Imagine being a barista and James Hoffman walks in, then proceeds to order the most expensive coffee. No pressure.
@AdamRushworth6 ай бұрын
9 bars, hopefully...
@jaungiga6 ай бұрын
Or worse, James shows the barista the exact pressure curve he's gonna put him under to produce ideal extraction
@andrewyouv6 ай бұрын
@@AdamRushworth hahahaha beautiful comment!
@blakksheep7366 ай бұрын
No, it's not just that. It's that James Hoffman walks in, _with an entire filming crew,_ and orders your most expensive coffee. No pressure. 👍🏾
@matty89206 ай бұрын
No filming allowed @@blakksheep736
@Gustavestavez6 ай бұрын
Paid AU$ 85 for a long black once. 5 for the coffee and 80 for the parking ticket I got for unknowingly parking in front of the post office on a Sunday.
@mariuskiessling6 ай бұрын
So you payed this amount to be able to tell a story. I see money well spent.
@judo_ashtray6 ай бұрын
Every time I go to my favorite roaster I worry that I'm going to end up paying $120 for a pound of beans But then again in a major city you only have to worry about a double parking ticket at the end of the month so... so far so good
@krissp87126 ай бұрын
Had me in the first half!
@Keith-ej1sx6 ай бұрын
Ditto that mate, 95 bucks for the parking fine and 5 for the coffee.
@OhJustSomeRandomGuy6 ай бұрын
Ah, the fleeced process.
@domainofscience6 ай бұрын
I wonder what flavour notes the London street added
@Rickkelley3655 ай бұрын
getting the slightest hint of cocaine (*slurp*), a rather bland note on the finish...polyurethane perhaps. (*slurp*) Yeah, almost certainly suspect some bitterness and desperation transferred from the harvester's hands into the bean just prior to roasting...(*slurp*)...and though the roast is slightly stronger than I prefer, I definitely detect some nuttiness, and the hollowed out soul of an e-bike thief.
@MB808AllDay5 ай бұрын
Probably acidic with a splash of Islam
@slayr64185 ай бұрын
sadness.
@worldfamilyenglish5 ай бұрын
@@MB808AllDay That joke bombed.
@cd0u50c94 ай бұрын
Cocaine, London Underground soot, loneliness and delusion.
@apophis4566 ай бұрын
This was the most polite way of saying “there is no world where this was worth the price” I’ve ever seen
@kyber1fun1646 ай бұрын
He got to make a video that is going to earn him way more than £265, so it was definitely worth the price. Like he said, it can be worth it to some people because of the story they can tell.
@Alex-ck4in6 ай бұрын
I mean, you could argue a large portion of the cost is also stemming from getting luxury *service* from a luxury coffee bar. There were waiters in there for god's sake, and they were wearing suits 😂
@jamesdean50956 ай бұрын
@@Alex-ck4in We saw the prices of the other coffees on the menu and while not cheap by any measure they were an order of magnitude lower. Also waiters in suits just aren't that expensive, they're in loads of places.
@apophis4566 ай бұрын
@@kyber1fun164 unless the video is sponsored I’m not sure you know how KZbin video revenue works
@jbca6 ай бұрын
That’s definitely not at all what he said, though
@TheLoamRanger6 ай бұрын
The most expensive cup I’ve ever had was my first light roasted Ethiopian coffee experience, about 14 years ago. I had no idea what coffee could be until I had that cup. The coffee itself wasn’t all that pricey… but it made me spend one hell of a lot of money on coffee ever since 😅.
@error.4186 ай бұрын
Hah, yes, fair point! The coffee that sparked the interest could definitely be seen that way, well said.
So true :-D I had similar experience: I once had a cup of coffee so good that it made me stop the conversation I was having, and showed me all the richness of flavour I never tasted in coffee before. It changed my life and brought speciality coffee into it. I spend so much money on coffee, coffee equipment etc. ever since 😀 What one good cup of coffee can do 😀
@johnbrobston13346 ай бұрын
I don't remember the details on my most expensive cup. It was my first experience of a pure Arabica though, ground in one of those little whirligig grinders and made with a Mr. Coffee drip machine. The coffee, the grinder, and the machine were not expensive. But the resulting obsession . . .
@Shigyo14-ym4do6 ай бұрын
Another youtuber named Mudan is currently in Okinawa and decided to check out Nakayama Farm after seeing your vid. 2000 yen ($12.50) gets you a coffee, some coffee leaf "tea," a little snack and lots of Japanese hospitality. 500g of coffee beans are 1650 yen or about $11 dollars.
@akshatfendar28114 ай бұрын
Amazing to see Mudan making it all the way to this side of youtube
@MrVorpalsword3 ай бұрын
yes, so blame the London end of things, greedy business owners perhaps?
@Shigyo14-ym4do3 ай бұрын
@@MrVorpalsword Hoffman explained the price differential in the video. Quite a bit more complicated than greed. Definitely a question whether that particular coffee should be offered, though, if it has to be that much more expensive after import, etc.
@MrVorpalsword3 ай бұрын
@@Shigyo14-ym4do He mooted some reasons for the price, there are plenty of other reasons for high prices, I suggested some more. From your information in Japan, clearly the London price is extortionate .... I don't know if you know London and the character of the sort of people who often set up these sorts of enterprises but I do ..... some people are prepared to rip off other people to make themselves rich, it is common, ours is a nastier society than what I have seen in Japan, experience tells me the price is quite likely, largely down to greed, I'll stick with that - but neither you nor James nor I know the truth do we? Have you seen my comment below?
@jarduhat82672 ай бұрын
@@MrVorpalsword when that coffee shop closes because they can't pay their rent for that location please update your comment and opinion. jealousy and envy are just as ugly as greed.
@Pasteurpipette6 ай бұрын
My issue with trying ultra expensive coffee is twofold: either I won't get my money's worth, or I'll never like other coffee again.
@HappyFunNorm6 ай бұрын
A lot of the really specialty coffies I've had don't actually taste like "normal" coffee. It's like coffee from a different universe where it's similar, but not quite, the same. Also, I don't tend to like them as much... I think coffee is such an acquired taste you'll always prefer what you're familiar with. So go ahead and try some of the odder specialty stuff if you like coffee. Like James said, it's at least good for a story :)
@cypherfunc6 ай бұрын
Ah yes, the classic $6,000 mustache ride problem.
@bluepapaya776 ай бұрын
@@cypherfunc I was struggling with whether to leave that comment or be a good boy and shut up.
@ronjones14146 ай бұрын
enjoy living in a cave?
@hmu9586 ай бұрын
The happy medium is Kona Grown Coffee. Not 'Certified Kona Coffee' which is 2x more expensive. Buy direct from a farm. Preferably at or above 1500 foot elevation. Or want to save money any coffee from the Big Island is great . You won't want anything else.
@JonnyBarrett6 ай бұрын
I had a coffee in Barcelona once, whilst enjoying it, a beautiful woman offered me a compliment and after a short conversation offered to put her number in my phone - to cut a long story short... she stole my phone. 🤣 That was the most expensive coffee I've ever had.
