Q&A | My Picks For Best & Worst Gear of 2023, Predictions For 2024, & Much More

[@liew9574]

I’m one of the quiet ones on the channel, but just want to say I love your channel and they content you produce r. Thanks for everything this year, and hope you’ll catch a break before 2024.🎉🎉🎉

[@FT__Cool_Stuff______-of5pi]

I can add another vote about the Timemore Sculptor - my friend got one at his coffee shop and WOW. It is really good. And looking at the value for money - it's incredible

[@jjlumagbas]

Spro I’m liking the more off the cuff vibe of this video vs the more typical scripted ones you do. Purely preference and I’ll be watching either way 😆 but just so you know you’ll not likely lose anyone if you head more in this direction. Many thanks for all you do!

[@lukesodomin6711]

Another year down already? Feels like I've been with this channel forever haha. Excited for whats to come!

[@Sprometheus]

Time is definitely flying! Thanks for being a part of my community! Happy new year!

[@Dennzio1]

Thanks for a great year Spro, you made a real difference in my coffee life…and coffee IS life. Happy New Year!!

[@4KTV87]

Hi Spro, thanks for the video! But the real question is when are you reviewing the LM Pico?! Have a happy new year.

[@littvay]

A missing question. How are you? I find your channel amazing and I really would like to see you thrive, enjoy and not get burnt out on it. Stay healthy.

[@dumelisdumelis]

Thank you for your content this year. I love watching your new videos during my noon coffee break, just like I am doing right now :)

[@DonKangolJones]

It’s been a great year for coffee for me, and I’d like to thank you for another year of being a wonderful guide through it.

[@cheekster777]

Hope that you had yourself a wonderful Christmas Sprometheus? Wishing you a happy New Year my friend.

[@Sprometheus]

I did! I spent it with family, and now I’m back home and ready to kick off 2024! I hope you did as well, and cheers to a new year.

[@_Brewn]

Thank you for making every Friday better another year! :) been here since your melodrip video back in the days :p i'm predicting 2024 as the year of prebreakers and bigger burrs

[@Sprometheus]

Of course! Thanks for following along on this journey, we've come a long way since then!

[@twistedscience9248]

Love your channel, just wanted to say thanks for another year of great content

[@user-bdpdfom]

completely off topic but i love your jacket! looking forward to another year of great videos spro, happy new year!

[@owaisali3557]

I really love how you have improved and polish every vedio you make until it is close to perfection... Keep it up man♥️

[@i3kel]

I actually really enjoyed this style of video It would be cool If you maybe did a casual Question and answer video Once every month or so

[@danielzenner]

Thanks Spro for the great content as always this year! A coffee trend I'd like to see next year (or am hoping for at least) is more automated functions for temperature, pressure and flow profiling in budget and mid range espresso machines. With the popularity of the gagguino project on the rise, it seems proven at this point that (at least from a technology standpoint) implementing these features in a machine is possible at a lower price point. I think it would give a lot of manufacturers an edge over their competitors. Maybe the only thing holding them from making that change is keeping a reason to encourage buyers to upgrade to their more expensive lines of machines, but I'm sure fit and finish would continue to be a way to entice their consumers.

[@orrinbelcher6593]

The best never rest, superbly done and superbly fun.

[@JanRobert]

Happy new coffee year my friend!! ☕

[@coffeecove7058]

Enjoyed the video. There is also another dripper coming out with interchangable filters: Varia + Kurasu teamed up and are taking pre-orders. Wish you a Happy New Year.

[@lowhangingvegetable]

Grats on another year! Here's to the next

[@coffeenerdaaron]

Necessity Coffee is so rad!!! I miss John living here in AZ but I'm so happy for him and his family being able to move to CA and open such a cool shop. His coffee's have been some of my favorites of the year.

[@Dexterprog]

Gaming channel? Woa, unexpected. Gonna check it out! Happy new year pal

[@kenpoken1]

Keep up the great work. I highly enjoy your content and views on all things coffee

[@toddpower4674]

Hi I watch every one of your videos. I can take your honest opinions to the bank. Thanks for your work, and I look forward to new videos next yr.

