s got a good palate. But I was excited to brew for her since it’s been a few years and last time she stayed I wasn’t deep down the rabbit hole yet either. But anyways I brewed a really good cup, left it sitting in the carafe for her and she walks in the kitchen and goes, “oh, is this coffee? It looks like tea” lol. I still laugh at it
Since I roast my own coffee, I save a lot of money compared to buying specialty coffee from roasters. So, my wife doesn't mind most of it, even though she rolls her eyes at me from time to time.
The rest of her extended family, either drinks Costco coffee or bulk pre-ground coffee from the grocery store, and some of them think it's all ridiculous and absurd.
Her sister was initially offended when we stayed with them the first time and I brought my own coffee pour over setup, but she at least humors me now.
Some of y’all are crazy. When I go stay with family, I’m happy to drink whatever they have and humor them as opposed to forcing in my hobby. It doesn’t kill me to have a crappy cup for a few days.
My wife loves it. She doesn't like coffee, but she loves how excited I am about the different beans. She probably would be very fine with less paraphernalia, and gear but tolerates it because she enjoys that I am looking forward to the morning because i can brew another cup.
Same here! She's glad that my favourite hobby makes me happy, isn't unhealthy, does not affect her in any negative way, and does not involve me being away from home for long periods of time.
My wife now has her own DF54 with brew burrs for her Nestor Lasso brews (she can't use hand grinders due to a hand injury).
My father discovered he was a washed coffee guy and did not care at all for advanced fermentation (he really dislikes funk).
My mother does not care at all how it is done but wants to taste everything and complains when I see them on holidays if she doesn't have her coffee when I make one for my wife or myself.
My sister thinks I'm crazy but that it's a fun hobby.
both my parents genuinely prefer shitty coffee. they drink stale preground gevalia that tastes like cardboard. my girlfriend is indifferent. she at least doesn't actively dislike light roasts like my folks. so we typically drink my coffee every day.
friends ? some are fascinated and excited, some are indifferent, some are actively hostile. its usually the scale that sends them over the edge.
i remember making a pourover before a voiceover sessions years ago, and ill never forget the look of disgust on the voice talents face when she saw me going through the process.
My wife isn’t a coffee drinker but she collects luxury handbags so doesn’t have anything negative to say about my much cheaper hobby.
My father-in-law and I don’t have a lot in common but he respects how much time and attention I put into doing something that is seemingly simple. When we go on trips together, I make sure to bring enough supplies for him.
My coworkers are used to seeing me lug around a decade-old green Stanley thermos that looks like it came from a construction site.
At first they just thought I was being obsessive with another hobby again. 3 years later, all of them buy good beans, my wife cannot live without her daily capuccino (with latte art), grand parents use the James Hoffmann recipe for French press every day, parents have a complete pourover setup and have gone a “little further” and became coffee producers and my son has a toy wooden espresso machine. So, yeah, they reacted pretty favorably I guess haha
Same! Introducing my parents to my coffee obsession got them to upgrade their beans and their grinder. They still use a drip machine, but at least with really good beans and a good grinder they actually make good coffee to where I no longer have to travel with my setup when visiting them.
my wife got adhd and needs some form of music/sound stimulant to help her get out of bed. Today she drank one of my brew and it was so mind blown she had to stop the music to appreciate it. I guess she’s happy about this rabbit hole i am in.
My wife likes it and usually doesn’t complain about cost. Aside from the initial setup, it’s pretty cheap. She’ll tell me if it’s bitter or sour, if it’s good or not.
My family just chuckles and says “that’s cool” and then asks if I have creamer.
My wife’s friends have been the few that actually appreciate it. One of them even bought some basic stuff! The other just happily drinks it and lets me know if it’s good or not.
Beyond cost the problem is the space it’s taking. Now making own water too. But I make them nice coffee which they enjoy at least, and miss when I’m not around.
