Thanks for having me Wired, it was an absolute delight to answer some questions! Hope people enjoy this one, and I’m super curious what everyone’s favourite question was? (And what is left that still needs an answer!?)
Ive been BINGE watching your videos since stumbling upon your video with Tom Scott. Was literally in the middle of watching your “no worlds strongest coffee” video and this was suggested. Wild.
I think it's a kind of specific question, but I was wondering what are your thoughts on Brazilian coffee, as you talked about high altitude and island grown ones.
James reluctantly yields to acclaim... It's difficult for experts to refer to themselves as such, because with expertise comes the humbling realization that there's a huge amount still to learn.
James is the coffee king, why has Netflix not optioned a show with him? A grand tour of coffee.. It’s history, cultural significance.. everything… I’d watch that!
If James was a highschool teacher.... I bet not a single kid would escape his class. He's got a way to keep you interested in a subject. He's just amazing and he teaches us something every single time. Thanks!
@@asimhussain8716 Wait, I don't undestand, are we now judging people by the faces they have in a video thumbnail? The guy in the video didn't seem snobby at all, at least to me (unless you count being knowledgeable about coffee making and being more specialized when doing so at his own house and stuff as being snobby, in which case... Idk what to tell you. Everyone has their own opinion, i guess lol).
As a Brazilian, I can say that we start having coffee for breakfast at a very early age, basically, as soon as you can drink something out a cup, but it is usually mixed with milk. In fact, the staple breakfast in Brazil is (or used to be) coffee with milk, bread and butter (or margarine, mind you). Coffee is so common here as a morning drink that our word for breakfast is, literally, "morning coffee" (even when there is no coffee in it).
Yep I don't know when I started drinking coffee but I'm pretty sure I was younger than 9. Then I came to the US and I saw people being incredibly squeamish about giving coffee to children and I'm like what
You can always tell the people who are truly passionate and knowledgeable about any given topic when they transcend the snobbery. Like a teacher who knows the joy in making it accessible - this guy is really impressive and doesn't impose his own opinions.
for self-roasting, my parents worked out a really good and consistent way to roast their own coffee was to use a popcorn maker. it would evenly roast the beans while tossing them around and get great results every time.
I really like how James approaches coffee topics, especially the 'controversial' parts. He will state his opinion, but he won't look down on people who have differing opinions or taste tolerances (like a certain person who drinks coffee channel). He's also willing to experiment and try new things just for the sake of exploration with coffee. I've recently started to watch his content and I've been enjoying all of it.
I don't even like any coffee that takes more effort than splashing water into a cup of Taster's Choice but I thoroughly enjoy watching his videos. He is the epitome of what an influencer should really be.
I didn't know there was so much hate for cold brew. I strongly prefer it to any other kind of coffee because it's less bitter, less sour, and causes me a lot less stomach upset. So for me, it's better in all the ways that matter!
Yeah i dont have the same flavour profile as this guy. I watch his channel for the technical side but yeah his opinions of what tastes better or effects the gut ect i ignore
6:22 Now this is something I don't get. If you want a cold drink, why not drink a cold drink, rather than mucking around with coffee, which is meant to be brewed hot (and drunk pretty warm, too).
@@rosiefay7283 if the water is too hot, it can burn the coffee ground, makes it taste bitter and sour, and removes more of the volatile compounds that contribute to the flavour and aroma. cold brew allows you to extract the caffeine over time, lessening the chance of burning the beans and preserving volatile compounds that would have otherwise been lost if you had brewed the coffee at too high of a temperature. personally, cold brew is best when it is steeped for 12 hours and served as ice coffee.
James Hoffman would have made an incredible teacher, the patience to explain every concept, and the non-judgemental attitude. Not that I’m complaining, we got an amazing coffee expert instead. Just following his videos has made such a large impact on how I brew my coffee, his humour is just an added bonus.
Honestly the best wired Interview yet. I didn’t even know I wanted the answers to most of these questions and his answers were thorough, articulated extremely well, and usually answered any follow up questions during the explanation. Like this man can teach things well. At least coffee, but I’d assume the manner in which he explains things is a constant. Edit: He has a RUclips channel? Subscribed.
@@dixonpinfold2582 sigh. This most definitely is an interview. It is an expert answering questions. Also, as long as it doesn’t make the statement incomprehensible, typos are irrelevant. This is the comment section on a RUclips video, not a published essay. What specifically were you trying to do here? Like what was the goal?
I have been a coffee drinker for 70 years (a Royal Navy Sailor then a police officer both occupations dedicated to coffee drinking) but I have learned that before watching this gent I new nothing about the brew I was drinking thanks for enlightening me
I think there's a lot more to being an expert than winning the WBC (though it is quite a feat): learning the history of coffee, the complete process of growing and roasting the bean, different brew methods, etc. Being a great barista is only a part of being a coffee expert.
Even though I've been watching James Hoffman for couple of years now, it gives me so much joy to see him on Wired as an expert! He deserves all the attention!
I make my coffee the same way as I ever have and it's good enough for me. But I watch James videos religiously just because he's so knowledgeable and passionate without being condescending. Just a joy to listen to.
Never been James' style to reply to anything with a short or condensed answer and I'm all here for it. WIRED does a lot of these videos and while all are more or less fun, there's a great variety between guest hosts and answers. I really like James' eye for detail and the genuine attitude towards entertaining even the sillier questions with a thorough answer.
As a barista of 9, almost 10 years (I think?) I highly appreciated this 🙌 Also learned a few new fun facts to share to my coworkers that undoubtedly will not give two hoots 😂
@@annakareninacamara6580 There's a channel with that name which cuts James' videos in order to summarize them (usually out of context) or make him say... fruity things.
