Coffee expert James Hoffman ranks cheap coffee in this revealing blind taste test... 📺 Watch the full episode here - • The Coffee Expert: The... ❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - / thediaryofaceo #thediaryofaceo #doac
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@TheDiaryOfACEOClips9 ай бұрын
Check out the full episode here ➡kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqKxo32EnciZa8k
@ibate98339 ай бұрын
I think what viewers who don’t know James Hoffman need to know is his scale: he has tasted pre ground that is almost 70 years old and amazing coffees that sell for hundreds-thousands per 100g. So his 0-10 is very different to normal and he is being very kind here attempting not to discourage people not in the coffee world
@urouroniwa9 ай бұрын
"Kind" is an appropriate word, I think. When I watch James Hoffmann, it's always obvious that he is thinking very hard and trying to choose his words incredibly carefully. The kindness he shows is almost palpable. I think about some of the apologies that he's had on his channel when he's said something that he later regrets. I've learned a lot from watching him speak. I don't know anything about him as a person, but I completely respect how hard he works to be kind when he speaks in public.
@themoodyteam9 ай бұрын
‘his scale’ 😂 Fanboy
@dumelisdumelis9 ай бұрын
@@themoodyteam yes, I am a James Hoffmann fanboy. Why? 😌
@paddyotoole20589 ай бұрын
We did know.
@gregoriusandrianto61309 ай бұрын
yes. The variance is certainly higher than the average. He already tasted the worst and the best there is.
@Ryees99 ай бұрын
Watching James try not to shit on these and be pragmatic is the best part.
@xbriskx9 ай бұрын
Hahahah
@IrregularTangent9 ай бұрын
Epic comment 😂. I read that in Hoffman voice lol
@adamhardy86909 ай бұрын
He's scared the Starbucks hit squad track him down
@MettleHurlant9 ай бұрын
Watching his gravity-defying hair is the best part for me.
@ulercobra9 ай бұрын
😅I know right. I laugh immediately after his first cup. as someone who follow his channel, you'll know he's trying his best not to. LMAO
@Will140f9 ай бұрын
My favorite part of the pandemic was getting high and watching James Hoffman review every piece of coffee equipment that IKEA sells. I must’ve rewatched that video 25 times.
@paradise_valley9 ай бұрын
love that video too, done same during then without even getting high, so you're not alone in liking it!
@TheGregcellent9 ай бұрын
Replace "high" with "absolutely smashed out of my skull on Peroni Red" and I have a very similar experience to you 😂
@Will140f9 ай бұрын
@@TheGregcellent I don’t know where you live but I have never seen or heard of peroni red. Would love to try it though!
@TheGregcellent9 ай бұрын
@@Will140f i live in the UK. If you do too, you can get it from Costco and a lot of cornershops. Nice malty lager
@Will140f9 ай бұрын
@@TheGregcellent ah, I’m in Canada unfortunately. The beer selection isn’t great but there is a weed shop on every corner these days (frankly I don’t know how they all stay in business)
@darkmage77719 ай бұрын
It’s impossible to watch James and NOT have an overwhelming urge to brew a cup!
@LurkerPatrol59 ай бұрын
I just had cold brew but now I want to make aeropress 😂
@cybertonto729 ай бұрын
Just home after a shift and thinking about making some nice filter ...
@iFreshCrispy8 ай бұрын
Abolsutely, I can't finish a video of his without a nice hot cup in hand!
@Schmiddis_focus9 ай бұрын
I could listen to James talking about coffee all day long. He is like the dumbledore of coffee.
@solidandsoiled9 ай бұрын
omg u got me at dumbledore
@adamhardy86909 ай бұрын
He speaks as if he has written his script already a script I would spend days trying to write well. Very eloquent.
@PipeScholar7 ай бұрын
@@adamhardy8690 Especially in interview form. You never know how many takes he does on a video, but to see him just riffing like that is insane. He's an incredible speaker and mind.
@mftmss70863 ай бұрын
more like dumb and hwore
@britneyserrano8908Ай бұрын
Best comparison ever!
@andyatch339 ай бұрын
I love how James is not anti-chain but is very pro-independent. The way he talked about number 4 screamed Starbucks but it was pret. I also love how he wants to encourage people to see coffee differently
@magnusbruce40519 ай бұрын
To me, when he said the 5th was taste "vegetable-y" that made me think of Starbucks. There's a Starbucks near my office that I go to maybe once or twice a week and I'm not really a fan of the coffee there for this reason. Especially compared to what I bring in a flask (Lavazza made in my cheap espresso machine at home, so not great beans and not an amazing setup), Starbucks has a weird "vegetable" taste to it. But preferences are of course personal, I wouldn't think for a minute that my nose for coffee is even close to James's. Considering the Lavazza beans cost £12/kg in Costco and make what I consider to be a perfectly acceptable everyday espresso, they are fine for my purposes.
