Everyday Beans Podcast - Mostly About Coffee and Other Stuff
It's about coffee, food, life and what other randomness I feel that'll be helpful to the common coffee drinker or to anyone who likes to be entertained by a stranger, briefly.
How to Bend Coffee to Your Taste Preferences
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I dive deep into one of the most powerful concepts in coffee brewing: manipulation. In this episode, I explore how we, as coffee brewers, have the ability to bend and shape coffee to match our personal preferences through our choice of equipment, technique, and understanding. I break down how every decision we make—from choosing a flat-bed brewer versus a cone-shaped filter, selecting our grinder, adjusting our water chemistry, and even picking our paper filters—gives us control over the final cup. I share personal experiences of roasting coffee and initially feeling frustrated when...
Is Coffee Smell a Preview or a Promise?
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I've been thinking a lot about smell — specifically, how much it really matters when it comes to coffee. In this episode, I take you through my relationship with coffee aroma, going all the way back to the first time I walked into a roastery and got hit with that wave of smell before I even stepped through the door. I knew right then I was addicted. But over the years, I've come to realize that smell — as intoxicating as it is — doesn't always tell the whole story. Sometimes it disappoints you. Sometimes it takes...
Stop Buying Grinders: Find Your Context First
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In this episode, I take you through my personal journey with coffee grinders, specifically comparing the Kin Grinder K2, K6, K Ultra, and the ZP6. I started with a basic hand grinder and gradually expanded my collection to better understand how different grinders affect coffee clarity, flavor profiles, and overall brewing experience. I discuss why I transitioned from the K2 to the K6 for its improved espresso capabilities, then explored the ZP6 for its exceptional clarity with pour-over brewing. I also introduce the K Ultra and explain how each grinder serves different purposes depending...
Why Does Coffee Need So Much Help?
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I've been brewing coffee for a while now, and if I'm honest, my journey started with something beautifully simple: a brewer, a filter, some coffee, and water. That was it. A simple recipe with a bloom and a couple of pours, and I was making fantastic, great-tasting coffee without any issues. But somewhere along the way, I fell deep into the rabbit hole — and I'll be the first to admit I'm guilty of it too. I've accumulated grinders, scales, boosters, specialty brewers, TDS meters, and gadgets I probably don't even need. In this episode, I...
Don't Give Up on Your Coffee Yet
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I gave up on a Nicaraguan coffee — and I'm so glad I did, because that mistake led to one of the most surprising brewing discoveries I've had in years. In this episode, I walk through my experience with a strictly highly grown, European-prepared, organic Nicaraguan coffee that simply refused to cooperate at every ratio I tried. I tested it as a light roast, a medium roast, and a dark roast. I pushed the water chemistry, I switched brewers, I adjusted grind size — and nothing worked. So I moved on.
One morning, brew...
Stop Being a Coffee Purist: Blend It
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In this episode, I dive deep into a topic that I avoided for years—blending and mixing coffees. For the longest time, I was a purist, strictly dedicated to single origin coffees. I romanticized the origin stories, the soil, the elevations, the farmers, and the unique characteristics of each coffee. Single origins felt sacred, like something I shouldn't alter or mess with. But as I've pushed my understanding and love for coffee further, I've discovered that blending isn't cheating—it's an art form that allows us to mold and shape coffee into exactly what...
Are You Brewing or Just Measuring?
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In this episode, I dive deep into the paradox of precision in coffee brewing and question whether my obsession with exactness has actually robbed me of the joy I once felt. I reflect on my journey from the simplicity of the French press—just ground coffee, water, and time—to the world of scales, refractometers, temperature-controlled kettles, and my Timemore Sculptor 78SS grinder. I talk about how precision tools like scales and kettles transformed my brewing from experimentation into science, allowing me to replicate good cups and eliminate bad ones. But somewhere along the...
ZP6 vs Fellow Ode: Same Coffee, New Story
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I recently put the ZP6 grinder to the test with a dark roast Honduras coffee—a bean I know intimately with its orangey top notes that fade into mellow chocolate. Most people claim this "clarity king" grinder only works well with light and medium roasts, but I wasn't convinced. What I discovered changed how I think about grinders entirely. I went finer than the recommended sweet spot, pushing down to a 2 on the dial when most people stay between 4 and 5.5, and the separation remained clean without getting offensive. Then I tried the same co...