[@Veektohr]

Love watching this channel grow!

[@fergusbown]

Really like the laid back vibe on this one

[@greysuit17]

Cheers and Happy New Year Spro!!!

[@Mike.Boyack]

Hi! Thanks for responding to my question! I suppose the context for what I was asking was more regarding advertised quality. It seems to me that the industry is advertising co-fermentations as being the new highest level of quality. Personally, I see this notion as being deceptive against the consumer because of so much flavor being added to the coffee that is not intrinsic. It just feels weird to me for the industry to be pushing a processing method that is coffee +added natural flavors. However, I do see a good use case for this processing when it comes to unexpectedly poor quality harvests.

[@ArronMcKoy]

I like your voice variation in this. Enjoy the break

[@skyking9248]

Happy new year !☕️☕️

[@danielfenech]

Happy new year from Malta 😊

[@Sprometheus]

Same to you my friend! Cheers!

[@asabaniam1]

Thanks for leveling my knowledge up❤

[@macehead]

Happy new year Spro. Thanks for all you do. 👊🏼

[@asmith2886]

2024, the year of the Meticulous! Here’s hoping anyway. Thanks for the constant and excellent videos.

[@victorsangco1420]

Next for Spro will be content outsidenhis studio, exploring cafes and roasters or maybe factories of coffee gears on how they build it.

[@stephanbuchholz5182]

Did you ever review a Lelit Victoria? Thanks, Stephan

[@kyowonjeong4860]

🎉 happy new year

[@Sprometheus]

Same to you my friend!

[@azharovitch]

May be out of topic, any thoughts about la marzocco leva x 1 group as a home espresso machine. I have not really found a satisfying review

[@4greennoah]

I was excited about your answers to the co ferment. The robbing is the customers taste buds imo. Like are they just selling us a terrible coffee that they co fermented to make taste good. But you commented on it anyhow by saying that other than the main taste they fall flat a bit.

[@pspfreedom]

Mmm, I was not aware of "co-fermenting", but for me, the one being cheated is the producer himself that process the coffee that way. Coffee is about what the cherries bring to the cup, noting nuisances from all the world, that is how you identify and thell them apart!

[@persianwingman]

Happy new year Spro! 🥳

[@loganmontgomery1955]

I’m not sure about any of the logistics, but an awesome idea for a documentary style video would be traveling to origin and/or checking out the emerging coffee scene in different countries

[@DullPoints]

I would be happy if it was just San Diego, but still - could you imagine?

[@loganmontgomery1955]

@@DullPoints Yeah I mean there are a ton of US cities that would be just as cool

[@allen.t]

Loved this years Q&A and it actually really just makes me want to see a podcast happen even more. I think my favorite portion is when you went on about people having their OWN opinions rather than having to keep spewing out big boy names. I feel like with home espresso becoming a more mainstream thing I have heard some insanely questionable stuff come from various threads/forums. Can’t wait to see more from you in 2024!

[@cheekster777]

Thank you.

[@Sprometheus]

You’re welcome my friend! Thanks for watching and a year of kind words!

[@cheekster777]

@@Sprometheus 👊🏻

[@PatrickDrinksCoffee]

I'm actually in San Diego for a couple weeks visiting family. What's the best coffee shop near PB that's not Better Buzz?

[@JonFairhurst]

My most anticipated gear in 2024 is the Mazzer Philos. The Timemore seems noisy. I would consider the Zerno (and its blind burrs), but I’m not a fan of the purchase/funding model with a race to pay to wait. The rear adjustment on the Philos seems reasonable to me, and I love that it can be cleaned without tools and without touching the adjustment. Keeping the coffee away from the threads is a win. The lack of blind burrs is my one regret, but not a deal breaker. I expect the Philos to be a nice step up from my Niche Zero, while retaining a nice workflow. My favorite product in 2023 has been my Kaffelogic Nano 7 with the BOOST option, hands down. I no longer adjust my recipes. I adjust my roasts. The workflow and practicality are ideal for a kitchen with a typical range hood.

