The internet is full of... articles, blog posts and videos talking about all the espresso rules you should follow for the best possible shots, but I'm here to tell you; the rules were made to be broken. In the world of espresso, and all of specialty coffee for that matter, there are very few rules that...
Now well into the... fourth year of this humble coffee blog we're really starting to dig into the minutia of brewing, and in terms of espresso talking about shower screens is really getting into the weeds. Otherwise known as dispersion screens, these little discs of metal and mesh play a surprisingly vital role in the espresso...
For most people... whether they are just a daily, passive interest coffee drinker, or a budding home barista, the humble filter coffee is where we generally start the adventure into brewing at home. It's one of the simpler forms of coffee to make by hand, and offers endless control. It also makes for a nice morning...
If you ask a barista... latte art isn't just an art, it's a lifestyle. It's also the quickest way to break a barista's heart, just stir it up right in front of them. As you become more and more versed in specialty coffee culture it becomes clear that the skill of steaming and pouring velvety milk...
When it comes to espresso... and my series of videos taking deep dives into the many forms of this beloved beverage, I feel like one very important option is missing. Whether you call it the double, the normale, or embrace your inner Italian and call it a doppio, it's time I dive into the most common...
The fact is tea has been... around way longer than coffee. A quick online search will tell you tea goes back some five thousand years, as compared to coffee's paltry five hundred. I'm not here to tell you one is better than the other, I actually appreciate both immensely. What can I say, I'm a beverage...
If you've worked in a cafe... you've likely heard the term "dying" or "dead shot" in reference to a pull of espresso that sits on the bar for a certain period of time. It's rumored that this trend came from Starbucks training, who gives a shot only 10 seconds after its completion before it's considered dead. Other...
Many of us... at least in terms of modern day, western specialty coffee culture, have been trained from day one how to brew a pour over by creating a slurry of water and grounds. But the fact is there is no end to the amount of brewing methods and recipes you can find online. There's one that...
Making better coffee... is a strange and complicated journey. Many of us put so much effort, time, and money into it that those on the outside looking in think we're insane. That I think is a good introduction into the wildly time consuming act of sifting coffee. By that I mean grinding coffee, placing it into...
If you're a coffee lover... you're also likely a lover of arguing the semantics and definitions of certain coffee drinks. One of those hotly debated espresso based beverages is the globally popular flat white. Some claim it is all about the addition of the legendary ristretto shot of espresso. Others say it is just a basic...
Just a few short days ago... winter officially began and I feel a bit torn about it. I do really love the Holiday season, but I'm not a big fan of cold weather. Yeah, I do live in San Diego, so winter isn't nearly as "wintery" or "cold" as other places, but I still crave those...
Lately there has been... a lot more interest in coffee cupping and tastings, even within those who are more casual coffee drinkers. For quite some time cupping was something that most casual coffee drinkers had never heard of and looks pretty odd from a distance. It was mostly reserved more for coffee roasters, barista competitors, and...
Many of us enjoy... a nice shot or two of espresso on a daily basis, and spend a lot of our time and hard earned money trying to get the good shots. Yet, how many us can name and break down each of the three layers of espresso? We all already know a shot is pulled...
With the ever growing popularity... around the world of specialty and third wave coffee, light roasts are becoming more and more common in cafes and kitchens. With lighter roasts come not only more unique flavors that can really showcase the coffee's origin and the roaster's skill, but they can also be somewhat tricky to brew well. Not...
Making your own coffee... at home can be a humbling experience, even just picking the right coffee can be tricky. Knowing how to read a coffee label is one of those skillsets that's as niche as knowing how to juggle. The amount of information on the label can vary widely from one roaster to another roaster,...
Long before the days of caramel and whip... the macchiato was a mainstay on espresso bars around the world, and in most cases it still is. Yet like many drinks in the world of specialty coffee there are multiple ways to make it, and of course some debate. This small but mighty espresso based drink not only carries...
