[icebraining]

Nah, drip coffee is gross, and I say this as someone who comes from a country where espresso is the "default" (if you want drip, you'll have to make it yourself, every coffeshop/diner/restaurant sells espresso, and for ~60¢/cup).

Sometimes one just doesn't realize how crappy the previous version was until one tries the new one.

[barrkel]

Try a nice Ethiopian blend from a Chemex made by an experienced barista and come back to me.

Espresso is as different to filter coffee as icecream is to milk. They're different products, made with different material mix and different processes, different roasts, different grind size, different bean choice. They're two different things.

An espresso can't be better than filter coffee any more than an apple can be better than an orange.

[icebraining]

Of course it can. It's just a subjective measure. It's better to me, even if it's worse, or even incomparable, to others.

All of which is irrelevant to the question of whether it's just snobbery or not, which was what I was discussing.

[jl6]

Relevant XKCD: https://xkcd.com/915/

Beware over-training your ability to discern differences. Such subtlety might give you an advantage in some fields... or it might remove your ability to enjoy basic food and drink.