$50 vs $500 Vs $500,000 Coffee Grinder

Ойын-сауық

If you want to check out Cometeer (with a $20 discount from me) then visit: cometeer.com/jameshoffmann
I was in the unique position of being able to compare these three wildly different grinders recently, at Cometeer's HQ. The three grinders, from entry-level to the fanciest of fancy, were put through a few tests to compare their differences and I hope you'll find the results as interesting as I did.
0:00 Introduction to how this came about
1:30 Breakdown of the coffee grinder comparisons
2:28 Differences between burr sets
03:28 V60 taste test
05:41 Particle size analysis
07:28 Speed test
09:20 Custom distribution adjustments
11:14 Conclusion, is it worth it?
Amazon Sboly $56.99 grinder: amzn.to/31OawnM
Baratza Vario+ grinder: baratza.com/grinder/vario-plus/
For the Vario+ testing here, I switched out the burrs and used a steel burr set from Baratza.
Links:
Patreon: / jameshoffmann
Limited Edition Merch: www.tenshundredsthousands.com
My Books:
The World Atlas of Coffee: geni.us/atlasofcoffee
The World Atlas of Coffee Audiobook: bit.ly/worldatlasofcoffeeaudio
The Best of Jimseven: geni.us/bestofjimseven
Find me here:
Instagram: / jimseven
Twitter: / jimseven
Things I use and like:
My video kit: kit.co/jimseven/video-making-...
My current studio coffee kit: kit.co/jimseven/studio-coffee...
My glasses: bit.ly/boldlondon
My hair product of choice: geni.us/forthehair

Пікірлер: 1 200

  • @benstrong445
    @benstrong4452 жыл бұрын

    James Hoffman patreon supporters be like, “ I better get that grinding facility in the next give away”

  • @beanbaka

    @beanbaka

    2 жыл бұрын

    A little reorganization in the kitchen might be needed 🤔

  • @iquintani

    @iquintani

    2 жыл бұрын

    🤣😂

  • @fetzie23

    @fetzie23

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@beanbaka Like a new house to put the new kitchen in?

  • @adrrda6091

    @adrrda6091

    2 жыл бұрын

    But bear in mind that you should only apply to win one of these if you've fallen on hard times and cannot afford to buy one yourself :)

  • @djirl

    @djirl

    2 жыл бұрын

    How much patreon support is required to secure the cometeer industrial mill? Asking for a friend 😬

  • @ezer0923
    @ezer09232 жыл бұрын

    "Watch this video like you're watching an ad" And this is why I watch this channel, He's very professional and transparent

  • @CoolAsFreya

    @CoolAsFreya

    2 жыл бұрын

    Most professional transparency on a technically not sponsored video with no affiliate link, he's not obligated to but he is anyway.

  • @lyndonlives638

    @lyndonlives638

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes! James does transparency right!

  • @jellyphishin7001

    @jellyphishin7001

    2 жыл бұрын

    I just wish we could get an unbiased review of the product from KZread's foremost coffee expert

  • @41ch

    @41ch

    2 жыл бұрын

    I love Internet Comment Etiquette's ads sooooo...

  • @JimNortonsAlcoholism

    @JimNortonsAlcoholism

    2 жыл бұрын

    I refuse to buy his single origin coffee flavored condoms

  • @fluffycritter
    @fluffycritter2 жыл бұрын

    This is by far the least practical “how to improve your grind” video James has ever done. And I still love it.

  • @jameshoffmann

    @jameshoffmann

    2 жыл бұрын

    Oh, I’ve got a video on this lined up for you…

  • @ZELLKRATOR

    @ZELLKRATOR

    2 жыл бұрын

    Is it? I actually could use this information for my own 500k grinder. 🤷😀

  • @PMTcommenter

    @PMTcommenter

    Жыл бұрын

    Idk, the amount of money it seems home baristas are spending, this sounds more like a mid tier build 😂

  • @friendslovecars
    @friendslovecars2 жыл бұрын

    I love that James came to America and brought his special fancy spoon with him. He’s so thoughtful of his audience. Love ya James!

  • @solidamber

    @solidamber

    2 жыл бұрын

    I think that fancy spoon with its metallic coatings taints the taste of the coffee.

  • @Baronello

    @Baronello

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@solidamber It's titanium oxide and it's way more hard and inert than you think

  • @Jherrild

    @Jherrild

    2 жыл бұрын

    @ian gee to be clear, some spoons that look like his would likely taint the coffee flavors- that effect can be achieved in a number of ways, but oxidized titanium is going to be extremely unreactive, and should not influence taste- a cheaper spoon would likely be a different metal alloy.

  • @punkdigerati

    @punkdigerati

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@solidamber it's specifically designed for tasting coffee, be pretty weird if they made it made it so it interferes with it's one job

  • @greysonsnyder6133

    @greysonsnyder6133

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@punkdigerati I agree with this on premise but I think anyone you speak to given enough time to think, could name at least a dozen lay examples of things they've bought or used that have one job and are fatally flawed in such a way that interferes with their one job in the exact way you wouldn't want them to. The first example that comes to mind for me is a rotary engine, which is predicated on its ability to seal gases in distinct chambers while rotating, but the highest point of wear and tear and friction, because of it's rotation, is the seals that need to not fail for it to work. I'll work on 11 other examples and get back to you ;)

  • @AndreaSammut
    @AndreaSammut2 жыл бұрын

    I don't mean to start any conspiracy theories, but what if the proprietary stuff is just a large room with a 100 people grinding on a commandante 🧐🧐

  • @emersonperez562

    @emersonperez562

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hahahaha

  • @ophelianervosa

    @ophelianervosa

    2 жыл бұрын

    Did Cometeer already send you the 'Stay right where you are' text?

  • @ericpmoss

    @ericpmoss

    2 жыл бұрын

    One that they share? :)

  • @sorenfuhrer401

    @sorenfuhrer401

    2 жыл бұрын

    This comment made my day! Thank you!