When it comes to espresso... there is one brew type that tends to be forgotten. The lungo espresso garners very little interest over the standard shot, and the notorious ristretto. Personally I rarely if ever see it on a menu, and when I asked about them on an Instagram poll many people mentioned having never had...
As the saying goes... "necessity is the mother of invention", and this week's post is born purely out of my love for a simple and delicious cup of coffee. But I should back up just slightly and give a little context as to what I'm talking about. As you may of guessed I'm a big lover...
Roasting coffee at home... is a pretty highly requested topic, and I've only covered it in one video awhile back. But now, in this world where many of us are spending more time at home, it may be a good time to dig in a bit deeper. So in this video I'm breaking out one of...
There are few words... that strike as much anger, post traumatic stress, and caffeinated rants in specialty coffee circles as Starbucks. It brings up a lot of feelings. For some its memories of our first barista job while being berated by angry Karens. For others it's the frustration of explaining to someone that a macchiato is actually...
Cold press espresso... sounds nice in theory. As the weather warms up the idea of an iced drink for espresso lovers sounds pretty amazing. I've heard whispers about a thing called cold press espresso, and it sounds like the perfect option. But is it really possible? The answer to that is actually a bit more complicated...
The single shot of espresso is one of the rarest... if not the rarest espresso drink in all of modern coffee and cafe culture. Ever since I began learning about and working in the specialty coffee industry (which is a paltry five years) a single shot has been a split double. That basically means you're likely...
Espresso myths are made to be busted... and that's what I'm going to do in this video. Of course there are far more than three myths about espresso. Yet the myths I decided to bust in this video are the ones that are pretty persistent and should really be put to rest once and for all....
There are countless Aeropress recipes... online, which isn't surprising, it's been out for the last fifteen years. But very few of these aeropress recipes are from literal world Champions. Now I've had my Aeropress for years, but I retired it quickly because it just couldn't stand up to my V60 or espresso brews. They often tasted...
The ristretto shot has had a wild ride... over the past ten to twenty years in the specialty coffee industry. In the early 2000's it was called the future of espresso. You'd find it in many cafes, and some who were even pushing the envelope and innovating in the industry. Espresso Vivace is the first that...
I'll be happy if... I never see the Dalonga coffee ever again. As a fan of all things coffee I was open to it. Yet the constant inundation of something that became popular via a platform as cringy as Tik Tok just isn't something I can get behind. Plus pumping out videos about it purely to...
Since it's quarantine season... and I'm spending 99.9% of my time at home. So I figured there is no better time to do a video that's been highly requested, for some reason I don't fully understand. Yet, here I am and I'll be going over my morning routine. As a bonus, not only will I be...
Extraction is a dense topic... and this experiment may lift off a bit of that density. It will provide some answers, depending on how you feel about my scientific methods, or in some peoples views, lack thereof. Armed with an idea, a refractometer, and two bags of the same coffee I decided to dig in to...
The traditional cappuccino... tends to have a bad reputation in specialty coffee. For the life of me I don't really understand why. Maybe its the distinct lack of latte art. Or maybe its the perception that it doesn't take much skill to make one. Well, today I'm going to set the record straight on this espresso...
Brewing coffee at home... can be a daunting adventure to embark on for those who don't look at coffee as a hobby or a passion, but more as a daily necessity. Considering we're all in the same boat right now, and making coffee at home appears to be something we'll be doing regularly for some uncertain...
There are many debates within the coffee industry... and one of those debates that has been raging for years is flat vs conical burrs. The passion each group carries about their burr preference is up there with the Montagues and Capulets (yeah that's a Shakespeare reference, deal with it). Of course I have my preferences, and...
Not all brew temperatures... are created equal. I feel like this topic is something that isn't talked about very often, but it can be hugely beneficial to your final cup flavor. For example, have you ever wondered why cold brew and hot coffee from the same beans taste so incredibly different? Well, that's down to a...
