Just like any other industry... we here in coffee tend to pick up some trends from time to time, for better or worse. Resistance to these trends is futile. No matter how hard you try, you can't escape them. They'll invade your Instagram feed. They'll litter your favorite coffee subreddits. They'll even rear their heads within...
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...
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 Leverpresso is... the smallest lever espresso machine on the market, at least that I'm aware of. It begs the age old question, does size matter? Get your mind out the gutter. I'm talking about if it can it live up to its larger and more expensive cousins like the Flair or the RoK? Well, today...
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...
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...
The wave heart... is most definitely one of those little known, little seen latte art pours. Personally, I don't think I've ever seen, or been served a drink with the wave heart in it. Nor does it get much love on all of those latte art focused Instagram accounts, which generally post everything from hearts to...
It may be hard to imagine... the Linea Mini needing some changes. It's true that it's a dream machine. Waking up and making my morning cappuccino on it is part of my daily routine that never gets old. But no matter how perfect it may seem, using it day in and day out for years you'll...
The future of espresso... has never really been questioned like it has been this last week, although I have to ask. Is anyone taking this whole study by Christopher Hendon and the University of Oregon seriously? I've seen it making the rounds online, and even had some readers and viewers reach out and ask me my...
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)....
I'm late to the Niche Zero... party, but if there's one thing I've learned as a somewhat sociable adult, its never show up to a party on time. So here I am. Thankfully a local coffee lover reached out and allowed me to borrow their beloved Niche Zero in exchange for my beloved Lux-D. Seemed like...
Thats right, I quit... my roasting job as the head and director of coffee at a local cafe here in San Diego. I'll spare you'll the details as to why, but long story short new investors came in and decided I wasn't an important part of the staff. Did I mention I also designed and ran...
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...
I've never paid... this much for a cup of coffee, and I don't know if I will again. Yet, I've got a lot to say about it. This $35 cup of coffee is only ten ounces and that is pretty excessive. Okay, it's really excessive. But there are some reasons for that astronomical price, and in...
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...
It's time the Flair faces the Rok... in a head to head battle to see which hand pressed espresso machine will come out on top. To keep things fair I was able to get a standard group head for my Flair to make it more of an even competition with the Rok. I also crowed sourced...
Cafe Concetto's metal filters... for the Aeropress has entered a ring that isn't extremely full of challengers. I've seen them bounce around online a few times in the past, but it seems that no one has fully perfected it...yet. At least to have it stand up to the tried-and-true paper filters. For those who have followed...
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...
To stir or to swirl... that is the question. This question has been plaguing espresso lovers since James Hoffman's video revealing the huge disparity in flavor and strength without stirring. Personally, I've always gone back and forth depending on the availability of a tea spoon, or if I just feel like looking fancy. I feel ashamed...
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...
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...
Home roasters come in... all shapes, sizes, and prices. This one, the Hive Roaster, is small, portable, and looks like a bee hive (hence the name). It's also affordable, clocking in at a price of $70 and made by hand by Hive's only employee, Mathew. He is currently trying to raise money via a Kickstarter campaign...
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...
Blooming espresso is all the rage... right now thanks to the outspoken coffee consultant Scott Rao and his involvement with the Decent Espresso machine. Since that machine has near endless controllability (for better or worse) he's found a way to max out extraction while also incorporating the use of Aeropress filters. So I decided to swap...
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...
Inverted tulips are a... unique twist on a classic pour. They aren't extremely advanced either, but they do require some finesse that isn't all that common in latte art pours in general. By finesse I mean you have to turn the cup one hundred and eighty degrees to complete the inverted tulip pour. So the biggest...
Now that the Flair... has been on my counter for a month or so, and I've pulled quite a few shots with it I think it's time to do a review for it. The model that I have is the Signature Pro, which comes with a pressure gauge, updated stainless steel pieces, an additional portafilter, a...
A rose by any other name... would smell as sweet as a delicious latte with some rose art. I think that's what Shakespear said. Either way its time for new Damn Fine Tutorial for a new (at least new to me) design. Personally I've never been huge on latte art pours that aren't symmetrical. But since...
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...
Dialing in espresso... is a skill, but it's not rocket science. Once you figure out the basics on manipulating the time and output (basically just grind size) you can dig into flavor. Of course you'll never be able to change a coffee's overall flavor profile. If you have a darker roasted Colombian coffee, it'll never taste...
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...