  • @Draaza

    @Draaza

    2 жыл бұрын

    It'd have to be a thousand people to get the quantity

  • @Musicman9492
    @Musicman94922 жыл бұрын

    It's very cool to see how, at the industrial scale, coffee process begins to converge on beer brewing. It's somewhat common for large-ish breweries (and, of course, larger) to have 6-roll or even 8-roll mills to crush grain, for the exact same reason of extraction. The brewer in me would like to point out that the diagram that you showed in the video is somewhat incorrect as to how the mill works. Basically, after each pair of rollers, the grinds go through a metal sifter, where the fine(r) particles are dumped to the bottom and the larger particles proceed to the next set of rollers. This is repeated 3 or 4 times (depending on the number of rollers) with each pair of rollers at a progressively smaller gap (and a smaller grind). This means that you don't get too many "fines" until you get to the last roller pair, which would also govern the actual "output" grind size that you are aiming for.

  • @goldencalf5144

    @goldencalf5144

    2 жыл бұрын

    Interesting, so it's actually the sieves that give it the edge with the tight particle size distribution? Maybe if he sifted the fines out of the Baratza and $50 grinder, he might have got a similar result.

  • @Musicman9492

    @Musicman9492

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@goldencalf5144 Not quite. Its more like aiming for an espresso grind by grinding to a french press, then sifting, then regrinding to a drip, sifting, grinding for a moka, sifting, then finally grinding what little is left for an espresso, mixing it all together and using that. This isnt a great parallel, though, because (as James' video on regrinding shows) you would get a much larger percentage of fines due to a set of conical or flat burrs which fairly consistently produce a known percentage of fines with each grind, regardless of the size of what goes in. (I have to imagine this percentage would change based on the size of the input, though). In essense, its is 3 (or 4) mills that are designed to be used in sequence to progressively grind large beans into small grounds but because they are using rollers instead of burrs (even if the rollers may have burrs on them, those roller burrs dont function in quite the same manner as conical or flat burr sets) the amount of fines produces with each pair of rollers is minimized. By minimizing fines at each progressive "regrind", you can design a machine that can "step down" boulders into the distribution that is displayed on the graphs. Also, by changing the rate at which those steps occur (as well as the overall difference between the input size and output size), you can change the graphs, (a la the Cometeer 1 and 2 graph)

  • @greysonsnyder6133

    @greysonsnyder6133

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Musicman9492 This makes a ton more sense than the picture he showed, and also is probably more efficient in terms of getting the most/best correctly sized yield out of your throughput, because you aren't wasting energy on what is already correctly sized and you aren't just saying "good enough" to what isn't.

  • @Musicman9492

    @Musicman9492

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@greysonsnyder6133 Totally. Much of the "good enough" is minimalized in the design process before the machine is finalized.

  • @andrewkennedy5946

    @andrewkennedy5946

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Musicman9492 At this sort of industrial scale couldn't they also give the fines and the target grind different, optimised extraction cycles and blend in the "cup" before freezing?

  • @angrymurloc7626
    @angrymurloc76262 жыл бұрын

    "they're doing some proprietary stuff in there" - them hiding that they're loading large amounts of specialty coffee into extra copies of the 50$ grinder James brought

  • @bobmcbob4399

    @bobmcbob4399

    2 жыл бұрын

    hahaha - too good!

  • @UnjustifiedRecs

    @UnjustifiedRecs

    2 жыл бұрын

    Sounds likely to me, just a room full of Aldi grinders "don't go in there James, we've developed the worlds most sophisticated grinder that's just simply too powerful for people to see"

  • @baleek4367

    @baleek4367

    2 жыл бұрын

    Theranos style

  • @MetalheadAndNerd

    @MetalheadAndNerd

    2 жыл бұрын

    No, they are hiding all the empty Nescafe packages stored for disposal.

  • @air9music

    @air9music

    2 жыл бұрын

    They might even have 50 clones of James grinding on a Comandante 24 hours non-stop.

  • @all_systems_failing7235
    @all_systems_failing72352 жыл бұрын

    Baratza's new ad campaign: 'We're doing okay.'

  • @jerrodh
    @jerrodh2 жыл бұрын

    Come on, Patreon… buy this man a laser particle size analyzer! So much more that could be done with it. Effects of burr sizes and types, speeds, RDT, WDT, sieve use, etc.

  • @christopher.h.hendon

    @christopher.h.hendon

    2 жыл бұрын

    On the latter (studying those things, not buying James one. Sorry james)

  • 2 жыл бұрын

    As a Patreon supporter, I like where this is going!

  • @glitchyikes

    @glitchyikes

    2 жыл бұрын

    A Beckman Coulter laser particle analyser will be more than USD 250k

  • @ggusta1

    @ggusta1

    2 жыл бұрын

    Can we just help him lease one????

  • @nienke7713
    @nienke77132 жыл бұрын

    would be interesting to see you compare: -the frozen coffee extract they produce in hot water -the coffee (liquid) they produce with their equipmebt before it gets turned into the frozen extract (if possible) -coffee you brew with your preffered method from their coffee grounds

  • @jameshoffmann

    @jameshoffmann

    2 жыл бұрын

    I regret not doing the pre-frozen brew with a frozen one, that would be really interesting

  • @armadillito

    @armadillito

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jameshoffmann they might be brave to let you do that!

  • @studlystud

    @studlystud

    Жыл бұрын

    @@jameshoffmann Extraordinarily well worded statement. The question we have is "Did they refuse to let you?"... wait for it... wait for it... ...*crickets*

  • @Jaze2022

    @Jaze2022

    Жыл бұрын

    Are you referring to what eventually becomes instant coffee?

