Two weeks of at-home espresso trial and error (mostly error!) with at-home espresso have produced this week's episode.  If you missed it, check out @craftyourowncoffee on Instagram to see a recap. Listen in for my Top 9 takeaways from the past couple weeks as I try to level up my at-home espresso game...and hopefully help others do the same in the process.  Many of these takeaways have come from fellow Coffee People like you, so thanks for weighing in and helping me out! 1) Instagram is good for feedback 2) Making Espresso is hard 3) Data AND Taste should complement each other in seeking ways to improve the craft 4) Even bad pulls from a data standpoint can still taste yummy 5) I need an espresso-specific grinder 6) Espresso-specific grinders are expensive, so maybe I need to just get creative 7) Distributing the grounds evenly before tamping is so important and takes practice 8) Crema is important but not the most important sign of a good espresso 9) It is humbling but helpful to put your failures out there and ask for help! Stay connected! IG: @craftyourowncoffee Email: craftyourowncoffee@gmail.com Voice Message: click link below and I'll add your voice to an upcoming episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

Craft Your Own Coffee Podcast

[S3E8] My Two-Week Journey with At-Home Espresso

John is a pretty big deal in the specialty coffee world and we are super honored to have him as a guest on the Craft Your Own Coffee podcast! Decent Espresso is a game-changing espresso and technology company focused on helping amateur (and professional!) baristas figure out how to pull an incredible shot of espresso Every.Single.Time.  John Buckman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Decent Espresso and joined the podcast to share how he got interested in coffee, how his frustration with making espresso led him to the desire to create a solution, plus he gives some great tips and insights for the home barista whether you have a Decent machine at home or not. If you want to learn more about Decent Espresso, you can check out all the socials (of course), their website, and a couple really good product reviews  (this one and that one). Oh, and please consider voting for the Craft Your Own Coffee Podcast for a 2020 Sprudgie Award for Best Coffee Podcast!  Voting ends on January 3rd 2021. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S3E7] 1 on 1 with Decent Espresso's John Buckman

Channeling.  The word which incites fear in the hearts of the coffee people.  If Good is the enemy of Great according to Jim Collins, Channeling is the Enemy of Coffee according to...well, me. What is it? Why should it be avoided at all costs? And most importantly, HOW can we avoid channeling in our espresso craft at home? Thanks to this sweet article/resource by Clive Coffee, we'll dig in to the first two questions first. Thanks to Jonathan Pascual, the owner of Taproom Coffee & Beer in Atlanta GA, we'll spend most of the episode digging in to the all-important "HOW"  question.  My biggest takeaways from Jonathan's advice were: --> Get rid of clumps! --> Even distribution of grounds in the portafilter is probably the #1 most important technique --> Learn the "palm tap" technique (see Clive Coffee article!) --> Don't overthink the Tamp Big thanks to @TaproomCoffee and Jonathan Pascual for the time he took to share such great advice.  If you're local or visiting Atlanta, you need to check them out! Oh, and Here's another article by Barista Hustle if you want to get a little more nerdy with the science of coffee extraction! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S3E6] Channeling Is The Enemy - feat. Jonathan Pascual of Taproom Coffee

Justin is an at-home espresso enthusiast and shares his experience with us on: - How a brewed coffee lover can become an espresso lover - Why he loves manual/lever espresso machines...especially the Flair Classic - A start-to-finish look at his espresso-making process at home - Some of his favorite espresso-based drink recipes Follow Justin (@fresh_ground_methods) to see and learn more from his expertise! Also, to hear more from Justin listen (or re-listen) to CYOC Season 1 Ep 12 where he shares about how he brews coffee when he's on the road/away from home! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S3E5] At Home Espresso Methods with home barista Justin Winter

This is a family (and podcast-light) week!  Returning to the Espresso content next Monday. Practice the discipline of gratitude this week and head over to @craftyourowncoffee for how your expression of gratitude could also win you some sweet @Baratza swag! Happy Thanksgiving my friends! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S3E4] Give Thanks and Get Some Baratza Stuff!

