Brewing coffee quickly... hasn't always been looked at as a good thing, but as we've developed a better understanding of extraction it's become more widely accepted. First science told us to run faster shots of espresso, and now the Espro Bloom has entered the fray claiming tasty brews in record time. They do this by utilizing...
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...
This basic little brewer never... ceases to amaze me with the wide array of brewing techniques it's capable of, but I hadn't even considered a no press Aeropress option. It wasn't long ago I discovered the WAC (World Aeropress Championship) recipes and those opened up a whole new love for the simple coffee brewer. Fast forward to...
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 hand grinder market... has really blown up over the past few years, with new options hitting shelves and websites at a pretty solid rate. There are names that most coffee enthusiasts kick around on the regular like the Comandante and the Kinu M47, but there's a newcomer to this market, and its boasting some pretty...
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...
Instant coffee has come a long way... from those dehydrated Foldgers crystals. Today we've got coffee in tea bags, super concentrate, and even specialty instant, but there's still room for the bar to be raised. This brings me to the newest, and dare I say most unique option to enter the market lately, Cometeer. They call...
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...
Four years ago this week... I became the proud owner of a brand new, crispy white, La Marzocco Linea Mini. In that time it has given me endless hours of entertainment, content for videos, increased my barista skills, and also helped motivate me to create not one, but two businesses. So I do generally look at the...
I promise you... this will be the last distribution tool review I'll do for awhile. It just seems like when it rains it pours, and recently a Duomo The Eight poured into my possession thanks to a lovely local espresso lover named Josh who was willing to part with it while I made a review. At...
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...
If you haven't noticed... specialty coffee culture has a dump-truck sized notebook full of colorful lingo, and one of the most popular terms you'll likely hear is the "god shot". This blanket term is used to describe a shot of espresso so perfect, and so delicious that is it is basically an enlightening experience. The term...
There is no shortage... of V60 recipes, tutorials, and techniques online in both written and video formats. It seems almost like a rite of passage, or at the very least a given for coffee YouTubers and bloggers these days. Since there are so many options out there, I guess I didn't feel like I needed to...
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,...
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...
I have a love-hate... relationship with flavor notes. In some ways they seem to be pretty helpful. Like a road map directing us in the right direction in picking coffees we'll likely enjoy. It seems like a pretty simple overall. Do You like fruity coffee? Look for fruit notes. Do you like chocolaty coffee? Look for...
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 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...
Being the coffee nerd... that I'm sure you are (otherwise you may of made a wrong click somewhere) you've likely heard of or own something made by Fellow Products. They make all kinds of useful and extremely aesthetically pleasing specialty coffee gear. I mean, you'd be hard pressed to find another company that makes a better...
I was very skeptical when... I heard you can brew coffee with vinegar. It just sounds like a terrible idea across the board. I mean, I love some balsamic vinegar on my salad, or for dipping garlic bread, but for coffee? I don't think so. Yet, I figured it would be worth a try as it...
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...
The time has finally come... for me to choose my first coffee for Little Giant Coffee Roasters. If you're new around here, over the past few months my professional life has been turned upside down. The company I was roasting for brought in investors who didn't really seem to care about coffee. So with just an...
I've talked a lot... about how to make the best espresso, but not a ton of attention has been given to the best milk for coffee. I did talk a bit about raw milk awhile back, but I guess the universe realized this and dropped this article from Barista Magazine in front of me twice in...
The Fellow Monty... not to be confused with the "full Monty", is a newcomer to the milk cup market. At least they seem new to me, I didn't see them popping up until the last couple months. They looked intriguing to me, as I do love all things without handles (note my favorite handleless milk pitcher)....
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...
Linea Mini reviews are so... hot right now. In fact, they have been for years. Ever since I published my year one ownership review roughly three years ago, it has been my one of my most popular posts ever on the blog year to year. Recently I saw Chris Baca threw his 5-panel hat into the...
It's officlally Peppermint Mocha... season so I figured it's time to break out this recipe. It's by far my favorite seasonal coffee drink, and as I say on most of these recipe videos I don't drink flavored coffees often. It's also one of the easiest as far as recipes go, especially specialty coffee quality wise. Just...
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...
The rippled heart... is always a nice way to stay in touch with the basics, but adding a little style. Personally, I prefer to do the slow style versus the quicker tighter wiggles because it's easier to focus on symmetry. Plus, I just like the contrast between layers. If you're into the quicker style, all you...
The Café Cubano & Cortadito... are a mix of all things tasty. Think about mixing brown sugar, espresso, and half & half. I know, I know, you put them all together and you're going to have a good time (as long as you aren't lactose intolerant or vegan). In this video I'll go over how to...
Raw milk is illegal... in some places, included many states in the United States. It's believed to be because of the level of bacteria that is in the milk prior to pasteurization. The process in which cold milk is quickly heated, then quickly cooled to kill of any harmful bacteria. This process may have some effects...
It's coffee time... with your friendly neighborhood Sprometheus. This is the first episode in a new series, which will aptly be called "Coffee Time". In this series I will be front and center talking about all things coffee, reacting to other coffee videos or news, and maybe just sitting down for coffee with a guest. As...
Pumpkin spice has arrived... in nearly all the cafes around the United States, and likely all of the Starbucks all over the world. I'll give you a moment to rejoice if you're excited for the taste of Fall. Done? Okay, but if you're like me, and you're a bit of a purist you don't tend to...
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...
ONA Coffee has dropped the OCD V3... and it's time to find out if its a step forward, or just more of the same. For those who have been following along with my personal love-hate relationship with the OCD (ONA Coffee Distributor) tool you know that I've been both a huge proponent of the tool, and...
Steaming alternative milks... adds a whole new level of difficulty to the already difficult task of steaming milk in general. The fact is steaming alternative milks isn't rocket science, but there are a couple little nuanced tips that make whole process, including pouring them, easier. To share these tips and tricks I picked up my favorite...
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...
Brew ratios and recipes... are often in the forefront of specialty coffee conversations. It's a road, or maybe more so a rabbit hole, that I traveled down to a huge extent when I first dove into coffee. Espresso gets even more complicated once you start using fractions for ratios as well. I've been so focused on...
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...
Summer has arrived... at least here in the United States, and having just passed by the 4th of July I wanted to do a quick video about one of my new favorite summer espresso drink featuring something quintessentially American. While everyone is talking cold brew (which I dont like) and I already did a Japanese Iced...
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...
Saying goodbye to... the pour over will be a difficult pill to swallow for some. If you were to tell me a year ago I would be advocating for the demise of the pour over in cafes I'd think you were crazy. Yet, I think as time goes on it will fade into the specialty coffee...
Hearts are great... but let's face it, a winged heart is better. On the last latte art tutorial I walked you through creating a rippled tulip. This is basically the same, in terms of the base, but instead has just a happy little heart on top. When you're pouring this design think of yourself as the...
The rippled tulip... is by far one of my favorite latte art pours. There is so much freedom in this pour in terms of both the base, the center, and the top of the design. You can really utilize the space and play around. With the rippled tulip, more so than any of the others, as...
Creating a roast profile... isn't rocket science, but it is science. I really don't believe there is a right or wrong way to do it, but there are some rules I subscribe to. I approach each coffee with an open mind and a plan. This plan is of course based on the coffee's origin, elevation, and...
The great portafilter debate... has raged for as long as I can remember. Or at least as long as I've been in the specialty coffee industry. Which is a paltry four years. Yet, I've had my love affair with the bottomless portafilter. It was just a fling though. It was short, passionate, and messy. It splattered...