  • @seanmcahill
    @seanmcahill2 жыл бұрын

    As someone who just this week finally upgraded to a Baratza Encoré from the Sboly used in this video - the difference is very noticeable. A couple weeks before that I made the switch to fresh roasted single-origin coffee from the varieties you can get at your local grocery store. That has made a huge impact too. Several years ago I would have fallen under the never drink coffee crowd. For one reason or another I kept giving it a shot, but it was never more than the thing I had to drink in the morning. I've been watching James's videos for a couple years now and they have changed coffee from something I feel like I have to drink in the morning to something I want to drink in the morning, something I almost crave. Thank you James for all your wonderful videos and all of the knowledge that you've given. I love that no matter what video topic you're doing there's always something for me to learn, and I always do.

  • @filipebet

    @filipebet

    2 жыл бұрын

    I've also got a Sboly, any chance you've ever tried the adaptations that some people have done to make it grind finer? And did it help?

  • @seanmcahill

    @seanmcahill

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@filipebet I did not try any of those - for me, the two biggest issues Sboly had was grind consistency - and static. I don't have the equipment for espresso, so I didn't need the extra fine grinds. Sorry I couldn't be more help!

  • @wingnutbert9685

    @wingnutbert9685

    Жыл бұрын

    @@seanmcahill My Baratza produces a lot of static. Grinds floating and clinging everywhere. I started using a tooth brush (Brand new and only used for this!) and a glass of water. Dip the tooth brush and use it to sprinkle water over the beans in the hopper. Doesn't take much. Flip the brush and use the handle to stir it around. Bingo! Almost no static! Can't remember the name of the person this technique is named after, but it's really great. Zero effect on the machine or grinds, that I notice.

  • @johncarnahan867
    @johncarnahan8672 жыл бұрын

    Hey James, I run coffee through one of these roller burr grinders at work. As you know, changing the gap in the bottom rolls is roughly equivalent to adjusting the setting on a traditional grinder. This changes the peak of the distribution (AKA d50). There are a few other variables, most of them rely on making the bottom rolls do more work, and therefore cut less efficiently and generator more fines and/or widen the distribution. For example, widening the gap between the middle rolls means that larger particles are getting sent to the bottom roll, so it has more cutting to do. Likewise with increasing the feed speed of coffee into the grinder. The other variable here is the "densifier" which sort of works like a river polishing stones. A number of rods churn the compacted grounds, this essentially rounds out the rough edges and binds fine particles to larger ones. This is especially important for e.g. coffee capsules where an even flow is important; in addition it tends to give a very clean extraction. This might be what you noticed in the cupping.

  • @southboundaustral

    @southboundaustral

    Жыл бұрын

    "A number of rods churn the compacted grounds, this essentially rounds out the rough edges and binds fine particles to larger ones" The industrial mill depiction wasn't revelatory but your comment was. You made me realise uniformity of size meant as spheroid as possible. As opposed to say a granule of equal weight but were spiky or sharp edged. Spiky granules would lead to unequal precipitation. The closer to a spheroid the more even the extraction it is. Even if at a micro level that didn't hold I'm thinking the time factor for extraction would have some bearing on that outcome. The big eye opener you stated was recombination, " ...binds fine particles to larger ones". Is that right? Wow. The fines are reconstituted/bound back into other granules to a sought after size. That's amazing and something I thought one couldn't do. Is that because there is a very small amount of inherent liquor, or remaining moisture, or electrostatic charge as the attractant? Or is it just a physical process? Just speculating on the outcomes there - what does it do to husk? Do the husk fines more readily or less so, recombine? If the later you would end with with more pure coffee and a better taste. (Unless the husk serves some other function?) John if you could write a piece on r/espresso it would be an absolute eye opener. Thanks for your comment. I need to think about that for a while. Good stuff man.

  • @advancewarstournamentseries

    @advancewarstournamentseries

    Жыл бұрын

    @@southboundaustral Yeah this densifier stuff is the biggest difference, I suppose. Of course adjusting the middle rolls to get other distributions is interesting, but in terms of pure quality, having a more even distribution (with less fine particles that get "over extracted") must be the biggest factor

  • @floorpizza8074
    @floorpizza80742 жыл бұрын

    I love watching James' videos. Not only are they extremely educational, they're fun to watch, and very relaxing. James could narrate paint drying and I'd be glued to the screen.

  • @farshnuke

    @farshnuke

    6 ай бұрын

    I watch a German ASMR artist called Alexa Breit. James Hoffman doesn't have quite the same effect on me but it's close.

  • @Skwual
    @Skwual2 жыл бұрын

    James, a value in your channel is the integrity that you give it. I appreciate how brief but candid you are regarding your relationship towards brand placement.

  • @saoralba5114
    @saoralba51142 жыл бұрын

    I've always liked coffee but never had sweetness just the bitter . After watching your stuff I ditched the Nespresso machine and bought a sage grinder to cup dooda . Started to notice a sweetness . I'm now intrigued and slightly embarrassed I never discovered this before . So a huge thanks for showing the way to enjoy proper coffee . Great videos

  • @giannecarlob3937

    @giannecarlob3937

    2 жыл бұрын

    Nothing to be embarrassed about. Welcome to the journey!

  • @gaslitworldf.melissab2897

    @gaslitworldf.melissab2897

    2 жыл бұрын

    By this time, not only is his pallette extremely refined, but he probably detects a much more subtle degree of sweetness, b/c this is what he does.

  • @WalterGirao

    @WalterGirao

    2 жыл бұрын

    That's because coffee is not sweet at all. It's just the brain trying to find words to describe different "shades"/kinds of bitterness. This is like people describing "velvet textures" in wine. There's a lot of bias in all of this. Just embrace that fact and enjoy the experience. Don't do it like him and start claiming your taste is more "objective" than others hehe

  • @saoralba5114

    @saoralba5114

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@gaslitworldf.melissab2897 Oh I have no doubt , but even In my cheep 500 buck machine when I alter the grind settings I notice the difference . This is new to me and I'm very happy that I'm learning and my palette also .

