Coffee Sprudgecast

On the latest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen get their hands on the Comandante Lab Series hand grinders. The Lab Series features three grinders each with its own uniquely machined burr sets.

Does burr tooth matter? We find out!

Show Notes

At the top of the show, the hosts drink Heartbeat tea from our friends at Dona. Heartbeat is a black tea with cardamom and ginger and it's delicious.

On the show, Supremo Coffee's Poderosa from the Guatemala Cup of Excellence is ground three ways...

While all very special episodes are all very special, there's perhaps none more special than today's very special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Because on this episode, it's all about milk brew. Even though it's served up cold, milk brew is HOT. In the summer we featured a new cafe that's all about Milk Brew in Pasadena. And earlier in the week, we asked Sprudge Editor at Large Jenn Chen to give milk brew a shot. So naturally we decided to dedicate a whole podcast to this wild and wondrous brew.

We make milk brew with all...

It's the season of pumpkin pie spice. It's the season of Pumpkin Spice Caskets. It's the season of love. We're in between the hot and the cold—a transitional period, if you will. On this episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, we dig into the cost breakdowns of Pumpkin Spice themed funeral prep, if we're still elevating PSLs in 2026 (we are), and play with a whole suite of espresso gadgets from our friends at MHW-3BOMBER.

Show Notes

We enjoyed a Hario v60 of Cartel Roasting Co. Kenya Kirinyaga Kiangoi AA (shop all of Cartel Roasting Co...

Here in Portland, Oregon the air is cooler, days shorter, and desire for hot coffee…greater? The seasons change and that means our delicious summer series The Build-Outs of Coffee is coming to close. But not before our last installment of what we like to call The Coffee Buildcast!

Coffees are sipped! Build-outs are discussed!

The Coffees

We sip a natural Nightswim Coffee Don Lisandro Gesha (Huila, Colombia) with notes of acai, blueberry yogurt, rosewater, and sweet basil. It's brewed with a Hario v60 and served in a hand-blown Verve Culture mezcal glass. Wh...

As the summer grinds on so too do the builds! Fresh cafes are popping up all across the world and we're delighted to showcase them every year in our annual Build-Outs of Coffee series. On the latest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, we get into it and feature two thrilling builds that caught our eye.

Before we get into cafes, we always need something to sip, and the hosts have a truly delicious instant coffee from Tucson's Presta Coffee Roasters. We also have a special treat—a delicious Mocha Moment Presented by Ghirardelli with Zachary Carlsen and Sp...

We are genuinely thrilled to offer Volume 2 of the 2026 Coffee Buildcast Coffee Sprudgecast podcast. This episode was taped in the John Early/Maddie's Secret District of Los Angeles. Hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen brew up some tasty coffees and talk about hot new cafes featured in Sprudge's annual Build-Outs of Coffee series.

What're we drinking? We're drinking Cafico Regenerative Organic Certified Honduras coffee roasted by Equator Coffees in California's Bay Area. Brewed on a Kalita Wave, the hosts couldn't get enough of this easy drinking and pleasant coffee with notes of roasted almond, chocolate, and red...

Suns out, cardamom buns out! It's summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere and that can only mean one thing: the season of Build-Outs is upon us! Since the dawn of the internet, we've celebrated new cafes, cafe builds, remodels, refreshes, tear-downs, and glow-ups in a feature series we call The Build-Outs of Coffee. And each year we celebrate podcast style with the Sprudge Podcast Coffee Sprudgecast Coffee Buildcast.

Before we get into it, we drink a banging bounty of beautiful brews with an emphasis on DECAF. "We always thought it was cool," says Michelman, "but it just...

Another fabulous week, another fabulous Coffee Sprudgecast episode. We're going full Proof of Taste on the pod this week, with several coffees ranging from outstanding to thank god we're still standing.

Little Buddy, Danny Devito, Small Americano, Italiano. Call it whatever you want, but let's be real: three, four ounces of hot water with espresso, this little drink is delightful, and we slam one down using Equator Coffees latest offering from Thailand: Chaiprakarn Red Honey.