@sudeshsingh20506 ай бұрын
You should call her and ask her for the phone back ..
@jag1970s6 ай бұрын
Could have been worse if you’d ended up married
@TheSlurpeeMan6 ай бұрын
The most common Barcelona story: getting robbed Still love that place
@skeetsmcgrew32826 ай бұрын
This is why you make sure you have an ugly phone case
@mrfroopy6 ай бұрын
Your ego caused it
@ezza_t5 ай бұрын
9:27 That look of disappointment in the last frame of the video says it all really
@GhostsOfSparta5 ай бұрын
Japs do produce everything in rare ways and sell at hefty price. In a good way though. :D
@untrustworthyshelfing99534 ай бұрын
He knows he has to return the cup and answer the inevitable "so what did you think of it?"
@Rabixter4 ай бұрын
@@untrustworthyshelfing9953 I would have assumed that for that price he should get to keep the cup at the very least
@dennisrogers46652 ай бұрын
You know full well that he isn’t disappointed. He just had a lovely experience and lovely espresso. He already asked, quite reasonably, whether any coffee can be worth this price on taste alone, and any thinking person knows it’s not possible, as James already acknowledged. When the coffee, the shop, the barista, the presentation, your own personal thought space, and the history of that particular bean makes it worth it to you, then the aggregate of the experience is where your decision and level of enjoyment is determined. This is what he tried to communicate to the viewer and he’s not trying to negate everything he just genuinely communicated by some cryptic facial expression in the last millisecond. In the end frame, James might simply be witnessing some rude tourist littering in the distance or he might still be bummed he didn’t get to film inside. He might just as easily be mid-contemplation about whether he can justify buying one more and whether he can write a second espresso off as a business expense. 😅
@biggusy252 ай бұрын
@@dennisrogers4665He also made that money back more than ten-fold with the million+ views on this video.. not exactly suffering for success lol
@ibate98336 ай бұрын
Waiting for ‘Hoffman bripes a $335 coffee’-Hames joffmann
@ampersand646 ай бұрын
I wish hames joffman uploaded
@AdamHill426 ай бұрын
@@ampersand64he got deleted by KZbin, against James's protests 🤬
@Thermalions6 ай бұрын
@@AdamHill42 The channel was restored. There just haven't been any recent uploads.
@BASvist6 ай бұрын
@@ampersand64 there is a channel for that - Hoffmann Cometh
@SigEpBlue6 ай бұрын
@@BASvist Hey, thanks for the recommendation, that channel's pretty good! I do still miss Hames Joffman videos, and hope he returns with fresh ones soon.
@RecklessFables6 ай бұрын
I went on a date with the cute brunette back in 1996. We had two amaretto cappuccinos and a plate of nachos. It led to student loans, a mortgage, and now medical bills in our middle age. Best damn cup of coffee anyone has ever had! ❤
@stavokg6 ай бұрын
Very funny!
@ilRosewood6 ай бұрын
Good point. I took a cute Irish girl out for coffee in 2000 and my expenses are very similar. Three kids in there too which then forced me to buy more coffee. That one cappuccino has turned out to be very, very expensive. But to James' point - worth it.
@1oddcrow6 ай бұрын
Lol both of these comments are so wholesome
@gikigill7886 ай бұрын
And worth every penny I bet❤❤
@glennfoster54316 ай бұрын
😂
@juzzapm32525 ай бұрын
Glad to see the absolute acceptance that they wouldn't want you filming inside. Unsurprisingly the best coffee youtuber would be a gentleman, but it's great to see regardless.
@NoahOfTheArc6 ай бұрын
"Buy a story to tell people" is a great way to put it. I feel like that phrase can apply to many things.
@skeetsmcgrew32826 ай бұрын
Its also a selling tactic to trick you into buying worthless garbage by attaching a value to it that it doesn't deserve. Most amazing experiences are pretty cheap
@donaldasayers6 ай бұрын
Someone is going to be on the receiving end of that story and will be thinking. 'what a prat.'
@roulpops26996 ай бұрын
That's just a polite way to say it, the down to earth way would be "buy bragging rights", just like when you buy a super expensive car/watch/clothes etc
@jamesdean50956 ай бұрын
Lifehack: Make the story up, no one knows or cares anyway
@franzlyonheart43626 ай бұрын
@@donaldasayers dude, you just watched him tell that very story, right here in that vey video.
@cmsu9826 ай бұрын
I once spill a cup of coffee on my AUD $3000 MacBook, that’s my most expensive cup of coffee… I didn’t get to know how that cup tasted though…
@henkkok94376 ай бұрын
Damn, that is brutal!
@MetalRenard6 ай бұрын
My wife did the same but on a $1000 MacBook Air that she didn't even own. Not quite as painful but similar!
@94nolo6 ай бұрын
probably Apple flavored
@pdureska78146 ай бұрын
Yep and Gatorade spilled on a Macbook will brick it too!
@JR-lg7fd6 ай бұрын
If you spent any money on a macbook, you spent too much.
@zorbathegeek6 ай бұрын
Blue mountain taught me a lesson - expense doesn't reflect taste experience. Now that I've tried many different varieties of coffee, I've found what I like - Ethiopian, lightly roasted. It's definitely not the most expensive coffee.
@Ddiakova5 ай бұрын
Washed Yrgacheffe. Period. Especially if you're a pour-over drinker.
@wordsbydhaval5 ай бұрын
Blue Mountain is nice, if you enjoy spring water with a dreamlike hint of coffee.
@joofbing6 ай бұрын
My friend got a $2000+ Rocket espresso machine and a grinder close to a $1000. He pulled two double shots for me and him when he got the machine and has never since used it again. So between the two shots, it costed about $1500 per cup. That's the most expensive coffee I've ever had.
@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish6 ай бұрын
...why?
@corican6 ай бұрын
@@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish I assume that the coffee was so good that he is still riding that high and hasn't needed another.
@Nuggetheadification6 ай бұрын
Sad story
@SranioDrljaca6 ай бұрын
Hahaha sad Story but still funny. I also have R machine and grinder I LOVE IT ❤
@emanggitulah43196 ай бұрын
@@Nuggetheadificationsad indeed 😂
@endingwithali6 ай бұрын
The most gentle way of saying “it’s not worth the price tag”
@tedsteiner6 ай бұрын
That's just being English
@Junglepingu6 ай бұрын
Isn't he just saying that something's worth depends on the value you attribute to it? It could very well be worth it to that one individual out there that sees value in the way the bean was grown and harvest, or something about the farm's history. One man's roadside espresso is another man's holy grail.
@francisdec16156 ай бұрын
It's just stupid. A cup of coffee for $335 exists just so that rich bastards can show how much money they can waste. I buy 1 kg of coffee for about $33.50. It definitely tastes better than 1 kg of coffee for $3.35, but the limit goes there somewhere.