  • @saoralba5114

    @saoralba5114

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@WalterGirao I did taste a sweetness , I was dubious at first but I did notice a change . Thanks for the input

  • @harleymiddleton1974
    @harleymiddleton19742 жыл бұрын

    Love cometeer coffee and the concept was a little weird for me, but after Peter McKinnon video on it I immediately jumped online and went to promotion code and three days later awesome cups of coffee. Really excited to have square mile coffee!

  • @beyproctor7673
    @beyproctor76732 жыл бұрын

    Having a tour of a large scale commercial coffee grinder was amazing. Thank you James. It allowed you to present the scale of diminishing returns to a home brewer perfectly. Relax and get a good flat bur grinder for home because there’s no hope of or point to maxing out everything for home use. It reminds me of the same type of analysis I went through while acquiring equipment to brew good beer at home. For beer brewing at home a roller grinder was really the way to go.

  • @simonl.2474
    @simonl.24742 жыл бұрын

    I'm a coffee enthusiast, but I work in environmental sciences and I've been analysing deep-sea sediments a lot, so I was quite pleased to see the same laser diffraction particle sizer that I have used so much being used for coffee! Might want to sneak in some of my ground coffee to the lab..!

  • @slimmysan7689

    @slimmysan7689

    2 жыл бұрын

    I use the same model for sediments in my lab too! Made me happy to see it in this video, and just as happy to see someone sharing my thoughts in the comments. Ours has a wet dispersion unit, so no coffee through ours, but we have a Camsizer that I'm curious to run coffee through now.

  • @ggusta1

    @ggusta1

    2 жыл бұрын

    Let us know your findings

  • @ThomasA101

    @ThomasA101

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@slimmysan7689 Could always run grounds suspended in water in a Hydro LV unit, as you probably could get enough obscuration for a good measurement, and they probably would stay suspended long enough to make a quick measurement? (The lab I worked in for the last four years does a lot of PSD analysis, as it's a Dairy R&D lab)

  • @WhyIsThereNoCoolNameLeft
    @WhyIsThereNoCoolNameLeft2 жыл бұрын

    I'm so happy for you that you had this opportunity! Thank you for sharing this to us all😊

  • @andrew1040
    @andrew10402 жыл бұрын

    I really appreciate how you disclose your business interests in a transparent way. I wish more people followed suit

  • @nicholasbinder5593
    @nicholasbinder55932 жыл бұрын

    I would've loved to see a grinder from the high end of domestic grinders (around 5k maybe) to be included in the test. Other than that, nice video!

  • @tobiasbouma4071

    @tobiasbouma4071

    2 жыл бұрын

    Such as? Titus nautilus? Even the kafatek isn't that expensive

  • @nicholasbinder5593

    @nicholasbinder5593

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@tobiasbouma4071 eg Weber EG-1. Yeah, 1500 below 5k but still a lot closer to 5k than to 500

  • @sebaba001

    @sebaba001

    2 жыл бұрын

    3700 i think Is about as expensive as they get and i am curoous too, would be a small difference in taste. What makes the 500k grinder so good Is being able to adjust fines and coarses individually on top of mass production grinding. But to a certain point there simply is a good distribution we all love and it cant be that expensive to get there. An ssp burr is 250 then you just gotta make them spin.

  • @nicholasbinder5593

    @nicholasbinder5593

    2 жыл бұрын

    Let me quickly explain my thought behind my comment… The 50 USD Grinder delivered the expected results- we already knew how it would stand up against the 500 USD Grinder. What would’ve been interesting to know is: Can we produce a cup of coffee at home that is of no noticeable difference to a 500k commercial grinder? If we took a top-of-the-line grinder and there would’ve been a difference, we’d know that, pretty much, no matter how expensive you go, you won’t reach the levels of a big commercial grinder. If it would taste the same, we could draw conclusions from that regarding other cheaper grinders, knowing the results of earlier grinder reviews (e.g. Ultimate Grinder Showdown). Now we „only“ know that a jet plane goes faster than a Porsche, and the Porsche goes faster than a bobby car.

  • @nicholasbinder5593

    @nicholasbinder5593

    2 жыл бұрын

    Also, makes me wonder.. was this left out on purpose in order to avoid the de-mystification of the 500k grinder, in case the top-of-the-line domestic grinder outperformed it? Seeing how close the Baratza already is, it would've absolutely been possible I think.

  • @sarvagnan
    @sarvagnan2 жыл бұрын

    This is probably not possible but I would love to see a deep dive on roller mill grinders, just to see what they can do and what the workflow is like for using them. As someone who's been very curious about them, this scratched the initial itch but there's so much more I want to know.

  • @jameshoffmann

    @jameshoffmann

    2 жыл бұрын

    I want to know more too!

  • @kozhevnikov

    @kozhevnikov

    2 жыл бұрын

    Wonder why they are not feasible for a home grinder, like a multi-step or recirculating pasta maker.

  • @krissmagic1

    @krissmagic1

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@kozhevnikov That was my initial taught - would it be possible to scale it down to a reasonably sized consumer grinder. Maybe just two roller sets, but with some extra controll over each roller spacing, tilt etc.

  • @Johnnybananass-_

    @Johnnybananass-_

    2 жыл бұрын

    interesting systems for sure,

  • @krissmagic1

    @krissmagic1

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hmm, I assume three sets are needed to get it course enough, so maybe two sets wouldn't work

  • @eugeneswanepoel877
    @eugeneswanepoel8772 жыл бұрын

    I appreciate the transparency from the get go. Commendable.

  • @katiehayes3133
    @katiehayes31332 жыл бұрын

    This is my new favourite channel. I’ve been binge watching so many videos all day 🤣 thanks for being so down to earth James! :)

  • @DavePetrillo
    @DavePetrillo2 жыл бұрын

    It would have been cool to see particles analyzed from a Nespresso pod, and a Keurig pod, since the grinders they use probably cost more than the $500k grinder (almost certainly in the case of Nespresso,) even though the coffee that they grind isn't as good, the graphs would have still been.. revealing?