We climb to the tippy top of Tug Hill and cup coffees from this artisan roaster out of Lowville, NY...

It's Hood strawberry season here in Portland, Oregon and we have strawberry fever here at the Coffee Sprudgecast. Hood season also means it's Build-Outs of Coffee season and hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen are champing at the bit to kick things off next week. Will this be the biggest build-outs season ever?

To take build-outs buzz to 11, the hosts share a Strawberry White Chocolate Mocha using 1883 Strawberry Syrup, Hollander Chocolate's White Chocolate Café Sauce, La Barba Deviation Espresso and Pacific Barista Series Pistachio milk. Is there such a thing as too much buzz? Perhaps, and to s...

We're deconstructing vanilla lattes on the newest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast! Hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen sip their way through another episode of Sprudge's flagship podcast with the help of some truly unique coffees, flavors, and milks. Later in the show Zachary Carlsen interviews the founder of Post Brew Coffee Mints, a new product made specifically to fight the scourge of bad coffee breath. They're chugging-a-lug with a special noissue + Verve Coffee collab coffee from the San Diego World of Coffee by way of famed Colombia coffee producer Nestor Lasso. The coffee is made with the help...

It was the product that baffled and dazzled the attendees of World of Coffee San Diego in equal measure. We're talking, of course, about Soup Latte. Not a soup caffè latte, mind. No espresso involved—we're talking a chuggable micro-foamed milk-based soup. Soup Latte debuted at World of Coffee sampling three of their five flavors: Broccoli Cheddar, Coconut Curry, and Truffle Mushroom. The product was dreamed up by Rio Miura, one of the co-founders of global chai juggernaut David Rio. Miura serves as Creative Director for Soup Latte and we had an opportunity to interview her on the floor abo...

World of Coffee 2026 was quite literally everything—a three-day bacchanal of coffee culture, coffee business, and coffee innovation, in the sunny center of San Diego. The vibes? Immaculate. The coffee? Delicious. Our team covered the event from top to bottom all weekend long, from curated guides to immersive live social media coverage. But now it's our chance to look back, reflect on the show, and share some of our favorite moments.

Sprudge Media Network's coverage of the 2026 World of Coffee is presented by La Marzocco, Dona, Hollander Chocolate and Califia Farms. 

This year's recap coverage is...

As far as food fads go, protein and the desire for more protein seems to be as enduring as the non-fat craze of the 80s and 90s. Protein injection into familiar foodstuffs and beverages seems to only be getting more pronounced. This also applies to coffee. Protein enhanced coffee beverages, or "proffee", lines RTD shelves in the grocery store and even Starbucks is joining the game with a range of protein infused lattes. Highly addictive and soul draining mobile apps like TikTok and Instagram come out with viral proffee hack each week.

For this episode's Mocha Moment...

The Coffee Sprudgecast is back, it's springtime, the world is buzzing about World of Coffee San Diego, and we're buzzing about The Sprudge Twenty Presented by Pacific Barista Series. Nominations are now open for the eighth annual Sprudge Twenty class, honoring inspiring coffee professionals worldwide.

Perusing the cookbook sections at thrift stores can be a real treat. While digging through well worn copies of Dump Cakes and other Cathy Mitchell classics, we absolutely screamed when we discovered a pristine third edition copy of The Ghirardelli Cookbook (1986). We've worked with Ghirardelli for a number of years, and on the Coffee Sprudgecast here in 2026 we are teaming up to dive deep into the rich and chocolatey world of all things mocha with a segment we're calling Mocha Moments. This forty-year-old cookbook, released in the height of the 1980s San Francisco specialty chocolate boom, is chock full...

In the 175 episodes of the Coffee Sprudgecast, only a few are truly dedicated and earnestly focused on that most imporant of concepts: Proof of Taste. And on the latest episode, we take proof of taste to 100. Only the flavors matter. Only the best brew will do. Are you on the list? Are you ready to prove your taste once and for all??