I don't know how hoffman manages to be so many things at the same time. He is excited about coffe, but still calm and aware that coffee is to many people just coffe, he is an expert yet humble, educational yet kind and accepting, articulate but not arrogant, and he manages to not be a snob. I loved his content for years but now sseing him outside of his own channel really confirms that he is truly a great guy
A tip for those who like their coffee sweetened: add the sugar in the water, before you brew it. It's night and day when compared to adding it to the cup or the powder
@@JimNortonsAlcoholism yeah don't put it in your coffee machine. you can, however, put it in with your coffee and water in a french press, your moka pot basket on top of the coffee grounds or even into your kettle if you're making a pour-over!
It's actually bizar to finally see James make a syphon coffee, because I've been on a binge of his videos to learn about coffee but never found one if him going into the syphon style. I gave up my search yesterday, an voilà ! Here it is :)
I became obsessed with espresso videos a couple months ago, especially James's. He really has a way about explaining things and a great personality for doing so. $1400 later, I now have a Flair 58 LE, Eureka Mignon Speciality grinder, Fellow EKG Pro Kettle, and various specialty local coffees. It's been a really fun hobby so far.
I remember long time ago watching his videos when I started getting into brewing my coffee. Now binge watching his videos again after got curious about a Makita coffee machine. Very resourceful man👍
James is the best! One of my favourite things about him is, and you’ll know this if you watch his videos - he will tell you how to brew your coffee, but he’ll then tell you to do what you enjoy. Everything he does is just a suggestion…he just wants us to enjoy our coffee❤
If the reason for quitting was issues with the caffeine intake, try switching to SPECIALTY coffee. The amount of caffeine in coffees that qualify as specialty (and in all 100% arabica coffee really) is way lower than the amount present in regular comercial ones (robusta or arabica/robusta blends), since it grows at high altitudes and, as James explains, the plant doesn't need to produce that much caffeine. Also, the taste ;)
Was it easy to quit? If not, in terms of physical part or just that urge to flip a cup after an hour in front of screen? I'm just russianly broke and think about quitting as well(
@@msalc23 The issue was my stomach. I got sick and somehow my gut couldn't handle caffeine anymore. So I quit. Good coffee doesn't upset my stomach but like I said I feel less tired since I quit so I decided to just stay off of it instead of opting for good coffee.
@@rmysterios Decaf options have improved a lot in the past few years. A good amount of specialty roasters are doing decaf and several are doing light roast decafs. Check out Cat & Cloud's Friend Zone Decaf or Just Coffee Coop's Decaf Light.
Problem being once you taste the coffee he makes, most cafe and almost all instant coffee start tasting fake. The good thing with tea is that you require less effort to make tea taste good.
This was my favorite kind of professor in college. Endlessly enthusiastic about the topic and is probably constantly thinking about ways to convey the info to anyone who cares.
I don't even drink coffee (extremely caffeine sensitive and don't enjoy the taste enough to seek decaf) yet I can't stop watching James's videos. They're just that good. Great video! ☕
And, I bet that he'd have a good idea *what type of coffee to serve you as someone who doesn't like coffee!* You know, like this one or that one has less of this flavour and more of that note.... Because maybe for those who don't like the taste, there's some 'microchemical' or whatever that your taste buds are reacting to that certain types of coffee wouldn't have or some other scientific explanation. Or maybe you'll never like coffee and that's okay too :D
I watched James because my brother mistakenly bought whole beans instead of instant one time. And then I bought a cheapo press and grinder and I thought it’ll end there.
Does anybody know of a good commercially available coffee? I use just enough sugar to take some bitterness out, only slightly sweet and 1/2 & 1/2. I used to buy Don Franciscos espresso blend, but I can't find it locally anymore.
I love coffee, drinking it, making it in different ways with different beans and tools and makers and machines. This guy keeps his answers interesting and to the point, without skipping over important details. Way to go, bud.
I'm glad to see the Aeropress mentioned. To anyone who hasn't used one I imagine it seems like a silly little device but it actually does make great coffee. Just get yourself a kettle to boil the water, a burr grinder and some good beans and you'll have a really good cup of coffee in under 5 minutes.
Was also pleasantly surprised to see the Aeropress, using it with the inverted method is my favorite way to make coffee. So strong and delicious! Reusable metal filter also a good add on for it.
@@Thragdain FWIW James has an Aeropress guide, and does not use or recommend the inverted method. I switched to his method, coffee is still delicious, but I've stopped knocking my grounds all over the counter (inverted is a lot less stable). I don't know how well the normal method works with a metal filter though.
@@BlairdBlaird been doing it inverted for years and never had an issue. I like doing it that way because I can fill the the water to the top and let it sit for a while with nothing leaking into the cup. I'll check out the guide even if I'm pretty set in my ways and unlikely to change edit: watched it but I prefer inverted. To each their own though
So after attempting (and failing) with cold brewing using a French Press, I believe I found a decent proportion to start with in order to make cold brew coffee. The results are not too bitter, but also not too watery. Experimentation is necessary, but this should be a good starting point: - 1 cup (to 7/8 cup) coarse-ground coffee. - 2 bottles (17oz, so 32-34 oz total) purified bottled water Coffee should be Ethiopian or other light/medium coffee strength. Mix together and let it sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours minimum (up to 24 hours max). When done, use a strainer with a paper coffee filter on top. Slowly pour the coffee inside the filter, and let it strain naturally (or you can set up a volumetric filtration system to speed it up, but this is like $100+ to make). The coffee always comes out perfect. I've used 1.5 cups of coffee, and it's bitter. I've used finer ground coffee, and it also is bitter. Haven't tried making concentrate then adding more water, but I did find adding more water to the proportions above tends to dilute the coffee to the point where it no longer tastes like coffee.
Even though I've watched all James' videos ever and a lot of other coffee videos out there, I'm still excited to listen James explaining the difference between immersion and percolation (for the 219th time)
I like to also think that adding milk is more alkaline vs coffee being a tad bit more acidic. By mixing them, they would bring the drink closer to pH balanced and subtly alter the flavor & taste profile.
Everything about this video-the coffee, the information, the accent-was delightfully entertaining. It's 11:30 p.m. here at the moment so I'm not about to go brew a cup, but it made me look forward to my morning coffee that much more.
James is the best, but if you run out of James to watch, then Lance Hedrick and Morgan Drinks Coffee may help you fill the void, they also run coffee channels that are both entertaining and informative.
@@DuBstep115 Lol. Well, Hames should be watched by everyone that watches James, he's supremely entertaining but not very informative. In fact, I'd go so far as to call his videos downright unhelpful.
James has a kind of "if you like it, good for you" philosophy. That being said, when he tries coffee that isn't up to his standards, he pulls the most amazing faces.
The person who said 'why do people put milk and sugar in their tea and coffee' sounds like such a snob. Coffee can taste like however people like to make it - calm down yourself and just let people do what they want to their own drink, it doesn't affect you. By the same logic why don't you just pick the coffee bean straight off the tree and put it in your mouth, why bother to roast and push it through pressurised boiling water, learn to love the natural bitter taste smh this is why people hate coffee snobs
Dalgona actually has been in vogue in indian homes for decades. We called it fetua which simply translates to whipped coffee. Recently an FMCG brand launched it selling even in songle serving sachets
One of those things where you can go to a coffee shop, or be at someone's house and you see they have coffee beans, and eventually you'll get around to the subject of James Hoffman.
caffeine itself is in part what's known as a "digestive accelerant" this means that in addition to giving you energy it has a side effect that speeds up the digestion process and thus results in bowl movements occurring sooner; since there is a significant amount of caffeine in coffee, that's why coffee makes you go to the bathroom.
I don’t like coffee but it’s such a huge part of my home’s (Puerto Rico) culture that hearing the nooks and crannies of it explained is oddly comforting
An excellent presentation. James is well-spoken, polite and knowledgeable without sounding elitist. A delight even if I didn't like coffee. As a coffee drinker, it was superb.
On the subject of putting milk and sugar in tea, the two ingredients almost have a similar affect on tea as they do for coffee. It applies more to black and green teas (or matcha in this case) as those two types of tea often produce bitter earthy flavors, especially when they get over-brewed. Milk adds a pleasant, smooth, creamy flavor and mouth feel to tea, which is why milk is often used in Chai and Boba drinks. Sugar is used differently in tea to help emphasize the flavor across the different types of tea seen through out the world. As a lot of people may know, if black and green teas are brewed properly, they will have light earthy or herbal flavors and shouldn't require adding milk and/or sugar unless someone is making specialty drinks like chai, boba, or latte's. I am by no means a trained professional in this subject, just a passionate drinker of both tea and coffee.
This was absolutely amazing. a very "relaxed" attitude but also backed with hard facts and a deep knowledge. Now I need to go and make myself a cup.. and order some beans...
It is absolutely normal to serve lattes (we just call it coffee with milk, "café com leite") for children here in Brazil and, yes, they do it in schools with kids since kindergarten, especially public schools.
Great video, this guy is always on point when it comes to coffee. To expand on the burnt coffee response, when you brew it for too long (e.g. leave your carafe on a hot plate), it's called over-extracting because you extract new (unwanted) chemicals by allowing the coffee to remain more chemically active. When you burn coffee while roasting, you create the darkest of roasts, the French roast, which has that burnt smoky flavor. If you go past that, you actually burn the beans and ruin the roast. So there are two ways to burn coffee, but the OP probably meant the former.
I find that if you ever need to re-heat coffee, the way to go is to heat up milk and pour the coffee in afterwards. That way the coffee isn't heated as drastically, but you still get a nice warm beverage.
Got into coffee because of a game called Persona 5, and it have opened a new world to me when it comes to really appreciating a proper cup of coffee, and it is also nice to have the skill to make a proper cup of coffee whenever somebody drop by, we have a real heavy coffee culture where I live after all. Love my french press, highly recommend people to at the least try different coffee if they can, even the things they don't normally think they would enjoy, it might surprise you.
A great content creator to have on Wired. I've been watching James for at least several years. Extremely kind/moderate for how you might normally define a "snob", and extremely knowledgeable of his craft. You picked a good one in terms of overall knowledge and personability.
3 or 4 cups a day is so wild to me! I love coffee and I wish I could handle that much. For some reason I seem to be really sensitive to caffeine, even having 2 strong cups is sometimes enough to make me really nervous and hyper aware of my heart beat
Maybe you’re thinking a full mug of coffee when he says a cup…? Just guessing. Typically a standard “cup of coffee” is less than 200mL (around 6 oz.). So 4 cups of coffee would still be less than two cans of your typical soda.
As someone who cannot physically handle more than one shot of coffee, this was so entertaining to watch! Wish I could delve more into this world of bean juice.
@@juansf1111 I didn't find them bitter at all. Certainly not sweet. Very mild almost neutral flavor and crunchy with the bean. But all in all, enjoyable.
14:04 mayhaps they wanted to treat the seeds like how we would boil grain seeds to make something like oatmeal to eat, but ended up only being able to use the water for some reason and eventually started improving the process over time with roasting and such
I love this kind of content. What I've discovered over the last five years of dealing with family health issues is; doctors are actually pretty bad at interpreting data. I really appreciate the level of effort that went into your experiment. Well done!
Thanks for having me Wired, it was an absolute delight to answer some questions! Hope people enjoy this one, and I’m super curious what everyone’s favourite question was? (And what is left that still needs an answer!?)
Bosh
Loved the eating coffee beans question!! What's your feeling on chocolate covered espresso beans? I feel like that's a slightly different experience
I’ve never heard anyone pronounce dookie like that before.
Truly a transformative moment thank u
Ive been BINGE watching your videos since stumbling upon your video with Tom Scott. Was literally in the middle of watching your “no worlds strongest coffee” video and this was suggested. Wild.
I think it's a kind of specific question, but I was wondering what are your thoughts on Brazilian coffee, as you talked about high altitude and island grown ones.
I like this guy. He seems competent.
Of COURSE you‘re here as well…! 😄
Gold
He does! It makes me uncomfortable.
Yes.
Aha, there you are! I could swear y'all are related.
I never thought that I would be this entertained while listening to someone explain to me what coffee is
Yeah, and I just learned how to save $10 in shipping by buying in larger quantities and freezing it.
A passionate person talking about the thing they love is so delightful
He finally called himself an expert, brother been in denial for years.
They probably forced him to..
Weird Coffee Person still fits him better
Maybe he told WIRED people to include just his name rather than "coffee expert answers.."
James reluctantly yields to acclaim... It's difficult for experts to refer to themselves as such, because with expertise comes the humbling realization that there's a huge amount still to learn.
Man is the former World Champion Barista, and he still pretends to just be a random RUclips dude 😂
James is the coffee king, why has Netflix not optioned a show with him? A grand tour of coffee.. It’s history, cultural significance.. everything… I’d watch that!
There is a book. Now, to turn it in to a tv series...
Yeah, it's a no brainer. Anthony bourdain or Somebody Feed Phil, but only coffee.
Coffee Grand tour ... I picture James and Clarkson bickering as they careen around the Columbian mountains.
I'd watch that too! I won't hear any other person talk about coffee. It HAS to be James Hoffman.
@@TateVanPatten Oh god, i can already hear the coffee nerds go "The book is better!", "That's not in the book! it's non canon!".
This guy is great. He should have his own coffee channel.
He does, it is a wonderful channel.
@@TheBiggRobb r/woooosh
@@JonathanRox27Jor-El man I wish saying this to people. I'm doing it again ty
ROFL
me too, should have his own channel; would be good to watch.
This guy is great at explaining things.
I like the way he espressos himself.
I giggled
Out is the general direction in which you should get.
Just shut up and take my like
Hey bro, i do food reviews while I’m high off zaza on my yöutube chånnel
You took your time brewing that comment
This is the only right pick for this subject. Well done Wired!
Rao, Perger, Gagné, Hedrick? There’s not a « only right pick » lol
@@multivac0003 No. Hames is the only pick.
@@multivac0003 they have without a doubt the expertise, but do they have the charisma and ability to explain things in an exciting way that James has?
@@multivac0003 Hames is the only correct pick.
@ Exactly. Even the way he so classily corrected the use of "expresso" was amazing, and you know every coffee expert would be screaming internally.
If James was a highschool teacher.... I bet not a single kid would escape his class. He's got a way to keep you interested in a subject. He's just amazing and he teaches us something every single time. Thanks!
I think it would have to be science
He's really showing the difference between a 'coffee expert' and 'coffee snob' through his responses!
@@asimhussain8716 Wait, I don't undestand, are we now judging people by the faces they have in a video thumbnail? The guy in the video didn't seem snobby at all, at least to me (unless you count being knowledgeable about coffee making and being more specialized when doing so at his own house and stuff as being snobby, in which case... Idk what to tell you. Everyone has their own opinion, i guess lol).
@@asimhussain8716 can you define snob for us maybe? To further expound, can you describe what a coffee snob is?
ok
@@asimhussain8716 he's pretentious indeed but a snob? I don't think so
Er... I believe you'll find it's spelled "coffee _espert"._
James Hoffmann is that rare breed of person who's incredibly knowledgeable about something, but manages not to be insufferable with it.
ok
I know I am not that person. If I know something for sure I will have you know and will rub it in when you are persistently wrong. 😇
I feel very put in my place by him saying "oh actually in france it is proper to say expresso"
@@truongnguyenhongnhat6590 🫵👣
He’s quite insufferable
As a Brazilian, I can say that we start having coffee for breakfast at a very early age, basically, as soon as you can drink something out a cup, but it is usually mixed with milk. In fact, the staple breakfast in Brazil is (or used to be) coffee with milk, bread and butter (or margarine, mind you). Coffee is so common here as a morning drink that our word for breakfast is, literally, "morning coffee" (even when there is no coffee in it).
Same as in Turkish. Breakfast is called: KAHVALTI
Yep I don't know when I started drinking coffee but I'm pretty sure I was younger than 9. Then I came to the US and I saw people being incredibly squeamish about giving coffee to children and I'm like what
@isodoublet I think, as a culture we, really are ambivalent about children.
Verdade
there is no way this is good for the development of children
To be a Master of something with this level of communication is so rare. James your videos are a delight.
that's Hames to you, smh
So well spoken, knowledgeable and passionate
James is my favorite internet person
Good
Nice
Ny
Foarte bine
If James has the time, I’d love a part 2. This collaboration was done very well!
Well he apparently had the time to recreate a commercial with Brad Pitt in it...
You can always tell the people who are truly passionate and knowledgeable about any given topic when they transcend the snobbery. Like a teacher who knows the joy in making it accessible - this guy is really impressive and doesn't impose his own opinions.
You put that incredibly well
true knowledge speaks for itself through the knowledgeable! everything else is scattered information and parroting.
"Transcend the snobbery" is funny way to put it lol. Agree completely.
As an Austrian I nearly fell off my chair hearing James pronouncing “Ein Kapuziner” perfectly. Took me a bit by surprise.
Screw that, I thought it was italian for god sake 😆
Ja, hat sich definitiv gut angehört
++gasp++ All this time we thought James was British! Now the truth is finally revealed - he's Austrian! 😱😲 #SchockschwereNot
@@electronblue8334
Nice use of SchockschwereNot!
#SchockschwereNot
When does he say this?
for self-roasting, my parents worked out a really good and consistent way to roast their own coffee was to use a popcorn maker. it would evenly roast the beans while tossing them around and get great results every time.
Wow... that is actually a really good idea. Smart!
Unique idea!
I really like how James approaches coffee topics, especially the 'controversial' parts. He will state his opinion, but he won't look down on people who have differing opinions or taste tolerances (like a certain person who drinks coffee channel). He's also willing to experiment and try new things just for the sake of exploration with coffee. I've recently started to watch his content and I've been enjoying all of it.
JH tries new stuff: \*takes a sip* ugh that's.... not pleasant \*proceeds to take another sip* 😵💫
I don't even like any coffee that takes more effort than splashing water into a cup of Taster's Choice but I thoroughly enjoy watching his videos. He is the epitome of what an influencer should really be.
ok
Morgan drinks coffee? Or someone else?
This is what we need WIRED.
I didn’t even know there were coffee experts. This was quite interesting 😅
@@khalilahd. He is a barista world champion hehe
@@LtdJorge and also is a co-founder for london based roaster, Square Mile Roaster
@@taistealai5523 also weird youtube coffee guy (self diagnosed)
I see what you did there.
I didn't know there was so much hate for cold brew. I strongly prefer it to any other kind of coffee because it's less bitter, less sour, and causes me a lot less stomach upset. So for me, it's better in all the ways that matter!
Yeah i dont have the same flavour profile as this guy. I watch his channel for the technical side but yeah his opinions of what tastes better or effects the gut ect i ignore
6:22 Now this is something I don't get. If you want a cold drink, why not drink a cold drink, rather than mucking around with coffee, which is meant to be brewed hot (and drunk pretty warm, too).
@@rosiefay7283 tell that to people who drink ice tea. Hot milk. Cold soup.
@@rosiefay7283 imagine having so much free time at your hands that the way people choose to consume something is what keeps you up at night.
@@rosiefay7283 if the water is too hot, it can burn the coffee ground, makes it taste bitter and sour, and removes more of the volatile compounds that contribute to the flavour and aroma. cold brew allows you to extract the caffeine over time, lessening the chance of burning the beans and preserving volatile compounds that would have otherwise been lost if you had brewed the coffee at too high of a temperature. personally, cold brew is best when it is steeped for 12 hours and served as ice coffee.
James Hoffman would have made an incredible teacher, the patience to explain every concept, and the non-judgemental attitude. Not that I’m complaining, we got an amazing coffee expert instead. Just following his videos has made such a large impact on how I brew my coffee, his humour is just an added bonus.
He IS an amazing teacher
Honestly the best wired Interview yet. I didn’t even know I wanted the answers to most of these questions and his answers were thorough, articulated extremely well, and usually answered any follow up questions during the explanation. Like this man can teach things well. At least coffee, but I’d assume the manner in which he explains things is a constant.
Edit: He has a RUclips channel? Subscribed.
You don't know what an interview is. (Also, it's not a word ordinarily capitalized.)
You will love his channel :D
@@dixonpinfold2582 how is this NOT an interview?
@@dixonpinfold2582 sigh. This most definitely is an interview. It is an expert answering questions. Also, as long as it doesn’t make the statement incomprehensible, typos are irrelevant. This is the comment section on a RUclips video, not a published essay. What specifically were you trying to do here? Like what was the goal?
@@Tinyvalkyrie410 I find your reply profoundly dull-minded and not worth my care.
I have been a coffee drinker for 70 years (a Royal Navy Sailor then a police officer both occupations dedicated to coffee drinking) but I have learned that before watching this gent I new nothing about the brew I was drinking thanks for enlightening me
I love how he literally won the WBC in 2007 but this is the first time I’ve heard him call himself an expert
@@hi-ve1cw World Barista Championship. So he's literally a world champion at brewing and preparing coffee
I think there's a lot more to being an expert than winning the WBC (though it is quite a feat): learning the history of coffee, the complete process of growing and roasting the bean, different brew methods, etc. Being a great barista is only a part of being a coffee expert.
I'm so happy that my man Hoffman is finally getting the respect and popularity he deserves. He's come such a long way!
Love that Wired tapped him for this! His channel is great and super informative.
Even though I've been watching James Hoffman for couple of years now, it gives me so much joy to see him on Wired as an expert! He deserves all the attention!
The amount of information James is able to cover per 60 seconds truly impress me. That video is Soo dense in information!! Quality content for sure 😍
3:25 espresso machines aren't expensive, they're espensive
and do NOT forget to add a 'hisspanic' assent to that esspensive! iss ssooo ssilly! 🤣bwahahaha! :D🤣
I make my coffee the same way as I ever have and it's good enough for me. But I watch James videos religiously just because he's so knowledgeable and passionate without being condescending. Just a joy to listen to.
Never been James' style to reply to anything with a short or condensed answer and I'm all here for it. WIRED does a lot of these videos and while all are more or less fun, there's a great variety between guest hosts and answers. I really like James' eye for detail and the genuine attitude towards entertaining even the sillier questions with a thorough answer.
As a barista of 9, almost 10 years (I think?) I highly appreciated this 🙌 Also learned a few new fun facts to share to my coworkers that undoubtedly will not give two hoots 😂
So excited for this video. Now we just need one where he and Hames Joffmann appear together!
I'm hoping that Hames makes an unhelpful summary of this, but there may not be enough pained facial expressions for that to happen.
@@MahlenMorris You never know. Hames is a magician!
I haven't seen that many of his videos, how can I find the origin to this Hames Joffman joke? Does any one know the video?
@@annakareninacamara6580 There's a channel with that name which cuts James' videos in order to summarize them (usually out of context) or make him say... fruity things.
@@qwesx ooooh lmao i didn't know that, thank you so much!
I don't know how hoffman manages to be so many things at the same time. He is excited about coffe, but still calm and aware that coffee is to many people just coffe, he is an expert yet humble, educational yet kind and accepting, articulate but not arrogant, and he manages to not be a snob. I loved his content for years but now sseing him outside of his own channel really confirms that he is truly a great guy
this dudes hair is kinda.... amazing. its just so, majestic.
You should have invited Hames Joffmann for an unhelpful coffee answer session!
Can't wait to see the unhelpful summary of this, at least!
Knew I recognised this guy, they look so alike its crazy
@@it-s-a-mystery Rumor has it that they are identical twins, separated at birth, but that's just rumor...
Invite a scammer... right...😒
@@mikeymike437 How dare you. Hames isn't a scammer, simply unhelpful.
Can we please have more of this guy? A part two? A series? A four-hour lecture? I'd watch it all twice - and now with good coffee!
His channel on RUclips is basically this. But a lot of the videos can be quite technical for those not familiar with specialty coffee
You should really check out his RUclips channel.
You can have a hundreds-part series by watching his channel!
A tip for those who like their coffee sweetened: add the sugar in the water, before you brew it. It's night and day when compared to adding it to the cup or the powder
Do this if you want to destroy your coffee machine
@@JimNortonsAlcoholism yeah don't put it in your coffee machine. you can, however, put it in with your coffee and water in a french press, your moka pot basket on top of the coffee grounds or even into your kettle if you're making a pour-over!
It's actually bizar to finally see James make a syphon coffee, because I've been on a binge of his videos to learn about coffee but never found one if him going into the syphon style. I gave up my search yesterday, an voilà ! Here it is :)
He never mention any asian brewing method (yet). Im looking forward to it.
I became obsessed with espresso videos a couple months ago, especially James's. He really has a way about explaining things and a great personality for doing so. $1400 later, I now have a Flair 58 LE, Eureka Mignon Speciality grinder, Fellow EKG Pro Kettle, and various specialty local coffees. It's been a really fun hobby so far.
I remember long time ago watching his videos when I started getting into brewing my coffee. Now binge watching his videos again after got curious about a Makita
coffee machine. Very resourceful man👍
James is the best! One of my favourite things about him is, and you’ll know this if you watch his videos - he will tell you how to brew your coffee, but he’ll then tell you to do what you enjoy. Everything he does is just a suggestion…he just wants us to enjoy our coffee❤
I have quit coffee for about two years now and have never felt more energized but this guy makes me wanna start drinking it again.
His yt channel is a rabbit hole of weird coffee entertainment
If the reason for quitting was issues with the caffeine intake, try switching to SPECIALTY coffee. The amount of caffeine in coffees that qualify as specialty (and in all 100% arabica coffee really) is way lower than the amount present in regular comercial ones (robusta or arabica/robusta blends), since it grows at high altitudes and, as James explains, the plant doesn't need to produce that much caffeine.
Also, the taste ;)
Was it easy to quit? If not, in terms of physical part or just that urge to flip a cup after an hour in front of screen? I'm just russianly broke and think about quitting as well(
@@msalc23 The issue was my stomach. I got sick and somehow my gut couldn't handle caffeine anymore. So I quit. Good coffee doesn't upset my stomach but like I said I feel less tired since I quit so I decided to just stay off of it instead of opting for good coffee.
@@rmysterios Decaf options have improved a lot in the past few years. A good amount of specialty roasters are doing decaf and several are doing light roast decafs. Check out Cat & Cloud's Friend Zone Decaf or Just Coffee Coop's Decaf Light.
I'm a tea person but I imagine the coffee this man brews probably tastes like heaven
You know you made it as an independent cafe when he comes to your cafe for the second time to order the same drink.
Problem being once you taste the coffee he makes, most cafe and almost all instant coffee start tasting fake. The good thing with tea is that you require less effort to make tea taste good.
I was wondering when would James make an appearance in Tech Support to talk about coffee. I'm super pumped it finally happened!
So well spoken, knowledgeable and passionate. Love the accent. Wired gets the best people to do this format!
If you want to go further down the coffee stuff rabbit hole, his youtube channel is awesome.
Checked him out right away. That's one long rabbit hole for sure
@@isaeva3088 and once you've watched all the helpful James Hoffman videos, Hames Joffman is there for the unhelpful but funny ones
This was my favorite kind of professor in college. Endlessly enthusiastic about the topic and is probably constantly thinking about ways to convey the info to anyone who cares.
James is great and deserves his explosion in popularity, love his channel.
I don't even drink coffee (extremely caffeine sensitive and don't enjoy the taste enough to seek decaf) yet I can't stop watching James's videos. They're just that good. Great video! ☕
I do not like coffee at all, but this dude seems super chill and I’d have a cup or two with him
And, I bet that he'd have a good idea *what type of coffee to serve you as someone who doesn't like coffee!*
You know, like this one or that one has less of this flavour and more of that note....
Because maybe for those who don't like the taste, there's some 'microchemical' or whatever that your taste buds are reacting to that certain types of coffee wouldn't have or some other scientific explanation.
Or maybe you'll never like coffee and that's okay too :D
Don't do it. It's a cult!
I was watching James Hoffman videos for literally years before I got into drinking coffee. What an enthusiast!
He's the reason I went down the rabbit hole and I'm sure I'm not the only one
boy you are a James Hoffman enthusiast
@@maxmuenchow count me in. Never regret
I watched James because my brother mistakenly bought whole beans instead of instant one time. And then I bought a cheapo press and grinder and I thought it’ll end there.
Does anybody know of a good commercially available coffee? I use just enough sugar to take some bitterness out, only slightly sweet and 1/2 & 1/2. I used to buy Don Franciscos espresso blend, but I can't find it locally anymore.
I love James Hoffmann. He's extremely knowledgeable without sounding pretentious. He's the reason I've gotten into the nuances of coffee as a hobby!
What a well-spoken human being.
I love coffee, drinking it, making it in different ways with different beans and tools and makers and machines. This guy keeps his answers interesting and to the point, without skipping over important details. Way to go, bud.
Saw this guy on Tom Scott Plus, he's awesome!
The excitement he exudes when talking about grinding our own coffee is all I need to try it.
I'm glad to see the Aeropress mentioned. To anyone who hasn't used one I imagine it seems like a silly little device but it actually does make great coffee. Just get yourself a kettle to boil the water, a burr grinder and some good beans and you'll have a really good cup of coffee in under 5 minutes.
Was also pleasantly surprised to see the Aeropress, using it with the inverted method is my favorite way to make coffee. So strong and delicious! Reusable metal filter also a good add on for it.
an espresso machine can be expensive but a burr grinder will even be more exp 😂
@@Thragdain FWIW James has an Aeropress guide, and does not use or recommend the inverted method. I switched to his method, coffee is still delicious, but I've stopped knocking my grounds all over the counter (inverted is a lot less stable).
I don't know how well the normal method works with a metal filter though.
@@BlairdBlaird been doing it inverted for years and never had an issue. I like doing it that way because I can fill the the water to the top and let it sit for a while with nothing leaking into the cup. I'll check out the guide even if I'm pretty set in my ways and unlikely to change
edit: watched it but I prefer inverted. To each their own though
@@Thragdain Yeah inverted for years here too, it's perfect
James Hoffmann on Wired was the best Christmas present I didn't ask for
It’s november
@@MinaF99 great reply ,😂😂😂
@@MinaF99 I was just grocery shopping. There a big cooler of Egg Nog and the Candy Cane Ice cream had arrived.
I agree, it's also very still November.
James Hoffmann on Wired is great but Hames Joffmann would make my entire year.
@@Briwalker42 it would be iconic
So after attempting (and failing) with cold brewing using a French Press, I believe I found a decent proportion to start with in order to make cold brew coffee. The results are not too bitter, but also not too watery. Experimentation is necessary, but this should be a good starting point:
- 1 cup (to 7/8 cup) coarse-ground coffee.
- 2 bottles (17oz, so 32-34 oz total) purified bottled water
Coffee should be Ethiopian or other light/medium coffee strength.
Mix together and let it sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours minimum (up to 24 hours max).
When done, use a strainer with a paper coffee filter on top. Slowly pour the coffee inside the filter, and let it strain naturally (or you can set up a volumetric filtration system to speed it up, but this is like $100+ to make).
The coffee always comes out perfect. I've used 1.5 cups of coffee, and it's bitter. I've used finer ground coffee, and it also is bitter. Haven't tried making concentrate then adding more water, but I did find adding more water to the proportions above tends to dilute the coffee to the point where it no longer tastes like coffee.
Even though I've watched all James' videos ever and a lot of other coffee videos out there, I'm still excited to listen James explaining the difference between immersion and percolation (for the 219th time)
I like to also think that adding milk is more alkaline vs coffee being a tad bit more acidic. By mixing them, they would bring the drink closer to pH balanced and subtly alter the flavor & taste profile.
Everything about this video-the coffee, the information, the accent-was delightfully entertaining. It's 11:30 p.m. here at the moment so I'm not about to go brew a cup, but it made me look forward to my morning coffee that much more.
Wtf I just got into coffee a few days ago and am binging his videos. Now he is here on Wired, what a coincidence
James is the best, but if you run out of James to watch, then Lance Hedrick and Morgan Drinks Coffee may help you fill the void, they also run coffee channels that are both entertaining and informative.
@@paritybit7830 Hames Joffman is the next logical step
@@DuBstep115 Lol. Well, Hames should be watched by everyone that watches James, he's supremely entertaining but not very informative. In fact, I'd go so far as to call his videos downright unhelpful.
When an expert is not a snob (especially with the sugar question). Loved this!
James has a kind of "if you like it, good for you" philosophy. That being said, when he tries coffee that isn't up to his standards, he pulls the most amazing faces.
@@FriedlichChiller Hames Joffman has captured these delightful expressions quite expertly.
He is absolutely a snob, but a respectful one that recognizes that tastes are subjective
The person who said 'why do people put milk and sugar in their tea and coffee' sounds like such a snob. Coffee can taste like however people like to make it - calm down yourself and just let people do what they want to their own drink, it doesn't affect you.
By the same logic why don't you just pick the coffee bean straight off the tree and put it in your mouth, why bother to roast and push it through pressurised boiling water, learn to love the natural bitter taste smh this is why people hate coffee snobs
Dalgona actually has been in vogue in indian homes for decades. We called it fetua which simply translates to whipped coffee. Recently an FMCG brand launched it selling even in songle serving sachets
never heard of it.
JAMES! Now this man deserves all the exposure given. So knowledgeable and a delight to listen to.