  • @ophelianervosa

    @ophelianervosa

    2 жыл бұрын

    That would've been a great idea

  • @JP_43

    @JP_43

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'm pretty sure they sort for particle size since the contents of the pod always appear to be perfectly uniform.

  • @mjustjeanette7026

    @mjustjeanette7026

    2 жыл бұрын

    Would this comparison show the elements of no matter how good your technique, or expensive the equipment, you cannot turn poor quality coffee into gold.

  • @pierreg248

    @pierreg248

    2 жыл бұрын

    I think for the pods they grind, brew, fteeze then grind again.

  • @johncarnahan867

    @johncarnahan867

    2 жыл бұрын

    They use these exact grinders, though possibly in larger size. They start ~$200k and go up from there, you only get more throughput no extra bells and whistles.

  • @DancingSpacePotato
    @DancingSpacePotato2 жыл бұрын

    What this video did for me is help me feel okay with just picking my next grinder based on a few reviews and my preference for design. I don’t think chasing the minute differences between products in the high end of things is worth it at this point in my tasting ability. But I still might buy a facility instead of a house...

  • @davidsuchodoll4124
    @davidsuchodoll41242 жыл бұрын

    One of your best videos so far. Especially the graphs and distribution laid out so nicely 🤌

  • @sandrahowarth-muse4209
    @sandrahowarth-muse42092 жыл бұрын

    Since I have been watching you, none of my equipment seems to be adequate, I have become a coffee geek, boring anyone I know (and some people I don't know) with information even I did not know existed. Thank you James keep doing what you do.

  • @Lambda.Function
    @Lambda.Function Жыл бұрын

    I wonder how coffee would taste if you could mechanically remove the fines, like some kind of sifting machine.

  • @Showmetheevidence-

    @Showmetheevidence-

    Жыл бұрын

    Good Q!

  • @Orzorn
    @Orzorn2 жыл бұрын

    Its interesting how the third cup had the highest extraction, yet it was clean and sweet. I suppose there's something to be said about the consistency of the particles of coffee from that fancy-fancy grinder that allows for such a clean profile. Edit: Well yeah, that played out for the rest of the video when they did the particle analysis. The ability of the roller sets to produce exacting particle sizes is pretty clear.

  • @rodcosta2345
    @rodcosta23452 жыл бұрын

    I really appreciate the upfront honesty! Great vid as always.

  • @user-me8hc3bs7i
    @user-me8hc3bs7i2 жыл бұрын

    I think it’s super neat to watch one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve seen in relation to coffee seem genuinely intrigued around people more knowledgeable in a niche area of the coffee world. Seeing experts in anything talking to people that may be even more tuned into a specific area is always fun.

  • @darthrex354
    @darthrex3542 жыл бұрын

    I appreciate the "this is technically an ad" disclosure, but I was already interested in buying just from the words "Flash frozen coffee concentrate. Just such an interesting concept.

  • @skye4485
    @skye4485 Жыл бұрын

    3:40 - James accidentally spoke with his real voice. 😂

  • @anthonyboatner7286
    @anthonyboatner72862 жыл бұрын

    Really appreciate James commitment to transparency.

  • @nhojlagap6222
    @nhojlagap62222 жыл бұрын

    James: "let me explain what's going on". Me: you're flexing your new end game grinder? James: "we're in a factory". Me: oh ok.

  • @pushslice

    @pushslice

    2 жыл бұрын

    Having just watched the new James Bond flick, that scene and accompanying British accent certainly made me for a second think this was gonna be a James Bond ‘Villain’s Lair” parody!

  • @toddrowe9670
    @toddrowe96702 жыл бұрын

    I would love to be able to compare grinders using the particle size distributions. Speed, to me, is secondary or even tertiary (after noise). I would also be curious to see if the shape of the curve varies with setting (is a given grinder more uniform at an espresso setting than a setting for V60?). Great video as always James.

  • @benbauer7866

    @benbauer7866

    2 жыл бұрын

    But I mean, if you’re having 5,000 people over then the speed could matter.

  • @RagingCave

    @RagingCave

    2 жыл бұрын

    Just a bit expensive - But I think that's a Mastersizer 3000 with a Aero S Feeder from Malvern Instruments if that helps ;)

  • @konstantinpasko9165

    @konstantinpasko9165

    2 жыл бұрын

    These guys set off to conduct very extensive tests of different coffee grinders - worth following! kzread.info/dash/bejne/rHl9mNxqXb2rXbw.html

  • @Magnum0097
    @Magnum00972 жыл бұрын

    This was very interesting to watch. I am usually pretty tight with money but a couple years ago bought a $300 machine (grinds and brews) which I absolutely love and it has saved me so many trips to a coffee shop. Certainly has paid for itself.

  • @russelljackman1413
    @russelljackman14132 жыл бұрын

    Besides all the things I learn from your videos, you NEVER fail to crack me up! Thank you for both of them, James! Cheers!

  • @sobrcelt
    @sobrcelt2 жыл бұрын

    That's one heckuva commercial for the new Baratza! I'm pretty happy with my Virtuoso Plus (I mostly use an AeroPress, so it's more than sufficient), but if I decide to upgrade, I will probably target the $500 Baratza rather than the $700 Eureka Mignon Specialita, as it looks like it's probably just as good or close enough to make the $200 savings worth it.

  • @tctruffin
    @tctruffin2 жыл бұрын

    There’s plenty of roller mills on the market for grinding grain into grist for home brewing beer. Some will get down to flour size. Now wondering how they’d work on coffee.

  • @liamparry

    @liamparry

    2 жыл бұрын

    I suspect they would not handle beans well in 1 pass, hence the commercial machines needing several stages to get there

  • @carlrehnberg4581

    @carlrehnberg4581

    2 жыл бұрын

    Since I do have a commercial grade multi-step nut flour roller mill I feel challenged here... Now I just need a 25kg bag of coffee (minimum load) and I can test it. :)

  • @JP_43

    @JP_43

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@carlrehnberg4581 I shudder to think of the cleaning process to be able to mill flour in it again after running coffee.

