i realized this morning that i can usually tell coffee is coming before i even smell it. the grinder starts. a cup touches the counter. then that little sound from the machine while the espresso is being pulled. none of those things change what's actually in the cup. but somehow they change the moment before it. i've been paying more attention to these small parts of coffee while following @Barbera_1870 . we talk a lot about aroma, crema and taste. i get why. that's the coffee. but there's also this tiny routine happening around it that i've probably repeated hundreds of times without noticing. and on a quiet morning, i think i enjoy that almost as much as the first sip. maybe that's why making coffee yourself feels different from simply being handed one. you've already been part of it for a minute before you drink anything. anyway, mine's getting cold while i write this. @Barbera_1870 #Coffee