Have We Peaked in Coffee Brewing Technology?

In this episode, I explore a thought-provoking question that's been on my mind: Have we peaked in coffee brewing technology? As I tested a new coffee brewer that reminds me of the Hario V60, I found myself wondering if we're becoming too focused on gear rather than the coffee itself. I discuss how pour-over methods, French press, and other brewing technologies all essentially accomplish the same task - extracting flavor from coffee beans with water.

I share my perspective on how sticking with just a few brewing methods might actually enhance our coffee experience by allowing us to focus more on the beans, our palate development, and troubleshooting skills. Listeners will learn my thoughts on the balance between appreciating coffee gear and truly enjoying the essence of coffee itself, plus gain insights into how an experienced coffee enthusiast approaches the ever-expanding world of brewing equipment.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:15 The Question: Have We Peaked in Coffee Brewing?
• 2:30 Breaking Down Coffee Brewing Methods
• 4:00 What's the Real Purpose of a Coffee Brewer?
• 5:45 Focusing on the Coffee, Not the Equipment
• 7:30 Testing a New Brewer and Real-Time Analysis
• 9:15 The Value of Mastering Fewer Brewing Methods
• 11:00 Coffee Gear vs. Coffee Experience
• 12:45 The Espresso Machine Analogy
• 14:30 Final Thoughts on Mastering What You Have

Transcript

[00:00] Today is Saturday, March 29, 2025. We're doing pretty good right now. I hope that you're doing pretty good right now. I think the way we're going to do this one is, it's more so like a coming to Jesus type of moment or us being real and honest with ourselves. I was about to do a video on a coffee brewer and I'm thinking about where and how it really makes sense.

[00:30] I think the video is going to be fine. Just had to flesh out a couple ideas and all that. But really the biggest thing that I'm thinking about right now is coffee. None of these are going to be perfect, but you do what you can.

[00:45] I've been thinking about topics and things to talk about as we progress through our journey together. And one of the things that I've thought about as I was sitting down with this new coffee brewer that I'm going to do a video about, which I'll mention probably next time, is that it more so tastes like a Hario V60. I talked about that a couple of weeks ago or last week.

[01:15] So I've been thinking about how we're being too critical when we buy or select coffee gear. And then it got me thinking about the topic of the day, which is have we peaked in coffee brewing technology?

[01:30] I'm mainly talking about pour over, French press, so immersion brew and drip coffee. Those are the things that I'm thinking about. Really espresso is a different realm. It kind of does whatever it wants. It's a new technology, new design to help extract coffee a lot better. I can go on the soapbox about how everything now is trying to be a lever machine. May do that next time.

[02:00] But it's one of those things where I'm thinking about why or have we peaked? Because everything is more so the same. And I know there's so many different brewers. I'm actually going to get my chance or opportunity to go to the C.A. expo, because this is in Houston. If it was anywhere else, I'm not making a special trip for it.

[02:30] We'll see how this year goes. We may talk about it a little bit more as we talk about that whole experience. But I really wonder if we've really peaked. Does it really matter on the coffee gear? Does it really matter off of the brewing mechanisms?

[02:45] That's the thing that I'm thinking about. That's the thing that I think that you are probably thinking about, too, when it comes to coffee, making coffee, something so simple and so basic. I think we might take it a little too seriously, if that makes sense. But that's more so the situation that I believe that we're in.

[03:15] And if that is the case, what are we doing here? And is it perfectly OK for brewers, drip machines, immersion brews to have peaked? And I think that's where we're at. And I think that's perfectly fine for us to see it for what it truly really is. It's like if we've peaked, we've peaked.

[03:45] And what does that mean for us? What does that do for the things that we're trying to do as we are making a cup of coffee? So let's kind of break this down a little bit. Let's talk about coffee gear, let's talk about the Hario V60. Let's talk about French press. Let's talk about more so like what is the point objective of a coffee brewer.

[04:15] It's to brew a cup of coffee, right? And we have mainly two methods. Another one may be controversial. Is the drip of you pouring coffee over a bed, pouring water over a bed of coffee? That's more so what we're dealing with right now.

[04:45] And then we have different techniques, we have different recipes, we have different ways that we can go about it. We can change the temperatures, we can change the grind size. We can use different waters and all that good stuff. So that's what we can do. That's essentially what we're doing.

[05:15] Immersion brew. You let the coffee sit together. And then you make a cup of coffee or you pour it out or you use filters or you don't use filters. You like the sludge of a French press or you like the cleanness of a clever dripper or whatnot.

[05:45] Then you have percolators. They kind of just put more clean water on top of a coffee bed. And then as it brews, it keeps kind of keep going in that sense. And then after a while, you wait five, 10 minutes or whatever. And then there's your cup of coffee.

[06:15] But at the end of the day, we're drinking it, right? We either drink it black, we drink it straight, we drink it with milk creamer, whatever we want to. It doesn't matter. And we are the conquerors or doers of our coffee journey for that morning.