@cybertonto729 ай бұрын
@@magnusbruce4051 next time you go ask what beans they have on rotation, and try a different bean. I find that some places I go the coffee can have that slightly veg/weird taste, and if I try a different bean its fine.
@wooders01236 ай бұрын
Exactly. A lot of people don't like coffee or only have it with loads of sugar because they've only had over roasted chain stuff or instant.
@SeiphersZone9 ай бұрын
I love James and how he talks about coffee and perspective depending on the target audience
@miroslavk72988 ай бұрын
I like the way how James H. described this. He is very professional and honest. Thanks for inviting him for a blind taste to this channel.
@becbec35419 ай бұрын
Ok so I don’t even like coffee but I found this fascinating simple because of the knowledge and enthusiasm in this conversation.
@gemmacruz85299 ай бұрын
He is fascinating and very entertaining. Check his YT channel. He won't disappoint you even if you do not like coffee.
@owensparks50139 ай бұрын
A word of caution. Whether you're a coffee drinker or not, if you watch his yt channel you will wake up in a year's time with a plethora of 'wierd coffee person' gadgets, along with at least two coffee grinders.
@sharpe88889 ай бұрын
@@owensparks5013haha, so true
@veganpotterthevegan9 ай бұрын
@@owensparks5013I had 2 grinders before watching his channel. Now I have 6🥴
@DaveJ1889 ай бұрын
@@owensparks5013yeah, I've got a French Press, Aeropress and espresso machine. He does a really good job of speaking to the target audience.
@dhichkuaoo9 ай бұрын
James got me into brewing coffee at home. Started with cheap Ikea french press, then a few moka pots, one aeropress, and finally a delonghi machine. There is nothing better than finding an independent shop and try their beans and realising how different coffee can taste when u stop drinking the chain coffee. Probably have tried 16-17 different brands on the last one year and only thing i buy in my foreign travels now a days is beans.
@Spartan-sz7km8 ай бұрын
Honestly it's ruined coffee chains for me. I cannot justify buying a cappuccino for like 5-6usd a cup. For speciality coffee chains, definitely still but I'd definitely go for hand brewed coffee or espresso. Nothing with milk anymore
@aaronboggs57998 ай бұрын
James got me into espresso and specialty coffee as well. I love sampling new coffees and am really glad I took the plunge this year in getting Onyx’s coffee advent calendar. It is by no means cheap, but when you consider you’re getting to sample 24 different higher end varieties and don’t have to risk buying a full bag of anything, the value proposition makes more sense. I’ve really enjoyed the experience this year and will continue to seek out opportunities to try new coffees and develop my palate.
@wanaboed7 ай бұрын
I know. But now I'm super broke right now. I can only buy $1 black coffee from cheap coffee shops. $2 is max of my daily coffee budget. I think I need to invest in simple pour over paraphernalia
@bloochoob9 ай бұрын
His hair is excellent, he looks like drawings of brainy profs in comics from the 1970s like the Dandy and Beano 😂
@cctv53489 ай бұрын
Great comment 😊
@Randomcharacters2859 ай бұрын
Grow up man
@slarter19 ай бұрын
Or “there’s something about Mary” 😂
@kuriusly239 ай бұрын
He also roasts coffee occasionally
@cctv53489 ай бұрын
@@kuriusly23 in a DeLorean 😉
@robertmarsh83349 ай бұрын
In the coffee world, I feel like James Hoffman is the biggest guest anyone could hope for. I would love to meet him and have him try my coffee and give me some feedback or tips!
@OldskoolCatflap9 ай бұрын
James Hoffman IS coffee!
@Showmetheevidence-9 ай бұрын
Cos he is the best coffee guest….
