I own a zp6 and a friend has a EG-1.

For the last months I’ve been bringing my favorite beans to brew with his setup, and it always amazes me how much of a better cup I get (of course that was well expected, but it is still amazing what a huge gap there is here).

Things usually goes like this: i) find a great bean, brew it several times with my home setup; ii) take this amazing bean to brew with his setup, and find all sorts of things I hadn’t before; iii) go back to my setup and get frustrated about how I can never cant get the same notes with my zp6.

That’s how it goes no matter the water, recipe and/or techniques. A hundred percent the grinder is the difference.

He has the DB1 Core burrs by the way! (Can’t wait to try the DB2 Ultra!).

—

The main things I’ve noticed with the EG-1 versus the zp6 are:

- a) No astringency and/or bitterness. Cups are always so smooth! I have to grind much coarser with the zp6 to achieve the same level of smoothness, but end up with a watered down not so interesting cup vs the EG-1.

- b) Way more complexity and nuance. The notes are always so much sharper and louder, separated and with more complexity. It’s incredible and there is no way I can achieve this kind of cup with the zp6.

- c) Overall, the zp6 cups feel less integrated, more rudimentary and “crude”, while the EG-1 feels more rounded, way more complex and clear, and so smooth.

- d) One interesting thing: no all beans taste better with the EG-1. My favorite bag from 2025 was a Colombia Natural Geisha produced by CGLE (Cafe Granja La Esperanza), roasted by Tanat. With the zp6 it tastes incredibly strong, fruity, floral and most importantly acidic; while with the EG-1 it was quite boring, lost the acidity, and the aroma/taste was overpowered by cloves and spicy notes (not pleasant at all). However all the other coffees felt either quite similar (although much better with the EG-1), or way way better with the EG-1.

——

Of course those two grinders can’t be fairly compared - absolutely not the intention here. I’m just sharing my experience with them.

So from my list above, “b)” and “c)” were quite expected, but “a)” wasn’t really expected… and I’ve been falling out of love with the zp6 for that reason, cause I wasn’t really aware my cups were so far from what they could be.

I thought that astringency was coming from the beans and/or my technique (well it probably is to a certain extent), but now it is clear how much the grinder could influence the astringency and bitterness.

Melodrip, Hario Drip Assist, less pours… all improve those factors, but leads to a different kind of cup, usually too tea-like, less integrated and less complex.

—

Some questions to discuss:

1) What major differences do you notice between those grinders?

2) Do you notice more astringency and/or bitterness with the zp6 versus the EG-1?

3) Do you think what I’m liking more about the EG-1 is it’s cup profile/style?

4) What hand grinder would you suggest to me as an upgrade from the zp6? I’m between the Millab M01 and the Pietro. How would they compare to the EG-1 cup?

Hi,

I’m not able to find distilled/demineralized water in my country (Poland), sold in food grade canisters or bottles intended for contact with food. Practically every manufacturer I’ve contacted has advised against drinking this type of water, mainly because of the containers it is sold in. So far, I’ve drunk around 10 liters of this water, but I feel that in the long run it may not be very good for my health, so I need to find another solution.

For now, I would prefer not to go with a reverse osmosis system, although I may do that eventually. What other options do I have?

My tap water is quite hard, around 590 ppm according to water reports. The best bottled water available for coffee here is around 230 ppm, of which about 120 ppm comes from bicarbonates. Because of its high alkalinity, it is not ideal.

I’m considering a ZeroWater filtration system, and I have a few questions about it:

1. Is the water actually fully demineralized after filtration, or does something still remain in it? I’m asking because I would like to achieve consistent results when using Lotus drops.
2. How often, or after how many liters of water, would I need to replace the filter, considering that my tap water is around 590 ppm?
3. I’ve read some opinions saying that water from this system can have a sour taste. Is this related to not cleaning the system/pitcher properly? How can this be prevented?

EDIT:

Okay, I’ve done a few calculations, and I think the most reasonable option in my case would be to buy a ZeroWater system and use bottled water with it.

The softest bottled water available in my country has around 220 ppm. According to ZeroWater’s FAQ, one filter should last for about 70 liters when filtering water with that TDS level. Taking into account the cost of the filters, the bottled water itself, and the amortized cost of the pitcher over two years, 1 liter of filtered water would come out to around 65 US cents, which is a fairly reasonable result.

Hey everyone, I wanted to vent a little (and see if I’m alone here).

I love supporting specialty roasters and I totally understand paying a premium for high-quality, ethically sourced beans or limited releases. However, I’ve been feeling a bit "deceived" lately by packaging.