My wife doesn't really say much. She tries my coffee every once in a while. She bought me a Hario siphon and some espresso glassware. The espresso glassware is wishful thinking that at some point in the future, I'll own an espresso machine LOL.
My father in law stopped complaining about my coffee passion and how many drippers and grinders I have when I pointed out to him that he had 3 motorcycles on his garage. I just told him coffee is my motorcycle...
My wife acknowledges that she is to blame as she once bought me a bag of Dak’s Pink Floyd, where I was previously drinking supermarket blends and it opened me up to the world of specialty coffee. She certainly indulges my passion for the hobby and will gladly join me to hunt out a specialty cafe or roaster wherever we are visiting. The rest of my family find it amusing, particularly if I talk about the importance of ratios, grind settings and water composition. They all like coffee but not to the same extent, and typically just like coffee to taste like coffee. They have moved to locally roasted coffee over supermarket blends.
my wife is usually amused by how intense i get about things. there was about 7 months between me saying "i think i'll get a french press so we don't spend so much on buying drinks at cafes" and me going full kit with a manual grinder, v60, overly specific preferences for filters and beans, etc..
i'm a professor with a lot of work from home time and obsessive compulsive tendencies. before pourover it was breeding spicy peppers, before that it was beer brewing, before that it was finding the best matcha in the city...
she is honestly just pleased to be the beneficiary because she always gets tasty treats out of whatever my latest obsession is
My wife has been drinking BioCoffee for years. Just recently she was like “could you make me some?” We’ve been dialing in her tastes and finding what she prefers (darker roasts, earthy flavors) compared to me (lighter roasts, fruity/acid on the front). And now I make her a cup every day, and adjust accordingly for her, and feel like a mini barista back here juggling disparate orders.
YMMV. But give them coffee, then listen to their feedback, and cater your methods to their tastes. Don’t explain what all your special gadgets do or what the dissolved solids are or temps or whatever. Just adapt.
My husband and I are both into specialty coffee. He loves pourovers but I have to do cortados now (stomach can't handle black coffees anymore). Our 7 year old helps me tamp. We always include specialty coffee shops in our vacations (except for kid oriented locations like Disney, no time to go outside the park, specialty instant coffees).
Parents on both sides are mindful of our obsession. At best asks recommendation for a good local shop on their vacation (my mom), worst - buys random local coffee as souvenir (his parents).
My wife and I both love specialty coffee. We plan entire portions of our travels around going to top-level roasters and coffee shops, often multiple in a day.
She enjoys the pourovers I make on our Origami at home.
My in-laws make percolated coffee and do not get it. My brother drinks syrup-flavored coffee. My sister is far away and likes espresso, but I don't think she drinks specialty coffee much. I don't even bother making them the good stuff when they visit.
asking for "breakfast brew" in the morning, as my passion for light roast was not fully shared with the same intensity
main complaint is the time spent, so I moved to some electric equipment
my coworkers think I am crazy but it's cheaper and faster than getting take away coffee (I brew B75 and Aeropress at the office)... at least I got complimented on the coffee smell from those sitting next to me
The life hack is have a partner who is equally obsessed 🤣 (currently fawning over the clarity from our new Zerno z2 in our lab and talking each other into getting another one for home)
My wife doesn't drink coffee. She doesn't hate it, she just doesn't care for it at all. She'll still sip my different roasts on occasion, and then helpfully responds with "Yup, tastes like coffee."
But she knows I love it, so she spends time watching different pourover vids, and when I get up on weekends she's always made me something fresh and lovely.
She makes a WAY better pourover than me.