On this week's episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen start by brewing coffee using a gorgeous ceramic Vandola that was thrown, glazed, and fired in Costa Rica. Then we dive int...

On this episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast we go on decidedly delicious deep dives. It's *all* about proof of taste—and we're here to prove that taste is what matters above nearly all else. Listen in our as intrepid founders glide over the modernity of romance in 2026, subject listeners to an Orwellian abuse of the word "purist", and enjoy Caffe Umbria Bizzarri Blend (how Bizzarri, how Bizzarri) as an espresso. Like the mighty I Ching, like the collected works of Shakespeare, this episode contains multitudes, so please expect all that and truly, so much more.

Hosts Jordan Mi...

The Coffee Sprudgecast celebrates the seventeenth year of Sprudgie Award winners and honorees, presented in partnership with Pacific Barista Series, on this very special episode.

Hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen fuel up before getting into it with the help of Klatch Coffees' Valentine's Day offering Aphrodite Nº 3 and the delightful Garden Lemongrass herbal tisane from DONA. The Aphrodite Nº 3, ground using MiiR's sturdy hand grinder and brewed up on the trusty Ceado Hoop Brewer, offers flavor notes fit for the season: subtle florals (elderflower, rose) and nuanced red berry. The Garden Lemongrass herbal tisane, part of DONA...

In the year brew thousand… in the year brew thousaaaaand! The new year is upon us and, as such, there has never a more relevant time to look into the future. Fueled with pour-overs of Loyal Coffee's Mountain Melody Blend brewed using an appropriately futuristic brewer, Sprudgecast hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen make their startling predictions for 2026.

Did someone say futuristic brewer? Yes, that's right. Live on the show, the hosts try out the Melitta Senz V, a high-tech pour-over brewing kit that pairs with the Wabilogic phone app. The brewer is loaded with sensors (two sc...

We're ready for the World Flairista Championship on this special year-in-rebrew episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Podcast hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen take the Flair 58+2 for a twirl with the La Prima Espresso Co. Buon Natale holiday blend. Jordan calls Zachary a "confirmed Flairista". Coffee podcast hosts can't live on espresso alone, so they slurped mightily upon a Ceado Hoop brew of New Orleans' own Brassline Coffee Roasters Session Blend.

To smooth out, Michelman rips into some "Honey, Honey" herbal tisane from the Dona Tea Library. To take it up a notch, he adds Coffee Blossom...

It's officially Holiday Blend season here at the Sprudge Headquarters. To celebrate, we conducted an epic coffee cupping with exceptional Holiday Blends from 24 coffee roasters.

Once properly overly caffeinated, Coffee Sprudgecast hosts and Sprudge co-founders Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman hopped on the mics to unpack and share notes. 'Tis the season, so brew up a hot cup of holiday blend, fix yourself a plate of speculoos, and have a listen!

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Breville, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

On today's episode of The Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen drip drop minerals, dish about coffee events and the seventeenth annual Sprudgie Awards (noms open November 10!) Michelman discusses his experience at HOSTMilano, the massive food convention that played host to the 2025 United States Barista Championship, and the La Marzocco Out of the Box Event in Milan: fresh coffee, new gear, hot collabs, and frothy gossip.

On this episode, the hosts were sipping a delicious Ethiopia Koke Honey roasted by Presta Coffee. Thanks, Presta!

Stay tuned to Sprudge and @Sprudge on Instagram for...

Barreling into November—this podcast needs a drink! At the top of the latest episode we rip a generous glug of State Line Distillery's new Coffee Liqueur with coffee from Madison, Wisconsin's Kin-Kin Coffee. The reaction?

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Ohh."

The unique flavor sensations don't end there—hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen Ceado Hoop Brew a special offering from Deadstock Coffee and Portland, Oregon's renowned Haitian restaurant Kann.

To round things out, the hosts taste Partners Coffee's Colombia Chiroso limited release—a beautiful cup to carry them through the episod...