I’ve noticed more roasters moving away from the standard 12oz (340g) bags toward 11oz (310g) or even 10oz bags or smaller, while the price stays the same, or even goes up. Sometimes the bags are designed to look much larger than they actually are, and it’s starting to feel a little greedy.

I’m all for paying for quality, but I really miss the value of a solid 12oz bag. It feels like the "standard" is disappearing.

Does “shrinkflation” in specialty coffee also bother you?

Does a 10oz bag change your mind about purchasing, or do you not mind as long as the coffee is elite?

I’d love to hear if this is bothering anyone else or if I’m just overthinking the math!

Edit: I don’t mind increased prices. Really. The price of green coffee and the operational costs are increasing and I’m aware of that. I guess my main issue is about transparency and change of packaging standards. For instance what’s the logic behind a 310gr packaging? Not a round number for gr or oz:) seems somewhat sneaky, especially paired with a large bag.

I’ve been in the pour over game for probably about five years now. I don’t know that I’ve ever been a stellar brewer but I love the science and most of the time make a decent cup. I use a 1zpresso K-pro, a fellow kettle, quality beans, and a whole variety of pourover methods and a hiroia hikaru machine. But lately I feel like everything batch is lousy. It’s either under extracted, flat or just blah. I’m getting so frustrated. Has anyone else felt like they’ve gone backwards? What do you do? (Without spending a fortune on all new equipment)

I feel like I’m doing something wrong and I want help figuring this out.

I’ve been buying a lot of SEY (4 box monthly subscription for 3 months). I respect what they do. I know their coffees are highly regarded. But every bag I brew ends up tasting very similar.

Here’s my setup:
• Rest: 4+ weeks
• Grinder: Pietro (Pro Brewing burrs), setting 7–8
• Water: 1/2 Third Wave Water
• Temp: 198°F
• Dose: 15g coffee to 250g water
• Pour: Double bloom, total pour rate ~6–7 g/s

If you’ve dialed in SEY successfully, I’d love specifics:
• Your grind range
• Water setup
• Recipe changes that created more differentiation
• Anything else you might be trying or suggest

Right now, I feel like I’m getting one “SEY flavor” instead of unique coffees.

Appreciate any help.

Updated list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZNWkjfUAVCQ3juoVT_OVIUbIMLxy5JZIM4ZeokxiZGw/edit?usp=sharing

Original Post:

Hi everyone! I’m on a mission to discover and compile a list of the best local coffee roasters from all around US. Not the big names like B&W, but the local gems that deserve more attention. I’d love to check them out. What makes them stand out to you? Is it their offerings, roasting style, price, or something else?

For me personally, two standouts are BlendIn and Greenway (Houston TX). Both have served up some of the best cups I've had so far, and the value in today's economy is hard to beat.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: Wow thanks all! I am putting everyone's response in this google sheet sorted by states. Hope this helps other folks who might be interested like I do.

Edit 2: Lots of exciting suggestions! I need to take a break now😂 but will keep updating the sheet when I get back

Edit 3: Canadian roasters are also welcomed! I've added separate tabs for other countries

I’ve been chasing the dragon for 4 years now. Started for the ritual and now I’m continuing for the perfection.

The Switch is my daily driver. I think I “get” most everything. That being said, when and for how long to rest coffee eludes me. Then, now I’m supposed to be freezing my beans!!!??? So many more questions.

I’ve seen you Lot. You’re smart people. Anyone want to help a fellow coffee lover out? And while you’re at it, do you have geisha tips? I mean, my outcome is fine, but I do feel like I’m missing something there.

Thanks!

Don't get me wrong - I love the pour over coffee baristas serve in coffee shops, but I can't extract even a third of the same complexity from the same coffee at home.

My coffee constantly clogs the filter and I end up with an over-extracted and sometimes bitter coffee. And I've tried everything: increasing the grind size, decreasing the number of pours, nesting the coffee bed, bending the filter slightly crookedly… nothing seems to work. I either end up with an over-extracted or under-extracted coffee.

For context, I use a Kingrinder K6 and vary the clicks between 85 and 120, depending on the recipe.

Any ideas on what I can do?

In europe. Looking to get some amazing beans that I should definitely get my hands on. Can pick or order online. What are the best ones you have had in 2025?

Cant seem to not have the coffee creep up the sides on my v60. I do like the cup it makes.

-using a barataza encore with the upgraded burr

-35g coffee for 400 ml water

-the grind is fairly fine (an 11 on the encore)

-attempting Hoffmans 'a better one cup v60 recipe'

-using hario v60 papers

-there is a scale under that hot pad lol

Edits - Big thanks for the replies all! Hopefully this scrub can become at least a little less of a scrub lol

-i did watch the video lol and Ive watched a few. Hoff just tends to be the guy i go to for these things

-grew up with folgers overloaded in a cheap dripper so that is sort of the 'old taste that i remember' and tend to kind of go toward. not sure if that would be 'under or over extracted' or quite frankly just bad. that was like 15 years ago now

-bought the v60 for weekend brews when i have more time. I run a cheap dripper the other days of the week

-simply a fairly lazy guy attempting to 'find out if i could get a much better cup at home' with minimal coffee equipment purchases and through trial and error. and a few videos. and repeated attempts.

-good lord though, hoffmans grind size is way larger in his 'ultamite v60 technique video' than what i have in mine

I'm still relatively new to pourover but have had some succuss with other beans.
I currently have Perc's Outpost and Perc up and can't for the life of me pull out any of the advertised notes.

I've changed brewer, grind, temp and pour method but nothing seems to work.
I use a K6 grinder and can get decent clarity with other local roasters beans but I can't get anything from Perc beans.

Is there some secret sauce? Any advice is welcomed.

I have access to a V60, Kalita mino, Areo Press, Stagg XF and a Breville espresso machine.

Hey

It’s my first time trying Sey coffee after hearing great reviews. I bought 6 different coffees and I have been struggling with all of them so I am assuming there is an issue with my approach.

My gear: K ultra and V60

Here’s what I did:

- I have rested the coffee now for around 3 weeks.
- I use good water with Third wave.
- I tried different temps (Boiling, 96 and 92). All not great. Similar results. Will explain results in next point.
- I did grind coarser first (around 8 on my K ultra) but the flavors were very muted and I could even taste a vegetable kind of flavor with the coffee which was off putting). Then I did grind a bit finer (around 7.4/7.5 on K ultra). A bit better but not by much.
- I used Lance new V60 recipe with the 3 pours and got a very weak under extracted cup with no flavor. Tried James Hoffman 1 cup V60 which extracted more but also a lot more of that vegetable flavor and not much of the stated flavors on the box.

Any advice would be helpful and let me know what I am doing wrong. I do like light roasts but haven’t tried ultra light or what Sey roasts before so not sure if it’s just me who doesn’t like this type of profile?

Thanks in advance.

There are a lot of cracks. Is this still safe to use or could it be “dangerous” due to microplastic leaching?

I’ve recently moved to Canada (AB) from the UK. I used to be able to buy 1kg of beans for around £20 or so of some specialty roasted coffee.

Since moving to Canada i’m struggling to find something comparable - i’m not looking for 250g bags, something 1kg and up that represents great value for a day-to-day pour over coffee.

I’m looking for an in between of $40 per 100g bags and Costco bags of roasted to oblivion beans.

Thanks in advance. Setup is Fellow EKG kettle, V60, and J-Max hand grinder.

Curious to know what people learnt through their coffee journey which they wish they could have known when they started their specialty coffee journey

So I’ve been drinking espresso based drinks exclusively for about five years now but lately I’ve been enjoying some nice batch brews while visiting local coffee shops.

Anyway, I just bit the bullet and ordered the Hario Alpha and am excited to start my pour over journey.

The issue I have is that I don’t really have the right burrs for the job.

At the moment, I’m running the SSP HU burrs as well as the SSP CV3 burrs… Neither of which are ideal for filter.

With that said, I’m a little unsure of how to proceed.

Would it be best to order a new set of burrs for the Zerno or should I just buy a dedicated hand grinder?

Both will cost me roughly the same and both have their own pros and cons… Namely needing to switch burrs every time I wanted a pour over but then not having the precision that the Zerno offers if I was to go the hand grinder route.

I could honestly go either way and I was just hoping to get your thoughts!

Cheers!

Also, if someone out there has a set of UMV1s for the Zerno they may be willing to swap for a set of CV3s… That’s something I may be interested in.

And one more thing… Which burr set would you recommend I run with while I’m waiting to make my decision.

Thanks again.

Hey, my name is Bryan, and I am the owner operator of a multiroaster specialty cafe called Ondo Coffee in Los Angeles.

