Episode Summary:

In this episode, I share updates in anticipation of an upcoming trip to Seattle and Vancouver. Having never visited the epicenter of American coffee culture in Seattle before, I look forward to experiencing the city's famous coffee scene during my vacation there. While a friend offered recommendations of shops to visit, I want to simply take in the sights and atmosphere without an agenda. Packing is nearly complete, including bringing along 4 pounds of my own coffee to share. Two of my brothers will join me on the trip as well.

The second half of the episode revolves around my experiments with a popular Hamilton Beach single-serve coffee maker that a client uses. I purchased the cheap machine to examine if it can actually produce decent coffee, with the goal of providing honest recommendations. However, numerous tests have led me to conclude that it yields low quality coffee that I can't endorse in good conscience. I explain the technical shortcomings, from fast flow rate to basket overflow when grinding too fine. While some consumers are satisfied with the push-button convenience, specialty coffee drinkers will be disappointed. I aim to find broadly appealing, high-value coffee equipment alternatives to suggest instead. As I wrap up pre-trip items at home, I'm eager to fully immerse myself in coffee culture when I'm Seattle bound in the coming days.