[06:45] And those are some of the things that I'm thinking about, wondering about seeing how we can actually do something in a place to where we're able to create something magical quickly. Like, for instance, I just made a cup of coffee out the new brewer. I instantly tasted that it's over extracted just by my experience of coffee making. Not necessarily the experience of this actual coffee, but my experience and expertise of coffee making.

[07:30] So I don't really taste the awesomeness of the coffee. So that could have been probably too long in the bed of the coffee maker. Whatever. We have plenty of tips and tricks, and we're still going to continue to do all that stuff, because I think it's extremely fascinating to where we can figure things out without a lot of gear.

[08:00] And that's what I'm doing or trying to do to help you out to understand coffee even more. So to where you taste it, and then you can go from there. But at the end of the day, we're making coffee. I just made coffee with this new coffee recipe that I'm trying, and I think it needs work.

[08:30] But at the end of the day, we are just making a beverage. We're changing water, mixing it in with coffee grounds. So I guess really what I'm saying here is, is that good enough? Is that all we need? Is having this cup of coffee, the way it is, is that perfectly fine?

[09:00] I think it is. Because I think the thing that it allows us to do is not so much chase all these different gadgets and gears. It allows us to be front and center present with our cup of coffee, with these beans, with understanding what these particular beans are, what we like about it, what we don't like about it, the things that we wish that it would be different about these beans.

[09:45] And yeah, we have all the things in our toolbox to change or manipulate the flavors as much as we want. But if we were perfectly fine with just using a brewer, one brewer or two or three. So there I go again, trying to get carried away here. But if we just use one or two brewers, then guess what we can do?

[10:15] It's more so about the coffee more than anything, it's more so about chasing that high for that particular coffee. It gives us the true real ability to enjoy the craft for what it is. But again, I understand. I can't really talk, as you can see in the background.

[10:45] Gear is fun. Even if it's just a little bit different than what we're accustomed to using. But those are some of the things that I think about all the time. Even though even now that I'm testing gear, seeing what is all about, seeing how we can get down with it and understand it even more so is that are we wasting our time?

[11:15] Do we just need to focus on the coffee? Just see what different coffees are out there, how different roasters are roasting this coffee for you. And seeing if it's your jam, if it's your daily drive, or if it's something that you use over the weekend or you cherish with friends, family, whatever, it doesn't really matter.

[11:45] I guess at the end of the day, it's one of those things where let's see if we can stop getting in our way of having all these different gears, coffee gears, coffee brewers and all that, because they kind of do the same thing. Different variations here and there.

[12:15] A French press will bring something else out in a coffee. Something may get a little sweeter like this coffee right now. I probably try with the AeroPress just because I think the grind size is a little too fine for the brewer that I'm using. And since it goes a lot slower than a Hario V60 even a Hario V60 with the fast filter.

[12:45] I think I'll be in a better place of enjoying this particular coffee. And that's the thing that I'm really kind of getting at, because I think at times when we get all these different types of gadgets and gears and stuff, we are not in a place to where we are maximizing our growth, our experience with the gear that we have all the time in our pallets.

[13:15] Because now if we just stay with one or two pieces of equipment, now we understand what we're doing. We understand what we're drinking. We're understanding that it's one of those things where it's all about the coffee and our knowledge and our experience and us to troubleshoot quickly to get something that's more so magical with this cup of coffee.

[13:45] Yeah, that's pretty cool. Think about it. It's a really good example. Let's use the espresso machine, for instance. You're not changing the espresso machine out all the time. You're probably sticking with one and you're just dealing with it, right? That's how I am with my Olympia creminia.

[14:15] I'm not buying another espresso machine. I'm playing around with different beans. I'm changing one or two variables on the grind settings or I even change like the makeup of the whole temperature because it's not difficult, but I don't feel like playing around with that type of thing with that machine.

[14:45] I just put the coffee in there, make the cup of coffee, drink it, analyze it and move on. Why can we not do that also with coffee gear? Because it's a lot cheaper, that's why. It's been 10, 20 dollars and you kind of get something different.

[15:15] But that's the thing that I'm really trying to find out for you to see if it's worth it. Those are some of the things that matter, that the things that we're trying to understand even more so when we're making coffee. So that's me talking about coffee gear, how it gets in the way with us truly enjoying coffee.

[15:40] One last point, if you do decide to get another piece of gear, do feel that you've hopefully mastered the gear that you currently have. Because if you do that, I believe what that would do for you is to give you a better sense of understanding of the differences, if there are that many differences in the new gear that you get.

[16:00] Not probably so much in the way that it actually makes brews and extracts the coffee, how fast of a brewer, how slow of a brewer, how you have to probably manipulate the grind size and all that good stuff. Taste the coffee and analyze it from there, because at the end of the day, those are really more so what we're doing. We're trying to maximize our exploration of taste.

[16:30] So. Go from there. Let me know what you think. This is Okey at Everyday Bean signing off, so I'll talk to you later. Bye.