@JGenM6 ай бұрын
Well arguably it never is, from a taste perspective. Even if the average cup of coffee would cost 10$ it would still be more than 30 times the prices and it is never worth that difference. 4 times what you usually pay might still have an effect on taste depending on how cheap your usual choice is. Past that you might buy it for ethical reasonings or to support the business etc. but taste has a limited range.
@krissp87126 ай бұрын
@@francisdec1615I do believe you missed James's point about the value of the experience. You can write that experience off as rich people having too much money, sure. But it has a reason for existing, it's not stupid.
@jerrypearl14276 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@juliusapriadi6 ай бұрын
About 5 times a year, my wife makes me an espresso (otherwise she never uses the machine), and it always has much more flavor than mine. That's love and scarcity and wonder in one cup - priceless.
@gabrieldemourae6 ай бұрын
That's so lovely
@Sandra-hc4vo6 ай бұрын
@cirilorocha38446 ай бұрын
And that's a much better investment than paying 265 pounds for something that is not that much different than a normal coffee
@JadeZaslavsky6 ай бұрын
Actually, wife is very expensive.
@cirilorocha38446 ай бұрын
@@JadeZaslavsky you have to see the glass half full. the less coffee he drinks the tastier it will feel😁
@SuicidalLemonade6 ай бұрын
I don't like paying £3 for a coffee knowing I can do better at home for less.
@sombrillasprotectoras46366 ай бұрын
I'm exactly that same... This guys has changed me and my family now and unless I'm going to a proper coffee shop, normally no coffee tastes anywhere close to what I can make with just a V60 and a hand grinder lol!
@utiuandy996 ай бұрын
I also feel the same, that’s why I only go to specialty shops and only order coffee if I want to taste a new origin they have or talk with the barista.
@SeanKDLA6 ай бұрын
£2.95 for a batch brew next to my office. Nice selection of different rosters and coffees every week. It's good enough for me to not take my aeropress
@eddyr10416 ай бұрын
Yeah... the amount of mud out there is amazing😅😅😅.. I never in my life can fathom why people drink that😅😊
@WujiErTaiji6 ай бұрын
I personally think it makes sense to buy coffee in a specialty coffee shop from time to time. I personally got fresh ideas from tasting different styles of shots and coffee drinks. Otherwise I always tend to do the same at home.
@metallicamadsam6 ай бұрын
You reviewed this really well. I enjoyed your non bias, but also your honesty x
@barmalini6 ай бұрын
I've just realised that for 300 euros I can fly to Naples, where I can have a cup or two of espresso in Gambrinus (not with bright acidity and fruity, juicy notes, however), spend the night in a hotel and still have some change left over for a Margherita pizza at Da Michele. So that coffe of yours should be a really good one.
@skeetsmcgrew32826 ай бұрын
All expensive items should have this exact logic. A $100 steak dinner where you get food made by a world renown chef, using the absolute best ingredients, and served with a high quality wine? Hell yea thats worth it. But a cup of coffee? Nah. James can be generous all he wants, its just stupid pointless rich people crap
@HerrSommerjunge6 ай бұрын
I prefer Farnese in Roma for coffee and Attilio for pizza in Napoli. And I like apples and pears, a truly lovely pear being very hard to get doesn’t change a tasty apple in any way.
@adamk.71776 ай бұрын
and for $300 I could fly to Naples, Florida and get a Starbucks coffee. I'd rather have James' coffee honestly
@wolfganglienbacher6 ай бұрын
Your ability to make such a complex topic understandable to everyone while at the same time using less words than anyone else is absolutely astonishing. I think this alone made this cup of espresso worth its money 🤗 Thank you so much!
@pulver676 ай бұрын
Highlights what I love about James. First and foremost being respectful of the establishment and patrons. Most content creators don’t care who they step on or annoy. Secondly, James gets that what you are buying is a rarified experience. The shot is excellent but of itself as a coffee there are plenty of others that will match/exceed. You are buying the experience And as I age, if I could give younger folks some wisdom: end of the day STUFF doesn’t matter. Stop chasing new shiny superficial crap. Spend your money on life experience. T R A V E L. Even if locally. Even if camping in a Walmart tent for a night. Experiences create lasting memories not stuff.
@tqzn6 ай бұрын
My most expensive coffee I've had started with watching James' videos. The cup cost me: $80 grinder, $20 for the coffee, $10 for the scale, $50 for the V60. And it was the most delicious coffee I've ever had. Now each subsequent delicious coffee I have at home is less and less in price :)
@bluewinkle1236 ай бұрын
I know this cost far too well😂
@cs52506 ай бұрын
Until you buy a roaster
@tqzn6 ай бұрын
@@cs5250 oh no 🤣
@johnbrobston13346 ай бұрын
@@cs5250 And then having bought the roaster you realize that between the loudness of the fan and your nonexistent high frequency hearing, you can't hear the cracks, so need a quieter roaster . . .
@noxnext6 ай бұрын
Wow! $50,- for a V60?!? I bought a nice V60 made of ceramic for €8,- from the KAFFEEMACHER shop. I think someone really ripped you off!
@guidoch6 ай бұрын
You're a legend and deserve all the support in the world! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
@tdolan5006 ай бұрын
I stumbled into what I can only describe as a secret coffee temple in Tokyo. Was ushered into a dark room where an older lady in black robes carefully crafted an Irish coffee over a vintage alcohol stove using beans roasted by them with Dingle Single malt whiskey. From the context and absolutely outstanding quality I was pretty sure I’d just ordered a £50 coffee and wasn’t too bothered by that. I was given my carefully rolled bill within a gold ring, went to pay. It was £6.
@smudgepuss6 ай бұрын
This sounds exactly like the kind of cool place I'd love to visit on my trip next year, and also exactly the kind of place down some weird alley that you'll never find again and may only exist in a dream! But if you do happen to know where it was, would you mind sharing?
@badeggcat6 ай бұрын
Kabuki? It felt like the coffee version of tea ceremony
@tdolan5006 ай бұрын
@@badeggcat no f’ing way you got that from that deliberately vague description!!
@badeggcat6 ай бұрын
@@tdolan500the gold ring was the giveaway lol
@tdolan5006 ай бұрын
@@badeggcat amazing! lol did you get a long arbitrary stare down before being told you were allowed to go upstairs too?
@Produced_By_YT6 ай бұрын
Shouts out to that barista! Selling a $335 espresso to James has to be so stressful!
@greysuit176 ай бұрын
They probably didn’t know who James is.
@DaveF.6 ай бұрын
I think it might depend on how much tip the person buying the coffee left. Not meaning James, but anyone who is going in there for non-work reasons and wasting that sort of money on that a coffee and isn't leaving a commensurate tip deserves a shitty experience.
@NIKOA536 ай бұрын
@@DaveF. it's not the US, man, American tipping culture is insane
@АклызМелкенды6 ай бұрын
@@DaveF. ah yes, commensurate tip on my 300 dollar espresso
@PizzaPlatypus6 ай бұрын
@@greysuit17 I'd imagine if you're at that level in the coffee industry you're at least vaguely aware of major coffee content creators even if you don't actually watch them.
