Joan Westenberg wrote a thought-provoking article talking about how they believe that connoisseurship makes one "worse off".

I think Westenberg has identified a valid critique of connoisseurship but broadened it's application beyond what I find reasonable.

One thing I will absolutely agree with is the idea that a "refined palate" is not self-improvement. I talked about this in a different realm when I talked about conspicuous consumption and how people define their identity around what they purchase and consume. I whole-heartedly believe it is better to spend time pursuing and refining an actual skill than to just label yourself as a "buyer of X". I haven't personally encountered any connoisseurs who sell their interest as being some sort of self-actualization/improvement, but if they exist I will gladly agree they are wrong.

Another piece of Westenberg's analysis hinges on the idea that a developed "palate" often leads to a significant restriction in what the connoisseur is able to enjoy. No longer is it sufficient for coffee to be "hot [and contain] caffeine", it has to be a special roast made a special way. I would agree that often a developed palate can lead to the pursuit of more expensive - and perceived as higher quality - goods, but I don't think it's a requirement. I think Westenberg even acknowledges this in the final paragraph when they allude to a distinction between a "connoisseur" and an "enthusiast".

A lot of connoisseurs will certainly pursue climbing up the consumption ladder for social capital. But something I have found in nearly all interests from tools to jeans to food is that the progression often returns the person back to their original baseline.

Take the biggest burger connoisseur on the internet: George Motz. He literally tells you "the best smash burgers are the ones that are made simply". This does not mean he has not developed a "palate". He has all the language of a real connoisseur and can explain every decision that goes into every aspect of his perfect burger, with reasoning. This is, from what I've seen, the end result of a developed palate: understanding and exploring so deeply that you've looped back around to simplicity with new perspective. Being a connoisseur or enthusiast does not necessiate overspending or being a snob.

Back to the coffee example: If the utility of coffee to the layperson is being a hot caffeinated drink, why don't most people just dissolve caffeine pills in hot water? It's even cheaper and more accessible nowadays than finding a "$3 coffee". Is the fact that people don't just do that evidence that coffee has utility, flavor, "hedonic" value beyond being a warm stimulant? What about decaf? Surely it's not all conspicuous consumption?

I will readily tell you I am in my 'getting expensive and complex' phase with coffee. I will sometimes dismissively classify Dunkin and Starbucks as "bad" or "not actually coffee" - let's face it the drinks are 99% milk and syrup - but I do truly believe that you can and should enjoy coffee simply. Black coffee, made properly, can be very tasty even with inexpensive beans and equipment. If you enjoy that coffee even more with a splash of milk and sugar, that's great! But I think that having the experience to distinguish between burnt coffee and a well-made cup is not a detriment.

Again, if the only appeal of coffee was caffeine and warmth, we'd just drink caffeinated water.

The reason even "simple" burgers or "simple" black coffees cost more than McDonald's or free-refill Waffle House blend is because considerable effort has been expended to ease or automate away the manual effort required to make these simple items well. This is great for the budget conscious, but it's trivial to show it's had a negative effect on quality. If you want that quality back, your choices are sacrifice your time and effort or pay a premium so someone else expends the effort. I buy specialty coffee beans every month and I spend less on coffee than even someone getting $3 drip coffees from 7/11 every day. That is of course ignoring the up-front cost of my second-hand espresso machine, but that machine is unecessary for me to make good coffee. As I've mentioned in a recent blog I used to make solid coffee with a french press mug and pre-ground from a college dorm, and can make it with a $20 pour over kit.

High cost is often an indulgence when it comes to interests like this, and not a necessity. I find higher prices to be an overstated negative in Westenberg's framing.

I find the paragraph about spending "200 hours learning to distinguish processing methods" when you could have "spent the time drinking coffee" a bit funny. What do you picture the coffee snob did for 200 hours... read wikipedia? They were likely tasting different coffees!

Does the enthusiast now need to expend more effort to find things meeting their tastes? Undeniably. But I think Westenberg also over-extends when they imply the enthusiast/snob cannot appreciate anything but their ideal version of something.

If I form a really keen interest in authentic mexican food, it does not mean that I can never enjoy Chipotle again. Would an enthusiast call Chipotle "good Mexican food"? No. Am I certain this lack of substitution effect applies across everything? Also no. But I'm sure it applies to a good amount of interests. I even sometimes order a chain-cafe caramel macchiato when im craving something sweet.

For the connoisseur, the "hedonic pleasure" may now be derived differently or be greater when something meets some newfound standard, but that doesn't create a "floor" of enjoyment. It doesn't make "90%" of things unpalatable and reduce happiness the way Westenberg implies. I think if you're the type of person who can only be satisfied with the best version of something, you've got other problems outside of a refined palate.

I just cannot agree that people should stop thinking too deeply about the things they consume because otherwise they risk facing disappointment. Critique can be a pleasure all its own.

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