Not only espresso, but filter-V60 in a Port wine shaped glass is a totally different experience. I have started tasting coffee in wine glasses after having participated in two Riedel wine glasses workshops and learned so much from those sessions. @jameshoffmann should be doing a similar blind tasting tests on coffees
No it's because James H's approach to most opinions/statements is don't take MY word for it, "I will test this very meticulously in front of you and then prove or disprove my hyothesis"....that is why I love this guy and follow him
Prior to watching this, I had actually never stirred my espresso. I always drank it straight focusing on the different layers. But after watching this I split a double shot into two single shot glasses and stirred one of them. I had the exact same impression you had! The layered shot had a lot of bitterness up front with a little burst of sweetness at the end, but the stirred shot was much more balanced and enjoyable as a whole. Thanks for this ultra-level of nerd-ery!
The most expensive coffee have been through the digestive system of an Algerian fox Scratch your butt before lifting the cup for the improvised eco-class version Life is good
I'd actually find this very interesting. A proper glass can make a huge difference to wine or whisky, so it might also be an improvement here. Aroma is very important to coffee.
As a chemical engineer, I can confirm that stirring is the superior choice here. Swirling can in some context be compared to what some sources call agitation, which is an inferior process which moves the liquid around in circles, but there is little to no actual "mixing" of the separate phases going on. One could argue that swirling long enough or violently enough would eventually produce the same results as stirring mechanically, but as for everything in espresso, the name of the game is consistency, so grab a spoon and mix that shot!
You are 100% my favorite coffee-specialist RUclipsr. You just utilized the scientific method to determine whether or not stirring and swirling were comparable mixing methods for an espresso shot. 10/10 will watch again.
I am willing to argue that he did not offer a way to falsify his hypothesis so he did follow a mediocre version of the scientific method... but the scientific method wasn't really necessary to get his point across
There is a trick to swirling when trying to mix a liquid. I've learned that in my chemistry practicals. Sure a spoon or a magnetic stirrer is always better, but for a quick mix this works surprisingly well. Beware, this has a even higher chance to make a mess than normal swirling! ;) Start a quick and strong swirl till the content of the cup keeps moving when you stop to swirl. Then immediately swirl vigorously in the opposite direction. This causes the flow to stop, introduces turbulence and then reverses the flow. If you repeat this two or three times you get a pretty good mix without stirring.
I could try this. I have taken my "share" of chemistry labs, including Qual and organic. I am a clod. If I try to do what you suggest, it will end up on my shirt. (It's not YOUR fault). Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)
@@karlkrasnowsky3895 I did buy a couple, then later a few more as I found them so cute XD But they're also perfect for the job at hand, and I'm always running out of spoons anyway, so I feel fully justified. Mind you, for £3 or so, they were a little more within my budget than what you had in mind ;)
"You maybe think I've lost my mind" - James...this is the 6th video of yours I've watched today on the extremely fine details of consuming coffee in a manner I don't regularly consume at home, I think it's safe to say we're on the same page here!
I've a pretty elaborate swirling technique at work. First you pour the milk into the cup and then you let the vaguely coffee-like substance pour on top of that for pre-mixing. You give it a quick swirl and start walking towards your desk. You blow into the coffee; not to cool it though because the damn machine brews lukewarm coffee anyway, but to stop the swirl so you can swirl it in the other direction. The next bit is hard to describe, but as the coffee starts resonating with the frequency of your walk you will inevitably slow down and speed up so as to not totally pour all of it over your hands, and as you are speeding up and the coffee is creeping up the walls of the cup you do these half-swirls to fold the milk into the coffee. Additional blowing is optional. One last swirl as you sit down at your desk and you can enjoy a perfectly mixed café au lait putain froid.
Now according to Newton's second law stuff that doesn't move in the beginning has a tendency to not want to move. If you really want to get the relative rotation started, a more efficient way is, tuck the damn cup close to your chest, and start spinning, with your spine as the centre. Spin the other way to decelerate. Try not to puke on your way back to your desk.
Tried this repeatedly with shots pulled from 3 machines 3 grinders and several coffees and have to conclude stirring is giving the best results compared to swirling or leaving. I'm convinced its spoons ahead. :-)
I am from Chile and I recently started in the world of coffee with an aeropress... you and your channel have been a constant motivation to start preparing my own coffee and trying different things. Thanks a lot!
I've been recommending stirring to our guests since we opened. So when I first read the title of this video I got a bit scared that I was doing it wrong. Thank you for confirming my obsession of stirring the espresso, and providing yet another very informative video that I will share with all coffee enthusiasts in our community.
Before I found your channel I clicked go on my Sette 30 which generally stayed at one grind setting, lazily tamped whatever 5 seconds was in terms of mass into the stock basket and portafilter that came with my Breville, and clicked the 2 shot button. Now I've just gone and bought a 6 pack of demitasse spoons to stir the espresso that I meticulously dose by weight and dial in daily from a Niche Zero, paddle and tamp with SAI tools, and pull from a Linea Mini. Needless to say my pocketbook is not your biggest fan. But I definitely am. Thank you so much for creating easily the most compelling coffee channel on RUclips. You're probably singlehandedly responsible for my newfound love affair with coffee.
"You may think I've lost my mind." One of your funniest video's so far James, made me laugh out loud a couple of times. That was a good start of my day, so thanks for that. I will be stirring my espressos from now on. Unless the service is really bad, than I'll be swirling overenthousiastically.
When you swirl, the low density crema doesn't mix -- it keeps floating on top. That would explain a lot right there. Stirring helps homogenize the crema with the rest in addition to mixing the layers of liquid from the different phases of the pull.
And again you blew my mind. You are answering all my coffee questions with wit. It was genuine pleasure to watch. The more videos you make, the better coffee we will drink (by understanding it).
Idk why im like this, I don't drink coffee, don't like the taste, even trying some of these methods for a better cup. I'm more of a "mix mountain dew and fruit punch for my caffiene" kind of goblin but I am obsessed with the well edited videos and watching someone be passionate about something
I had a so bad espresso just the other day from an unfamiliar (I don't recommend thereafter) "café", I was so surprised they served it with refined sugar & non-dairy creamer on the side! And their espresso is really bad I can't even consume it all after a single sip!
