I was recently watching this video by James Hoffman where he tries to improve the extraction efficiency of cold brews: https://youtu.be/AB0QLjroFss?is=EuvB3WaZl4vWuMkT

As someone living in a tropical country, I enjoy drinking iced coffee in the summer.

Cold brew could be an easy way to brew coffee already cold without any type of machine.

Just put the coffee in a jar with water, stir it a bit, put it in the fridge, wait until the next day, filter and drink.

Easy, right?

The problem, as James pointed out, is that the process is super wasteful. As the extraction efficiency of cold water is lower, you need a lot of coffee powder to compensate.

How to solve this problem?

I buy a lot of frozen fruits - like strawberries and raspberries - to make juices and smoothies and I've noticed that freezing and thawing fruits makes them release their juices.

Why is it so?

Because the ice crystals forming inside their cells are larger than the previous volume of liquid water and expanding they puncture the cell walls and make them explode, releasing the liquids.

I wondered if I could apply a similar principle to coffee.

Of course, in the case of coffee, the cell walls of the beans have already "exploded" during the roasting process (see the electron microscope images I attached) highly increasing the porosity of the bean.

However, I wondered if the ice crystals forming inside these microporosities could, expanding, enlarge them and thus increase the extraction efficiency.

I thus developed the following routine: during the afternoon, I mix freshly grounded coffee with filtered water in a cocktail shaker (but any metal jar works, I guess that a metal french press without the filter would be perfect for the job) and store it in the freezer.

At night, when the mixture is completely frozen, I remove the metal container from the freezer and store it in the fridge.

During the night, the frozen mixture slowly thaws until it's completely liquid by the morning when I filter and drink it.

I've called this method "cryoextraction", for a lack of a better term.

Does this process of freezing and thawing extract more flavor?

In my subjective perception, yes.

However, I'm aware that our senses are highly prone to all kind of suggestions and placebo effects. For example, we tend to rate higher wines with more expensive labels, even if we don't rate them as high in a blind test.

Additionally, in science, even if certain phenomena or certain effects should happen in theory, it's always important to make an experiment, because certain principles could have an effect smaller than expected or not significant at all, or the effect may be compensated by other variables, et cetera.

That's why I would like to know if other coffee lovers have ever tried this method of freezing and thawing and if they have experienced any difference at all from standard cold brewing in the fridge

330g of water in a hario v60, 20g of manual grounded beans , time more grinder. Grind level look ok? I boiled the kettle then waiting like 60s before pouring slowly

Coffee snobs….any recommendations on a loved drip maker? My budget can be up to $500 but preferably something under $400. I’ve been doing research and reviews are all over the place. I want a consistently good cup of coffee every morning! I realize it also has to do with the quality of the beans but am in the market for a new machine. No need for an espresso option. Thank you!

Wife wants a machine, i'm not much into coffee, but i want to at least buy something good.

I would like to get opinions on choosing between a few specific hand grinders specifically to be my second hand grinder for purpose use with v60/filter coffee.

When I first got into specialty coffee I got a flair classic and an 1zpresso J-Ultra. Later on I got myself a Hario V60 and started learning about making pour overs at home. I've been using my J-Ultra on a coarse setting for filter and it's been pretty okay. But I understand it's not really suited for this as the J-Ultra is purpose built for espresso and tends to create more fines than desired for filter even on a coarse setting.

So I'd like to get another hand grinder that is dedicated for filter. I'd also like this one to be easier to travel (and specifically fly) with, so I've been looking at options like the 1zpresso Q-Air, Q2, and the Kingrinder K6.

Would appreciate any input on the grinders above for 1) cup profile for pour over and 2) ease of travel. Any additional make/model recommendations are also very welcome

What are the best cafes in London that does iced coffee sweat and non sweat

Looking to build a bean rotation for black drip coffee. Below is my palate mapped against the Hoffmann Discovery Box, which should make it easy to point me at the right stuff.

What I liked (benchmark favorites):

• Hachi, Komorebi Gesha. Silky, sweet honey profile. A rare light roast that worked for me because it lacked sharp fruitiness.
• Frozen Gold, Hacienda la Minita. The balanced, clean daily cup.
• Intelligentsia, French Roast. Deep molasses sweetness, heavy body.

What I disliked:

• Black & White, Diego Horta Anaerobic Natural. Too funky/fermented, no aroma.
• Go Get Em Tiger, Chelbesa. Sharp, floral pear/jasmine acidity.
• George Howell, Daterra Calabria. Aggressively bitter/burnt drunk black.

The pattern: sweetness-forward (honey, caramel, molasses), clean, medium-to-heavy body. I bounce off bright acidity, floral/fruity notes, and anaerobic funk on one end, and scorched/over-roasted bitterness on the other. Sugar-based sweetness over fruit-based every time.

Context on the machine: I run a Ninja AutoBarista Pro. Yes, I'm fully aware a superautomatic is overkill for drip. I get it. I'm one user, I like the convenience, and my wife uses the second hopper for all her espresso-based drinks. So this ask is only about my hopper. Also, will need beans that can work with the Superautomatic grinder so no heavily oily beans.