It's busy out there in the world of coffee: national barista champions from across the globe are in Milan for The World Barista Championship at HOST Milano and La Marzocco's Out of the Box. Who will become the 2025 World Barista Champion? Only time will tell! In the meantime, we've got another humdinger of an episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Much is discussed on this episode but the real meat is in the macchiato. Espresso macchiato? Macchiato latte? Caramel Macchiato? "Traditional" macchiato? What's a real macchiato anyway? After a brush with macchiato clarification at a coffee bar in Portland, host...

The days are getting shorter, the leaves are falling, the pumpkin spice latte recipes are influencing—and for us? It means big European coffee events, awards season, gift guides, and an extra helping of tea in the moody afternoons. Much tea is talked about on the Coffee Sprudgecast thanks to our continuation of the DONA Tea Library deep dive, including a tea sourced from the Wah Estate featured in a recent article from writer Navdeep Kaur.

We always take a moment to cherish coffees from our Roasters Village and on this episode the hosts drink a fine cu...

We're exploring brand new cafes from Seattle, Olympia, Long Beach, and Medellin on another special episode of the Coffee Buildcast on the Coffee Sprudgecast (a coffee podcast). At the top of the show hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen enjoy coffee from Caffe Umbria brewed using the new Timemore Sculptor Series Electric Grinder, Timemore Black Mirror Basic 2 Scale, all brewed with the Ceado Hoop Brewer.

The hosts take a moment of centering and reflection over fine tisanes from DONA's beautiful Tea Library. Jordan enjoys chamomile while Zachary went for a classic tisane blend The Field.

We're in the middle of a very busy Build-Outs of Coffee Summer, that time of year when Sprudge spotlights new and exciting projects from near and far. To celebrate, we chose four to highlight on the newest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast.

To keep hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen in tip top form, the two sip espresso on the show. It's a little daring, a little different—most shows will find the hosts sippin' drip but this episode needed something a little more robust. Find out how the YesPlz Coffee (release #346—Nice Things Blend) tasted from the...

On this episode, we're taking you on a wild trip, man. Inspired by Verve Coffee's recent collaboration with Grateful Deadand their delicious Morning Brew Blend, hosts Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman weird out on Grateful Dead lore. From favorite eras to favorite albums to tales from the golden road, things get a little heady in an extremely chill way. Later in the episode, Michelman sits down with Verve Coffee Co-Founder Colby Barr to learn more about what it was like working with the Grateful Dead.

Check out the show notes for links out to hear Grateful Dead's...

It's that time of the year again, where the days are long, the coffees are flash chilled, and cafes show up and build-out! On the latest episode the show we explore new cafe build-outs from Bradley Beach, New Jersey, down to Springdale, Arkansas and all the way to Ventura, California. It's all part of our annual Build-Outs of Coffee series, a humdinger of a program focusing on the hard work, dedication, craftsmanship, and the community it takes to build something great.

On the Coffee Sprudgecast this week, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen ring in the summer...

Welcome to the Coffee Sprudgecast. It's not just a coffee podcast, it's a taste experience, where only the strongest endure.

Zachary Carlsen returns from World of Coffee Jakarta on the Coffee Sprudgecast and brings with him delicious coffees, interesting coffees, and coffees he didn't dare dream existed. This includes a Space Roastery coffee that mimics the process of Kopi Luwak (the poop coffee) without using animals. It's a fair and cruelty free Kopi Luwak! No civets were harmed in the making of this coffee. We also try a Vietnam-grown gesha coffee roasted by our reporter Tung Nguyen...

We've got a special bite-sized episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast this week, featuring an interview with 2025 World Roasting Champion Mikaël Portannier. Liz Chai caught Portannier on stage moments after announcements to learn more about his epic win.

Host Zachary Carlsen sips Passenger Coffee's India Bhadra while thumbing through a copy of their 2024 Transparency Report. "In addition to prices paid for every pound of green coffee contracted in the most recent harvest year, and cup quality data," says Passenger, "our 2024 Transparency Report also includes dispatches from our green buying team." It also happens to be beautiful—with ric...