I don't have an espresso machine, expensive grinder or really great pallet. While I plan to buy the first two and work on the last one, I am such a huge fan of this channel. Super wholesome content and really well informed.
4:01 "Gone forever... just gone" made me giggle so much and now my colleagues think I'm mental. This happened in my last workplace when you were *cupping* Hario filters. I keep coming back for your knowledge, but also for your obsessiveness. I'd love to have the time in my life to acheive your levels of both.
Thanks for your videos! The Algorithm decided earlier this evening that I'd like to learn more about coffee balls. Meanwhile, I've seen you sample each and every Nespresso capsule you could get a hold of, inspire people to give other people (and/or their kids) coffee-making toys, and this one. I've been hugely entertained so far. I sell (mostly) Dutch cheese for a living and know my way around those flavours, but must admit I have never even considered attempting to actually enjoy coffee. I'm used to just accepting all of the caffeine I can get. Black, strong, lots of it. This coffee barbarian has an open mind and looks forward to learning more from you.
For great coffee made in a simple way, get an "It's American Press" or even an Aeropress. A Clever Dripper is a great brewer as well. If I may suggest, use the above devices before diving into espresso. Espresso demands a great grinder, and small adjustments greatly affect the outcome. Contact time, water temperature (also water quality), agitation, and grind size are key variables to understand. May you have many great cups to come. Best wishes.
I'm embarrassed to say I have a really cheap espresso machine, but, it's often more about technique than equipment, I've found. I've had a crappy cup from an Atomic coffee maker, and I've had awesome campfire coffee. The little beaker that came with my espresso maker is borosilicate glass, so as the espresso drips in, it its easy to see the layers of coffee as the process develops. It seemed to me, from the first time I used it, that a stir would benefit the drink. It does, and you are so right. Swirling is more affectation than having anything to do with making the espresso more homogenized. Excellent video!! Thanks so much for your continued efforts to bring us better brews!
It sort of makes sense to me that stirring is better than swirling; swirling swirls the layers separately without much inter layer mixing, while stirring breaks the layers, producing lots of mixing.
Mr. Hoffman, I'm having a love/hate relationship moment with you on this video. I saw the name and in that moment said that this is pretentious and was about to skip the video, then I hit play. I hate you because you are right about stirring over swirling, and I love you because you are talking about espresso and you use the scientific method to convince me you are not pretentious. Keep up the good work. Damn you man😁
You are absolutely not too far down the rabbit hole. This is super interesting! This makes a lot of sense from a fluid dynamics point of view. If we assume that the espresso lies in discrete layers of increasing concentration from top to bottom, swirling perfectly horizontally will create flow only parallel to the layers and thus we rely mainly on diffusion for mixing (hugely inefficient). However, stirring causes chaotic advection (flow in many directions, also across layers) which is much more efficient at mixing! I think the reason why your measurements are very close together may be because you filter it before putting it in the refractometer. To make a fair comparison, you should either taste the filtered top layer or measure the unfiltered sample.
So should we be switching our espresso cups for curved, wine shaped espresso cups instead? AND stir them? Cuz I am down for that; that's the kind of nerdiness I live for.
I took an American friend to an awesome coffee roastery in Spain when I was there on holiday, and they served us up a chemex pour over coffee in a wine glass. At first I thought it was typical hipster pretention, but that was 4 years ago and I still remember the look on my mates face after sipping the best coffee he'd ever had, that apparently ruined him forever because nothing else would compare :) My point? I don't really have one, it was just a great memory to think about again 😂
Don't hate the source: www.nespresso.com/no/no/order/accessories/original/reveal-intense-smaksglass The best part about them is a single espresso should fill to exactly the widest point
Hi James, I'm a new subscriber to your channel and fell into binge-watching. Today is the first time in my years of making my espresso that I actually stirred my espresso and....it does taste much better. Thank you for these amazing videos.
You are my favorite RUclips person. I’ve never swirled or stirred my espresso 😳. From now on, I’ll just take your word and stir! Cheers from the US West Coast!
I love this! I’m so glad I looked into this, and when you had mentioned this being among the “weird little details”, I verbally responded “well I like the weird little details” 😄. I love that you go into them in addition to the ‘big stuff’, and I’d love to see more. I’d personally swirled before as well with the vague intention of post-processing and balancing my pull, and this brought clarity to that, as well as a better alternative, for which I’m grateful. I’m sure it goes without saying that I’m grateful for your content; I look forward to seeing more.
Recently discovered this channel. I’m working with a ROK (GC upgraded) and had already worked out a heating routine. Never swirled or stirred before, tried a stir this morning. Although the beans were only a day older than yesterday (8 days post roast). It was a very different experience. Same flavor for all of my sips. Thank you for sharing your obsessions with us!
One espresso, please. Stirred, not swirled. ;) I suggest the combination of a Figgjo Oslo Tulip cup, a crazy swirl and a proper sniff, though. I’ve had the pleasure of consuming a few espressos out of those cups and it’s pure bliss.
James, I enjoy so much your content. I have learned a lot for an Amateur home barista. And as you I want to get the best of my cup in each one. I have make so many decisions base in your expertise and reviews. Before this video I added stirring to my routine because I saw you doing it when you were tasting your coffees. When doing it myself I found out that my espresso cups tasted much better. As you said it felt much balance and enjoyable. Ps: I will love a video explaining about precision baskets. I have a pullman and using it with my gaggia classic and I had some struggles each time I change of the type of roasted. Im really don’t understand the difference. Thanks from Puerto Rico! 🇵🇷
I will definitely get back to you on this once I've had a chance to test it myself... I personally prefer getting the whole espresso ("double shot" for lack of a better expression) in a wider ~5 ounce cup so that swirling is easier, slightly more vigorous, cools the espresso faster and I can really get my nose into it. Probably just as crazy as you James....
I am very glad that you have added a Chinese translation.This helps a lot of people who are not good at English.I hope that if future all the video can also maintain Chinese and English subtitles will be helpful. thank you for all your video .