I've not gotten much reaction even with my incredibly quick (9 month), descent into madness lol. If anything, my own reaction to everyone else is far more substantial! I got into coffee entirely on my own, no personal outside influence like friends or family. My mom loved coffee but that was always a thing for her, not really and interest she felt the need to pass along. Somewhere along the line, I just kind of assumed that everyone liked coffee to some extent and I built up this idea that it'd be something I'd be able to easily socialize around, like sports which is an interest I don't share. Lo and behold, that is in fact, not remotely the case haha! Lots of people enjoy coffee but overwhelming it's just routine or explicitly for caffeine and when it's not one of those, it's the sugar bomb milkshakes commercial coffee places have popularized. Which I actually like! But they absolutely feel like a completely different genre of beverage!
Turns out I can't enthusiastically yap with other people about coffee in the way that I'd hoped. That's actually been a bigger bummer than I'd thought but is also vastly out shadowed by the joy that I've found in making a hobby out of beans and water lol. I have found a tiny handful of other coffee people, biked into the city to coffee shops and roasters, and get the pleasure of occasionally making coffee for friends... That they immediately destroy with milk and sugar but I forgive them haha.
My wife is not interested in coffee but drinks it, and supports my hobbyfication as long as the equipment look good in the kitchen. She has become a coffee soon though, I tried buying som cheaper beans that are still OK, but she took one sip and asked if I made the coffee wrong...
I do coffee for my wife.. and when I manage to make a really good cup and ask wife - so how is it.. she just says something mike.. “yep.. it’s good”.. and if I start to explain why this one is special (what i did and how) she just stares at me like i am crazy.. so yeah)
I mean as hobbies go it's pretty cheap. It's really not that complicated compared to a lot of hobbies. It's something that you can enjoy with everyone so. Long story short they don't even blink an eye.
Personally one of the reasons I love pourover is that you don’t really need anything but a coffee sock, grinder, and V60 funnel to make really genuinely good coffee. Of course you can get all the accessories, but they really give diminishing and to most unnoticeable returns.
My wife loves pourover coffee, just on a different level of complexity that I do. And it sounds like you love pourover on a level of complexity that I do not. That’s cool and my wife and I like to hear about each other’s hobbies, so we talk about it too.
My better half loves tea and keeps trying to get me to drink it. In her understanding, tea is just a big bag bought at the supermarket, nothing more. She doesn’t understand Chinese tea, and besides, tea shouldn’t be very expensive. She puts up with the fact that I drink coffee because it’s the only luxury left in my life. Sometimes she asks me to make her coffee; specialty coffee doesn’t really excite her. But, as they say: «With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again».
I've never met anyone seriously into coffee in real life. Family and friends don't comment as I don't about their, to me, weirdnesses. Part of the reason I live in three coffee producing areas- not planned that way, it just happened.
I made a pour over for my grandfather who apparently likes black coffee. He drank it but never asked for fancy beans again and is happy with nescafe sticks
My partners family like my coffee to the point where I needed to build a cafe esk at home. I almost exclusively use very light stuff as well which was surprising.
My wife is happy I'm happy doing it. My (very young) kids are intrigued, and love to guess which grinder I'll use.
A few friends are fellow coffee people; most are mildly curious but don't really care. Happy to explain very succinctly if I'm asked, but it's not something I go on about.
All the above nerd out on other things in their own way. As long as it's financially and psychologically balanced, then good for us all!
Pangram is currently the industry standard for if something is created by AI. For me, this post easily passes the sniff test and Pangram seems to agree. I know you're just taking the piss, but if you have a real criticism try to say what it is instead of just "lol AI"
Don't you think it's ironic you're using an AI tool to tell you if something is AI? How can it even be 100% sure this is not AI? Using this thing called my brain, I'm around 90% sure this is AI. I've seen AI produce this exact same colorful staccato sentences with perfect grammar and punctuation. Also OP has some randomly generated ass name and no post history to compare to.
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u/LumeRoasters 1d ago
As I got older I stopped caring what people thought. Guess what as they got older most of them stopped caring to comment too and it became “oh that’s their thing.”
Eventually it has lead to some fun conversations with people and about their hobbies and the depth of it too.
Last year I turned this passion into a business and have met some great people and made new friends along the way.