On this special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen talk about the winners of the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards. This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by TerraCycle, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

On this very special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen list off all the incredible things to see, do, and experience at this weekend's SCA Expo in Houston, Texas. On the show we also try out the new double-the-size AeroPress XL and make not one but TWO delicious YesPlz "Soft Power" Blend coffees in one pump! It's a genuine flavor journey and testament to the size and girth of one of specialty coffee's favorite brew methods.

To celebrate coffee history's final SCA Expo we make ourselves elevated coffees with the convenience of...

It's time again for another rousing episode of the Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen on the Sprudge coffee podcast The Coffee Sprudgecast! Learn about how we curate our popular city guides, find out about the 16th Annual Sprudgie Award Finalists (voting open now!)

On this episode of The Coffee Sprudgecast Michelman and Carlsen wet their whistles with a Chemex brew of Bekele Kachara Natural out of Muraga, Ethiopia roasted by our friends and partners Heartwood Coffee Roasters. "Bekele employs a meticulous approach to coffee farming," Heartwood writes on its website, "using shaded pre-drying beds on-site and nurturing...

On this episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Michelman and Carlsen drink Partners Coffee's limited-edition Valentine's Day "Be Mine" specialty instant coffee and the 4th Place Guatemala Cup of Excellence coffee—a natural pacamara from the Ponderosa farm roasted by Proud Mary.

It's Sprudgies Season! Lots of discussion is had about the Sixteenth Annual Sprudgie Awards. Nominations are open through the end of Presidents' Day weekend—submit a nomination today!

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

A new year, a new Coffee Sprudgecast. It's 2025 and hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen talk about all of the incredible Sprudge Design Award winners on the latest episode of Sprudge's coffee podcast.

Ceado Hoop Brewers come out to brew up a lovely cup of Verve Coffee's special Green Tip Gesha from Elida Estate in Panama. Before diving into the coffee, the hosts tried a hot Black Scottie Chai out of Snohomish, Washington using hot steamy oat milk. Lots of ginger, lots of spice: a classic coffee house chai.

Check out all of the finalists...

Hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen ring in the holidays with an epic seventeen coffee cupping on the latest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. So many holiday blends (some not blends at all!) to taste through—and Carlsen and Michelman slurp through them all!

Dune Coffee – Holiday Blend
Equator Coffees – Holiday Blend
Joe Coffee Company – Rockefeller Holiday Coffee
La Barba – Jubilee
Madcap Coffee – Winter Solstice
Mr. Espresso – Caffè Festivo
Night Swim Coffee – The Holiday Blend
Olympia Coffee – Holiday Blend
Partners Coffee – Miracle on North 6th Street
Passenger Coffee – Holiday Coffee
Ph...

Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen return for another rousing episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Myths are busted, minds are opened, and we have thoughts on special gifts for special friends.

Michelman and Carlsen drink a Chemex of Klatch Coffee's Empire Blend and brew a couple of Ceado Hoop Coffee Brewers of PERC Coffee's box set of Cinnamon and Lychee co-ferments from Colombia.

Michelman and Carlsen discuss their holiday wish list. Vintage mugs, hand grinders, pod machines (and the Nod Pod) all make the cut! Listen in to find out who wants what and who prefers...

On this episode, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen drink coffees from Verve Coffee, Sightglass Coffee, and Dito Coffee powered by Madcap. The Dwell Brewer is used, as well as the Lafeeca DJ electric kettle.

Welcome back to a very, very special new episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, in which hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen make a Chemex of Touchy Coffee while talking about the fifteenth anniversary of Sprudge!

The Touchy Coffee comes courtesy of the Welcome Conference, the annual New York City hospitality symposium, where six roasters served 1,800 guests on eighteen La Marzocco Linea Mini espresso machines. Touchy Coffee joined forces with roasters Onyx Coffee Lab, Counter Culture Coffee, Parlor Coffee, Black Crown Collective, and Driftaway Coffee. Special thanks to Felicity Jones and Mike Romig for the Touchy Coffee and a...