Early Music Maker being from america, i was shocked at the price and the lower temperature of the espresso. most cafes the espresso is so damn hot that you can’t drink it very fast..at least i cant!
I read your World Atlas before I discovered your RUclips channel, now whenever I refer back to the book I just hear your mannerisms in the written text! Brilliant!
1. Clearly you haven't gone too far. 2. Now I know why some cafes give me a spoon! At least if they had given me a shrimp fork I would've known what it was. Thanks for educating this noob! PS, I haven't spent the money on a burr grinder so your shaking trick from over the holidays it's being put to a good use everyday. Thanks!
I agree. It reminds me of my anglophilia - especially as a teen. I'm 50 so I had to search out video tapes and articles to follow my favorite britcoms and fashions. One article was dos and don'ts when meeting the queen. A rule that stuck with me was not to stir your tea but move back and forth the spoon without touching the sides. It took only one try to notice how well this works. Since then I have seen this over and over in many disciplines. As a rule spinning separates while back and forth mixes. Thanks for a great vid!
Thanks James! Many of my favorite cafes here in Los Angeles brew into a tiny pitcher then pour into the demitasse. I wonder how that compares to stirred? At home I brew into a very warm latte cup so i can capture those aromas!
Interesting. (1) Have you tried to drop the trickle (in Italian they say it's good when it looks like a mouse tail) along the wall of the cup? The -sort of- parabolic cross section of Italian cups is intentional. You get a bit of circulation in the cup. It does not completely solve the problem but helps. (2) an Italian lady told me she uses the spoon to bring the extraction from the bottom up along the wall of the cup so this is the first that meets the lips (taste, mouthfeel, plus contributes to scent). She described this as old cognoscenti knowledge. (3) a little bit of swirling is sometimes done by barista to make a visual trace of overextraction go away. My counter question is, what about #1?
First time I see one of your videos, I want to say that I subscribed because you said “hope you have a great day”. Thank you for that! Awesome video by the way. Have a great day as well.
Going to try this out. I stopped taking sugar in coffee about 9 months ago and if offered a spoon always decline (because I take it, don’t use it and then the cafe wash it again - even though it’s clean - which appears wasteful). May need to start taking one again ☕️
I've been doing espresso at home for about a year now, thinking I know my stuff and that I'm so cool because people are impressed with the scales and the tamping and the show if it all. Only now that my taste has developed a bit more, am I starting to realize I've got no idea what I'm doing. I think understanding taste is more useful of a tool to a noob like me than understanding technique in terms of overall understanding of how to create a coffee drink. Coffee is definitely the case of, the more you know, the more you know you don't know. Down the rabbit hole I gooooooo.
Thanks for sharing James ! Hhhmm swirling my espresso while briefing my colleague about the roasting day at 6:00 in the morning. I love the sound of the coffee falling of the cup on the floor at the most silent part of the dialogue, this is so roaster style. But clearly the first sip after stir is more accurate than after swirl. Your video made me think about the cup temperature. I don't like to taste espresso in hot cup (hot I mean from the top of the coffee machine for exemple), more aromas goes in the air, more oxydation, less clarity or the aromas because of the heat in mouth because you don't want to wait anymore. I rather prefer to pull a shot in a room temperature cup, this gives me the time to stir it a bit then drink the espresso right after stirring around maybe 45°C (I suppose) but slightly hotter than body temperature. I find there is more acidity perception and a clearer picture of the coffee. At what temperature peoples like to drink their coffee ? Is there a link with sugar regarding the balance of the cup vs temperature ?
I came from palermo sicily and i grown up in a very popular coffee bar. We got a lot of habits about espresso, one of them is after swirling the coffee we smear the top lip of the cup so the lips get coffee test before you sip it. Ciao and i like your channel very much 👍
Hey James Have recently been having a binge at your videos, and absolutely love them. The style, pace and sheer genuine nature of them is awesome - perhaps one of the reasons I'm into coffee despite not being in the industry anymore. Wondering if you'd do a comprehensive look at making espresso based drinks at home, maybe using some of the less-expensive Breville machines. Just tips and ideas would be really cool to see.
Yes please please use breville machines! I just ordered 4 yes 4 espresso machines the first 3 went back, mr. coffee, Philips and some other brand li can’t even remember it was so chinsey ! I ended up wit a bambino plus espresso machine for 500$. I’d love tips on using it? Or if you can’t do that tips on using espresso machines. Thank you in advance ☕️ Elizabeth
"Have I gone too far down the rabbit hole that is espresso?" asks the man who has made his entire adult life revolve around espresso and coffee in general. Nah I think you're fine.
Depends upon which hemisphere you reside -- you want to swirl opposite the spin of earth. Also, the closer you are to the equator, the faster you have to swirl to make up for lack of free rotational energy 😏
Your video made me smile a lot! Thank you for swirling and spilling 🤣 Now the next question down the rabbit hole. Does heating the stirring spoon help improve taste or make no difference? 🥃
James, your passion that can become overly obsessive is amazing and I love the fact that you are aware about it. But after all everything you say it is always backed by experiment, science and a deep knowldge, therefore you are a legend! (And also you are very funny.)
I use an AMA Milano steam driven. Usually stir the espresso with a spoon. Lately, started using a small battery operated frother to stir. Quicker than stirring & tastes same to me. I use it just before pouring the coffee into the cup & again after adding creamer. Btw, great channel!
Thanks a lot for this video! Thinking about it for years and tried to make couple of my colleges stir and avoid the swirling. They didn’t believe me until now. I’m a huge fan of your blog and all your work!
I feel attacked 😂 not only did I discover those “trashy layered cocktails” this year, I just got my first espresso machine and I’m stepping into a whole new world. I love this channel!
Why in the hell have I become obsessed with watching your videos. I love coffee but I’m definitely not a coffee fanatic and definitely not a professional but I cannot stop watching you
Thanks James. And now this explains the fancy spoons in the other video. BTW I like the explicit details on your videos, that makes them bold and special. enjoyed!
All I know is that I fucking love James Hoffman and I will happily listen to him obsess over any topic about which he feels passionately and wants to pontificate or ramble.