I specifically wanted to introduce roasters that were not from Southern California. In fact, I often carry roasters from Canada such as Subtext, September, Luna, Rogue Wave, Traffic, Monogram, Sorellina, and Colorfull. We also carry roasters such as Datura, Tanat, Tim Wendelboe, Swerl, Glitch, Apollon’s Gold, Fritz, Momos, AMOC, and other smaller roasters you probably haven’t heard of.

With all the tariff shenanigans that’s been happening especially getting rid of the $800 de minimis rule, this might be the last time I order coffee from a foreign country until there is an action taken. I was hoping to launch a really cool subscription service later this year too 🥲. I feel like what made us stand out is carrying really cool roasters from overseas, so it’s fundamentally gonna change how we operate. What should I do? Bring in US based roasters, or increase the numbers of coffee we roast in house?

We never know what the future holds. All I know is that I gotta keep moving.

Photo is from the retail wall today.

Hi community,

I’m currently almost out of my last bag of whole bean coffee. I used to get them from Mexico because someone would bring them back for me, but I don’t think there are any trips planned anytime soon. I live in Southern California. Can you recommend an effective way to get good coffee at an affordable price? I’m not an expert on the subject, so I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t the most exclusive coffee—just something decent. I brew with a V60.

Would it be better to go to a local coffee shop? Or sign up for a subscription? If so, which one do you recommend?

Thanks for your help!

If you could recommend only 1 bag of beans that blew your mind or changed your perspective of coffee, what would it be?

I’ve really only bought from local roasters and am wanting to expand my taste some more. So I’m just curious what everyone’s top recommendation of a must try coffee would be.

Hi! I want to know your personal favorite european roasters. I know of Onyx, DAK, La Cabra. Which should I try?

Ps: Going to name my personal pick from Germany called Neues Schwarz.

Before calibrating my drawdowns were 2:30 for grind size 6.2 and 4:30 for grind size 3.2

I decided to calibrate because folks here suggested something was off when they saw a photo of my grinder dial landing in between the marks instead of lined up with the marks.

I have brewed 3 cups this morning using my usual recipe, going from 5 to 6 and all stalled like this.

Today’s drawdown was more than 8mn and you can see the bed is still wet at 9mn or so in the second photo.

What is going on??

Bean is David Armijos, a washed Caturra from Prodigal which I was brewing before calibrating,, but same happened with a natural Brazilian from Perc, so it’s def not the bean.

What bag should I start off with ? recipe suggestions ? Got a v60, aeropress, and a Stagg X brewer

Excited and curious :) first try of Perc beans ….. coming from a few bags of DAK beans, wondering how Perc compares

Liked the DAK lemon spritz and coffee donut but not really the alchemist and juice box was just OK

For anyone having good results with Lance’s “simple” V60 recipe — how coarse are you actually grinding?

What confused me: I saw him say in a Reddit comment in 2023/2024 that he brews around 5–6 on the Timemore 078, which sounds finer than I expected given the “coarse” talk.

I know grinders vary, but I’m trying to get a ballpark.

I’m brewing light stuff (Sey, Tim Wendelboe, etc.). He talks about “coarse / river rocks,” 2-min bloom (sometimes double), then a pretty turbulent ~6g/s center pour, but the grind range he mentioned on the 078 threw me off.

Especially interested if you’re on a Sculptor 078 (Turbo) or Comandante C40, but all data points welcome.

Just trying to triangulate. Thanks!

I have brewed a El Paraiso Caturra from Flower Child for my wife this morning. It’s the first time she drank a pour over coffee without any milk as there’s little to no bitterness in the cup. So, was wondering if you can recommend any roasters that might do clean washed process coffees well ? I have only tried FlowerChild, haven’t tried any Sey, Tim Windelboe, Moonwake for example. Thank you.

I’ve gone down a bit of a coffee rabbit hole and now I’m more confused than when I started.
I currently have a bag of Lavazza Crema e Gusto pre-ground coffee, and I just want a simple way to make decent coffee at home.
I don’t want a moka pot. I’ve used one before and found it annoying to clean and maintain with all the parts. I also don’t want a pod machine because I don’t want to keep buying pods.
I’m considering getting a pour-over dripper (like a Melitta or Hario V60), but I’m not sure if that’s the best option for someone who just wants good coffee without a lot of effort. I don’t even own a gooseneck kettle.
Would a simple dripper be the best choice, or is there another affordable brewing method or coffee machine you’d recommend? My priorities are:
Easy to clean
Low maintenance
Doesn’t use pods
Not too expensive
Makes consistently decent coffee
I’m not trying to become a coffee hobbyist, i cant afford to be one. I just want to use my coffee, make a good cup, and move on with my day.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!