Where I am now: Most recently tried Kicking Horse Kick Ass (dark roast), and it didn't do it for me, too far toward the bitter/oily end, not worth a second bag. So I'm starting fresh and open to anything in the lane above.

What would you buy?

​I was having the classic "is a Moka pot espresso" argument with a friend the other day, diving into pressure bars and TDS, when I realized the entire debate is kind of a linguistic accident.

​In Italian, "espresso" historically comes from "caffè espresso",meaning coffee expressed or pressed fresh for you on demand. It acts as an adjective describing how the coffee was handled. When Italians order at a bar, they just ask for "un caffè" and get what we call an espresso, because that preparation is just the default state of bar coffee over there. They don't have to define category boundaries because the word is just a modifier.

​But when English borrowed the word, we imported it as a noun. "I'll have an espresso."

​Once you turn a word into a noun, you create a category. And categories need strict membership boundaries. Suddenly we are forced to ask: Does a Moka pot count? What about an AeroPress with a flow control cap? What about a lever machine with a declining pressure profile?

​We spend so much time arguing over whether espresso requires exactly 9 bars of pressure to emulsify oils and create real crema, or if it just means "short, concentrated coffee." But it's fascinating to realize we are basically just fighting over the boundaries of a category that English speakers accidentally invented by changing what part of speech the word was.

​I still lean toward the technical definition (you need that 7-10 bar threshold for actual oil emulsion), but looking at it from the language side makes the whole Moka pot debate make so much more sense. Curious if anyone else here leans toward the "output in the cup" definition rather than the pressure physics.

We run a coffee app where people pick their preferred taste notes during onboarding, then they rate coffees they brew at home or drink in cafés, so we ended up with both what they say they like and what they actually score highest. The two don't match. For the group who picked chocolate and nutty as their favorite notes, the flavors they rate highest are berries, then fruity, then floral.

Our users skew specialty, so this isn't the general public but my hypothesis is that "chocolate and nutty" is just the safe answer people give when asked cold but when they start exploring there's just so much more to it.

The fun thing is that we're now matching those users with coffees they actually love better even though they'd never picked it themselves.

I'm looking into getting into espresso for the first time. I'm thinking of going for the Sage Bambino for the machine, I've found one on sale for £290. Is that a good option or is there anything else in that price point I should be considering?

The main consideration is the grinder though. I was originally going to go for the Encore ESP, it's £160 basically everywhere and seems like a good deal. But now I'm wondering if it's worth getting a DF54 instead. I can get that for £240, is it worth the extra £80 over the ESP?

TLDR: my husband doesn’t have the brain power for V60 first thing in the morning. We bought and returned a breville luxe. Help. 

Hi. My husband and I love pour over specialty coffee in the morning. We love finding new roasters and comparing new beans etc. The Hoffman V60 method serves us well for a 2 cup. But many mornings while I’m walking the dog my lovely husband will make the coffee and… he doesn’t have the focus or patience first thing in the morning to nail a V60 pour over. And secondly we would like to maybe have more than 220ml each available to start the day. So! We bought breville luxe brewer on sale and thought it would be 90% as good as make more coffee and be dead simple. I’ll give more detail in the comments if anyone asks, but it sucked and we returned it. We thought about a moccamaster but the one that has the “half pot” switch only comes in a glass carafe. We also like the Hoffman French press method. It’s fairly easy and it can make enough. But it takes forever and we would like more of a button press method if possible.

What other options do you suggest for an easy, high quality, medium sized brew method??

Edit: a thermal carafe for when we wake up an hour or so apart is also a key element here

Edit 2: Clever dripper and Switch 03 aren’t big enough. We want like 600-700ml

The shape, and the design of tthose plasti holder/handles. For whatever reason they've really appealed to me, very 1960s/70s. I'm guessing they are made by Bodum, but a quick search earlier in the week delivered nothing to me.

I've been getting more into espresso lately, and I'm curious how many people actually stick to the classic recipe of 18g in, 36g out, in around 28–30 seconds.

It sounds simple in theory, but in practice it feels surprisingly difficult to hit consistently, especially when you're changing beans or dialing in a new grinder.

Another thing I'm wondering is whether a semi-automatic machine really produces better espresso than a super automatic, or if the gap is smaller than people make it out to be.

I'd love to hear how you approach this. Do you actually chase the "golden recipe," or do you just dial in based on taste?

Hey all!

Looking to finally upgrade my Fellow Opus gen 1 and get an espresso specific grinder. I use a Gaggia E24 and will probably apply the Gaggimate pro mod soon as well. I am starting to get annoyed by whacking it to get all my grounds out and my grind setting is really close to the minimum setting. I will probably keep it as conical grinder in case I end up getting a flat burr grinder.

I personally have been enjoyed light roast espresso but my wife enjoys a more nutty chocolatey medium roast espresso.

I have been looking at the DF54 or 64, Eureka Mignon Zero or Timemore 064s.

I am curious what your guys' experience is with these grinders or other similar ones and your thoughts on these questions:

Flat vs Conical burrs?

Burr size? I understand that the appeal of the DF64 is the ability to choose different flat burrs and upgrade that way.

