Everyday Beans Podcast - Mostly About Coffee and Other Stuff

Send us a textIn 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 this becomes more apparent as your palate develops and you start seeking clarity and separation in your cups.I also provide practical alternatives that deliver better value and cup quality. I recommend starting with the Baratza Encore, which offers the same grinding capability as the Virtuoso but costs $70-100 less, making it a smarter entry point into quality grinding. For those ready to explore hand grinding, I discuss the Timemore K6 as an excellent option that provides noticeably better clarity and separation in the cup at around $80-100. By listening to this episode, you'll learn how to make smarter purchasing decisions that align with your coffee journey stage, understand why grinder profiles matter as much as grind settings, and discover when it's time to upgrade as your palate evolves.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn 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 ribs and comparing it to the meticulous dedication shown in "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," I explore how the mindset of perpetual studentship applies to everything we pursue.What you'll learn from this episode: You'll discover how exploring a craft outside of coffee—whether it's bread making, barbecue, or any other pursuit—can sharpen your coffee brewing and roasting skills in unexpected ways. I'll show you why pushing yourself toward perfection in parallel pursuits creates mental frameworks that translate directly to understanding coffee better, from dialing in your brewer to tasting nuances in your beans. Whether you're in a coffee rut or riding high, this episode will inspire you to find that "other thing" that makes you a better coffee enthusiast.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn 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, you'll learn how to simplify your coffee routine and find more joy in your daily brewing ritual. I'll help you understand why having multiple brewers might be holding you back, and how focusing on just one or two devices can actually deepen your connection with coffee. You'll discover that you're already enough with what you have, and that the real magic happens when you truly understand your palate, your coffee, and your brewing device.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn 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 settings that we'll never actually use, and explain why the majority of those 120+ clicks on your grinder are just wasting the mechanism.You'll learn how to identify and work within your grinder's optimal range, why you should ignore online recommendations and trust your own palate instead, and how understanding this concept will transform your daily coffee routine. I explain the practical reality that most grinders only have about 16-20 usable clicks in their sweet spot range, and once you find that zone, you can finally stop fighting your equipment and start making consistently excellent coffee. This episode will change how you approach dialing in your grinder and help you get the most out of the gear you already own.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

Send us a textIn this episode, I'm getting real about my evolving relationship with coffee and where I'm heading in the new year. I've been reflecting on my coffee journey over the past couple of weeks, especially as I've been exploring clarity in my brews, and I'm realizing that my love for coffee is becoming more specific and intentional. I talk about how I don't care much for really light roasted coffees anymore—they tend to taste all the same to me with their forward acidity and lack of sweetness. I'm gravitating toward medium roasts, but only certain ones that hit that sweet spot of balance and intensity. I also share my honest thoughts about naturals, espresso, cold brew, and the various brewing methods I've been experimenting with.The bigger revelation I'm sharing is that I want to move beyond just collecting gear and talking about equipment superiority. I want to understand why I like certain coffees and why I don't—truly understanding my palate and what coffee means to me personally. This episode is about challenging myself to go deeper, to understand the "why" behind my preferences, and to explore coffee as a journey of self-discovery rather than just gear accumulation. If you're looking to understand your own coffee preferences better and move beyond the endless gear chase, this episode will give you perspective on how to approach coffee with more intention and curiosity.Support the showFor good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.comFor tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans