Everyday Beans Podcast - Mostly About Coffee and Other Stuff

Oaks, the coffee guy
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It's about coffee, food, life and what other randomness I feel that'll be helpful to the common coffee drinker or to anyone who likes to be entertained by a stranger, briefly.

  1. Did the Gear Save This Coffee?

    3h ago

    Did the Gear Save This Coffee?

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I share the story of an Ethiopian white honey processed coffee that had me ready to give up on it entirely. I kept it one-dimensional, flat, a single note of bright lemon acidity with a little chocolate on the finish. But instead of moving on to something new, I made a decision I don't usually make: I stayed with it for two weeks straight. I brewed it every way I could think of, across different brewers, different temperatures, different grind profiles, different experiments. Most of the time the results felt the same. But then I introduced a new brewer with a different bottom configuration, layered in the Sybaris Booster, and went back to the Melodrip I had talked badly about for weeks. And something shifted. The coffee came alive in a way I didn't recognize. What I learned from this experience goes beyond any single brew method or piece of gear. I started to realize that the tools I already own, the knowledge I had already built, and the simple act of staying with something long enough were doing more for my coffee than any new purchase could. I started to appreciate what was already on my shelf. You will hear me talk through whether the transformation was the gear, the coffee's natural maturation over time, or something that changed in me as a brewer. If you have ever given up on a coffee too early, questioned whether your current gear is enough, or wondered why the same beans can taste completely different weeks apart, this episode will give you a new way to think about patience, presence, and what it actually means to understand a coffee. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    14 min
  2. The Brewer Is the Recipe

    2d ago

    The Brewer Is the Recipe

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore a question that seems simple on the surface but actually runs deeper than most coffee conversations go: what is a recipe, really? I walk through a recent experiment where I brewed the same coffee using three different methods — the Hario V60, a French press, and the AeroPress — with the same ratio, the same grind size, and the same water temperature. My goal was to keep every variable constant. What I discovered almost immediately is that I couldn't. Not really. Because the brewer itself is a variable. A significant one. And it's one we almost never talk about when we're chasing recipes online or dialing in a new coffee. I came to a realization mid-experiment that changed how I see the whole thing: the brewer is part of the recipe. The geometry, the mechanism, the brew process unique to each device — all of it shapes what ends up in your cup. You can't steep a V60 for four minutes the way you would a French press. You can't treat an AeroPress like either of them. These are different instruments, the same way a violin and a piano are different instruments. You might be playing the same song, but the approach has to change completely. By listening to this episode, you'll walk away with a clearer understanding of why mastering one or two brewers deeply will always outperform collecting many and mastering none, and why the brewer deserves more of your attention than any recipe you'll ever find online. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    13 min
  3. Why Your Coffee Kettle Can't Be Trusted

    Jun 4

    Why Your Coffee Kettle Can't Be Trusted

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I dig into one of the most overlooked variables in pour over coffee: kettle temperature accuracy. I ran an experiment with my Fellow Stagg Pro EKG and two separate thermometers, a cheap one around twelve dollars and a more accurate barbecue thermometer around sixty dollars, and what I found honestly surprised me. The kettle I trust most, the one I love, the one with what I think is the best spout in the business, was lying to me about temperature pretty much the entire time. I set it to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and got readings of 205, 207, and beyond. So I started thinking about how blindly we trust this device. We measure to the gram, we time to the second, and we just assume the kettle does its job. I share why I picked up a Bonavita as a backup and what this whole thing has taught me about how I dial in my brews now. But this episode is not just about kettles. It is about how every piece of coffee gear has pros and cons, and how knowing those drawbacks is what actually makes you a better brewer. I bring in an offset smoker barbecue analogy to explain why inconsistent gear is not broken gear, and I talk about why questioning your equipment, your recipes, and even the advice you read online is the real path to enjoying your coffee. If you have ever wondered why your coffee tastes different from one brew to the next, or why a recipe that worked for someone else falls flat for you, this episode will give you a framework for thinking about the variables you may not have considered. You will learn how to use temperature swings to your advantage, how to think about your gear honestly, and why trusting your own palate matters more than following anyone else's protocol. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    18 min
  4. The Myth of the One-Pour Brewer

    Jun 2

    The Myth of the One-Pour Brewer

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I take you through one of the more humbling moments I've had as a coffee brewer. I picked up the Hario Mugen — a brewer marketed specifically as a one-pour specialist — and I went all in on mastering it. I ignored Hario's own recipe, went finer than felt comfortable, slowed my pour down, and eventually cracked the code. I was genuinely excited. Then curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to run a controlled side-by-side test between the Mugen and the Hario V60 using the exact same recipe, same temperature, same bloom, and a TDS meter to back it all up. The result? They tasted the same. The TDS numbers were nearly identical. And I just sat there thinking — Hario, what did you build this thing for? What came out of that moment wasn't just frustration. It was actually one of the more important realizations I've had about gear, mastery, and what it really means to brew good coffee. I talk about why staying with one device long enough to understand its full range matters more than owning the right device. I also get honest about how I took the V60 for granted for years, never really pushing it to its limits — and how the Mugen, of all things, taught me to stop doing that. If you're chasing gear hoping the next brewer unlocks something the current one can't, this episode is going to hit close to home. By listening, you'll learn why deep familiarity with one piece of equipment is more powerful than rotating through a collection, and how understanding your brewer is what actually gives you control over your cup. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    17 min
  5. What Does Special Mean in Coffee

    May 28

    What Does Special Mean in Coffee

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I'm talking about something I don't think we discuss enough in the coffee world: what does "special" actually mean when it comes to a cup of coffee? I take you through my experience with a Colombian Java, a medium roast that completely caught me off guard. It's not a showy geisha with over-the-top perfume. It's not the kind of coffee that announces itself loudly. But no matter what I do to it, no matter the grind, the temperature, or the brewer I reach for, it shows up. It gives me raspberry undertones, a soft chocolate note, and a Meyer lemon acidity that is just approachable enough to keep me sipping. It bends. It transforms as it cools. And that, to me, is the definition of something special. I also use this episode to push back on how we talk about coffee in the specialty world. We throw around the word "special" constantly without ever stopping to ask what it actually means to us personally. I want you to walk away from this episode thinking differently about the coffees you're drinking, specifically, why certain cups make you feel something and others don't. What makes a coffee special to you? Is it the smell, the sweetness, the way it evolves in the cup, or simply how it makes you feel when you sit down with it? That's the real question here, and only you can answer it. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    14 min
  6. Coffee Instruments: Do You Need Them?

    May 26

    Coffee Instruments: Do You Need Them?

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on a simple moment: looking at my cutting board and noticing the instruments sitting on it. No brewer, no grinder — just the tools I've come to rely on most: a refractometer, a roast degree meter, brew boosters, a Melodrip, and a Hario Drip Assist. I talk through each one honestly, including which I think are genuinely valuable, which are overrated, and why I still believe the most important instrument you'll ever own is your own palate. I also share what these tools have actually done for me beyond just giving me numbers — they've made my coffee journey completely my own. By listening to this episode, you'll gain a clearer sense of whether instruments like the refractometer or roast degree meter are worth exploring for your specific situation. More importantly, you'll walk away with a new lens for understanding how any tool, purchased or free, can help you develop independence and confidence in your own brewing. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    19 min
  7. The Beauty of Meh Coffee

    May 21

    The Beauty of Meh Coffee

    Send us Fan Mail I've been sitting with an Ethiopian white honey coffee that I just couldn't get to click for me. I brewed it every way I could think of. Different devices, different grinders, different ratios. I went down the rabbit hole hard with this one. I used the AeroPress, the ZP6, brewed it at 1:15 and 1:18, played with the grind size, even thought about water chemistry. And for a long time, it stayed meh. Not bad. Just not talking to me. In this episode, I walk through exactly what I discovered about this coffee and, more importantly, what I discovered about myself as a brewer because of it. The real lesson here isn't about the Ethiopian. It's about what these mediocre, frustrating, won't-quite-land coffees actually teach us. I explain why I've come to appreciate meh coffees just as much as the ones that blow me away, and why being able to articulate exactly why a coffee doesn't work for you is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. If you've ever had a coffee that just didn't do it for you and didn't know what to do with that feeling, this episode is for you. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    14 min
  8. The ZP6 Surprised Me

    May 19

    The ZP6 Surprised Me

    Send us Fan Mail I went into this episode with something I had to get off my chest. The ZP6 surprised me, and not in the way you might expect. The marketing around this grinder tells you it is made for light roast coffee and clarity, and for a long time I accepted that. But I started experimenting outside those boundaries, testing it on medium roast, dark roast, Kenyan, Ethiopian, fruity naturals, and what I found genuinely caught me off guard. The clarity and lack of fines that make this grinder famous do not just serve light roast coffee. I went all the way down to a setting of two on a dark roast and walked away impressed. No bitterness. Real complexity. It gave the coffee its legs in a way I did not expect a grinder like this to do. What I really want you to take from this episode is that the labels we put on gear stop us before we even start. I do it too, with my own coffee descriptions and roast profiles. But your grinder, your brewer, your coffee, they do not know what the marketing said. In this episode, I walk you through my actual brewing experience across multiple roast levels and origins with the ZP6, share the specific settings that worked and the ones that did not, and explain why low fines production is a bigger deal than most people realize regardless of what you are brewing. If you have ever wondered whether your grinder is limiting you or the label on it is, this one is for you. Support the show For good tasty coffee, check us out at: everydaybeans.com For tips, tricks and still trying to figure it out: https://www.youtube.com/@everyday-beans

    18 min
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It's about coffee, food, life and what other randomness I feel that'll be helpful to the common coffee drinker or to anyone who likes to be entertained by a stranger, briefly.

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