How I Unlocked Hidden Coffee Flavors for $10
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In this episode, I dive deep into the one piece of coffee equipment that changed everything for me—a simple TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter. For less than $10, this unassuming device has unlocked flavors in my coffee that I didn't think were possible anymore. I talk about how understanding water hardness through this meter has made my lightly roasted Kenyan coffees finally show their sweetness, made my Brazilian coffees more expressive, and eliminated the inconsistency that used to plague my brewing. I share why we fixate on grinders, brewers, and technique while ignoring th...
Sometimes Coffee Just Sucks (And That's OK)
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In this episode, I explore the uncomfortable reality of mastering coffee: sometimes, despite all your knowledge and skill, a coffee just doesn't work for you. I'm diving deep into my experience with a Nicaraguan organic, strictly high-grown, European-prepared coffee that on paper should be spectacular, but in practice leaves me completely uninspired. I detail my extensive experimentation with this coffee—different roast levels, multiple brewing methods, various filters, different grinders, and water chemistry adjustments—yet none of it changes the fundamental truth that this coffee simply doesn't resonate with me personally.
By l...
Month With Zpresso ZP6: What They Don't Tell You
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I spent the last month testing the ZP6 grinder, and I think it's time I share my honest thoughts about this budget clarity grinder that everyone's been talking about. In this episode, I dive deep into what I discovered after grinding coffee daily with this thing - from its surprisingly limited useful grind range to the way it completely separates flavor profiles in a way I wasn't expecting. I talk about how only settings 2 through 6 are actually worth using out of the 111 total clicks, why this grinder is particularly magical with dark roasts...
Light Roast Coffee Drinkers Be Like...
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In this episode, I dive deep into the psychology and passion of light roasted coffee drinkers—a group I used to belong to but now observe from a different perspective. I explore why these coffee enthusiasts are so unapologetic about their preferences, how they chase that next hit of unique acidity and complexity, and why they'll spend almost any amount of money on specialized grinders, filters, water chemistry, and accessories to extract that perfect cup. I share my own recent experience with a medium-to-light roast that kept revealing new layers of personality the mo...
Hario Mugen Switch: Do You Really Need It?
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In this episode, I dive deep into the Hario V60 Mugen Switch and answer the burning question: do you actually need this brewer? I demonstrate a brew using this device and break down the honest truth about whether it's worth adding to your collection, especially if you already own a regular Hario V60 Switch. I compare the grooves, flow rates, and performance differences between the Mugen Switch, the regular V60 Switch, and even the Origami dripper to show you what really matters when it comes to brewing great coffee.
By listening...
The Coffees I Lost to Water Chemistry
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In this episode, I open up about one of the most humbling realizations in my coffee journey: the coffees I've lost along the way. I'm talking about those bags where I knew something special was hiding, but I just couldn't crack the code to unlock it. The culprit? Water chemistry—and more broadly, ignorance about the variables that truly matter in brewing. I've been experimenting intensively with water over the past week, using a TDS meter and testing different mineral profiles, and I'm blown away by how simple tweaks can completely transform what yo...
The Imperfect Perfect Starter Grinder: K2 Kin Grinder
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In this episode, I share my honest recommendation for anyone just starting their specialty coffee journey: the K2 Kin Grinder. I reflect on my own coffee beginnings with ground coffee and a French press, and explain why if I were starting fresh today, this $70-80 hand grinder would be my first investment. I walk through the grinder's capabilities—from pour over to French press to even espresso if you're adventurous—and discuss why its imperfections actually make it perfect for beginners.
I dive into the reality that grinders tell the story of c...
The Sulawesi That Spoke To My Soul
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In this deeply personal episode, I share the story of a Sulawesi coffee that completely transformed my understanding of what exceptional coffee could be. I discovered this remarkable bean over 10 years ago during my early roasting journey when I was still a novice, experimenting with a Fresh Roast and barely knowing what I was doing. I describe how this particular coffee had an almost purple flavor profile - juicy, acidic but not offensive, with an incredible fruitiness that persisted no matter how I roasted it. What shocked me most was that I could...