I'm from Guatemala, at ANACAFE (National Association of Coffee) where I took my barista course they taught us to serve the espresso with a spoon so the customer could integrate the layers. We also did a cool experiment tasting every 5 seconds the coffee that was coming out of the espresso machine, you could taste the sweetness and bitterness of it, so cool!
Py Tux I was thinking the same thing. Natural variability in shot pulls influenced the value more significantly than a stir v swirl effect. Would be good to compare data vs. a control sample of no swirl / mix at all.
I naturally started doing this to mix syrups and sugars etc and noticed even when I did not add anything it was better when stirred, nice to have that backed up.
I know this is gonna surprise you but I am a newbie to all this and I was swirling because thats what i saw people doing. I have made some terrible espresso and unfortunately know the sour taste very well lol. I could taste that layering flavor you were discussing and on my own I thought I wonder what happens if I give this a good stir. It did exactly as you stated. I lost the layering effect almost entirely and the whole shot tasted much more even top to bottom. Thank you for this and all your videos. Now I wont be self conscience about stirring.
The point on espresso cup not being 'tulip' shaped like wine / tasting glasses are! Would you make a video on espresso cups? Aside from swirling - why are they still so much like shot glass we use for crappy alcohol? Shouldn't espresso be treated like a fine cognac, instead of cheap booze? 🧐
Agreed. I'm a big fan of these cups; perfect size, curved to fit the hand quite nicely. Recently, I've resorted to buying handmade ceramics, though finding the right size can be a challenge. www.amazon.com/Espresso-Shot-Glass-Coffee-Lovers/dp/B073DK6BGT/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=espresso+cups+2.7+oz&qid=1558403246&s=gateway&sr=8-6
This kind of overly obsessive videos are the reason why this is my favourite coffee channel.
100% agreed :D
What other coffee channels do you recommend?
@@bloobeeblah real chris baca. Similar vibe to the Hoff but from US. Barista hustle is another for in depth lectures. Tim Wendleboe is also good.
Yep, completely agree with this!
Agree! Obsessive without being pretentious.
What I learned from this video is that we should be drinking espresso from wine glasses.
I thought exactly this.
Not only espresso, but filter-V60 in a Port wine shaped glass is a totally different experience. I have started tasting coffee in wine glasses after having participated in two Riedel wine glasses workshops and learned so much from those sessions. @jameshoffmann should be doing a similar blind tasting tests on coffees
@@nunofr This is a really neat idea. I think I might get a wineglass-shaped vessel for espresso and see how that goes...
Thinking about size, I would suggest something like a Glencairn Glass.
Exactly my thought - espresso cups are the wrong shape. Should I try a wine glass?
I trust you blindly for some reason.
That's cause he's Jimmy Hoffa
It’s the British accent
@@michaelsmith8367 I was also gonna say it’s the haircut lmao
😂🤣😂🤣🥳
No it's because James H's approach to most opinions/statements is don't take MY word for it, "I will test this very meticulously in front of you and then prove or disprove my hyothesis"....that is why I love this guy and follow him
Prior to watching this, I had actually never stirred my espresso. I always drank it straight focusing on the different layers. But after watching this I split a double shot into two single shot glasses and stirred one of them. I had the exact same impression you had! The layered shot had a lot of bitterness up front with a little burst of sweetness at the end, but the stirred shot was much more balanced and enjoyable as a whole. Thanks for this ultra-level of nerd-ery!
I independently discovered that mixing is better, although I did enjoy the different layers of tastes before.
@@vikramjadhav3631 As Adam Ragusea would say, "Heterogeneity!"
"Espresso, stirred not swirled."
Springfield Leo thank you Mr. Bond ☕️
Its Hoffmann, james hoffmann
😆
How is that La Pavoni going, any improvement on your technique over that last shot?
Lol, just about to comment that until I saw yours.
"If you're a *café* that doesn't believe in *tea* spoons, shame on you" - James Hoffman.
I'm going to print a poster of this quote and hang it at my cafe.
Coffeespoons it is!
I read this as he was saying it
@@sielec1987 I'm going to call them that from now on
I've heard D spoons.
Me: what the hell is D spoons.
Your point on the wine glasses raises the question of the optimal shaped espresso cup. Potential future video.
The most expensive coffee have been through the digestive system of an Algerian fox
Scratch your butt before lifting the cup for the improvised eco-class version
Life is good
Tom A one with a large base?
I'd actually find this very interesting. A proper glass can make a huge difference to wine or whisky, so it might also be an improvement here. Aroma is very important to coffee.
I would be very interested in seeing a micro sized, wine glass shaped espresso cup. Could make for a beautiful looking shot too!
Wouldn't that just funnel heat though?
As a chemical engineer, I can confirm that stirring is the superior choice here. Swirling can in some context be compared to what some sources call agitation, which is an inferior process which moves the liquid around in circles, but there is little to no actual "mixing" of the separate phases going on. One could argue that swirling long enough or violently enough would eventually produce the same results as stirring mechanically, but as for everything in espresso, the name of the game is consistency, so grab a spoon and mix that shot!
What if you first swirl and the swirl contra?
@@stentoft01 You'll just spill it twice.😀
And as my chem teacher always said... Storring doesnt mean scratching that glasware. If you stirr, you dont Touch the glass
Vortacies are the key to mixing and stirring is the key to creating a multitude of vortex within the coffee.
As an electrical engineer, I question whether I have the training necessary to have a valid opinion on this topic.
You are 100% my favorite coffee-specialist RUclipsr. You just utilized the scientific method to determine whether or not stirring and swirling were comparable mixing methods for an espresso shot. 10/10 will watch again.
I am willing to argue that he did not offer a way to falsify his hypothesis so he did follow a mediocre version of the scientific method... but the scientific method wasn't really necessary to get his point across
@@MrPDTaylor on top of that, there was no distribution or standard deviation given, making it a rather cursory analysis
There is a trick to swirling when trying to mix a liquid. I've learned that in my chemistry practicals. Sure a spoon or a magnetic stirrer is always better, but for a quick mix this works surprisingly well. Beware, this has a even higher chance to make a mess than normal swirling! ;)
Start a quick and strong swirl till the content of the cup keeps moving when you stop to swirl. Then immediately swirl vigorously in the opposite direction. This causes the flow to stop, introduces turbulence and then reverses the flow. If you repeat this two or three times you get a pretty good mix without stirring.