  • @jackfranks7160

    @jackfranks7160

    2 жыл бұрын

    Do they allow for differing speeds of each roller? "Achieving a narrow particle size distribution and more spherical particles requires cutting forces (shear) rather than crushing the bean (compression). If the rolls move at the same speed, the particles are crushed as they are drawn into the narrowing gap between the rollers, creating a wide range of particle sizes as the beans shatter."

  • @carlrehnberg4581

    @carlrehnberg4581

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@JP_43 We do that every time we switch between peanuts and other nuts, and also every single time we switch from conventional to Organic nuts... It is hell, but we are used to it.

  • @SerfonteinL
    @SerfonteinL2 жыл бұрын

    Happy Birthday James, many years to come...

  • @pgsahlman
    @pgsahlman2 жыл бұрын

    James, there isn't one of your videos that I don't learn something new, and that I don't enjoy something thoroughly unanticipated. Your approach to coffee is as interesting as the most fascinating scientific or artistic disciplines, and humorous as well. Thank you.

  • @VincentGroenewold
    @VincentGroenewold2 жыл бұрын

    Glad you are so honest about what it is you review and how to treat the video, I’ll just mentally filter the ad stuff and drink the critical useful liquid. Like the blind test not being blind… I get it, no worries. :) I am surprised the difference is so clear between the Baratza and Cometeer, especially when looking at the particle size graph, on the lower end the baratza is doing as well.

  • @ExtremeBirdTypography
    @ExtremeBirdTypography2 жыл бұрын

    I happen to have the Sboly (I'm low on funds and not very picky with my coffee, so it does what it needs to) but i want to ask: have you run the grinder at all before that first test? The burning smell happened on the first couple grinds for me, due to the coating on the burrs, but it went away after 3 or 4 runs. I'm absolutely not a coffee expert, but I thought the coffee tasted less burnt after those initial runs too. I'm sure it wouldn't change the end result much, and it doesn't affect the point you're making with the video, it's just something I noticed. Cheers!

  • @jameshoffmann

    @jameshoffmann

    2 жыл бұрын

    It had ground maybe 6 or 7 30g batches before filming. The smell lingered but good to know it goes away!

  • @gaiaiulia

    @gaiaiulia

    2 жыл бұрын

    I thought the motor might have cooled, because James didn't mention it during the speed test. But manufacturing residue is a very valid point.

  • @Matt_The_Hugenot

    @Matt_The_Hugenot

    2 жыл бұрын

    I had the same experience with my Sboly. It's a standard thing with any electrical motor based product and if it doesn't happen then you you know you've paid extra for it.

  • @nicholasm2239

    @nicholasm2239

    2 жыл бұрын

    yo Victor I have the same grinder. Was just about to smash it to bits and figured I would take it apart instead. Turns out you can adjust the inner burr on this so that it grinds finer than the extra fine setting. I'm not sure if it was intented by design but you can wind the whole show down lower so the gap is more suited to espresso grind. the Sboly lives!

  • @rfcilia

    @rfcilia

    Жыл бұрын

    @@nicholasm2239 is there a video showing the sboly mod you're referencing?

  • @leahchildress7664
    @leahchildress76642 жыл бұрын

    I love this! Was just skimming all your coffee grinder videos while shopping for one!

  • @wacha0219
    @wacha02192 жыл бұрын

    Very happy birthday James with this great video!!

  • @craftedbyorre
    @craftedbyorre2 жыл бұрын

    Finally I can get an answer to the question: “Should I buy that $500,000 coffee grinder?”

  • @Myusernamehere33
    @Myusernamehere332 жыл бұрын

    Cometeer is great stuff. Been subscribed for a year. Supplements my espresso habit. I’ve always been curious what your thoughts were on it since they use great coffee. It’s super unique stuff. And a nice mid point in price between going to a cafe and making your own coffee. Was a welcomed addition at the beginning of the pandemic when everything was shut down.

  • @Elektoos
    @Elektoos2 жыл бұрын

    This is the most enjoyable episode of anything I have ever seen!

  • @ThomasA101
    @ThomasA1012 жыл бұрын

    Man, I just absolutely love actually seeing the data on the Mastersizer for the grinds. In my previous job in the dairy industry, a key part of my role was determining particle size distributions of dairy products using a Mastersizer 3000. Seeing a piece of kit I'm very familiar with being used in another application is really interesting. Particle sizing is such an interesting field to work in. I'd personally find it very interesting to see what the brew PSD comes out at for each, to see how much of the fines end up in the finished drink.

  • @jpbarista3253
    @jpbarista32532 жыл бұрын

    Same technology as “Home-brew roller grain mills” but with different cut and shape in the rollers, plus these coffee roller grinders have to be multi stage to make the coffee grind size precise.

  • @testingapril

    @testingapril

    2 жыл бұрын

    I have a 2 stage brewing roller mill and have wondered forever if it would grind decent coffee. I've never bothered to try it out, but maybe I will now

  • @jackfranks7160

    @jackfranks7160

    2 жыл бұрын

    Do they allow for differing speeds of each roller? "Achieving a narrow particle size distribution and more spherical particles requires cutting forces (shear) rather than crushing the bean (compression). If the rolls move at the same speed, the particles are crushed as they are drawn into the narrowing gap between the rollers, creating a wide range of particle sizes as the beans shatter."

  • @michaelgordon2824
    @michaelgordon28242 жыл бұрын

    This is the sort of video I really love, absolutely a good and informative video but also one where you can tell James was just itching to get to have a play around with something really cool.

  • @giggadygoogog
    @giggadygoogog2 жыл бұрын

    I really appreciate your clarity on advertising. Very respectful. Ta.

  • @endautrestermes
    @endautrestermes2 жыл бұрын

    Many thanks for the transparency.

  • @dipping_stock9656
    @dipping_stock96562 жыл бұрын

    I thought I wouldnt see the day James Hoffman with a hairnet on.