@Patback226 ай бұрын
James PLEASE do a video on lactic fermentation coffees. These are popping up EVERYWHERE in the USA. Would love to dive into process of how it made, what the characteristics are/can be, comparison to other modern/traditional methods, and what other niche or specialty roast methods are used
@ZachWinston5 ай бұрын
or just different fermentation methods in general (yeast and koji as well)
@slayr64185 ай бұрын
yes please!!
@slayr64185 ай бұрын
this would be so interesting.
@jarduhat82672 ай бұрын
around my area they simply all fall under Anaerobic processed. Ive tried many of these for the sake of interest; personally not a huge fan taste wise. I felt like every other espresso option was one of these for awhile and I had to start asking what the process was to avoid not having what IMO all have the same flavor aspect I don't like.... but what a problem to have =) The only one I actually enjoyed was a special limited decaf offering where it seems the decaf process was the only thing that could tone down the "anaerobic flavor" enough to be enjoyable for me. It kind of makes sense in my mind; Ive never been a huge wine fan. And on the flip side I love vinegar heavy foods/sauces and also my favorite coffee experiences tend to be with natural processed coffees. TLDR avoid engaging in conversation with me in a coffee shop unless you have lots of time =)
@Patback222 ай бұрын
@@jarduhat8267 I can relate with some anaerobic coffees being a little over ferment-y i even balance my coffee purchases with a washed and anaerobic when buying an anaerobic. From the sounds of it, fermentation also doesn’t get a clear label similar to roasting profiles? (Maybe?) I know onyx uses a delineated scale of roast level. I can imagine it being difficult to label a fermentation other than labeling what was done to the process. Love the reply 🤜🏻🤛🏻
@Bigbenirv6 ай бұрын
James looked back to all the painfully old and odd espressos he’s had over the years and said “nah I’ll treat myself this time round”
@samfordred63746 ай бұрын
As a whisky lover, I knew straight away it would have something to do with Japan. And as with Japanese whisky, prices are ridiculous due to scarcity, not because it’s the best tasting whisky although it is usually very good.
@arthurmiller94346 ай бұрын
Agree, Japanese whiskies are quite good!
@krakenpots56936 ай бұрын
Unfortunately, a lot of wannabe "connaisseurs" think that "good" rhymes with "expensive"...
@somegeezer6 ай бұрын
The scarcity of Japanese whisky is more to do with not quite planning for the future sales a decade ago, more than any difficulty in making it. A decade from now, we might have better prices and choices in Japanese whisky again. If they've learnt from this.
@NormanPotter16 ай бұрын
@@somegeezer hopefully they don't go too far with upping production. Would hate to see a Japanese whisky market collapse instead of a return to sanity.
@DaveF.6 ай бұрын
@@krakenpots5693 Not just food and drink. Look at watches and pens. If you want a really good watch and a really good pen, you'd go to argos and buy a £10 casio and a packet of 5 biros. People aren't buying this overpriced stuff because it is good at its primary function, they're buying it for other reasons. Not least of which is 'because it's expensive'.
@Alottlewiser4 ай бұрын
My wife never was and is a coffe person but she has spent hours on youtube about different types of coffees roasts and grind levels and diffrent methods of coffee makings and have read books about it too. Just to make me a cup of coffee, this is not only about taste or smell, this is about the experience and feeling that she gives to me with that cup of coffee that to me makes the most expensive and most valuable coffee in the world
@screamingsixties2 ай бұрын
That’s beyond sweet
@NT-mj3yoАй бұрын
Oh my god that is sooo cute
@thickandthinking6 ай бұрын
Don't get me wrong. I am absolutely floored by the latest videos with absurd production quality. They are a real treasure. But this kind of "learn a little without it being shoved down your throat" - content is still my favourite. It's like comparing an expensive coffee bar with the comfort of your own home. Sure, it's a really nice experience to go get something luxurious and exciting, but it's always nice to be home.
@ciamber6 ай бұрын
It still means a bit too much money was poured into a video.
@huseinabualhuda80966 ай бұрын
Hey, I visited this estate while in Okinawa! They were so nice, gave me a tour of the farm but wouldn't sell me any coffee, said their yield from the season was too low. However, they did make me a nice pour over for $17 and set me up with a couple stickers. It definitely had a strong wood/leather quality to it that i haven't had since.
@catherinem2545 ай бұрын
Giving them a shoutout for being "hospitable and accommodating to our VERY difficult requests" is the most delightful polite sarcasm.
@FellexandroRuby6 ай бұрын
To answer you, I've spent $50 on coffee omakase at Mameya in Tokyo. I've also spent USD $20 on coffee omakase at Omakafe in Jakarta, brewed by the 2024 Barista Champion. I'd say, the thoughtful experimental nature, the storytelling and showmanship makes it worth it. Not necessarily because of the taste. I've also had superb tasting coffee at Code Black Coffee, Melbourne for $5 that beats all of 'em tastewise. Haha.
@svgs650r6 ай бұрын
Well hell I get $3.00 espressos made by 2023's "Fourth Best Barista" and it is absolutely fabulous... actually everybody in the place makes an exceptional shot!
@HappyFunNorm6 ай бұрын
Yup. I don't think "good tasting coffee" and "super rare, expensive coffee" has much of an overlap.
@komiteunofficialaccount92246 ай бұрын
I really need to have a go at Omakafe! I'll have to find time when I'm in Jakarta again..
@LIGHT-ie1od6 ай бұрын
have you ever been to subsatnce in paris? they also have an omakase option, they also do a macchiato with freeze distilled milk that is super good but they have a limited quantity
@jamiejohnson1576 ай бұрын
We're definitely spoilt here in Melbourne.
@williamruck6 ай бұрын
The most expensive coffee I ever had was sort of free. I was taking an SCA Pro Coffee Roasting course and after all the classes were done for the day I was getting my things together to leave when someone came into the roastery and asked if the room was ready for the coffee grading session. I looked at the instructor inquisitively and he said, "Well I suppose you should join too. We'll see how good your grading is." What I came to find out was that they were going to cup and grade 54 different lots of coffees from Yemen over the following days. I hung out after classes each day and got to try all the different lots. It wasn't until much later that I discovered that the beans were selling for close to $200/pound.
@adamk.71776 ай бұрын
The best experiences are always the most random ones we never expected, eh?
@Simar22225 ай бұрын
Well, how did those coffees taste? "Like coffee"
@mg64076 ай бұрын
You're very diplomatic in your answer about whether it was worth it.
@luketaylor76636 ай бұрын
Your sound guy knows what they're doing
@mmazz4146 ай бұрын
I was just thinking this. Kudos to the tech peeps.
@smoothitalianleathereater60456 ай бұрын
Absolute wizards
@neyaneya55546 ай бұрын
It's just a shotgun mic lol
@aWarmWalrus6 ай бұрын
@@neyaneya5554 what is that
@neyaneya55546 ай бұрын
@@aWarmWalrus It's an extremely directional mic with a very narrow field. So basically it only records within a 10-45 degree radius, anything outside of that isn't picked up or at the very least is VERY subtle.