It's time I clear up... all these rampant espresso machine misconceptions. Okay, maybe rampant is a bit aggressive, but they are surprisingly common. I mean, there are a few things I see at cafes, in homes, and get questions about regularly that should be straightened out. So with those things in mind I figured making a...
The debate of freezing coffee... is still raging both inside and outside of the specialty coffee industry. If you ask coffee legend and roaster extraordinaire George Howell he will tell you that freezing coffee is great way to store it. Even so much that he does it to a lot of the coffees that come from...
Being a home barista is tough... at times so having some hacks (or tips) is always a plus to help save time and waste. So I decided to put together a video of my three favorite home barista hacks that have helped me and I'm sure would help you. I should also preface this with these...
The one and one... is a go-to order for me when going into a cafe for the first time. If you don't know what the one and one is, its a split double shot of espresso, one is served straight, the other is served as a macchiato. It can be made in a traditional way (dry...
The Viennese is one... of my personal favorite specialty espresso drinks when I have a bit of a sweet tooth. As you may of gleaned from my previous posts and videos, I don't do a lot of flavored espresso drinks. Yet, the Viennese is a bit different. It's a classic, and most shops (at least here...
Steaming milk is a tough skill... to master for any new or intermediate barista. For myself, I would go to work with a gallon of milk every weekend and be steaming milk alone in the shop through the morning. This helped build my understanding for what it takes to master the skill, but that said, even...
The Cortado is one of my... go to espresso drinks. Theres nothing better than a little espresso beverage and not spending a fortune. Especially when you're like me and usually hit at least three coffee shops when I go out. It's easy to get over-caffeinated and up feeling a little wonky. So keeping things small and...
Distribution is key to extraction... but are all distribution methods created equal? The answer is an unequivocal no, but it is far more complicated, and really the reason why is beyond my understanding. I've been hearing about distribution tools having negative effects on extraction, and more importantly (in my mind) taste. Finally, armed with the curiosity,...
Espresso without the tamp... seems like some kind of witchcraft to me. Since I started in my specialty coffee journey I've never heard of such a thing. The workflow and preparation was the way it is, and the way it has been for decades. With the rise of distribution tools it was only a matter of...
Making espresso is fraught potential mistakes... that can and will effect the outcome of your drink. Most of the common mistakes are easy to avoid, and just require a bit more focus, or breaking a bad habit or two. The three mistakes I cover here are simple fixes, but in my experience are prolific with baristas...
I saw this all over... Instagram this week. Both coffee consultant Scott Rao, and notable coffee scientists Socratic Coffee brought this interesting process to light. It definitely seems counterintuitive to that adding an Aeropress filter or two to your portafilter when pulling shots of espresso would increase total dissolved solids (TDS) and in turn increase the...
When I get my hands on... some new coffee toys I can't help but put them to the test. So when I got the Pullman Big Step tamper I decided to see how it compares to the La Marzocco Convex tamper. When I say compares I don't mean in looks, because lets face it, that Pullman...
The debate has raged on... for as long as I can remember, or at least the time I've been in specialty coffee. Which granted, isn't that long. But since I began my career I've heard, read, and contemplated all of the definitions for the differences between the beloved cappuccino, and the rising star, the flat white....
It's no surprise... that the internet is filled to the brim with opinions about the benefits, or consequences of freezing your coffee. We all know what they say about opinions, and we all know its true. Yet, when it comes to freezing coffee there are two schools of thought. Each is backed by science, but only...
Recently I was having a conversation.. with a stranger (lets be real, it was on Bumble. I'm single ladies, come at me) and I was asked how I developed my knowledge in the coffee industry from a technical dispatcher to a Director of Coffee in a short three years time. All the while never having worked...
It’s essential to all life on earth… and a proper cup of coffee. Water; it makes up a total of ninety-eight percent of your coffee beverage. Think of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into bringing those beans into your kitchen. How can you not give them a proper bath after that journey? In this...