[@Caffeine.And.Carvings]

Really intereating that the 9barista gets hype now. Didnt hoffman review it already 3 years ago ?

[@ProfaneLepard]

Man I would love to see some coffee-related long form video essays

[@darkmann12]

Thank you

[@Dan_Mirai]

Next year I'll have to hit you with a harder hitting question than what piece of gear surprised you the most. I agree that the 9bar is a surprising piece of gear. And as someone with an e61 group machine. Not my favorite design. Cramped controls and a lot of surface area to be burn yourself, but it works and easy to work on. Also not too much choice in my prosumer range at $3k. But hey it gets the job done.

[@matthewwilson9749]

I don't consider co-ferment to be cheating as they are labeled as such, so you know that it's a part of the process.

[@Sprometheus]

For sure, thats my thought too. If producers or roasters were saying this was natural imparting flavor it would be a different story, and completely unbelievable, haha.

[@matthewwilson9749]

@@Sprometheus agreed

[@danishcoffeeguy]

Hello mate! what type of light do you use when filming at home?

[@seanhassars]

If nobody else is going to ask, I guess I will…where’d you get that sick corduroy shacket?

[@moonfleet9537]

Where is your P64? 😢. Happy New Year.

[@Sprometheus]

It’s behind my head haha, it’s still there just have the DF83V on the main platform as I work on getting it reviewed. Anyway, thanks for watching and have a great new year!

[@moonfleet9537]

Bought one last year an love it. Great grinder. Congrats for great videos. Wish you all the best for 2024

[@gbf5972]

2:37 - "You can see more of my masculine good looks and boyish charms". And I responded with a "Yes, Sir".

[@davidhunternyc1]

I would like to see a hazelnut co-ferment coffee.

[@glengoodwin]

Next time, I recommend Sapporo Black

[@DullPoints]

I'm super hyped for lever machines. My friend swears by them.

[@davidhunternyc1]

Me too. The King is still the Olympia Cremina.

[@DullPoints]

@@davidhunternyc1 which one? The one that's almost $4k?

[@davidhunternyc1]

@@DullPoints Yes, that one.

[@S2580ss]

Great video. Agreed on the one thing you would change about the industry. On some platforms, if you go against the word of the Hoff your castigated.

[@jules5350]

Co-fermentation is not so much cheating as a fancy way of making flavored coffee. It just achieves it in a different way. I prefer unflavored coffee, so do-fermentation is not for me.. YMMV

[@twifkak]

With the co-ferment question, I think the implication is that competitor vendors and/or the aficionado are being cheated. In cycling, if one team starts doping, all of a sudden that becomes the minimum bar for playing at league level. This is bad for riders' health, and bad for fans of the original non-doped sport, who can't trust that any new records are actual breakthroughs. That said, I'm not convinced it carries over. Coffee is art, not sport. Co-ferments produce different coffees, not better. There are no health concerns for the farmers or roasters. I see it like beer. There will continue to be a healthy market for both the 4-ingredient beer and the funny stuff. (I certainly like both.) Perhaps the key is transparency. If somebody coferments and passes it off as normal coffee, that might feel like cheating. But as you point out, the reverse is much more likely (and would also feel like cheating).

[@dr7246]

Coferments arent “cheating”. That said, I have an issue with them similar to my issue adding stuff to wine. I don’t have the same issue with beer, however, as-though grain quality does clearly matter, grains differences, within a given type, don’t display quite the same level of sense of place. All that said, I’ll fully concede that mine is a rather conservative and (somewhat) irrational opinion

[@Sprometheus]

I see where you're coming from, and thats kind of how I feel too. It's really a preference and not a cheat per se.

[@bjfeerus]

☕☕☕💖💖💖 Love Is Important .... ...

