During the height of the Covid pandemic in 2021, there was a week after Christmas where cases soared from something like 200 per day to 8000 per day. I had been going to 3fe every day, but the surge really put a stay on my enthusiasm to leave the house.
After much research, I ended up ordering a De'Longhi Magnifica S bean-to-cup espresso machine and starting my long journey towards making coffee at home.
Three years to the day later, I received a Lelit Elizabeth along with their William grinder. It was a huge upgrade. I'm now at the point where for most people, what I make at home would be indistinguishable from what you’d expect at a fairly decent coffee shop.
Almost every day since, I've made myself three cappuccinos: one double-shot in the morning, and two singles either side of lunch.
Making, and then drinking, my own milk coffee at home is a small joy that keeps me regulated every day. I had heard that folks enjoy the ritual, but that's not what it is for me. With espresso, and in particular latte art, it’s a craft. The prep of the puck, the measurement of the inputs and outputs, and then the pure skill of steaming and pouring milk. It's a craft with an almost immediate (and delicious) payoff.