Yes, and hope by the end of it some of the coffee is still in the cup. (I'm not optimistic about the odds.)
I do that, usually in a cappuccino cup, works really well and you don't have to clean the spoon :D
Is there any heat left in the coffee after that?
I could try this. I have taken my "share" of chemistry labs, including Qual and organic. I am a clod. If I try to do what you suggest, it will end up on my shirt. (It's not YOUR fault).
Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)
If you do this with spoon, the results is even better
40 seconds in, I thought "I'm going to need to order a tiny espresso stirring spoon by the end of this aren't I..."
I'm sure you can find an espresso specific set on Amazon for $300
@@karlkrasnowsky3895 I did buy a couple, then later a few more as I found them so cute XD
But they're also perfect for the job at hand, and I'm always running out of spoons anyway, so I feel fully justified. Mind you, for £3 or so, they were a little more within my budget than what you had in mind ;)
Just don't become impatient and use a rubber-coated baby food spoon instead!! Probably the right size, but definitely a faux-pas!
@@aureaphilos I did not need to be called out like that
"You maybe think I've lost my mind" - James...this is the 6th video of yours I've watched today on the extremely fine details of consuming coffee in a manner I don't regularly consume at home, I think it's safe to say we're on the same page here!
It’s been established in the bioscience field that orbital shaking (or swirling) is not a very efficient way to mix stuff so yeah spoon it is
Orbitally shaking my coffee no more! 🤓
Omg that's amazing
I've a pretty elaborate swirling technique at work. First you pour the milk into the cup and then you let the vaguely coffee-like substance pour on top of that for pre-mixing. You give it a quick swirl and start walking towards your desk. You blow into the coffee; not to cool it though because the damn machine brews lukewarm coffee anyway, but to stop the swirl so you can swirl it in the other direction.
The next bit is hard to describe, but as the coffee starts resonating with the frequency of your walk you will inevitably slow down and speed up so as to not totally pour all of it over your hands, and as you are speeding up and the coffee is creeping up the walls of the cup you do these half-swirls to fold the milk into the coffee. Additional blowing is optional.
One last swirl as you sit down at your desk and you can enjoy a perfectly mixed café au lait putain froid.
Now according to Newton's second law stuff that doesn't move in the beginning has a tendency to not want to move. If you really want to get the relative rotation started, a more efficient way is, tuck the damn cup close to your chest, and start spinning, with your spine as the centre. Spin the other way to decelerate. Try not to puke on your way back to your desk.
Destin @smartereveryday just did a really cool video on laminar flow of viscous fluids, which I think compliments this video nicely.
Tried this repeatedly with shots pulled from 3 machines 3 grinders and several coffees and have to conclude stirring is giving the best results compared to swirling or leaving. I'm convinced its spoons ahead. :-)
Demitasse spoons my dear.
James is the kind of guy to take an emergency spoon with him to ensure he can stir any time, any place - I like that about him.
I am from Chile and I recently started in the world of coffee with an aeropress... you and your channel have been a constant motivation to start preparing my own coffee and trying different things.
Thanks a lot!
ok, next time someone ask me why i stirring my espresso i'll say: " what? i'm just doing the Hoffman maneuver, don't you know it?"
I need to steal this.
A HA my thought exactly
That cracked me up!
"the Hoffman maneuver".... I like it, will use it.
Heimlich maneuver
for all the people who didnt get the Joke.
Impressive content!
4:00 I’ve got a Carl Sagan vibe in the way you said “off into the room… gone forever…”
Brilliant
I've been recommending stirring to our guests since we opened. So when I first read the title of this video I got a bit scared that I was doing it wrong. Thank you for confirming my obsession of stirring the espresso, and providing yet another very informative video that I will share with all coffee enthusiasts in our community.
Emanuel Greucean good job dude
Before I found your channel I clicked go on my Sette 30 which generally stayed at one grind setting, lazily tamped whatever 5 seconds was in terms of mass into the stock basket and portafilter that came with my Breville, and clicked the 2 shot button. Now I've just gone and bought a 6 pack of demitasse spoons to stir the espresso that I meticulously dose by weight and dial in daily from a Niche Zero, paddle and tamp with SAI tools, and pull from a Linea Mini. Needless to say my pocketbook is not your biggest fan. But I definitely am. Thank you so much for creating easily the most compelling coffee channel on RUclips. You're probably singlehandedly responsible for my newfound love affair with coffee.
"You may think I've lost my mind." One of your funniest video's so far James, made me laugh out loud a couple of times. That was a good start of my day, so thanks for that.
I will be stirring my espressos from now on. Unless the service is really bad, than I'll be swirling overenthousiastically.
The video editing around that statement was on point too.
Me too, just brilliant fun.
Definitely had to laugh when he talked about the wine glass.
I did laugh but I think the video in the woods testing the weird device that looked like a crack pipe was funnier :-)
@@BeaDSM what do you mean by "on point"?
When you swirl, the low density crema doesn't mix -- it keeps floating on top. That would explain a lot right there. Stirring helps homogenize the crema with the rest in addition to mixing the layers of liquid from the different phases of the pull.
And again you blew my mind. You are answering all my coffee questions with wit. It was genuine pleasure to watch. The more videos you make, the better coffee we will drink (by understanding it).
Idk why im like this, I don't drink coffee, don't like the taste, even trying some of these methods for a better cup. I'm more of a "mix mountain dew and fruit punch for my caffiene" kind of goblin but I am obsessed with the well edited videos and watching someone be passionate about something
Why I think spoons should be always served with espresso. It’s not for sugar people.
It was for sugar in Italy.
Isn't espresso always served with a spoon?
@Evocati No, they do not. (
I had a so bad espresso just the other day from an unfamiliar (I don't recommend thereafter) "café", I was so surprised they served it with refined sugar & non-dairy creamer on the side!
And their espresso is really bad I can't even consume it all after a single sip!
