A step-by-step survival guide for my beloved coworkers who have been blessed with the sacred duty of making my coffee.
Before you begin, confirm the following conditions are met. This is not optional.
The coffee machine has multiple user profiles. You need to find MY profile. Not Adam's. Not the "Guest" profile. Not the one labeled "DO NOT TOUCH." Mine. If you pick the wrong one, the coffee will taste like regret and broken promises.
Pro Tip: My profile is the pink one. I know, revolutionary. It took me 3 meetings to get IT to set that up.
Now you will see a list of brew types. Espresso, Lungo, Americano, Cappuccino... so many choices, so little room for error. The correct answer has been burned into my profile settings, but just in case the machine has amnesia: pick the one that looks like it could wake the dead. You know the one.
WARNING: If you select "Decaf" I will know. I have a sixth sense for betrayal. There will be a meeting about this. HR will be involved.
Ah yes, the sub-settings. The forbidden scroll. The machine will present you with options like temperature, intensity, cup size, and milk froth level. Do NOT improvise. My settings are sacred. They were calibrated over months of trial, error, and emotional damage.
DANGER ZONE: If you change the intensity slider, even by one pixel, the entire coffee will be wrong. I'm not being dramatic. This is science. Respect the science.
Remember: If the settings look right, they ARE right. If something looks off, do NOT try to fix it. Walk away. Find me. I will handle it personally.
This is it. The moment of truth. The culmination of everything you've learned. The button is right there. It's usually the biggest, most obvious button on the machine. It might even be glowing. Press it with confidence. Press it like you mean it. The machine respects decisiveness.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT press it twice. One press. That's all you get. Double-pressing triggers a double espresso and then we're all dealing with a different kind of energy for the rest of the day. Nobody wants that.
When things go wrong (and they will)
This certifies that the individual below has successfully completed
the Sacred Coffee Protocol and is hereby authorized to operate
the office coffee machine on my behalf.