One of those things where you can go to a coffee shop, or be at someone's house and you see they have coffee beans, and eventually you'll get around to the subject of James Hoffman.
caffeine itself is in part what's known as a "digestive accelerant" this means that in addition to giving you energy it has a side effect that speeds up the digestion process and thus results in bowl movements occurring sooner; since there is a significant amount of caffeine in coffee, that's why coffee makes you go to the bathroom.
I don't even drink coffee, but his explanations make every answer really interesting!!
I honestly did know there was this much to learn about coffee. Quite interesting. Thanks WIRED ❤
Check out his RUclips-Channel. Then we can talk about how much there is about coffee.
I don’t like coffee but it’s such a huge part of my home’s (Puerto Rico) culture that hearing the nooks and crannies of it explained is oddly comforting
Super hyped for this, James Hoffmann is goated!
gotta bring this guy back, knows what he's talking about and is great at relaying that information
Check out his RUclips for seeing how deep the coffee rabbit hole can go
An excellent presentation. James is well-spoken, polite and knowledgeable without sounding elitist. A delight even if I didn't like coffee. As a coffee drinker, it was superb.
Can't wait for Hames Joffmann to get hold of this gem.
I am already in the industry but James really make everything sound so exciting again (as always). Thanks Wired for picking him!
On the subject of putting milk and sugar in tea, the two ingredients almost have a similar affect on tea as they do for coffee. It applies more to black and green teas (or matcha in this case) as those two types of tea often produce bitter earthy flavors, especially when they get over-brewed. Milk adds a pleasant, smooth, creamy flavor and mouth feel to tea, which is why milk is often used in Chai and Boba drinks. Sugar is used differently in tea to help emphasize the flavor across the different types of tea seen through out the world. As a lot of people may know, if black and green teas are brewed properly, they will have light earthy or herbal flavors and shouldn't require adding milk and/or sugar unless someone is making specialty drinks like chai, boba, or latte's. I am by no means a trained professional in this subject, just a passionate drinker of both tea and coffee.
This was absolutely amazing. a very "relaxed" attitude but also backed with hard facts and a deep knowledge. Now I need to go and make myself a cup.. and order some beans...
I love how Wired shows us that there is an expert for everything.
And they pick great people! People genuinely excited to talk about their subject
It is absolutely normal to serve lattes (we just call it coffee with milk, "café com leite") for children here in Brazil and, yes, they do it in schools with kids since kindergarten, especially public schools.
The best way to have your coffee is the way you like it, remember that ☕️ :)
Great video, this guy is always on point when it comes to coffee. To expand on the burnt coffee response, when you brew it for too long (e.g. leave your carafe on a hot plate), it's called over-extracting because you extract new (unwanted) chemicals by allowing the coffee to remain more chemically active. When you burn coffee while roasting, you create the darkest of roasts, the French roast, which has that burnt smoky flavor. If you go past that, you actually burn the beans and ruin the roast. So there are two ways to burn coffee, but the OP probably meant the former.
15:19 this made me vibe for 3 seconds
Are you insane
That’s amazing😂 twisted like 10 times and vived
I find that if you ever need to re-heat coffee, the way to go is to heat up milk and pour the coffee in afterwards. That way the coffee isn't heated as drastically, but you still get a nice warm beverage.
That's good if you like milk. But if you don't like it microwave is the safest way to re-heat the coffee without changing its taste.
I’m glad WIRED invited James! Love his channel!
We need more episodes with this guy!!!
I've watched a bunch of these and the hoffmeister seems to be absolutely nailing it.
Got into coffee because of a game called Persona 5, and it have opened a new world to me when it comes to really appreciating a proper cup of coffee, and it is also nice to have the skill to make a proper cup of coffee whenever somebody drop by, we have a real heavy coffee culture where I live after all. Love my french press, highly recommend people to at the least try different coffee if they can, even the things they don't normally think they would enjoy, it might surprise you.
“Looking cool Joker!”
A great content creator to have on Wired. I've been watching James for at least several years. Extremely kind/moderate for how you might normally define a "snob", and extremely knowledgeable of his craft. You picked a good one in terms of overall knowledge and personability.
This guy is incredibly consistent with top quality no nonsense content, love this channel.
It's strange seeing him outside his own channel. Gives me "who let the weird coffee person out of his box" vibes, I love it.
3 or 4 cups a day is so wild to me! I love coffee and I wish I could handle that much. For some reason I seem to be really sensitive to caffeine, even having 2 strong cups is sometimes enough to make me really nervous and hyper aware of my heart beat
Maybe you’re thinking a full mug of coffee when he says a cup…? Just guessing. Typically a standard “cup of coffee” is less than 200mL (around 6 oz.). So 4 cups of coffee would still be less than two cans of your typical soda.
As someone who cannot physically handle more than one shot of coffee, this was so entertaining to watch! Wish I could delve more into this world of bean juice.
When I was in Colombia not too long ago, I was able to pick and eat some fresh coffee fruits. They were delicious.
That's def on my bucket list now
As a Colombian, I love them and always recommend them. Covered with chocolate for those who don't like the bitterness!
@@juansf1111 I didn't find them bitter at all. Certainly not sweet. Very mild almost neutral flavor and crunchy with the bean. But all in all, enjoyable.
14:04 mayhaps they wanted to treat the seeds like how we would boil grain seeds to make something like oatmeal to eat, but ended up only being able to use the water for some reason and eventually started improving the process over time with roasting and such
I appreciate that James had to say it twice to "Don't do that" about drinking pooped out beans
For those of us who follow James Hoffmann’s RUclips channel this is yet another great video. For those of you who don’t…well…you’re missing out!
I love this kind of content. What I've discovered over the last five years of dealing with family health issues is; doctors are actually pretty bad at interpreting data. I really appreciate the level of effort that went into your experiment. Well done!
More James Hoffman Please...