u/ApprehensiveToe3055

So I impulsively got a westpoint espresso machine. I was always fascinated by brewing my own coffee but my dad was never too keen on spending money on an espresso machine. However, this one time i just asked him if i could get one on the whim in the middle of imtiaz and surprisingly he agreed. So i just picked a relatively cheap one without knowing the abcs of brewing.

Now i got a westpoint espresso machine that i dont think im making the most out of. Im very much interested in maximising the quality of coffee i can get from this machine instead of just letting it go to waste. From what ive seen online, the shot im brewing is not good quality. Firstly, i dont have a coffee bean grinder so i just use the spice grinder i have at home. I also dont have those dedicated tamper and the other tools that u see in insta reels (i think to aerate the beans or smth). I also dont exactly measure the weight of the ground beans before using em or get the weight of the espresso brewed. I just take two spoon fulls of ground coffee beans for two shots, using the spoon that came with the machine, with a tamper at the bottom of the spoon. I also measured and memorised 60ml of liquid on a tiny metal shot glass kinda thingy and now i just eyeball the espresso quantity.

Ive recently learned that 18g of ground powder is used for 2 shots, which is 35g of espresso? brewed in between 25 to 30 seconds, if the time is not between this range i need to change the grind level. Furthermore, im not very good at frothing milk and the coffee i brew ends up feeling very liquidy like water. I initially thought i had to use milk with higher fat content to get better consistency but i observed a barista at a coffee shop recently using the same milk as me and brewing an amazing cup of coffee. So i guess its more about the right technique than the brand of milk. Although, the steam wand on my machine is like a match stick compared to those really thick ones on the machines in cafes etc.

So my question is, how do i maximise my brew quality with my current equipment. And if there are cheap investments i can make to significantly improve my coffee, what should i prioritise and where to get it from.

So Im 21 rn heading into final year of undergrad. Never been in a rs. Never rlly tried for one either except for once which i made a real big mess of. Ik im not super attractive or anything so its not like i had a butt ton of chances or smth.

Marriage and having a partner in general is often on my mind. Especially with my sister getting married recently. My issue is that I cant get into a rs cuz its haram (im no saint ive done plenty of haram but it is what it is). Most people around me are finding partners they seemingly want to spend their lived with pretty much at this point where i also am. The only way dating feels acceptable in my head is when im ready for marriage (i see a clear future path in terms of career, financially etc). So id actually be dating to marry and not just using it as an excuse. Thing is i kinda wanna get married before i start my masters but for that i feel like i’ll need to get a job for a year or two minimum to get some direction in my career. I dont wanna spend that time in pak ngl, idek if i wanna marry in pak. But then in order to get married before masters i need to find the right person within the next year. (Last year of uni in turkey).

Just very confused with the entire situation and need some guidance