@timo76419 ай бұрын
what James said about Starbucks its true, the beans quality themselves is not that bad, but the dark roasting profiles, non traceable beans and the grocery store no roast date regulation is what makes Starbucks below average. For starters I experimented on buying French Roast (yes their darkest beans to date) and even brewing them with Moka Pot, there is still some sweetness to it (tho smell quite rancid because its a 2 months old coffee, backdate 6 months on the best before date and you will likely get the roast date) because the Arabica beans is quite intact even tho pretty much burnt
@kuriusly239 ай бұрын
I've had wonderful success with their limited releases and reserve roasts. Often single origin or even single estate and very good compared to their usual fare
@yskuzi9 ай бұрын
The problem is our equipment Starbucks Beans are great for home brewing but we at Starbucks are offen disappointed with the shots that the mastrana pulls can't do much about it it's about making people happy a great cup of coffee helps but not always my main focus
@alisonstevens29529 ай бұрын
Agree, Non corporate location here our mastrana machines which are getting on in age just can't pull good and consistent shots anymore. We have spent ages adjusting them to no avail and it's really hard for us to get replacement machines so we can see our shots are bad but we aren't able to do much about it. @@yskuzi
@NoobieDoobieDo9 ай бұрын
Got some fresh ground medium roast Starbucks from one of their locations. It was so bad that I had to throw it out after about a week of trying to make it work. Lots of coffee nerds think that Starbucks is subpar. Seen that kind of sentiment many times on social media from coffee lovers.
@tommyfreckmann68579 ай бұрын
@@yskuzimissed a few commas there. I had to read that several times.
@phil85289 ай бұрын
Caffè Nero is probably the best large chain coffee in my experience. I’m surprised that it wasn’t included in this test. It’s still not great, but by large chain standards I’ve found it to be the best.
@Micha-mo5cq9 ай бұрын
Totally agree; maybe they didn’t include cause it’s smaller chain, current only in some European countries; but yeah I think they’ve been improving their beans lately, also the inside designer of those cafes has a little soul sometimes, unlike the others like Starbucks or Costa
@breathefitness9 ай бұрын
Agree. I think Nero is the best out of the UK commercial chains as well. Personally Costa being the worst by some margin.
@MrCostaC9 ай бұрын
Pret is by far the worse, Nero is largely terrible.
@phil85289 ай бұрын
@@Micha-mo5cq totally agree on the design of their cafes being better stylistically as well. They often have nice sofas, and just little extra touches like ornaments and paintings e.t.c instead of basically looking like an airport bathroom like every Starbucks I’ve seen.
@adamcraig14689 ай бұрын
@@Micha-mo5cq Yea Nero has the nicest character to their interiors but often its not the cleanest or maintained as well. Starbucks has the minimalist look and costa is the cosiest but boring lol
@datamusic49239 ай бұрын
Always prefer supporting independents - in most areas, local green grocers / butchers, and coffee. I still get a coffee from the big names, but its not my first option. Love James as always!
@alicew3499 ай бұрын
I wish you'd included Caffè Nero as well, independent is always far superior but I do think it's the best of the chains in the UK
@the_once-and-future_king.9 ай бұрын
I've tried Nero and found it very bitter.
@SurreyAlan9 ай бұрын
@@the_once-and-future_king.But it does taste of something. I have bought some Nero beans from Waitrose and enjoyed them at home
@jamesmorgan94749 ай бұрын
Fully agree. Costa comes second, Starbucks....🤢
@wastedtime1019 ай бұрын
@@jamesmorgan9474I don't think I've ever had a good Costa coffee.
@ResevoirGod9 ай бұрын
Nero tastes like cat piss. By far the worst of the big chains.
@Showmetheevidence-9 ай бұрын
Don’t love McDonald’s coffee myself, and I’ve never been a Starbucks fan… but love learning more every time I see or hear something from James.
@gravelrhoads9 ай бұрын
I've been on a journey of discovery this year when it comes to coffee and James Hoffman has been a large part of it. My coffee game has definitely been elevated.
@PinkSheep20059 ай бұрын
My mom is allergic to citrus (lemon,lime/orange) and now I KNOW why she cannot have COKE from a comment James made in this Coffee video! 🤯
@MrTaylork13 ай бұрын
Yeah, orange growers for juice sell almost all their orange peels to Coke for the orange oil
@rideitalia9 ай бұрын
The difference in price / culture and flavour is so striking compared to here (Italy). Fascinating.
@CB-ys3wy9 ай бұрын
Starbucks coffee tastes awful and it's over priced!
@jamiepettengell11459 ай бұрын
Man I love James Hoffman
@ronnieyuen4309Ай бұрын
James got me into the hobby way back, now I'm running a $30k machine and 3 different grinders at home, drinking the best coffee the world has to offer.
@eaturfeet6539 ай бұрын
They should have put coffee from his company in the line up to see if he could tell
@halozidia9 ай бұрын
Absolutely pointless lol, as a non-expert I can tell you that the difference is IMMENSE (not only his brand particularly, it would be the case for any well-brewed, light-roast specialty coffee), even someone who doesn't drink coffee would be able to tell.
@Mark_Gibson9 ай бұрын
What independent coffee shop was it?? Let’s big it up! ☕️
@winterbird44479 ай бұрын
Was recently on a long weekend in London. Went to all different coffee chains. The only drinkable was Cafe Nero and some independent special coffeeplaces.
@brookes799 ай бұрын
Caffe Nero is usually a decent coffee, especially some of their single origin specials
@wooders01236 ай бұрын
Next time just go all independent places. There's so so many incredible cafe's in London, if you like coffee it's a wasted opportunity just going to poor chains
@specteramber9 ай бұрын
Chain cafes have their benefits 100%. About a year ago, I was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and I wanted a coffee. Very cartoonishly, I found two cafes side by side. One, a romanian chain called 5 to go, very much built on the Starbucks model, and the second was an independent shop. I went into the second, there was no line either, so why not? Well. The barista inside had his picture on the wall, under a sign that read "unqualified personnel", as a joke, of course, but it was foretelling. I ordered a cappuccino and he gave a Starbucks grande sized cup of bitter and watery tasting espresso mixed with a gallon of milk essentially. The foam was comparable to what you would get from a hand held coffee mixer. Also, the lid to the cup didn't fit well, so I spilled some on myself. And they had a very strange grinder as well. It had a collection cup attached to it, from which he dispensed into the portafilter. Instead of every coffee dose coming out straight from the grinder, into the portafilter, it collected in that container and sat there a while, before being brewed. I sincerely doubt it made much difference, but it was questionable design, unless any of you guys know what the benefit might be, I'd love to know. But, on the whole, moral of the story, I could have gone to the convenience store around the corner, and gotten a vending machine coffee that would have been better
@veronica96343 ай бұрын
it's always interesting to see what james thinks of these various coffees, even though im one of those people who really enjoy earthy flavors. therefore we disagree a lot when it comes to subjective opinions of coffees
@gmo42509 ай бұрын
Revealing the brands before the test was complete was a lousy thing to do.
@itspj9 ай бұрын
2:29 "you don't know what brand these are, neither do I" they are literally written on his cups or on his notepad.
@shelistens1239 ай бұрын
The best coffee I ever had was from Nude Espresso when I was on a trip to London . It was so good I wrote a poem about the experience!
@lukasruzicka49849 ай бұрын
Post poem here i want to read it
@TRJx869 ай бұрын
Thing is about the chains is that they are there when you want a coffee , especially Mcdonalds, many a nightshift have they brought joy even if i know its not that great
@stephenwabaxter9 ай бұрын
In my opinion Cafe Nero has the best tasting coffee of the chains.
@Trebor749 ай бұрын
If you go to a certain supermarket their coffee shops have been taken over by carluccios. Much better coffee than Nero's.
@ResevoirGod9 ай бұрын
Disgusting coffees
@Paulorrrrrr8 ай бұрын
This is really interesting. For my taste, Costa is significantly more enjoyable than Starbucks coffee which I just cannot drink. Independent shops, I find, have noticeably better coffee but I've had lots of variance with the same shop - one day the coffee is great and the next is a bit dull.
@JanusXX7 ай бұрын
I grew up in Brazil, and I have lived in London for a while. I could not find a coffee that tasted "right" to me. In Brazil even the shittiest coffe have some smell other than burnt.
@chadchadchadchadchad9 ай бұрын
I only drink coffee brewed from the most select, perfectly roasted beans in water that is perfectly pH balanced, with select trace minerals at the perfect ppm, at the perfect temperature. Then I add three tablespoons of sugar and two ounces of Carnation French Vanilla creamer.
@RekmeyataАй бұрын
Why drink coffee if you are going to ruin the flavor of by introducing some flavored creamer that already has sweetener in it, but you go on to add even more, you're not drinking coffee, you're drinking a sugary vanilla-flavored kids' drink!
@carlr30667 ай бұрын
I would always try and independent over a chain if I have the chance. Yes I’ll drink all of the chain store coffees but a good independent makes a huge difference
@shepshape25859 ай бұрын
The best cup of cheap coffee is in my kitchen. But other than that, there are these gas stations here in Florida called Race Trac and they have those machines that grind the beans for each cup of coffee and it's a pretty damn tasty cup of coffee.
@jidduv9 ай бұрын
Best cup of coffee I've ever had was a pour over from someones kitchen. Granted he was also a professional coffee roaster and he probably served me some specialty beans for his personal consumption. He told me nothing about it and didn't prime my head with any inputs, he let the coffee speak for itself and it was sublime. I could taste flavour notes in that cup that I had never thought about when tasting coffee. All that to say, homemade isn't bad if you start with good beans and a good grinder. It also isn't cheap if you ball out on high end beans.
@Kandralla9 ай бұрын
I've had the Race Trac coffee and I think what you're observing there is just how much grinding the coffee just before it's brewed improves the flavor. I tell people that if they can afford it, the easiest way to drastically improve your coffee at home is to buy a burr grinder and grind your own. 7/11 has those machines now and their coffee is pretty okay too. They're both workmanlike, which is fine... might actually be good for context making the truly excellent coffee taste even better in comparison. I also think something that is lost on a comparison like this is why you're getting the coffee. McDonalds coffee isn't the best but I'm not going there for the best; I'm going there because I'm hungry, and in a hurry and for that application McDonalds coffee is really good (assuming they've descaled their machine in the last five years and I can get them to not put random amounts of cream and sugar in it). It's certainly better than Dunkin's which is what people in the US think of when they think good, fast food coffee.
@shepshape25859 ай бұрын
@@Kandralla I agree on the grinding bit. Sam’s club used to have a commercial grade grinder in the coffee aisle, and I would buy a decent bag of beans and grind it there, not having one at home. I really do need to buy a grinder, not sure why I haven’t as of yet.
@pavlovolegphoto9 ай бұрын
If you would drop in Moscow (not recommended) you wouldn't find any of these chains anymore, but independent coffeeshops here is exceptional and cup of filter coffee would cost you no more than 3 pounds
@Drenwickification9 ай бұрын
Yeah you do they just changed name. Starbucks is now called stars coffee in Russia for example. I mean I don’t live there but it looks basically the same and is still a big chain. Not sure if they get their supplies from same sources or not tho.
@pavlovolegphoto9 ай бұрын
@@Drenwickification no, it's based on Starbucks of course but supplies are totally different. So we have what left of it of chains of course - it is ready to go business, but a lot changed inside, not just logo. McDonalds was rebranded better because supply chains (meat etc.) was local.
@Handles_are_garbage7 ай бұрын
I'm actually blown away by this, but only because I think Costa is absolutely dreadful. Maybe I've just had bad baristas but it always tastes like someone has diluted burnt tyres whenever I've had to drink it. McDonald's on the other hand, while not a great coffee, is reliably drinkable (but then they have bean to cup machines so removes the element of human error).
@brandon38729 ай бұрын
Out of the big coffee chains in the UK, my favourite coffee is from Cafe Nero. Independent coffee shops are definitely better.
@themoodyteam9 ай бұрын
Defo go for the independents. Invariably more interesting.
@oliver.gilbert9 ай бұрын
I agree, I think it is because Cafe Nero is built on the italian style of coffee drinking and therefore has fairly high standards to begin with- unlike the more North American standard of weak filter.
@brandon38729 ай бұрын
@@oliver.gilbert That makes sense, and I think because Starbucks is the most successful coffee chain in the world, a lot of others try to imitate them, rather than do better than them.
@laurah28319 ай бұрын
Starbucks is the McDonalds of coffee chains. It does what it aims to which is sell milkshakes with a bit of coffee in. At least McDonald’s is cheap tho.
@veganpotterthevegan9 ай бұрын
There are definitely bad roasters at independent shops, just as their are bad plastic surgeons but requirements to be a roaster are significantly lower
@Xanthopteryx7 ай бұрын
Please come to Sweden and taste our coffee! The country where Starbucks failed.
@astb019 ай бұрын
I feel like Nero coffee offers a better quality but again it comes down to personal preference. One thing is for sure that they shouldn’t be priced that highly…
@laurah28319 ай бұрын
It’s the double espresso as standard in all drinks. They were the first ones to do it, when everywhere else serving large American size drinks were single shot. Think the cups might be slightly smaller too which adds to that. Caffè Nero mocha / hot choc is insanely good.
@tiaanbeukes9 ай бұрын
Love you guys!! Looking forward to listening to the whole thing. Keep it up!
@SquidandCatAdventures9 ай бұрын
I enjoy very good independent coffee, but I also enjoy getting a giant "vat" of McD's coffee with lots of cream and sugar to sip over the entire morning at work. Cheap, fast to pick up (no lineup like Starbucks or Timmy's), smooth (less likely to be burnt tasting than both). I know that's because of the dairy and sugar, but I enjoy that mix. I love it when a quality cup is good enough to not need them, but I also enjoy the taste of coffee with cream. James was so respectful. I would have ended on something that he would consider an 8-10 just to leave him with a better taste in his mouth, lol.
@Gixer750pilot9 ай бұрын
Best coffee I’ve ever had was served in a Co-op in Venice . Cost €1 . It was amazing
@TheHomeExpert57 ай бұрын
It is an absolute necessity to cleanse your palate after sampling each coffee. Otherwise, the coffees that follow will have a different taste.
@dogflirt9 ай бұрын
Love watching James :) Just because a place is independent, it definitely does not equal good coffee, or experience. I've traveled all over the US for work the last 6-7 years, and had such bad coffee at a lot of independent places, I rarely even risk it anymore. Even the ones who price high. I know people love to jump on the "hate big brands band-wagon", however Starbucks has always been a consistent place for a good americano or flat white. I'd say 9 out of 10 times. And unlike some of the independent places, they are always happy to correct or remake anything I don't like. No hassle.
@stoovurns739 ай бұрын
In Australia, it's essentially the opposite. We have such a strong coffee culture that most people will go to any independent cafe before a chain, to the point that chain shops are getting harder to find, and many have slowly died out over the last few years. Starbucks particularly famously failed when they tried to move in over here. Traveling in the UK, I've been a bit culture shocked to see so many chains, and many of them do charge more than the smaller cafes, for an inferior product.
@egodreas9 ай бұрын
I must say that I do not agree with any of that. I find Starbucks next to undrinkable, and your typical independent coffee place generally beats them by a mile. Although I must say that coffee in the US is not quite as good as most other parts of the world (as far as I can tell from just a couple of years spent in NY, LA and SF). The UK isn't all that remarkable either, except for some of the many awesome specialty coffee places you can find in London. Nothing like the coffee you get in Scandinavia or New Zealand and Australia. They take their coffee much more seriously there. More so than even Italy.
@bobbyiv93359 ай бұрын
If your go to is black coffee I’ve found that places who make pour overs almost always offers better product than places who don’t. I’ve traveled quite a bit and I’ve found this rule to be nearly fool proof. But I also prefer black coffee and a lighter roast.
@wastedtime1019 ай бұрын
That is quite a damming review of North American coffee culture.
@RobinHartJones9 ай бұрын
I agree. I have excitedly tried a new independent shop a few times and had a terrible coffee. My favourite coffee establishment is the Hog & Hedge just past Exeter on the way to Cornwall. They don't make any claims for their coffee and mostly push their home made food but their espresso is sublime. Shame I live 200 miles away but I always try to visit if I am leaving Cornwall. 😏
@MRtwister889 ай бұрын
Those tiny nuances between the chains is what gets you addicted to them, so when you go literally anywhere else it’s not what you’re used to, and that’s when you know they got ya!!
@rosa__lux6929 ай бұрын
Thing with any of these chains is that you also get a completely different experience whichever one you go to based on the skill of your barista. Because the often don't get good training and have to educate themselves a lot
@tonylawlor88339 ай бұрын
We dont have Pratt but I agree Costa is the best of the rest, esp when it comes to a Flat White or Cappa, the cup of black I dont know.
@cosmodoc9 ай бұрын
I like the fact that James sits in front of a camera even on a bad hair day!😆
@RobinHartJones9 ай бұрын
I watch all his videos and the hair does not get much better than that. Good on him His hair is not 'bad' it's just 'individual' 😊
@cosmodoc9 ай бұрын
@@RobinHartJones well, thankfully I am a person who thinks that brains are far more important than styling!
@ilushk8 ай бұрын
This mans knitwear game is unbeatable
@stephencharles69329 ай бұрын
Cafe Nero, recommended in England. Get a loyalty card too. One free cup after ten.
@northernfocusmcr8 ай бұрын
I actually quite like McDonald's coffee! 😂 As long as i get a latte or cappuccino it tastes pretty good to my unrefined palate. But Starbucks always tastes really weird to me, at least it does in the one nearest to me.
@kenjudithglover24 күн бұрын
Best part: I never knew anyone would spend 20 years tasting coffees; listening to the facts he has compiled during his lifetime was interesting, but what really made me glad I stumbled onto this episode was that after all the words were said the average coffee drinker may not especially care if they were drinking the absolute the best of the best coffee every morning. And, according to this speaker, the taste difference doesn’t remain sharp and clear over time. You may be drinking the best of the best this year, but by next year, your taste buds won’t notice much of a difference.😮
@gohkairen29809 ай бұрын
ordered a latte from starbucks for 5 pound and that's the very last cup of coffee i bought from starbucks
@user-sm7jp4km4d2 ай бұрын
I've been telling people that Starbucks is terrible coffee forever. Thank you, James ❤️ *sips on A&W free refill*
@Madkingstoe9 ай бұрын
My personal favorite is McCafe coffee in Canada (I'm not sure if they use different beans elsewhere in the world)
@r2skyvader9 ай бұрын
I enjoy it here in the States too. Notes on the nose like pancakes and syrup. Maybe how it was made too.