  • @SteveKarmesin
    @SteveKarmesin2 жыл бұрын

    The surface area graph was interesting, showing that a relatively small fraction of the mass of the grounds has about half the surface area. Maybe not something to do routinely, but it would be interesting to see what happens if you pass the ground coffee through a filter that lets you remove the fine tail so that you just have the particles from the coarse surface area peak in one brew and just the fine an another. Is the one from just the coarse better than the combination, or is it better to have that mixture in the final cup? Would the result of brewing the coarse and fine particles separately and mixing the result come out the same as brewing them together?

  • @armytwin2
    @armytwin22 жыл бұрын

    Really cool video, I expected the volume but not the control of grind distribution. Really enjoy your channel it convinced me and my sister to both get an Aeropress and have enjoyed coffee much more, thanks!

  • @mercury15316
    @mercury153162 жыл бұрын

    I have wondered what the industrial level grinders look like but I could have never imagined such a world of grinders exists. Just wow! Thank you James!

  • @iquintani
    @iquintani2 жыл бұрын

    It would be so fun to see how other grinders perform, like the Comandante hand grinder, or the Niche... Or maybe the 3.000£ from the ultimate series

  • @kyleberthaudin
    @kyleberthaudin2 жыл бұрын

    I was always under the impression that one would want less/no fines from a grinder, but in this video it showed that the 500k grinder still produced fines. Is this an inevitable and unavoidable consequence of grinding coffee? Or do fines play a positive role in the flavour of a cup? I reeeeaaallly wished this was brought up! Great video though, loved the quantitative data.

  • @SamStinson

    @SamStinson

    2 жыл бұрын

    Fines are for all practical purposes unavoidable, due to the basic physics of brittle facture, at least at the particle sizes we care about for coffee. In theory if you had some way to plasticize coffee beans (please no, science!) then you could produce completely consistent particles

  • @johncarnahan867

    @johncarnahan867

    2 жыл бұрын

    Too many fines can be unpleasant, but they are essential to the texture of a coffee, even a light roast. Because the fines extract fully, you get compounds that contribute to texture which in large quantity would ruin the flavor of the brew. In addition you may be grinding for espresso, the fines are important to build up pressure in the brewing chamber.

  • @adrrda6091

    @adrrda6091

    2 жыл бұрын

    They could, apparently, get rid of most of the fines but the price of their coffee would hardly be competitive. There would be enough pressure without the fines, at least if one adds more ground coffee and one could also use a finer grind (with a shorter extraction time) if it were necessary. Though I would like to hear James's opinion.

  • @mortisCZ

    @mortisCZ

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@SamStinson I like this idea form industrial point of view but I hate it as a coffee lover. :-D

  • @SpaghettiToaster

    @SpaghettiToaster

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@SamStinson Surely you could just sieve them out after grinding?

  • @450gmo
    @450gmo2 жыл бұрын

    So funny to get an ad for a supermarket-level coffee machine on this of all videos. KZread algorithm... you have much to learn :D

  • @damondrion78
    @damondrion782 жыл бұрын

    Thanks James, as always you ask the questions we may not… Learned a ton ☺️

  • @kevinalvarado3724
    @kevinalvarado37242 жыл бұрын

    When James did the 50£ grinders video, I expected to also see a comparison with a grinder like a Wilfa Svart, to get to see not only what you're missing comparing to the best thing you're coffee can be, but also to see what you gain when you save a little more money. I still can't deny that this looks fun as hell

  • @mememachine2777

    @mememachine2777

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Pilisa Ela mother looking

  • @rikmcrae

    @rikmcrae

    2 жыл бұрын

    I agree with James’ linear analogy. The Svart is way way better than the Krups GVX I used to use but it took a couple of years pallet training to explain how and why it is better.

  • @zachsimsphoto5344
    @zachsimsphoto53442 жыл бұрын

    One thing I would be interested in is using sieves to sort ground coffee to see if you could get a 50 dollar grinder to taste the same as an expensive grinder if you had all the same particle size or if shape (something sieves can't select for) also has an impact.

  • @SuperDavidEF

    @SuperDavidEF

    2 жыл бұрын

    That's actually a VERY good idea for a video! I'd love to see James attempt that. He could also compare a few different grinders to show if some improve more with sieving than others, since there are other variables introduced in grinding besides just particle size(s).

  • @JP_43

    @JP_43

    2 жыл бұрын

    I tried this with a cheap Bodum grinder, but did it slightly differently. I ground course, sifted out the fines and used a larger sieve to separate particles of my target size, then reground the boulders to my target size. I ended up with like 30% or more fines. The brewed cup was not nearly good enough to justify wasting 30% of my beans.

  • @jackfranks7160

    @jackfranks7160

    2 жыл бұрын

    He's done a review on sieves and the theory doesn't hold up. Sieves don't account for the surface area of a particle. So that would only hold up if every particle was a perfect sphere.

  • @SuperDavidEF

    @SuperDavidEF

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jackfranks7160 I haven't seen his video on using the sieve. My first thought on "it doesn't work" would be "did he use a perfectly sized sieve?" Because in this video, they show clearly that there are two distinct peaks in the particle sizes, with a deep valley between them. A sieve size that splits that valley should make a huge difference.

  • @reidh
    @reidh2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing, James!

  • @beardedjohnson
    @beardedjohnson2 жыл бұрын

    Really enjoying your content, James! Keep it coming.

  • @bigblue6917
    @bigblue69172 жыл бұрын

    I think one of the greatest reasons for not having a $500.000 coffee grinder is where would I put it?

  • @leo_warren
    @leo_warren2 жыл бұрын

    I'm thinking it would be very interesting to run these cups through HPLC (and probably a mass spec) and see how the extracted compounds differ from grind size and distribution.

  • @mcaligan9952
    @mcaligan99522 жыл бұрын

    Happy birthday James!