@JadeCC926 ай бұрын
Speaking of Japan, there’s a man named Yohei who lived in an abandoned school in the mountains of Shikoku. He started up his own business roasting and making coffee and now mostly lives nearby in Kagawa, selling his coffee 😊
@u9s0e9r6 ай бұрын
Too! Let’s take James there!
@RealAndSalv6 ай бұрын
It'd be cool if James could link up with Norm from Tokyo Lens!
@pipernigrumКүн бұрын
Love how the "foraged solely from civet cats" on the menu didn't go into too much detail; the less-informed might actually pass over that detail without ever considering how the "foraging" was done. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@raeperonneau49416 ай бұрын
In 1981, I worked at one of the first coffee houses in LA called The Coffee Emporium in Marina del Rey. The owner roasted all of the beans onsite. We had the most beautiful roaster in our front window and the smell was gloriously indescribable. It was there that I was introduced to Jamaican Blue and I’ve never recovered. When Jamaican Blue beans are roasted correctly, there is little more delicious. Thank you for taking me on such a lovely journey.
@MrXaeb6 ай бұрын
Absolutely agree on that. Jamaican Blue mountain coffee is exquisite and, regardless of how it is roasted and brewed, (as long as it's done with competency) is astoundingly balanced. It happens to be my favorite. In fact I love it so much that I only allow myself the luxury occasionally. I don't want my palate to become excessively acquainted with its flavor.
@marcotralles82196 ай бұрын
Dear James, 25 years ago I met a young woman and even I’ve I’m not drinking coffee at all, I asked her if she wants a coffee to talk - she had an latte and I ordered a hot chocolate. At the end, she payed for us both. So. Why was the coffee expensive? And how was it worth it‽ we’ve now been married happily for two decades and that coffee costed me my thought about future - but it gave my life a different direction and after all: it was for the best. Every morning I’m making a coffee for and serve to her at the bed. I’m using your french-press-recipe. I’ve never tasted it, but when I started brewing it “your way” she liked it better than the way she brewed the coffee for her own… Sure, we are far away from ever having enough money spare to buy one of those coffees, but every cup I brew, I brew with love and she enjoys it also …
@michaelblack78944 ай бұрын
Never heard of this guy until now. What a brilliant presenter of information. He should be on our screens more
@David_Best6 ай бұрын
I paid $5 for a shot of espresso in 1970 at a specialty coffee emporium in Harvard Square (first of it's kind in New England). That $5 is the equivalent of about $40 today. It was totally rare and unheard of at the time - Kenya Arabica. How times have changed. Was it worth it? Well, if you total up all that I've spent going down the rabbit hole of specialty coffee since 1970, I figure I could have retired 10 years earlier if that shot had not grabbed me the way it did.
@David_Best5 ай бұрын
@whimseyOFC I retired when I was 45, so I don't think I missed much anyway.
@evan6 ай бұрын
Loved the little round London tour 😍
@AMPProf6 ай бұрын
Who
@zarkozi6 ай бұрын
You mean Londonistan ?
@cdechillo4 ай бұрын
I was being entertained by a company out at Pebble Beach F&W, where spending money on clients was their goal. At breakfast my host knew my love of interesting coffees and suggested we order a $60 French Press of Kopi Luwak to share. It was tasty and indulgent, but nothing that I need to repeat. Great video, James.
@TheAndyBlurry6 ай бұрын
That’s about the average cost of each cup I brew, due to my CGAS (coffe-gear acquisition syndrome)
@LianaAkobian6 ай бұрын
lmaooo
@daveh77206 ай бұрын
I had the same thing happen when I was into home winemaking. I could make a bottle of $2 wine that cost $45 to produce.
@johnq86966 ай бұрын
It's okay, I have the same syndrome
@Junglepingu6 ай бұрын
This is a deep and revelatory thought hidden in a deceptively simple and light-hearted comment. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while.
@QGmonkey646 ай бұрын
I'd love for James to go to Japan and do a video on their coffee culture
@kongengorm33606 ай бұрын
Or Taiwan as well. They have fancy pour over bean choosing refuse coffee if pour ain't good up to three times cafes.
@s.irvingbeer12076 ай бұрын
I live in Japan. Great coffee culture but espresso is abominable. Best to roast your own and pull a great shot.
@QuickQuips6 ай бұрын
Glitch, Mameya... They have been fantastic.
@JoeCasson6 ай бұрын
Came for the espresso shot. Stayed for the history and production lesson. Great vid!
@SamSoulTrop6 ай бұрын
The blooper video will be: I spilled A $335 (£265) Espresso. And they made me pay it. And eventually gave me a Nespresso instead to keep filming.
@jameshoffmann6 ай бұрын
I was genuinely worried about spilling in on my journey from the counter to the street.
@Ken-v5l5d6 ай бұрын
That would have been my experience too. Love the analysis. Spot on as usual.
@Omnilatent6 ай бұрын
@@jameshoffmann Btw didn't the street/cars affect the taste? It sounded SO loud
@kausthubh6 ай бұрын
@@Omnilatent Tasting notes: Primarily 91 octane, hints of 87. Finishes with a fruity whiff of carbon monoxide.
@throwdowninolytown6 ай бұрын
Was it the best tasting coffee James has had? No.
@cameralabs6 ай бұрын
Enjoyable video James, thanks! I've tried a few pricey options in SE Asia, most notably in Vietnam, but my favourites have always been at Koffee Mameya in Tokyo. I love how they don't try to sell you any particular level or price, they just ask about the flavours you like and recommend accordingly. Even though they often have some eye-wateringly expensive options, they generally steer me towards the more affordable end and I've always been delighted by their brews. So even though I've gone into a few places, prepared to spend over $20-40 for an espresso just to see, I've almost always ended up having something closer to a tenner and really enjoying it. Maybe they recognise me for the cheapskate that I am and handle me accordingly.
@mrthesquid6 ай бұрын
Funny thing with Mameya, they opened a shop down the street from me in California. It is quite a nice shop to go into and the fact that you get fresh roasted beans is great. The most expensive coffee I have bought was from them as well, they had a Geisha that I was interested in trying. The Geisha was a pleasant cup but wasn't what I was looking for in a cup and can't see myself wanting to buy any more. Then again there goes the rabbit hole as a different roast level could bring out different flavors but I'm just unwilling to spend another $32 for 8oz. of beans.
@cameralabs6 ай бұрын
@@mrthesquid yep, Geishas can certainly be an expensive route! I'm not that into the super-light nature of most I've tried, but some really hit the spot!
@isaacthek6 ай бұрын
As an economist, this is very interesting to hear you discuss this.
@Windshear_beer6 ай бұрын
I'm a whisky drinker, and I find your content has a lot of relatable things. I've bought $80-$100 glasses (30ml) of whisky at specialised bars, and they're certainly fantastic but it's difficult to say they are worth the price on taste alone. The experience of sitting in the whisky bar, surrounded by an awesome collection, talking amongst like-minded people about your shared experiences tends to make up for the cost!