@bubba_sawyer9 ай бұрын
The best coffee is the one you enjoy most.
@gregorymoats40078 ай бұрын
My understanding is when Starbucks bought Seattle’s Best they eventually cut a deal with MD’s. Don’t know if that was a regional move
@jacintao68269 ай бұрын
Here in NZ the majority of us are coffee snobs and like our independent coffee shops. It’s no surprise that companies like Starbucks fail here.
@CyberBeep_kenshi9 ай бұрын
another reason i should move to NZ lol
@martinguy76098 ай бұрын
James: This one's fuller than number 1 Stephen: "It's fuller isnt it?"
@Showmetheevidence-9 ай бұрын
2:00 that’s pretty fascinating!
@sparkey1969 ай бұрын
Of the high street chains, Nero with speciality blend is the best by a wide margin. Loads of discounts around too. James for the win!
@curseyoujordanshow9 ай бұрын
I think global chains must have totally different suppliers depending on where in the world specific franchises are located, because where I live in Ontario Canada, McDonalds coffee is considered to be really good. At least, as good as you could hope for from drive-thru coffee. Tangentially, I'm always amused by the difference in how "McDonalds" gets pronounced; in North America, we say "Mick", but Brits put a heavy emphasis "Mack".
@misomicro8 ай бұрын
The correct pronunciation is "Mac", meaning "Son" in Scots and Irish Gaelic.
@L337Dratini7 ай бұрын
In Ontario, I feel that McDonald's is considered really good because people are used to drinking Timmies. My American friends (one of whom is a competitive barista) are appalled that I enjoy Starbucks but they really have no idea how awful the other options are - there are no good independent coffee shops in my area, either.
@brekkoh9 ай бұрын
I specifically refuse to go to ichains when I'm abroad, the whole point of traveling is for experience, why would i forfeit that by going to something familiar
@tiberiuskirk20522 күн бұрын
Freshly brewed McD's coffee is better than Charbucks IMO. Charbucks is ok with milk because it masks the overly roasted beans. But McD's offers senior coffee for less than a buck so while on the road, that's not bad.
@MMircea7 ай бұрын
Costa Coffee is daylight robbery. £4+ where I live for that garbage. I'd rather drink tap water
@stuartpenney97179 ай бұрын
Hoffman is a legit legend 🙏🏻
@infernalstan8869 ай бұрын
The answer is instant coffee - change my mind
@c0mbat159 ай бұрын
No matter where I go to in the world, the first thing I do is research all of the best independent coffee shops and how far they are from my hotel or from the places that I will visit. Most of the time they become the focal point of my trip 😂. There's no way I would buy a coffee from a chain unless I really have to, which is typically at the bookends of the trip in the airport 😂.
@pigeonsareugly8 ай бұрын
I'm of the exact same opinion
@LoftBits3 күн бұрын
I wish I had my little table somewhere in the corner, with the same set, and taste them quietly as they did their session - so I could get some idea how my tastes and primitve buds compare to experts.
@igottmituns9 ай бұрын
New viewer here - love the platform for James and our growing coffee community! Heads up that it's Hoffmann* with the extra "n"
@mattjwayad96399 ай бұрын
Best pitch for subscribing, ever. "The bigger the channel gets the bigger the guests."
@eVerProductions16 ай бұрын
He made a really good point about the independent places trying to mark up their coffee based off the prices of chains, if your nobody and small you gotta grow from humble beginnings before trying to put yourself up there just cause your an independent shop
@leedawson84389 ай бұрын
Listening to James talk about coffee is so interesting
@511dydy9 ай бұрын
Didnt know starbucks is considered cheap 😂
@typon18 ай бұрын
It's not cheap it's garbage
@jontymo8 ай бұрын
What a great and fascinating film, love watching James being nice but very honest!!!!!!
@philbarrance9 ай бұрын
Whats written on the bottom of the silver cups?
@laowai20009 ай бұрын
As someone who has likely consumed a lot of the nicest coffees in the world, this test must be absolute torture for James.
@pulver679 ай бұрын
But it isn't. That is what is so engaging about James. His earnestness. Certainly not coffees he would consume by choice but he does see value not only in this kind test but in information sharing. There are interesting discoveries to be found everywhere....even in sub-par coffee.
@doc81254 ай бұрын
James is a masochist, he likes the pain of bad coffee, just watch him taste old ridiculously old coffee over and over 😂
@laowai20004 ай бұрын
@@doc8125 i just add more milk. Seems to mask a bad shot quite well. The caffeine still there
@simondrake798 ай бұрын
Coffee is getting expensive. Costa near me (UK South Coast) is £3.50 for a cap. (£2.80 in 2019) And independents are £3.30
@xc43t9 ай бұрын
The only reason to go to places like Starbucks or Costa is that they have wifi. They all sell same product for prices that make no sense. The risk of going to an independent/ specialty coffee place always makes sense to me. I will find something new and most of the time something good. Nothing good can be found at Costa and I would only go there if they were the only coffee shop in town and there was a blizzard outside.