@@yengsabio5315 Shoulda added the creamer and sugar :)
I don't have an espresso machine, expensive grinder or really great pallet. While I plan to buy the first two and work on the last one, I am such a huge fan of this channel. Super wholesome content and really well informed.
Nesspresso is a very good brand.
Mine winks at me as I walk past it.
4:01 "Gone forever... just gone" made me giggle so much and now my colleagues think I'm mental. This happened in my last workplace when you were *cupping* Hario filters.
I keep coming back for your knowledge, but also for your obsessiveness. I'd love to have the time in my life to acheive your levels of both.
4:15 both these moments are gif worthy
@@wexy021 move over NDT, we have a new meme
Thanks for your videos! The Algorithm decided earlier this evening that I'd like to learn more about coffee balls. Meanwhile, I've seen you sample each and every Nespresso capsule you could get a hold of, inspire people to give other people (and/or their kids) coffee-making toys, and this one. I've been hugely entertained so far. I sell (mostly) Dutch cheese for a living and know my way around those flavours, but must admit I have never even considered attempting to actually enjoy coffee. I'm used to just accepting all of the caffeine I can get. Black, strong, lots of it. This coffee barbarian has an open mind and looks forward to learning more from you.
For great coffee made in a simple way, get an "It's American Press" or even an Aeropress. A Clever Dripper is a great brewer as well.
If I may suggest, use the above devices before diving into espresso.
Espresso demands a great grinder, and small adjustments greatly affect the outcome.
Contact time, water temperature (also water quality), agitation, and grind size are key variables to understand.
May you have many great cups to come. Best wishes.
The coffee shop I go to already serves my espresso in a wine cup with a spoon.
SpaceCowboy where is this? 😮😍👌🏼
Travel Rasmus Apparently nowhere.
TIMMMAY67 seems like it 😂
What is a wine cup?
Felix Sargent it’s a special coffee cup in shape of a wine glass I guess :p
I'm embarrassed to say I have a really cheap espresso machine, but, it's often more about technique than equipment, I've found. I've had a crappy cup from an Atomic coffee maker, and I've had awesome campfire coffee. The little beaker that came with my espresso maker is borosilicate glass, so as the espresso drips in, it its easy to see the layers of coffee as the process develops. It seemed to me, from the first time I used it, that a stir would benefit the drink. It does, and you are so right. Swirling is more affectation than having anything to do with making the espresso more homogenized. Excellent video!! Thanks so much for your continued efforts to bring us better brews!
It sort of makes sense to me that stirring is better than swirling; swirling swirls the layers separately without much inter layer mixing, while stirring breaks the layers, producing lots of mixing.
Mr. Hoffman, I'm having a love/hate relationship moment with you on this video. I saw the name and in that moment said that this is pretentious and was about to skip the video, then I hit play. I hate you because you are right about stirring over swirling, and I love you because you are talking about espresso and you use the scientific method to convince me you are not pretentious. Keep up the good work. Damn you man😁
Loved the self-reflection haha. I think delving into one's passion requires just that little bit of lost mind and eccentricity.
You are absolutely not too far down the rabbit hole. This is super interesting!
This makes a lot of sense from a fluid dynamics point of view. If we assume that the espresso lies in discrete layers of increasing concentration from top to bottom, swirling perfectly horizontally will create flow only parallel to the layers and thus we rely mainly on diffusion for mixing (hugely inefficient). However, stirring causes chaotic advection (flow in many directions, also across layers) which is much more efficient at mixing!
I think the reason why your measurements are very close together may be because you filter it before putting it in the refractometer. To make a fair comparison, you should either taste the filtered top layer or measure the unfiltered sample.
So should we be switching our espresso cups for curved, wine shaped espresso cups instead? AND stir them?
Cuz I am down for that; that's the kind of nerdiness I live for.
I use snifters for espresso and brewed coffee and I swirl for aroma. But I also stir every shot, have to do it for sampling to measure anyway!
As a bartender we get a lot of shit for all our different glassware. So do so at the risk of apearing pretentious
www.elmundo.es/tendencias/2014/10/08/5434004f268e3eab268b457e.html
I took an American friend to an awesome coffee roastery in Spain when I was there on holiday, and they served us up a chemex pour over coffee in a wine glass. At first I thought it was typical hipster pretention, but that was 4 years ago and I still remember the look on my mates face after sipping the best coffee he'd ever had, that apparently ruined him forever because nothing else would compare :) My point? I don't really have one, it was just a great memory to think about again 😂
Don't hate the source:
www.nespresso.com/no/no/order/accessories/original/reveal-intense-smaksglass
The best part about them is a single espresso should fill to exactly the widest point
Hi James, I'm a new subscriber to your channel and fell into binge-watching. Today is the first time in my years of making my espresso that I actually stirred my espresso and....it does taste much better. Thank you for these amazing videos.
anticipating the pour over videos!
+1
+2
Let's make an official petition!😂
+V60
You are my favorite RUclips person. I’ve never swirled or stirred my espresso 😳. From now on, I’ll just take your word and stir! Cheers from the US West Coast!
Hoffman does coffee science .... Never a bad thing. I'm off now to test for myself ! Thank you James
I love this! I’m so glad I looked into this, and when you had mentioned this being among the “weird little details”, I verbally responded “well I like the weird little details” 😄. I love that you go into them in addition to the ‘big stuff’, and I’d love to see more.
I’d personally swirled before as well with the vague intention of post-processing and balancing my pull, and this brought clarity to that, as well as a better alternative, for which I’m grateful.
I’m sure it goes without saying that I’m grateful for your content; I look forward to seeing more.
"Instead, only realize the truth... THERE IS NO SPOON."
Oh, bravo sir! Nailed it 👌
I thought "someone should have written that" and here it is! =)
If you swirl, that's a clear sign, that you're still are captured in the Matrix :-)
Recently discovered this channel. I’m working with a ROK (GC upgraded) and had already worked out a heating routine. Never swirled or stirred before, tried a stir this morning. Although the beans were only a day older than yesterday (8 days post roast). It was a very different experience. Same flavor for all of my sips. Thank you for sharing your obsessions with us!