@ffll84276 ай бұрын
quality whisky and specialty coffee are very, very similar in that regard. for coffee there's the 10€ for a 250g bag limit, after which you get diminishing returns in value. for scotch, that seems to be somewhere in the 90€ per bottle area.
@Yesterzine6 ай бұрын
@@ffll8427 I think it's true of almost all products, 90% of the good can be had for 10% of the price of 100% of the good. Your prices are probably very sensible for both those things. As an entirely random example, simracing. For most even semi serious people, £500 of direct drive wheel kit will basically get them there and is 100% worth it over a £200 Logitech thing. The £2000 DD wheel? Only the actual e-sports pros would notice.
@elliottmcollins6 ай бұрын
Yeah, lord knows I've spent $200 on things I've enjoyed less than an evening drinking good whiskey with friends.
@Setrax6 ай бұрын
@@ffll8427 Im not sure I would agree with the price comparison. For 90 Euro you can get a very good bottle of Whisky I`d argue.
@davewood4066 ай бұрын
Yeah, I've gotten a shot of Jonny Walker Blue, foot in the door for silly expensive spirits. Was it underwhelming? Kinda. Do I regret the experience? No. Maybe someone else has the palate but I don't think I could tell the difference between it and JW Gold. I'm more of an Islay drinker but my travels haven't put me in a bar that had a Islay above the $80 a bottle level.
@harrisonblanchard6 ай бұрын
There is a Cafe in Southeast Osaka called "The Munch" that sells a 1000$USD cup of coffee that is barrel aged, they offer a tea spoon of such coffee for 28$USD. It was a great part of my coffee Journey and the owner and shop were both wonderful as a memory. I'd love to see a Coffee Culture world tour on this channel one day.
@petermgruhn6 ай бұрын
Now, that's interesting. Because Dad was in Osaka when he was drinking the wonderful coffee. I wonder if "barrel aged Osakan" is the answer.
@SamsaSpoon6 ай бұрын
How do they serve the spoon-full of coffee?
@69Buddha6 ай бұрын
@@SamsaSpoon With chopsticks, of course. ;-)
@SamsaSpoon6 ай бұрын
@@69Buddha cheers for providing my first laugh of the day. :D (It's early, not a shitty day.)
@raybarry58224 ай бұрын
Well stated James. You told me everything I needed and wanted to known about your experience up until this shot and the experience of the shot. Thank you for your superior subjectivity and communication skills. Also personality.
@decaf_co6 ай бұрын
We just sold out 2 crops of fancy fancy decaf. Albeit the same crop that brewers cup won in the US, we priced it at $52/300g and in hindsight could’ve fetched way more if we valued the demand, sold out in minutes on our website. People want the experience of good stuff, something we underestimated
@dizzylilthing6 ай бұрын
I'm really grateful people have the opportunity to experience great decaf. I lived with a barista And the only reason I was able to enjoy what I did because there was a demand for decaf and the product is produced by people who care about coffee being available. Im still drinking some blonde decaf Starbucks from 2019 but one day I'd like to get a good decaf for my french press, the caffeine available in espresso and press coffee makes my heart beat out of time lol.
@lunasophia90026 ай бұрын
Please restock so people like me can give you money!
@decaf_co6 ай бұрын
@@lunasophia9002 we may or may not be launching an El Diviso Pink Bourbon decaf in the next few weeks :O
@lunasophia90026 ай бұрын
@@decaf_co Oooh, that sounds super tasty!
@hskrwr94956 ай бұрын
A shot of espresso for the price of a brand new entry level espresso grinder
@YunisRajab6 ай бұрын
Entry level is about half that price if you go for hand grinders
@hskrwr94956 ай бұрын
@@YunisRajab very true, hand grinders can be super nice too
@jaspermooren58836 ай бұрын
I highly doubt they grinded the beans on an entry level espresso grinder, but yeah, I get what you mean. There's got to be no margin of error though when you're a barrista working there. You need to deliver the absolute perfect shot every time when you are asking this much for a shot. It would seriously stress me out.
@AdamHill426 ай бұрын
Flair Neo & a mid grinder & a bag of coffee
@plwadodveeefdv6 ай бұрын
@@jaspermooren5883 99% of the customers wouldn't notice a difference if you f'd up or not tho
@erics33173 ай бұрын
When I lived in Fort Worth, Texas there was a nice little hole in the wall Ethiopian restaurant (sadly it went out of business during the Covid lockdown). I'd driven by it many times and never even knew it was there until someone recommended it to me. They had a very limited menu of maybe 5 or 6 authentic Ethiopian dishes. The person who recommended it said I had to get a coffee and desert after my meal. I don't remember exactly how much the coffee was but I do remember thinking it was a bit pricey, but not insanely so. But you weren't just getting a cup of coffee. It was a whole experience. The waitress brought out a whole coffee service on a silver platter and actually sat down at our table and had a conversation with us while she made it, explaining how it was a tradition in Ethiopia to serve guests this way, and then lovingly poured out each of our cups. And I have to say, it was the best damn coffee I've ever tasted in my life. Nothing like any coffee I've ever had before or since. I don't know what exactly made it so different, but it was amazing. Definitely worth the price as far as I'm concerned.
@QuantumHistorian6 ай бұрын
James' ability to describe scarcity economics without either endorsing it or ridiculing it is impressive. He's entirely right, of course, that the taste experience isn't going to be worth that much (you can get a 3-course Michelin * meal for 2 with wine at that price in London). But for _some_ people, the story that goes with it will be worth it. And that's what they're actually selling. It's interesting just how much conspicuous consumption has moved from materialism to experientialism in the last few decades.
@jonfunkitron12826 ай бұрын
I'm not convinced the story of going to a cafe in London to get a coffee is that exciting. Going to a cafe and getting a coffee that's actually drinkable in London is pretty impressive though I guess.
@ff05t81t6 ай бұрын
Imean James has to be middle of the road otherwise he would shift the coffee world-the online coffee world at least-in a different direction cause people take his word as gospel.
@FoundPlayingCards6 ай бұрын
I know some people have drank more shockingly expensive coffee, but my most expensive cup was a $17 latte in-of all places-Dayton Ohio. While expensive, it is some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted in the US. Pettibone coffee is really doing something different, wish I was closer to visit more often.
@judahfriedman85165 ай бұрын
In this video, I learned that coffee comes from a type of cherry.
@joyuna5 ай бұрын
Not really related to the fruit in the genius Prunus, but the fruit of the coffee plant (genus Coffea) is also called a cherry
@999shasta6 ай бұрын
Really appreciate the quality of your content, how you explain things and how clear it is that you place value in helping people understand. Thanks James.
@dima13536 ай бұрын
I live in Ukrauine and coffee here is very cheap, because the labor of the roaster and barista is also cheap. I think you will find many places here with a perfectly made double shot on natural guji, or huehuetenango or some guatemala for the equivalent of .... like $1.5 or less.