Why You Don't Know Your Coffee Equipment
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I recently bought some new camera gear, and as I was playing around with it, figuring out how it works and what it can do, it got me thinking about coffee equipment. I talk about how we often buy coffee gear—whether it's a Hario V60, an Origami Dripper, or whatever catches our eye—but we don't really take the time to understand it. We watch videos, read reviews, follow recipes, but we're depending on other people's experiences instead of developing our own. I share my thoughts on the Origami Dripper specifically, breaking down...
Why Context Matters in Coffee Reviews
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I dive deep into why context matters more than anything when it comes to coffee equipment recommendations and brewing methods. Throughout this episode, I share my personal coffee journey as a pour-over enthusiast, occasional espresso puller, and coffee roaster who's tried just about every brewing method out there. I break down my honest opinions on the Kase Six grinder, discuss why I'm not sold on light roasts, and explain why medium roasts hit that perfect sweet spot for me. I also reveal my surprising take on dark roasted African coffees that might change...
Coffee, Water, Brewer: That's It
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In this episode, I break down my approach to the year-long coffee mastery challenge by returning to the fundamentals: coffee, water, and the brewer. I share how I initially felt overwhelmed by the scope of this project, but simplified everything by focusing on these three core elements—with the grinder occupying its own special category between coffee and brewing equipment.
I explain why I believe water will be the most rewarding variable to explore, discussing my plans to experiment with PPM levels, Third Wave Water mixed with spring water, and even al...
Coffee Gear Addiction: The Honest Truth
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In this episode, I get brutally honest about something I've been reluctant to admit: gear matters, and I love it. After spending this year going deep into the rabbit hole of coffee equipment—buying almost everything in sight, including things I told myself I'd never purchase—I'm ready to have a real conversation about the coffee gear journey. I talk about my collection of brewers, my EK43 grinder, and how the excitement of new gear sometimes overshadows the beans themselves, even though I roast my own coffee and have access to whatever I want...
Deep 27: The Selfish Brewer That Saves You Money
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I recently completed a two-week odyssey with the Deep 27 flower dripper from Kafek, brewing nearly 30 cups of coffee to truly understand what this unique brewer brings to the table. I've called it a "selfish brewer" before, but in the best possible way - it keeps giving exceptional results while staying completely out of your way. What shocked me most about this compact dripper is how it truly excels at small batch brewing, allowing you to make quality coffee with as little as 5 grams of grounds, something that's challenging with traditional pour-over methods.
<...Why I Don't Recommend the Hario Mugen
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I took a deep dive into the Hario V60 Mugen dripper after using it for a couple of months, and I have to be honest with you—I don't think you need it. In this episode, I share my side-by-side testing results comparing the Mugen to the original Hario V60 and the Origami dripper. I walked through multiple brewing rounds using identical variables and discovered something interesting: the Mugen extracted slightly more coffee than the Origami but less than the original V60. The main difference comes down to the Mugen's unique design with ze...
The Flavor Wheel Is Biased (Here's Why)
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In this episode, I dive into the SCA flavor wheel and explore why I think it's fundamentally biased in how it represents coffee flavors. I break down the structure of the flavor wheel, examining how it dedicates massive sections to fruity, floral, and acidic descriptors while giving surprisingly minimal space to classic coffee characteristics like sweetness, chocolate, and nutty flavors. I question whether this imbalance reflects what coffee actually tastes like or reveals the preferences of those who created it—potentially light roast enthusiasts who value brightness and acidity over traditional coffee profiles.
...How I'll Know When I've Mastered Coffee
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In this episode, I dive deep into what it actually means to master coffee and how I'll know when I've achieved it. I break down the four specific benchmarks I've set for myself in this year-long journey: brewing a great cup in three pours or less while understanding exactly why it works, identifying roast levels purely by taste without any gadgets, intentionally shifting a coffee's flavor profile to bring out characteristics I want, and most importantly, clearly showing you what actually matters when brewing coffee.
I share my philosophy on testing...
Will Mastering Coffee Ruin My Love for It?