One espresso, please. Stirred, not swirled. ;)
I suggest the combination of a Figgjo Oslo Tulip cup, a crazy swirl and a proper sniff, though. I’ve had the pleasure of consuming a few espressos out of those cups and it’s pure bliss.
James, I enjoy so much your content. I have learned a lot for an Amateur home barista. And as you I want to get the best of my cup in each one. I have make so many decisions base in your expertise and reviews.
Before this video I added stirring to my routine because I saw you doing it when you were tasting your coffees. When doing it myself I found out that my espresso cups tasted much better. As you said it felt much balance and enjoyable.
Ps: I will love a video explaining about precision baskets. I have a pullman and using it with my gaggia classic and I had some struggles each time I change of the type of roasted. Im really don’t understand the difference. Thanks from Puerto Rico! 🇵🇷
I will definitely get back to you on this once I've had a chance to test it myself...
I personally prefer getting the whole espresso ("double shot" for lack of a better expression) in a wider ~5 ounce cup so that swirling is easier, slightly more vigorous, cools the espresso faster and I can really get my nose into it.
Probably just as crazy as you James....
I am very glad that you have added a Chinese translation.This helps a lot of people who are not good at English.I hope that if future all the video can also maintain Chinese and English subtitles will be helpful. thank you for all your video .
In Italy, the problem is solved by drinking the coffee in one shot, standing (unless it's an after meal coffee). It's an espresso after all.
This sucks if you live in a place where an espresso costs $3-4
@@edvink8766 not that much (yet) in Italy.
Lmao that's how I drink it
I wish we could get 1$ shots here in the US... was so nice in Rome a few years back to pop in, drop a euro down, and have a quick pick me up.
Early Music Maker being from america, i was shocked at the price and the lower temperature of the espresso. most cafes the espresso is so damn hot that you can’t drink it very fast..at least i cant!
I read your World Atlas before I discovered your RUclips channel, now whenever I refer back to the book I just hear your mannerisms in the written text! Brilliant!
1. Clearly you haven't gone too far.
2. Now I know why some cafes give me a spoon! At least if they had given me a shrimp fork I would've known what it was. Thanks for educating this noob!
PS, I haven't spent the money on a burr grinder so your shaking trick from over the holidays it's being put to a good use everyday. Thanks!
I learned the trick from America's test Kitchen. It was a segment by Lisa where she explained to never grind for over a second at a time
I agree.
It reminds me of my anglophilia - especially as a teen. I'm 50 so I had to search out video tapes and articles to follow my favorite britcoms and fashions. One article was dos and don'ts when meeting the queen. A rule that stuck with me was not to stir your tea but move back and forth the spoon without touching the sides. It took only one try to notice how well this works. Since then I have seen this over and over in many disciplines. As a rule spinning separates while back and forth mixes.
Thanks for a great vid!
Thanks James! Many of my favorite cafes here in Los Angeles brew into a tiny pitcher then pour into the demitasse. I wonder how that compares to stirred?
At home I brew into a very warm latte cup so i can capture those aromas!
Interesting. (1) Have you tried to drop the trickle (in Italian they say it's good when it looks like a mouse tail) along the wall of the cup? The -sort of- parabolic cross section of Italian cups is intentional. You get a bit of circulation in the cup. It does not completely solve the problem but helps.
(2) an Italian lady told me she uses the spoon to bring the extraction from the bottom up along the wall of the cup so this is the first that meets the lips (taste, mouthfeel, plus contributes to scent). She described this as old cognoscenti knowledge.
(3) a little bit of swirling is sometimes done by barista to make a visual trace of overextraction go away.
My counter question is, what about #1?
First time I see one of your videos, I want to say that I subscribed because you said “hope you have a great day”.
Thank you for that! Awesome video by the way.
Have a great day as well.
I've been stirring for sometime. Happy you've confirmed my technique! You're the best!!
“shaken, not stirred”
- James Bond, 1956
"Stirred, not swirled"
- James Hoffmann, 2019
I tried your other method stir with milk and allow it cool- so good! 🎉
Going to try this out. I stopped taking sugar in coffee about 9 months ago and if offered a spoon always decline (because I take it, don’t use it and then the cafe wash it again - even though it’s clean - which appears wasteful).
May need to start taking one again ☕️
"This kind of overly obsessive videos are the reason why this is my favourite coffee channel."
I'm glad someone finally said it
James thanks for all your super interesting video's. I just ordered a Sage Barista Touch for € 514,00 to start my journey into the espresso world 🙂
Favourite coffe channel. I can't believe i have just discovered it! James rocks!
I've been doing espresso at home for about a year now, thinking I know my stuff and that I'm so cool because people are impressed with the scales and the tamping and the show if it all. Only now that my taste has developed a bit more, am I starting to realize I've got no idea what I'm doing. I think understanding taste is more useful of a tool to a noob like me than understanding technique in terms of overall understanding of how to create a coffee drink. Coffee is definitely the case of, the more you know, the more you know you don't know. Down the rabbit hole I gooooooo.
Thanks for sharing James ! Hhhmm swirling my espresso while briefing my colleague about the roasting day at 6:00 in the morning. I love the sound of the coffee falling of the cup on the floor at the most silent part of the dialogue, this is so roaster style. But clearly the first sip after stir is more accurate than after swirl.
Your video made me think about the cup temperature. I don't like to taste espresso in hot cup (hot I mean from the top of the coffee machine for exemple), more aromas goes in the air, more oxydation, less clarity or the aromas because of the heat in mouth because you don't want to wait anymore. I rather prefer to pull a shot in a room temperature cup, this gives me the time to stir it a bit then drink the espresso right after stirring around maybe 45°C (I suppose) but slightly hotter than body temperature. I find there is more acidity perception and a clearer picture of the coffee. At what temperature peoples like to drink their coffee ? Is there a link with sugar regarding the balance of the cup vs temperature ?
I like swirling my espresso.... BECAUSE ITS FUN
If you want fun, go to a circus.
It’s not helping you. Lol
James said you can swirl if you want to and that’s the final word on the subject. No more guff from you two yahoos.