@Leone41302 ай бұрын
I've never tried coffee in any form but I enjoyed the video and can appreciate the effort that goes into something like this, thanks.
@sw49176 ай бұрын
I loved the random location changes in London for each shot!
@frankwales6 ай бұрын
To be fair, those locations are all within a mile or two, and it would be a fairly pleasant stroll if they weren't also shooting video. I guess the trick is to track which lines to say to camera when, since they didn't film in sequence (unless they took a fairly non-optimal route).
@Jacob_Roy6 ай бұрын
Is 265 dollars for a shot of espresso worth it, for me No. I can't speak for others but the best cups of coffee are when I am having coffee with others. One of the best cups of coffee I have ever had was a truck stop diner, and was drinking coffee at 2 AM with some truckers as I was trying to drive home for Thanksgiving when I was going to college and the road ahead was closed due to winter storms.. The Coffee was bad, even the waitress admitted it was really bad, but the conversations, the laughing and meeting new people who were all stopped at this little place made it wonderful.
@Worldwave6 ай бұрын
that's the thing though - sure, good coffee is good, but it's the experiences around a cup of coffee that make that one coffee truly memorable, and evocative of those memories. For me the most expensive coffee I've ever had would be about $12, but the best coffee I've ever had was the first time I made a breakthrough and actually got good extraction on my home setup as a newbie to manual espresso. I remember so many singular cups of coffee because of the situations I was in. Those were really good coffees.
@cs52506 ай бұрын
Agreed. The coffee can be high quality but a shitty pot coffee from mom's can't be beat
@TheTesterOfGame6 ай бұрын
6:00 I immediately assumed you were SNIFFING the soul out of this coffee
@janarnold6 ай бұрын
That "hot chocolate effect" when tapping the cup after stirring at 6:41 🥰
@bobinator176 ай бұрын
Spending that kind of money on an Espresso, in my opinion, is Obscene!
@adrianh93756 ай бұрын
Excellent, another totally unbiased, fair and honest review, as I was confident it would be! 😎
@mikedressel67856 ай бұрын
Decades ago, we had an international student from Japan who was living with us at the time bring me a small can of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. That was the most expensive coffee I've ever had. EACH CUP WAS MEMORABLY DELICIOUS !!😊
@T1NBANE6 ай бұрын
5:26 Imagine naming your coffee shop "shot" and denying the coffee big shot permission to film inside...
@yvettedouglass46423 ай бұрын
I don’t know what is more legendary; James Hoffman’s coffee reviews or his hairline (said with appreciation and love)! I love your coffee reviews James!
@aczartek6 ай бұрын
I bet anyone walking by James as he was talking on the street suddenly and violently desired a coffee from the nearest possible establishment
@brmbltbr46 ай бұрын
They tresspassed James Hoffmanns innate domain
@roywolfe37806 ай бұрын
... that sounds like JH is a Safe class SCP!
@P61guy612 ай бұрын
Thank you for posting. An interesting narration on an experience that I wouldn’t have thought to desire.
@raymobula6 ай бұрын
“depends on who you are” must be the most British answer to the question is it worth it or not. I’m sure it was a good investment for this channel ❤
@cujoedaman6 ай бұрын
In some kind of humorous image in my mind, I imagine a coffee this expensive where they lock you in a large room, devoid of anything but a table and chair and a single light above. There is a team of baristas at the ready who will hand-make the cup for you while they brew the coffee. Then there's the tester who tests and spits it out to confirm it's good. It then gets passed to another tester who tastes and swallows to verify the first tester's experience. Another one down the line will run scientific tests to ensure it is the absolute best cup of coffee they have every produced at that very moment. At the end, they have one last person who knows nothing about coffee to do a taste test, all the while asking "why am I here?". By the time it gets to you, there is nothing left in the cup that they serve to you and they hand you a bill for the coffee, stating that "it's not about the coffee, it's about the experience".
@skeetsmcgrew32826 ай бұрын
If this isn't already a comedy skit that exists it should
@electric_girl6 ай бұрын
You* forgot served with satin* white gloves* 🧐
@tetrahydrobiopterin6 ай бұрын
This is a classic ‘I saw you coming’ establishment. Good for them for taking advantage of people that need to flash their cash to feel important.
@noelahg796 ай бұрын
James, you're amazing. In my experience, the farther away geographically you are from where a coffee is produced, the more diminished it becomes. I think a fun experiment would be to try a coffee like this at the farm where it was produced, and then try it again at this cafe and assess the differences.
@roulpops26996 ай бұрын
A wise man once said "If yak dung was sold for the same price as caviar, some rich people would happily spread it on blinis" and i think that says it all...
@Chzydawg6 ай бұрын
They would need a good story for the yak dung. Most people don't buy expensive things because they're expensive, instead they buy the experience of it. There definitely are people out that will buy things because they're expensive, but they usually aren't clever enough to be the reason it becomes expensive. Things become expensive because there are people that are genuinely interested in the product. If there weren't people like James Hoffman in the world that were excited by the opportunity to try a single origin coffee from Okinawa then the product wouldn't come to market. The yak dung would need something special about it, it would need to have medicinal purposes, it would need to be a select hand-reared breed from the Steppes of Mongolia with a birthmark on it's back that has a barely believable story dating to Genghis Khan getting upset with a yak for pooping in his yard and for eating his prized bougainvillea's.
@alvatoredimarco6 ай бұрын
@@Chzydawg A good story for the yak dung is the easiest part of the whole thing. A couple of really good advertising professionals and you'll have a flawless story and an incredible ad campaign that will make everyone - rich or poor - crave your specific brand of yak dung.
@acrazydurian6 ай бұрын
Rich people were eating mummy powders. i dont doubt the power of overpricing being a legit marketing stunt.
@larryferrell64536 ай бұрын
well, ferret dung coffee sells for many hundreds per pound. actually civet cat dung
@VA7Vlad6 ай бұрын
caviar is very tasty tho
@JP-Lean6SigmaOps4 ай бұрын
James' videos are among the finest available online. He demonstrates a high level of knowledge and professionalism. I appreciate his unbiased efforts to deliver a scientific approach to such a deeply personal, organic sensory experience. However, I can't help but notice the subtle expressions of disappointment. It reminds me of my first Ferrari. Fast... Kind of... Beautiful... yes... but worth the money... NOPE. Well done James! Love your content.
@franzlyonheart43626 ай бұрын
8:29, a story to tell people … says the KZbinr who now has been telling that very story to the people. Of course he "gets it", because he's done exactly that, just now.
@hsvfanjan176 ай бұрын
This seemed like a very polite way of saying "not worth 300$, it's just a nice cup of specialty coffee". Their list of different coffees looked very promising, though! If I ever visit London I'd definitely try one or two of the "more reasonably" priced ones they have
@error.4186 ай бұрын
Funnily enough, the best sounding bean, to me, on the list was also the cheapest. A bunch of those on there are more about marketing than quality, e.g. the kopi luwak and the "big name" beans like Blue Mountain, Kona, St. Helena... But that Costa Rican Black Honey at £8 sounds like something I wanna get... To be fair, the Colombian Granja La Esperanza at £17 also sounds really good.