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In this episode, I'm getting real about the year-long coffee mastery challenge I'm about to embark on. While I'm excited about the journey ahead, I'm taking a moment to reflect on five potential pitfalls that worry me as I dive deeper into this pursuit. I talk about becoming a coffee accessory chaser, getting trapped by recipe obsession, losing patience with the 12-month timeline, burning out from the intensity, and perhaps most concerning—whether this deep focus might actually ruin my relationship with coffee altogether.
I share a personal story from my co...
Stop Buying Brewers: Try Different Filters
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I started this episode planning to convince everyone why flatbed brewers are superior to cone-shaped filters because of their more even coffee bed distribution. But after testing both methods over the past few days, I realized I needed to talk about something more important—how to explore different brewing styles without buying more gear. I've been a cone-shaped filter devotee for years, even looking down on flatbed brewers and their ridge designs. But lately, I've discovered that cone filters make my coffee punch way too hard with acidity, while flatbed filters mellow everything ou...
Your Coffee Ratio Matters More Than You Think
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In this episode, I dive deep into one of the most overlooked aspects of brewing great coffee: ratios, or as I like to call it, strength level. I share my personal journey from brewing at a 1:10 ratio (pretty strong, mainly to satisfy my wife's preference for bold coffee) to discovering that different roast levels demand completely different approaches. I talk about how my palate evolved as I moved from 1:10 to 1:11, then 1:12, 1:13, and eventually settling around 1:15 as my general sweet spot. But here's where it gets interesting—I explain why I now brew dark ro...
The Coffee Drinker I Am: A Confession About Preferences, Struggles, and the Quest for Mastery
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In this episode, I open up about my current relationship with coffee and what drives my brewing choices every single day. I confess that I'm a pour-over person through and through, with a strong preference for medium to dark roasts—especially darker roasts that deliver both sweetness and acidity in balance. I share my struggles with light roasts, my evolving palate that's making even medium roasts taste too acidic, and why I'm gravitating toward African coffees and certain Colombians. I also reveal my frustrations with fruit-forward profiles that lack natural sweetness and explain wh...
Why I Don't Recommend Hario Pegasus
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In this episode, I dive deep into the Hario Pegasus Dripper and share my honest thoughts on whether it deserves a spot in your coffee brewing arsenal. I walk through my hands-on experience with this size 2 dripper, examining everything from its groove pattern design to its filter compatibility issues. I discuss the peculiar two-hole drainage system that bothers me, the awkward fit of Hario's own filters, and how it compares directly to the classic Hario V60 that many of you already own.
By listening to this episode, you'll learn exactly why...
Can You Master Coffee in One Year?
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I recently started questioning whether mastering coffee in a year is even possible, but I've decided to push forward with this ambitious challenge anyway. In this episode, I open up about my goal to reach a level where I can grab any bag of coffee—light, medium, or dark roast, washed, natural, or anaerobic—and nail the perfect brew within two or three tries. I'm talking about understanding water chemistry, exploring the science behind cold brew, testing the limits of AeroPress, trusting my palate over refractometers, and diving deep into questions that most coff...
Why 1:17 Coffee Ratio Doesn't Work For Me
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In this episode, I dive deep into a brewing experiment that challenged my coffee preferences and taught me valuable lessons about knowing what you truly enjoy. I challenged myself to brew a medium roast coffee at 200 degrees Fahrenheit using a 1:17 ratio, pushing the boundaries of my usual brewing comfort zone. Through this experiment, I discovered that this weak brewing ratio simply doesn't work for my palate - it tastes like tea rather than the robust coffee experience I crave.
I share my honest thoughts about how the 1:17 ratio creates a muddy...
Mastering Coffee Through Failure
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In this episode, I share my ambitious resolution for the year: mastering coffee through intentional failure and relentless experimentation. I open up about what this journey means to me—pushing past comfort zones, questioning the status quo of specialty coffee, and discovering why certain coffees, roast degrees, and brewing methods work the way they do. I talk about my desire to understand everything from light roasts to dark roasts, from Brazilian coffees to exotic processing methods, and from basic Mr. Coffee machines to high-end ZP6 grinders. This isn't just about acquiring knowledge; it's ab...
