That time my espresso machine pressure gauge read zero right before a party

Hosted a brunch for 8 people last Saturday. Pulled a test shot and the gauge just sat at zero. Water came out but no pressure. I panicked for a good 10 minutes before I remembered I forgot to put the portafilter in. The group got a good laugh out of it but my face was red. Has anyone else done something this dumb mid morning?

2 comments

2 Comments

paulw631mo ago

Honestly, I felt that panic just reading your post. Tbh, we've all been there in some way or another where you forget the most basic step and start spiraling. Ngl, forgetting the portafilter is actually kind of a classic move, but at least you figured it out before the guests showed up. It's the kind of thing that feels dumb in the moment but makes for a good story afterward. Glad the brunch crowd had a sense of humor about it.

the_sean1mo ago

That "classic move" thing hits hard. It's like life has these weirdly specific beginner mistakes that everyone makes but nobody warns you about. I swear, half of learning anything is just collecting stories about the dumb stuff you did at the start. The portafilter thing is right up there with forgetting to put the basket in your French press or not grinding coarse enough and choking a machine. It's almost like the universe makes you pay a stupid tax before you earn the right to be good at something.