I came from palermo sicily and i grown up in a very popular coffee bar. We got a lot of habits about espresso, one of them is after swirling the coffee we smear the top lip of the cup so the lips get coffee test before you sip it. Ciao and i like your channel very much 👍
Hey James
Have recently been having a binge at your videos, and absolutely love them. The style, pace and sheer genuine nature of them is awesome - perhaps one of the reasons I'm into coffee despite not being in the industry anymore. Wondering if you'd do a comprehensive look at making espresso based drinks at home, maybe using some of the less-expensive Breville machines. Just tips and ideas would be really cool to see.
Yes please please use breville machines! I just ordered 4 yes 4 espresso machines the first 3 went back, mr. coffee, Philips and some other brand li can’t even remember it was so chinsey ! I ended up wit a bambino plus espresso machine for 500$. I’d love tips on using it? Or if you can’t do that tips on using espresso machines. Thank you in advance ☕️
Elizabeth
"Have I gone too far down the rabbit hole that is espresso?" asks the man who has made his entire adult life revolve around espresso and coffee in general. Nah I think you're fine.
You are clearly bonkers but keep it up, i want to know should i stir left or right, is there a optimum number of rotations
Asking the important questions, I see
The stirring direction depends on the moon cycle.
haha I laughed way too hard
Depends on which hemisphere you are in? :D
Depends upon which hemisphere you reside -- you want to swirl opposite the spin of earth. Also, the closer you are to the equator, the faster you have to swirl to make up for lack of free rotational energy 😏
Wow what a difference of flavor when stirring my espresso!! Thank you!!
Request: is there a difference between shots pulled into a raised cup vs one on the drip tray?
Love your work James, it’s helping me out heaps
Friend of mine serves pour over coffee in brandy glas. Works lovely.
Your video made me smile a lot! Thank you for swirling and spilling 🤣 Now the next question down the rabbit hole. Does heating the stirring spoon help improve taste or make no difference? 🥃
James, your passion that can become overly obsessive is amazing and I love the fact that you are aware about it. But after all everything you say it is always backed by experiment, science and a deep knowldge, therefore you are a legend! (And also you are very funny.)
that drives me crazy when I ask for spoon every time I ordered espresso at the same coffee shop I go usually
One year later, did they finally start supplying you with a spoon once they see you?
I don't actually like coffee, I just like listening to this dude talk. Great thing to listen to while doing homework
You definitely are not crazy. Thanks for all the videos.
I use an AMA Milano steam driven. Usually stir the espresso with a spoon. Lately, started using a small battery operated frother to stir. Quicker than stirring & tastes same to me. I use it just before pouring the coffee into the cup & again after adding creamer. Btw, great channel!
I am an avid swirler, so will definitely try this.... OR take pretentiousness to new heights and drink espresso swirled in a wine glass.
The espresso rabbit hole? Man, we are watching this video so we must down here with you!! Passionate about coffee! Keep the videos coming.
Stirred, not swirled😎
there's not such thing as going too far down the rabbit hole of espresso.
Thanks a lot for this video! Thinking about it for years and tried to make couple of my colleges stir and avoid the swirling. They didn’t believe me until now. I’m a huge fan of your blog and all your work!
As a chem-student i love that you're using a refractometer
I feel attacked 😂 not only did I discover those “trashy layered cocktails” this year, I just got my first espresso machine and I’m stepping into a whole new world. I love this channel!
4:32 And shame on your cow.
Why in the hell have I become obsessed with watching your videos. I love coffee but I’m definitely not a coffee fanatic and definitely not a professional but I cannot stop watching you
James Hoffmann is our boss.
Thanks James. And now this explains the fancy spoons in the other video. BTW I like the explicit details on your videos, that makes them bold and special. enjoyed!
It was true when you said this about espresso.
"Do you want a new hobby?"
There is no going too far when it comes to details .. of anything you really care about that is. Curiosity should know no boundaries!
John: Just gone forever.....just gone..
MOOD
I don’t even like coffee and yet I’m hooked on this channel. Must be the nerd in me
"You think; I lost my mind"
... No, business as usual, I see.
All I know is that I fucking love James Hoffman and I will happily listen to him obsess over any topic about which he feels passionately and wants to pontificate or ramble.
I like how James thinks spilling a little drip of espresso “just destroys” the vicinity of the spill.
Lol. Just bulldoze the place and start from a new at this point.
I'm from Guatemala, at ANACAFE (National Association of Coffee) where I took my barista course they taught us to serve the espresso with a spoon so the customer could integrate the layers. We also did a cool experiment tasting every 5 seconds the coffee that was coming out of the espresso machine, you could taste the sweetness and bitterness of it, so cool!
No statistical difference in TDS values.
Py Tux I was thinking the same thing. Natural variability in shot pulls influenced the value more significantly than a stir v swirl effect. Would be good to compare data vs. a control sample of no swirl / mix at all.
I naturally started doing this to mix syrups and sugars etc and noticed even when I did not add anything it was better when stirred, nice to have that backed up.
I agree with this. But what do you mean by “strength”? What does the refractometer measure? Caffeine? Dissolved sugars etc?
'the amount of substance dissolved in the liquid' - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractometer
I know this is gonna surprise you but I am a newbie to all this and I was swirling because thats what i saw people doing. I have made some terrible espresso and unfortunately know the sour taste very well lol. I could taste that layering flavor you were discussing and on my own I thought I wonder what happens if I give this a good stir. It did exactly as you stated. I lost the layering effect almost entirely and the whole shot tasted much more even top to bottom. Thank you for this and all your videos. Now I wont be self conscience about stirring.
The point on espresso cup not being 'tulip' shaped like wine / tasting glasses are! Would you make a video on espresso cups? Aside from swirling - why are they still so much like shot glass we use for crappy alcohol? Shouldn't espresso be treated like a fine cognac, instead of cheap booze? 🧐
Agreed. I'm a big fan of these cups; perfect size, curved to fit the hand quite nicely. Recently, I've resorted to buying handmade ceramics, though finding the right size can be a challenge. www.amazon.com/Espresso-Shot-Glass-Coffee-Lovers/dp/B073DK6BGT/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=espresso+cups+2.7+oz&qid=1558403246&s=gateway&sr=8-6
This video has changed my life. Thanks you!