Pour Over Geometry: Engineering Great Coffee
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In this episode, I dive deep into the engineering and geometry behind pour-over coffee brewers, drawing from my background as a drainage engineer to explain how water flow impacts extraction. I break down the science behind popular brewers like the Hario V60, Fellow Stagg, Deep 27, and the UFO dripper, examining how their cone angles and design features manipulate water flow to create different extraction profiles. I demonstrate how steep angles create faster flow rates, while gentler slopes allow for longer contact time between water and coffee grounds, ultimately affecting the flavor in your...
Not Every Specialty Coffee Will Be Special
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In this episode, I get real about something we don't talk about enough in specialty coffee: not every coffee is going to be special to you, and that's perfectly okay. I share my experience with a lightly roasted Kenyan coffee that smells divine but I just don't like, and reflect on a customer review that said my Brazilian coffee "wasn't special enough." I dive into why coffee preference is entirely personal and subjective, and why once a bag of coffee leaves a roaster's hands, it becomes yours to judge however you want.
<...Coffee Reflection: Gear vs Understanding
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In this reflective episode, I share my birthday thoughts about what really matters in the coffee journey. I talk about how I've accumulated so much coffee gear and knowledge about brewing techniques, but I realized I've been missing the forest for the trees. I discuss how we often get caught up in the latest grinders, brewers, water recipes, and extraction methods, but forget to truly understand the coffee itself. I use the Hario V60 Switch as an example of how even when trying to talk about coffee fundamentals, we slip into gear talk...
AeroPress: The Most Controversial Coffee Brewer
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In this episode, I dive deep into the world's most controversial brewing device - the AeroPress. I share my honest journey from initially thinking it was garbage to learning to appreciate its unique capabilities. I discuss a thoughtful comment from a listener about AeroPress techniques, exploring both the traditional and inverted brewing methods. I break down the common leakage issues with paper filters versus metal filters, and why I've come to prefer the metal filter for its consistency and reusability.
I also explore how the AeroPress community is beautifully divided in...
Why I Don't Recommend the Baratza Virtuoso
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In this episode, I'm diving into coffee grinder recommendations—specifically why I don't recommend the Baratza Virtuoso despite owning it for years. I share my honest experience with this popular $250 grinder, explaining how it performs flawlessly mechanically and looks great on your counter, but ultimately falls short in what matters most: the cup quality. I talk about how the Virtuoso produces a muddy, concentrated flavor profile where all the tasting notes hit at once and then dissipate, making it difficult to distinguish the nuanced characteristics that make each coffee unique. I explain why th...
Perfecting Bread to Master Coffee Brewing
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In this episode, I dive into my latest obsession: perfecting Japanese milk bread. But this isn't just about bread—it's about how pursuing mastery in one craft can transform your approach to another. I share my journey of deliberately choosing to make Japanese milk bread once a week, experimenting with different flours, ratios, techniques, and baking methods, all while staying intentionally naive to outside influences. I explain why I'm avoiding extensive research and instead learning through trial and error, letting my own curiosity guide the way. Drawing parallels to my experience mastering pork ri...
It's Not About the Brewer, It's the Recipe
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In this episode, I share my weekend revelations about coffee brewing that completely shifted my perspective. I realized that it's not about the brewer—it's about the recipe and understanding the coffee itself. I tested different recipes with various devices, including the Hario V60 and Mugen Dripper, and discovered something profound: we often lose sight of what really matters in our coffee journey. I talk about the "holy trinity" of coffee brewing and why getting yourself out of the way is crucial to making better coffee.
By listening to this episode, yo...
Finding Your Coffee Grinder's Sweet Spot
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In this episode, I dive deep into one of the most critical yet misunderstood aspects of brewing great coffee: finding your grinder's sweet spot. I share my recent experiences with multiple grinders, including the Timemore Chestnut Clarity King and the Timemore CP6, and reveal why most grinder settings are essentially useless. Through weeks of testing and countless cups of coffee, I discovered that every grinder—regardless of price or reputation—has a narrow range where it truly performs at its best. I break down why manufacturers mislead us with excessive click counts and sett...