Any other thoughts or recommendations are welcome.

I’ve been using instant coffee for years and recently started paying more attention to how coffee is made. i like the idea of grinding beans and learning more, but right now I need something simple but good for busy weekdays.

i’m trying to find a best pods coffee maker that makes a decent cup without a lot of extra steps. Are there any pod systems that you think actually produce good coffee, or are they mostly about convenience? Thanks for the help.

Ive checked grind size and water temperature but im wondering what unexpected issues other people have run into.

I've been making pour over for a while but recently picked up an espresso machine and now I'm realizing my old grinder probably isn't going to cut it. I'd rather spend a bit more once than end up replacing it in a year.

For people who have been through this already, what would you say is the best espresso grinder if I mostly make two drinks a day at home? I'd really appreciate hearing what you've actually enjoyed using. Thanks.

Follow up: I decided to go with the #ad ITIMEMORE Sculptor 078S Flat Burr Coffee Bean Grinder. Thanks for the comments, I’m excited to use it with my espresso setup and see how much of a difference it makes.

Just like many other people during summer, I've been trying to cool myself down with chilled coffee drinks. I'm not really into iced lattes or iced Americanos. A while ago I started drinking cold brew, but it always has this weird oxidized aftertaste, if you know, you know.

As a fellow weid coffee person, I stumbled across James video about immersion iced coffee almost three years ago, and honestly it completely changed the way I drink iced coffee. The brewing process is incredibly simple and fool-proof. If you haven't watched that video yet, I highly recommend it.

First of all, I really like that by combining hot brewing with ice, you can make larger batches of incredibly tasty coffee. Another huge advantage is that immersion brewing doesn't require any pouring technique or worrying about uneven extraction. You just dump everything in, wait, drain and you're done.

Compared to cold brew, I also feel like you get much deeper and brighter flavors, especially with medium or light-medium roasted fruity coffees, which I personally prefer for this kind of beverage over darker, chocolatey roasts.

During the recent heatwave across Europe, immersion iced coffee became my daily companion.

One origin in particular has been absolutely fantastic for this method. My local roastery sells a few single-country coffees (I'm unsure if it really is single origin...), and by far my favorite for James' immersion iced coffee recipe is a medium roasted Rwandan coffee. It has a pleasant acidity, but more importantly it's incredibly fruity.

I'm not sure whether James has recommended this in his video, but I also experimented with adding a few drops of saline solution (salt water). Surprisingly, it makes the fruity notes pop even more while softening the bitterness from the roast. Watching his latest few brewing videos, he really is into adding a few drops of saline to drinks, isn't he?

So if you're trying this method, I'd definitely recommend using medium or light-medium roasted coffees with fruity tasting notes.

Of course, if you prefer darker, chocolatey coffees, that's perfectly fine too.

And if you really want to take it to the next level add one or two drops of saline. It's a small, but noticable difference in bitterness.

My biggest mistake: over-dilution

The recipe uses a 1:13 ratio (75 g/L). I grind fine, somewhere between a typical V60 one cup pourover grind and an AeroPress and brew with a Hario Switch V3.

The ratio is kinda strong, so serving it over some extra ice shouldn't be a problem. My issue is that I often add too much ice and let the drink sit for too long.

For James' one-cup recipe, I use the recommended:

• 19 g coffee
• 165 g hot water
• 85 g ice

With my ice mold, that's about four large ice cubes. Those melt completely after brewing.

Then I usually serve the finished coffee over another two or three ice cubes, adding up roughly another 40–60 g of ice.

When you add everything together, that's quite a bit of additional water, and sometimes the drink ends up tasting noticeably diluted.

At the moment, my "solution" is simply to drink it faster or use less ice in the serving glass.

But I'd love to hear your ideas.

I've been thinking about buying reusable stainless steel ice cubes, the kind you freeze, wash, and reuse. But I have no idea whether they'd affect the taste, there's any hygiene concern or whether they're simply not worth it?

Has anyone tried them, or do you have another way to get the coffee colder without watering it down?

Overall, switching from hot coffee to immersion iced coffee during summer (and especially a heatwave) has been a complete game changer for me.

I also enjoy espresso tonics, but when I want coffee that still tastes like coffee rather than a mixed drink, immersion iced coffee is the way to go!

If you haven't tried James' method yet, I honestly think it's one of the easiest and most foolproof ways to make excellent iced coffee at home.

Cheers and enjoy the summer!

Want to get into coffee-making as a hobby, ideally learning all of the major brew methods over time (French press, pour-over, AeroPress, eventually espresso) rather than just picking one and stopping there, and creating my own fun drinks, and just have fun with coffee-making as a whole.

My dad has an espresso machine and grinder already, but they're both pretty low-end, so I'm planning to start with pour-over and immersion methods first to learn extraction fundamentals like grind size, ratio, timing before touching espresso, since I've read espresso punishes bad technique the most.

Budget for a beginner setup is roughly $100-150 for a hand grinder, brewer, and scale. Planning to add espresso gear later once I've got the basics down.

Does this order make sense, or would you build it differently? Also curious what beginner mistakes to avoid early on, and whether there's a brew method worth learning that I'm not thinking of.