...to find living with a newly-minted coffee snob a pain?

[MitheredAndFrazzled]

The freezer is full of little foil packets of coffee beans (varying caffeine levels, roasting temperatures, countries of origin), there's a set of super-accurate scales, a deconstructed mini-grinder and Aeropress on the table, partially ground beans have shot off all over the kitchen side and floor...

Earlier he was putting a thermometer in the kettle. And then when it's finally poured into the Aeropress (from a Pyrex jug), he sets a timer. I think he drinks it faster than he makes it!

I usually use a cafetière, but I'm suddenly tempted to plonk a jar of Nescafé on the side in protest.

DB and DSIL swear by the aeropress (we're instant people for the most part). Visited once and asked if they had decaff, they did, but after faffing about for what felt like forever, DSIL had forgotten which one was decaff. "Does it matter?" she asked. I had to say sorry, but yes. I'll take a sachet of decaff instant on the next visit. Or just have tea.

I'm shit at making coffee. I would probably just drink fancy instant at home. But DP is a coffee snob who grinds beans and has contraptions and delivers me a beautiful barista style coffee every morning in bed which is fine by me!

The only thing that would bother me would be coffee bean and grind mess all over the shop.

And the possibility of having to endure James Hoffman. For some reason videos of his keep popping up on my facebook feed and he really is the must insufferable twat.

@Crimesean but, but, but a stegosaurus IS the best dinosaur!

@AffIt

My OH cultivated a sourdough starter over lockdown.

I shall just leave that there, and say I feel your pain.

having a pet sourdugh starter is easy....I have two, they live in the fridge

Just get a Melitta filter coffee machine with a timer and a small Krups grinder. The coffee-on-tap aspect will win out over the fussy stuff, he can still fuss about the beans and get picky about types of coffee filter without it being such a mess.

First world problems!

Seems like a small thing to get annoyed about. He's happy, preumably you love him, let him enjoy it.

@Namechangeforthis88 my DH got me an aeropress for my birthday once. I took it to the office and overdosed on caffeine because it's kind of perfect for the office. Doc measured my BP as 150/95, so I had to go on a 24-hour blood pressure monitor. No more coffee :-)

Feel your pain.
Anyone in this household is welcome to any domestic quirks they fancy provided they
A) Finance it themselves
B) Clean it up them self before the next meal

This has saved me from home made beer, kimchi, the in kitchen mushroom farm (now lives in garage) and the weather station.
The things that we all enjoy (coffee and dough related mainly) have miraculously been made a team effort.
And I have been a victim of my own scorched earth policy (potted hyacinths and soaking fruit for black cake) Still do these things but tidy up afterwards.

It’s only taken 30 years.

YANBU OP, I live with one of those.. if I never hear James Hoffman’s voice ever again it will be too soon 😂

🤣🤣🤣 It annoys me that dh stirs the coffee in the aeropress, I'd be close to throttling him if he did all that.

You have my sympathy. DH is a bit like this with tea. He couldn't possibly make do with supermarket loose leaf teas.

Maybe buy a large plastic container to create a "coffee zone" in the freezer and a shelf for all the gadgets.

There's only one thing for it. Your holidays must ALL be coffee-driven/based/themed... you must make your holidays about coffee. Think where that will take you? Costa Rica, Kenya, Uganda, Turkey, Italy, The Arabian Peninsula...
This is sounding like a total winner of an obsession interest here. Take FULL advantage, OP. You might have to snore through the tour of the Gaggia Headquarters in Bologna, but for the eating (Bologna is one of the best regions for eating in Italy), it's worth it.

@Ileflottante yes travelling groomers are a thing! A very expensive thing so I guess that’s why he can afford to be a coffee snob

@GoodnightGrandma

I hate the coffee grounds all over the piggin place 😡

Yep. I even find them on my socks. Horrible gritty little bastards. DH gets them everywhere and leaves remnants of the old ones all over the sink, cloths and dribbles down the back door as he bangs them out into the flowerbed. Clumsy tit. Some days it tips me into being rather irritated and a little bit vocal

Had no idea there were so many of us! We should form a Victims of James Hoffmann support group. On the other hand, its quite good having a barista on hand to make nice coffee...

Oh yes, we’re on coffee now too. For a long while he was a tea snob.

He’s calmed down a little now he’s got a fancy coffee machine. I said we could get one on the basis there was no more stupid buying of bits of coffee making kit to clutter the kitchen with.

Although I have just remembered the time he tried to roast his own beans, that had kindly been gifted to him by a work friend from their family coffee plantation in India. He scorched the work surface with the pan and left a permanent circular burn mark. That was a low point.

@Mumdiva99 except you will know - the outside of the steak will burn to charcoal and weld itself to the pizza stone, while the inside will be raw. He will still be trying to chisel the mess off when you get home. Which will give you plenty of opportunity to say “I told you so”.

My husband has so been through this...I have to admit, I loved the stage where he roasted the coffee beans too - the coffee was amazing!

However - covid struck and neither of us can taste coffee still, a couple of Months on! So...all coffee bits have been sold on eBay and the latest obsession is rowing! We have a water rower in the corner of our bedroom!!! Give me strength or just send me
Chocolate!

My DH is a fussy beverage person.

I just hope I die before he does. Because I will be that sad old lady and someone will offer me a cup of something and ask me how I like it and I will have no idea...the drinks just appear...

@TeaSoakedDisasterMagnet so basically you've spent a fortune and then told him he has to find a new 'hobby' - which he will then need to start buying all the stuff for.

Oh well at least you jow have hassle free good coffee when you want it.

@ginandplatonic no....you do it in a special pan - already purchased of course. I have been sent many videos links - I haven't yet bothered to actually watched one.

I just hope I die before he does. Because I will be that sad old lady and someone will offer me a cup of something and ask me how I like it and I will have no idea...the drinks just appear...

My dh uses a French press (aka cafetière) but watched a programme where some coffee expert said you should use x grams of freshly ground coffee with x ml of just off boiled water and time it for x mins before pushing the plunger. Thankfully he is just timing the brewing time before pushing the plunger.