When it comes to Espresso and Vinyl, Manual is Better

If I said, “You should suffer for your art.” Would you agree with me? If I then said that I was not talking about art, but instead coffee and music, what would you say? If I then said that suffering is pleasure, now what?

The point is that there are machines that can make our lives easier, but sometimes it’s better when we do the work instead of the machine. We need look no further than espresso machines and turntables, two common household items (well, common in my household).

To simplify things a bit, there are three types of espresso machines: manual, semi-automatic, and super-automatic. In the terminology of espresso machines, when I say “manual is better,” I actually mean semi-automatic. Manual espresso machines are truly old-school. But many kitchens can’t or won’t accommodate a machine with a large vertical lever (such as the Gaggia Achille, for example).

Okay, but fully-manual machines aside, the primary distinction is between semi-automatic (or what I would tend to call ‘manual’) and the super-automatics. The difference is this: control. With a semi-automatic, you grind your own coffee. You measure. You tamp. The perfection of the espresso shot is based entirely on parameters within your control. With a super-automatic machine, there is a grinder built-in. It measures and tamps the coffee. All you have to do is press a button.

Some people like to just press a button, but if coffee is art, then it is far better to perform the ritual of creating a perfect cup of espresso yourself. In the end, it is personally and spiritually satisfying.

The same can be said with turntables. For the most part, automatic turntables don’t really exist anymore. There may be a few lurking about here and there, but they are of low quality. A fully-automatic turntable will – at the press of a button – move the tonearm into position and lower the needle onto the record. When that side is down, it will life the tonearm and return it to the resting position. What fun is that?

I’ve seen comments of people who grew up with fully-automatic turntables back in the day and have returned to vinyl only to dislike the ubiquity of manual turntables. There is a subtle equation of whether a turntable is right for you. It basically depends if listening to music is a foreground or background activity.

If music is in the foreground, the ritual of playing records is both fun and satisfying. But it means staying alert and flipping the record when it’s done. Of course for the background music, you’re better off listening to “The World’s Most Relaxing Classical Album” on your CD player on repeat. And not to be dismissive, but the conversation concerns those for whom these things are important.

The final distinction I should make is between turntables that are fun to use and certain audiophile turntables that are downright sadistic. I once had a so-called audiophile turntable that required the removal of the platter to change the speed from 33-1/3 to 45. That was distracting to the music. Also screw-on record clamps are to be avoided. They simply are a hindrance between flipping or changing records, with modest or non-existent benefits on records that aren’t warped. So select a turntable with ease of access and user-friendly construction. Then the work (read: ritual) of playing records will be all that more enjoyable. The work is part of the process.

So put your own fingers into the mix when it comes to producing espresso or listening to vinyl. Your guests will enjoy watching your ritualized actions, and who knows? They may even become converted themselves.