@user-fj5xj8fj6f6 ай бұрын
@5:54 You notice Joe & the Juice to the right, perhaps anticipating that some of SHOT's dissatisfied customers might choose to visit them instead. XD
@SublimyMonkey6 ай бұрын
The correction at 2:50 doubled the number of trees at the estate, but the yield at 3:01 was halved. Which one is correct, or is the yield per tree 1/4th of the 300 kg per tree James claimed?
@_Super_Hans_6 ай бұрын
I'd be amazed if anyone cared.
@sebastianflynn17466 ай бұрын
The yield is probably just lower than normal.
@jameshoffmann6 ай бұрын
Their yield seems to be very very low. It might be that they've added more trees recently but they aren't producing fruit yet, I don't know.
@DaveF.6 ай бұрын
@@_Super_Hans_ Ah, you must be new to the comments section of KZbin. Enjoy your stay
@dvd72356 ай бұрын
@@jameshoffmann It's quite possible that they only harvest those berries that meet some stringent visual quality criterion. Japan has a tradition for this with things like 'luxury fruit'. It seems like that would fit the premium experience they're pushing.
@glockparaastra6 ай бұрын
Nuts! I can buy 33kg of pretty good beans for that price.
@TheGroundedCoffee6 ай бұрын
You can get commodity coffee for that price. I highly doubt that those beans would be any good, at least not to those in the specialty coffee community.
@palonegmail6 ай бұрын
I can get 6 kilos of Cafe Vita - Cafe Del Sol from the SoDo Seattle Costco for that price.
@magohipnosis6 ай бұрын
Scale economy!
@glockparaastra6 ай бұрын
With the £ exchange rate in my country I can get single origin Colombia beans. Not the "cheap" stuff...
@TheGroundedCoffee6 ай бұрын
@@glockparaastra you can get good single origin coffee for $10 per kilo? Some shady stuff is definitely going on with each step of producing and/or trading before it reaches you.
@abdulazizr2275 ай бұрын
This person is a professor of coffee & conversational diplomacy
@huwprice8816 ай бұрын
Excuse me if this sounds bonkers, but I'm so grateful for this video. I'm in a bad place atm, life's hard, and it was just what I needed to give me a little lift. Thank you 🙏
@josemv256 ай бұрын
Lol
@kongengorm33606 ай бұрын
Not bonkers at all mate. Keep your head up.
@criddyla6966 ай бұрын
Good luck to you. It will pass and light will be yours once more.
@huwprice8816 ай бұрын
@@kongengorm3360 thank you, that's much appreciated.
@huwprice8816 ай бұрын
@@criddyla696 thank you! I do hope so. All the best.
@0Wildone06 ай бұрын
2:05 - is that the Matt and Tom bench?
@__-bk6mm6 ай бұрын
James being one of the most softly spoken gentle people describing himself as “a loud mouth KZbinr” was quite funny 🤭
@strega-nil6 ай бұрын
As a barista, dialing in that coffee would be a deeply scary experience!
@randydowdy40646 ай бұрын
James did not mention the type of machine. Video would not be interesting, I guess. My assumption is that the shop has a real professional barista who knows the equipment and can dial in without wasting bean or I wonder if they are not allowed to dial in on that bean. 🤔
@AMPProf6 ай бұрын
Naww just buy 8 oclock and Call it cuban
@DarkPa1adin6 ай бұрын
Go to Madcap in Grand Rapids, MI. The lead barista dials in every morning before they open for business
@seanking71636 ай бұрын
I think he's nailed it. The scarcity and the experience here are what drives a particular audience to this. It certainly seems like a very fine coffee, but the full set-up of what the coffee is and the situation behind it is what pushes it to a different level. Seeing the menu, how there were no other products of this price point on it shows that it is meant to be something of a "prestige" experience, with a story behind it adding value to the situation.
@DaveF.6 ай бұрын
I dunno about 'experience' - I can't imagine how any coffee priced at $335 wouldn't do anything other than automatically induce the experience of feeling overcharged by about $330.
@ellenrik6 ай бұрын
Kind of in the same league as a $50.00 cigar. ???
@error.4186 ай бұрын
@@ellenrik Totally, I think James mentioned wine and caviar and cigars definitely fall into that experience zone.
@error.4186 ай бұрын
@@DaveF. Pretty sure what he means about experience is beyond the coffee, it's the story of the farm in Okinawa, etc. Also if you're throwing down $355 for a cup of espresso at Shot in Mayfair you're likely not thinking that deeply about the money, given the typical clientele...
@ChaseTheMoments2 ай бұрын
I have always been a little narked at paying anything near to £5 for a coffee but after watching some of James's videos I have started to appreciate it much more. For the price of 3 of those £265 coffees I just bought a nice machine and off to visit my local roaster - Can't wait to start experimenting. I don't think I will ever pay more than £5ish of a coffee though. James had a very diplomatic way of saying the coffee or experience wasn't worth it, but great for the channel I guess.
@DailyFrankPeter6 ай бұрын
7:45 apparently James can taste a coffee sample and give you the GPS coordinates :D
@mhx476 ай бұрын
Open YT to my coffee and this video is published less than a minute ago. Great!
@ervin71786 ай бұрын
Stop copying me
@BarrieBrownАй бұрын
I was born in the '40s in UK, drinking tea till the 70''s, started driving an articulating lorry in the USA. Coffee was FIVE CENTS. One day I pulled in and the price had doubled to $0.10. so I asked my boss for a raise 😅 and when he stopped laughing he said hit the road. Sometime later Starbucks moved into town and coffee was $10. Later a barista opened a specialty coffee store and sold me a cup of Loki for even more $$$ and it was horrible... now I'm using Illy Intenso beans, ground fresh for each shot. What a life.😊 Thanks for all you're doing, James! I miss my $0.05 coffee.
@gregorio55436 ай бұрын
You earned it with all the 1970s odd espressos over the years lol
@lib7476 ай бұрын
The most expensive cup of coffee that I've had so far was around $1,800. I was a very nice single-origin, home roast cappuccino that I managed to dispense on my Macbook Pro M1.
@dennischiapello72436 ай бұрын
😱 That exactly what I did several weeks ago on my MacBook Pro M1! Blue Bottle Hayes Valley Expresso blend via AeroPress. With half-and-half! I had the protection plan, however, so just $100.
@DosZebrasLisas5 ай бұрын
Funny fact: the most expensive cup of coffee I had was also in Mayfair, different place though. I tried a Jamaican Blue Mountain, and had similar reaction. Like "it's good, but not distinctivly 6 times better" to make it worth the price, besides the "experience" of tasting it. Which, by the way, was a lovely experienced, while I get to chat with the barista about coffees, and he invited me the home blend.