  • @mastermachetier5594
    @mastermachetier55942 жыл бұрын

    I love that you found this place from the overseas and I live 10 minutes away but had no idea

  • @0xv902
    @0xv9022 жыл бұрын

    I was waiting for the "one of my subscribers can win this 500,000 dollar grinder"

  • @philoopnorth4901
    @philoopnorth49012 жыл бұрын

    Just got to say how much I respect your honesty and openness about your links with Cometeer. When so many people try to hide their commercial interest in products they feature in their content, it's a really nice change to see some integrity.

  • @doublevendetta
    @doublevendetta Жыл бұрын

    TMW you re-watch this video and realize the $50 grinder he's using in this head to head is the very one you currently daily drive lol

  • @deathymckill9707
    @deathymckill97072 жыл бұрын

    Cant thank you enough James! My cup went from zero to Hoffman because of your videos.

  • @peterjordan-turner8789
    @peterjordan-turner87892 жыл бұрын

    That was super interesting, and ended up as great PR for the new Baratza. Look forward to seeing that on the channel soon.

  • @SaikouHD
    @SaikouHD2 жыл бұрын

    I just use 2 rocks to grind my coffee

  • @DariatheDaring

    @DariatheDaring

    2 жыл бұрын

    Classy I just chew mine

  • @angiealanis8741

    @angiealanis8741

    2 жыл бұрын

    😄😄

  • @CuppyCakeKisses

    @CuppyCakeKisses

    2 жыл бұрын

    Wow that's expensive. That's 2 years salary for Charlie Brown.

  • @danrichmond5405

    @danrichmond5405

    2 жыл бұрын

    Look at you mr la di da with TWO whole rocks

  • @james.randorff

    @james.randorff

    2 жыл бұрын

    Mongo only pawn in game of coffee

  • @MJ-uq3rg
    @MJ-uq3rg2 жыл бұрын

    This humble man represents me in everything

  • @nyan2317
    @nyan23172 жыл бұрын

    Cool ad, thanks for making that clear.

  • @mikelutterman6814
    @mikelutterman68142 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, James! Hope you have a great day too!

  • @JawnLam
    @JawnLam2 жыл бұрын

    $50, $500, $500k. That escalated quickly

  • @windowdoog
    @windowdoog2 жыл бұрын

    500k grinder…. Think it’s about time to sign up for Patreon.

  • @SuperRand13
    @SuperRand132 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for this James! In the market for a new grinder and have been stuck on how much to spend!!

  • @nomorenames7323
    @nomorenames73232 жыл бұрын

    Glad you were able to come to Mass! Gloucester is a lovely town.

  • @jankubat2694
    @jankubat26942 жыл бұрын

    Are you using a different microphone on this? You sound very different.

  • @maxmccann5323
    @maxmccann53232 жыл бұрын

    Why does he sound COMPLETELY different lmao

  • @beepboopsloane
    @beepboopsloane2 жыл бұрын

    Consistently impressed by your disclosure of conflicts of interest. So many people are trying their best to skirt around what is and isn’t an ad, and erring always on the side of caution when talking about cool stuff that you may financially benefit from is super cool!!

  • @217kd
    @217kd2 жыл бұрын

    Cool video! I have been loving my cometeer subscription for the past several months. I can’t wait to see square mile in it soon. Cometeer has become my go to way to make coffee at home.

  • @greysuit17
    @greysuit172 жыл бұрын

    So we need an end game grinder for several thousand that’s a small roller mill grinder. A mini version of the commercial grinder. Is there anyone doing that?

  • @SuperDavidEF

    @SuperDavidEF

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yeah, we need one that can grind as small as 30 grams, or even less. It probably wouldn't have to be several thousand dollars. It could be a cascading set of three roller mills, and probably under $3000 for very high quality.

  • @ogjbot
    @ogjbot2 жыл бұрын

    Was hoping you were going to give all three away to your Patreons. Disappointed.

  • @lhoster2
    @lhoster22 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for a cool video! I would like to see a short video follow up explaining more about the two different plots (volume density and surface area density plots) and how the differences in the distributions affect the flavor profile of coffee in general.

  • @gracenelson6283
    @gracenelson62832 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely LOVED this video!

  • @orangejuli07
    @orangejuli072 жыл бұрын

    I love that baratza upgraded the adjustment tabs! and the added light + much cleaner/shiny upper is so nice. Makes me want to swap my Vario-W for the new one

  • @DarrellGrainger
    @DarrellGrainger2 жыл бұрын

    I loved this video. It tells me a bunch of things. Some I might not appreciate, yet. I never even imagined there was a $500,000 grinder. That is amazing. I feel I've spent enough on grinders for the moment. This video helped me believe that. Time to start working on my technique. Your scientific videos, your step by step approach, isolating each part so I can play and learn is awesome. Thank you so much.

  • @tlacuacheoscuro
    @tlacuacheoscuro2 жыл бұрын

    I love the level of transparency in your videos even when you try to be objective all the way, I really hate people that pretend to be making a review while making a commercial.

  • @mjustjeanette7026
    @mjustjeanette70262 жыл бұрын

    I'm thoroughly enjoying learning more about coffee. The science behind the art of good coffee.

  • @cookiii
    @cookiii2 жыл бұрын

    Hi James, I just want you to know. I don't like Coffee, but i like watching your videos because of your manner and technical insight. And your integrity always impresses me, as you are always transparent about any biases you may have. Cheers

  • @thecatspajamas19
    @thecatspajamas192 жыл бұрын

    This only gives me a million more questions. And it still doesn't quench my thirst for which grinder I should be looking at to give me good filter coffee at home, but is also capable of doing espresso, and at a sensible price.

  • @dannyv84oz
    @dannyv84oz2 жыл бұрын

    Just found him on FB, I don’t even drink coffee but I really like his videos … super informative

  • @lolaloveamericamartir3222
    @lolaloveamericamartir32222 жыл бұрын

    This is the kind of information you don’t know exists. This is why I subscribe to your KZread channel.

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