Here's a deep dive into your options for at home espresso machines.  While this is definitely not a comprehensive list, it should be enough to get you started.  Plus a couple articles about bars of pressure and "stovetop espresso."  Cheers! How Pressure Affects Espresso Quality article Moka Pot vs Espresso Machine article A few Automatic/Pod options ($) Nespresso Lavazza A few Manual options ($-$$) Article with "Top 3" Robot (CafeLat) A few Electronic options ($$-$$$$$) Breville ($$-$$$) Nuova Simonelli ($$$) Decent Espresso ($$$$) La Marzocco Linea Mini ($$$$$) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S3E3] Pressure Bars and Espresso Machines

Getting started with making espresso at home is easier than you might think!  If you brew coffee at home, you might have most of this stuff already.  Check this episode out for the most essential equipment you'll need to get your espresso journey going. 1) Burr Grinder (recommend Baratza) 2) Something to make hot water 3) Gram Scale (here's one option) 4) Tamper (size will be determined by your espresso machine's portafilter) 5) Espresso Machine (this is the one I have...but there are LOTS of options to choose from) Head over to @craftyourowncoffee to participate in this week's giveaway, compliments of Baratza! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S3E2] Essential Espresso Equipment

Is it a bean? Is it a drink? What makes it taste so different? Is it hard to make? Kicking off this season with a brief Espresso history lesson (mad props to Luigi in Milan!) and some busting of the most common myths about Espresso. Myth #1: Espresso is a type of coffee bean Myth #2: Espresso has more caffeine than other coffee drinks Myth #3: Espresso shots taste gross Myth #4: You have to buy an expensive machine to make espresso at home Myth #5: Making good espresso at home requires no skills and no practice Send in questions, comments and At-Home Espresso advice to be featured in a future episode! @craftyourowncoffee craftyourowncoffee@gmail.com Voice Message --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S3E1] Espresso Myth-Busting

A shot-sized preview of Season 3 of the Craft Your Own Coffee Podcast: At Home Espresso!  Don't tamp down your enthusiasm for this season.   I'm pulling for you! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

Season 3 = At Home Espresso!

What are your top Home Coffee Roasting takeaways from Season 2?  I share mine as a wrap-up to this season (episode time stamp in parentheses) 10) I'm proud to be part of the home coffee roasting community (2:05) 9) Pronounce and spell names of guests correctly (3:32) 8) Roasting amazing coffee on your own can be as simple as "turning green coffee brown" (4:51) 7) Amateur coffee roasters CAN roast world class coffee (6:30) 6) The Coffee Cupping Table is the key (8:20) 5) Want to be a better home roaster?  Buy higher quality coffee (10:36) 4) Solid roasting technique can help you bring out the best in "average" quality coffee (11:38) 3) You have up to 12 hours to seal coffee post-roast! (15:46) 2) Keep a simple Roast Journal (17:12) 1) Sweet Marias ROCKS - I'm a customer for life (18:40) Check out a few of the many coffee companies who are putting out some incredible "how-to" content for all of us home coffee people! Onyx Coffee Lab Cartel Coffee Lab Sweet Maria's Coffee Stumptown Coffee Blue Bottle Coffee See you for Season 3! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S2E12] Season 2 Recap, Top Ten Takeaways

Lots of home coffee roasting goodness to unpack this week with the experts at Sweet Maria's, Thrive Farmers Coffee and Bellwood Coffee! Links/Resources mentioned: - Here's a list of some great coffee roaster options.  (**here's a video on the Barwell roaster...I was wrong, you CAN change the temperature**) - What Aaron uses with his Nostalgia Popcorn Popper:  Grease Splatter Screen // Thermocouple - Scott Rao's Coffee Roaster's Companion --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S2E11] Home Roasting Q&A

