It was funny how I ended up in Four Barrel Coffee getting my first 2 hr one-on-one training on Espresso 101. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of drinking gallops of coffee because (1) it makes my mouth and hair stink (I had an ex-boss who drank gallons of coffee per day. He was a good boss but his breath smelled like stinky coffee the whole day. He was half bald though so no problem there), (2) I can't sleep at night (and I like sleeping), and (3) I'd rather spend my money on something else like a healthier fresh fruit smoothie or green tea good for the skin.

I learned additional knowledge in making an espresso from the parts of an espresso machine (i.e. hopper, grinder and the most important, the power dial!), stamping the grinded espresso ensuring that I'm within the 21 gram range, timing the dose, steaming the milk, tasting the sour and bittery espresso and spitting it out in half a second. Again, since I wasn't a big fan of espresso, I hated the part when I had to taste my espresso so I would know the difference between a 20 and 22 gram shot! I hurriedly washed down the bittery taste with gulps of water.

I was happier with the second part of my training- steaming the milk! From turning on the steamer correctly, putting it inside a gallop of milk enough to cover the head of the steamer, stretching (gives that wild whirlpool sound), texturizing, feeling the temperature, settling, swirling two times and finally sipping a silky smooth cup of milk- felt heavenly especially with the right temperature.

I am 2 sessions away from fully operating a La Marzocco espresso machine and making a good mean espresso, cappuccino and latte. My only wish is that they teach me how to create awesome coffee art :)