TWiT+ Club Shows 684

An energetic cup‑and‑a‑half of coffee nerdery! Leo Laporte sits down with “Coffee Geek” Mark Prince and YouTuber Liz Happybeans for a wide‑ranging chat that runs from sock‑brewed Dominican coffee to $3,000 lever espresso machines. Along the way they bust myths about roast levels, debate super‑automatic vs. manual gear, share palate‑training tricks, and reveal why the humble V60 may be your next obsession. If you’ve ever wondered what first crack really means—or just want reassurance that your Breville Oracle Jet is legit—pour yourself a mug and dive in.

Sip‑by‑sip rundown:

• 🍯 Honey‑processed Costa Rica: Mark explains the “honey process” and why it’s trending in specialty coffee.
• 🤖 Are super‑automatics sacrilege?: Breville Oracle Jet vs. Ninja Cafe vs. Flair lever - grinders, built‑in scales, and why modern automatics no longer deserve Reddit’s hate.
• 🧦 Sock‑filter origins & the joy of pour‑over ritual: From childhood “second‑pass” sock coffee to today’s Hario V60, Chemex, and gooseneck kettles—plus the Tetsu Kasuya 5‑pour method that “changed her life.”
• 🔥 Roast science 101: First crack vs. second crack, “baked” under‑developed beans, and why dark roasts taste like the roast—not the bean.
• 🌡️ Perfect water temps: Lighter roast? Go hotter. French roast? Drop to ~195 °F. Practical tips for kettles with temp presets.
• 😖 Acidity vs. bitterness: How to taste the difference, tame sour shots with milk, or rescue bitter brews with a pinch of salt.
• 🎄 Advent calendars & palate training: Liz’s Christmas tradition: 24 single‑origin mini‑bags to expand flavor vocabulary all year long.
• 🏙️ Vancouver’s coffee scene: Why BC’s Pacific Northwest culture makes it a specialty‑coffee hotspot (Prototype, Rogue Wave, and more).
• 🚗 Espresso‑on‑the‑go: Mark’s “mid‑life‑celebration” Miata and the vintage 12‑volt moka pot he plans to install.
• 🌍 Climate change, tariffs & the price of your latte: Honey process water savings, rising C‑market prices, and why we might all be drinking Robusta sooner than we think.
• 🛠️ Gear geekery rapid‑fire: Cloth vs. paper filters, automated WDT tools, Lelit Bianca flow‑control espresso machine, Breville’s new tampers, and naked portafilters galore.
• 👶 Future baristas & closing crema: Liz’s one‑year‑old already “steams” milk, Leo pledges to buy a V60, and everyone agrees espresso reigns supreme.

Links:

• Liz Happybeans: https://www.youtube.com/@lizhappybeans
• A Coffee Brewing Theory "4:6 method": https://youtu.be/wmCW8xSWGZY
• Hario Mugen Switch Brewer Hack: https://coffeegeek.com/guides/howtos/hario-mugen-switch-brewer-hack-how-to/
• Clever Coffee Brewers: https://cleverbrewing.coffee/
• The Best Espresso Machine: https://coffeegeek.com/opinions/state-of-coffee/the-best-espresso-machine

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