I'm taking the week off!  Back next week with a Q&A episode with your questions and expert answers. Send in home coffee roasting questions and/or insights to be featured in next week's episode: @craftyourowncoffee craftyourowncoffee@gmail.com Send in a voice message "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."  - Epictetus --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

"Spring Break" // Q&A Next Week

Want to "level up" from your popcorn popper?  You've got to check out the FreshRoast.  It's compact.  It's fast.  It's easy to use.  It has some downsides for sure, but it's a great way to gain more control over key coffee roasting variables and help you roast better coffee. In this episode I share some of the pros and cons of the FreshRoast air roaster, and then roast a batch on my back porch. Check out this video tutorial from the pros at Sweet Marias on how to use the FreshRoast SR540 Check out this FreshRoast starter kit that Sweet Maria's offers on their website! **Green Coffee discount extended!  If you haven't used the coupon code yet, you've now got until May 1st, 2020 to receive 15% off your Green Coffee purchase at sweetmarias.com!  Use the coupon code CRAFTCOFFEE** --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S2E10] The FreshRoast Episode

We are all sacrificing right now, all over the world.  We are truly in this thing together! If you're listening to this podcast, you're a coffee lover.  And you know our beloved locally-owned coffeeshops are struggling right now.  I challenge you to take action on one (or more) of these 3 steps to help save the coffeeshops that we love so dearly in our local communities: 1) BUY.  If you're financially able, buy the highest-margin items that you local coffeeshop offers.  Examples: bags of roasted coffee, merchandise, gift cards (IF the shop gets the revenue upon purchase of the gift card) 2) TIP.  If you're financially able, leave a MONSTER TIP for your barista when you order.  There are also "Virtual Tip Jars" (nationwide list // Atlanta list) out there where you can leave a tip even if your coffeeshop is not open. 3) SHARE.  Leverage the best part of Social Media by inviting your family & friends to follow your favorite local coffeeshops and support them in the two ways above. If we all do what we can, we can help the specialty coffee industry - and all the human lives associated with it - in such a challenging time. God bless you all! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S2E9] YOU Can Help Save your Local Coffeeshops!

Katie and I went to the Coffee Farmer Caravan event for date night this week at East Pole Coffee Company where we got to meet and learn directly from Colombian coffee growers and exporters.  It was such a fun and educational night and we wanted to hop on the microphone to share some of our takeaways with you while the learning was still fresh.  Although this season of the podcast is focused on Home Coffee Roasting, learning more about what it takes to grow and process coffee with excellence definitely helps us appreciate roasting green coffee at an even greater level! Big Takeaway: if you can get your hands on some Gesha coffee, DO IT.  It's such a crazy good unique experience. Bigger Takeaway: after hearing first-hand stories from coffee producers, Katie and I decided we need to visit a coffee farm and see it first-hand as well!  More to come on that. BIGGEST Takeaway: a HUGE level of gratitude and appreciation to all the hard work, passion and dedication from all over the world that goes in to the coffee experience that we get to enjoy every day at home and in cafes.  Hear several more of our takeaways by listening to this episode! Did You Know... - the country of Colombia is responsible for ~30% of the world's supply of coffee?  There are approximately 540,000 coffee farms across the country which produce and export over 14 million bags of coffee per year (1 bag = 60kg) - this may be subjective, but according to Banexport they believe 50% of the flavor of coffee is a result of the growing altitude and the variety of the coffee tree.  The other 50% of the flavor comes from the processing method (washing, drying, fermenting, etc) after picking the coffee off the tree. - there are dozens of varieties of coffee trees which all produce unique flavors in the coffee beans.  The most-sought-after variety of coffee today is the Gesha tree, which was discovered first in Gesha, Ethiopia but can also be grown successfully in Panama, Tanzania, Costa Rica, Peru, and of course COLOMBIA! Learn more about: Cafe Imports Banexport East Pole Coffee Company **If you're enjoying the show, please consider leaving a rating AND a review on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/craftyourowncoffee/message

[S2E8] Coffee Farmer Caravan: Date Night Debrief

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