@steveymoon8 ай бұрын
Thats interesting. My experience has always been that Pret is far nicer than Starbucks or Costa.
@timlee1659 ай бұрын
My goal in life is to have James make me a cup of coffee.
@pulver679 ай бұрын
Me, I'd rather just have a great yarn over a beer with the guy.
@RobinHartJones9 ай бұрын
@@pulver67I'm with you. In the old 'Which three people would you like to invite to a dinner party?' question, James is a definite invite.
@johnmknox5 ай бұрын
Caffè Nero: "I exist" Dunkin Donuts: "Me too" 😢
@moorebwb8 ай бұрын
What was his top 3 for quality?
@Ergilion9 ай бұрын
It's the same deal in Moscow. Only in Moscow Starbucks (and whatever it is that now replaced it) charges almost double what the independents charge and its coffee sucks. Independent coffee shops in Moscow shred chains to pieces both in terms of quality and price.
@stjohnbee9 ай бұрын
Nero is the best high street coffee
@Akdale7779 ай бұрын
Had my first costa coffee a few days ago, worst coffee i have ever had in .my life.
@alainwelter5 ай бұрын
I subscribed. Good video and excellent conversations. Love from Texas
@AD-kv9kj6 ай бұрын
I got a really fancy light roast bag of beans for christmas from my brother and the bag said notes of apricot. Usually I find these notes vague at best, but damn that stuff actually reeked like sour molding apricots in baby poo! It's absolutely vile by itself but in a tiny amount blended in with my usual dark roast stuff it adds amazing complexity and zest.
@doc81254 ай бұрын
Did it say something "anaerobic" or "natural" at the front? A lot of werid fermentation processed coffees can remind me of rotting fruit
@JWSoul9 ай бұрын
Costa, to me, is a very strong caffeine content drink. The best I've had is one I had in a garden shop in the Midlands. Had it once never to have it again.
@lusteraliaszero9 ай бұрын
it's likely not the caffeine you're tasting
@Jadamson3219 ай бұрын
You are not tasting caffeine, you are probably tasting roast level i.e. bitterness and collating the two. James Hoffmann has some good videos on how to taste and describe coffee.
@jca1119 ай бұрын
Roast level and caffeine are NOT the same.
@Jadamson3219 ай бұрын
re-read my comment because that is not what I said at all. @@jca111
@FleccaRobinson9 ай бұрын
Im new to your channel (coming from james' channel), just wanted to say you have an elegant set.
@rob-c.9 ай бұрын
I know it’s a bit of fun, but this is 101 in how NOT to do a blind taste test 😅
@shawzy6209 ай бұрын
If only they got in an anonymous KZbin commenter as opposed to one of the world’s leading coffee experts, I’m sure they’d have done it correctly… 🤡
@rob-c.9 ай бұрын
@@shawzy620 Telling anyone, coffee expert or not, what the coffees are as you go through the test is exactly how NOT to do a ‘blind’ test. I’d put a clown emoji too, but I wouldn’t want to insult clowns.
@emilyhowarth56309 ай бұрын
@@shawzy620 I don't think James would have conducted it like this, he doesn't do the reveals until after everything's been tasted
@abuzaydu2 ай бұрын
Would have loved to see Nero here too. For me that’s the best on the high street (of a really bad bunch!)
@hedleythorne5 ай бұрын
James Hoffman blind tasting McDonalds coffee wins the internet for me 😂
@christianvoller52759 ай бұрын
I always choose Pret as my go to coffee when I'm out and about. Prefer the taste to other chains
@stopgogethelp56599 ай бұрын
Very informative from the start, good content!
@m11691993 ай бұрын
Who knew Gareth Malone was such a coffee connoisseur.
@rollingtroll9 ай бұрын
I generally think costa is the earth-y one. Pret usually is 'quite all right' for the kind of chain, when it comes to coffee. That said I usually buy something milky espresso-based like a cappucino at chains like that. though I don't mind bitter coffee, I prefer one that isn't. I definitely am not the biggest fan of acid overtones though. Which makes it so that I always look for a coffee that is round and caramel-y in the overtones, but has body without being bitter. And that is honestly the hardest thing to find in my experience :D.
@richard849 ай бұрын
Watching people drinking coffee… where did we end up… 😃