Espresso is so much better. The coffee is more full-bodied, smooth, and nuanced. You must not have had good espresso.
Drip coffee is just dirty water.
It sounds like we could be friends. I agree with everything you said in both comments. Light roast pour over all the way.
I’d highly recommend trying Vietnamese coffee. I’m the same way in that any coffee will do, but it’s become my latest vice. It’s a great middle ground between espresso (which I find a bit too strong) and drip/pour over coffee (which I like, but I prefer something a bit stronger). It’s made with slightly compressed grounds in a phin (Vietnamese coffee filter) and is basically just a slower pour over that you mix with a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk.
It’s a very interesting flavor and tends to be much easier on your stomach because of the lower volume of coffee.
If you live in the US, most coffee places try really really hard to be like Starbucks, which is to say they use low quality coffee, load their drinks with sugar, and don’t actually know how to tamp properly.
I get mad at coffee shops for copying Starbucks because SB is just so bad.
I’ve been using an espresso machine for a couple years and have admittedly become a snob about it because the flavor of proper espresso with good steamed milk is awesome.