[@davidhunternyc1]

Call me a luddite but in 2024 I'd like to see a lot less digital crap. It's just coffee, folks!

[@danielebergonzi8461]

More 9barista comtent would be v welcome

[@Brewtonian]

😂 at the captioning and chapter titling. The high flow basket trend literally goes against the science. Low flow baskets are better according to the paper that came out a couple years ago.

[@ojngasdovnwdsifnweij]

I want to taste the coffee bean not the fruit that rotted next to it during processing. It might not be cheating but it is missing the point. In brewers competition? its completely jumped the shark. its not about _brewing_ the best coffee anymore its about whoever has the most ridiculous processing.

[@Sprometheus]

Yeah that’s a fair point. And I think in terms of competitive brewing there are cases to be made for co-ferments being possibly banned. But personally I would love to see barista competitions of all kinds not be a pay to win sort of proposition. Those who can buy the nicest coffees and pay top coaches tend to always crowd the podium.

[@ojngasdovnwdsifnweij]

@@SprometheusI would love to see a brewers competition where everyone is handed the same beans.

[@Sprometheus]

I think that’s why I find the Aeropress Championship much more compelling. I believe that’s how it’s done with them.

[@imjooboy]

Blind burrs???? My mind is blown…

[@texarkana3781]

I think the whole basket thing is just a clever way to extract money from coffee snobs. Apart from basket size differences for big and small doses, everything else is subjective, confirmation-biased BS.

[@ToddParker]

Most overated coffee trend? Home Roasters that only roast 100g batch sizes for $1,000 plus marketed to roasting companies (I assume) as sample roasters...leaving home roasters behind. Which leads me to the next "If you could change anything about the coffee scene..." Overly pretentious develops into overtly pretentious. Profit is not a four letter word. Price gouging should be. West Bend popcorn poppers go for like $30 tops. At the end of the day, these fancy roasters are nothing more than air roasters...popcorn poppers. There is no good reason to justify a price in the thousands that immediately destroys any chance of owning one for most people. Pretentious and ridiculous. Yet this is industry wide. I watched another KZbin channel telling everyone to buy coffee beans because farmers are underpaid and then when I comment telling him the problem is actually at café level he scolds me. I give actual research with profit margins supporting how the farmer is in fact underpaid and cafes drastically mark up prices on their beans. For example, "$9.83 for a 10 oz bag and charging $17.50 or so and the farmer's cost is $7.00 as the video stated for his specific crop. Who is making more money, the coffee roaster/cafe or the farmer and is this the problem for the consumer to solve when the consumer is already paying 70% above margin from farmer's costs?" By the way, we KNOW the numbers because increasingly there are roasters that publish transparency reports. Back to the problem, it is overly pretentious as we are being pushed a marketing video that ostensibly says, "this is a farmer, pay $25 a bag so he can get paid." Very much misses the point and anyone who gives an honest reflection on farming understands this is just not true as it is not the problem of the consumer to pay the farmer as the farmer only gets paid what they get paid through the supply chain crop to cup. Clue: it is not the farmer making the most money. My rant is over, yet my pain continues as a home roaster because for the normal home roaster that can't justify the outlay since I don't run a business in the industry NOTHING has changed by way of improvements to the home roasters equipment or process for YEARS. I find the entire industry riddled with all sorts of scenarios like the two I have given today, sadly.

[@Caffeine.And.Carvings]

Exaclty what I've been telling my gf this morning, well kinda. 2023 was the year of grinders, with prices becoming "reasonably" for what you get compared to a few years ago. 2024 I hope this to be the case with home roasters. Small companies producing easy to use, and easy to understand homeroasters for up to 500g of coffee. Would be a dream

[@ToddParker]

So your saying there's a chance! Seriously though, you raise a great point...you are right, there has never been a better time to get a quality grinder.@@Caffeine.And.Carvings

[@JonFairhurst]

I got the Kaffelogic Nano 7 with BOOST in 2023, and it’s been my most significant coffee improvement. We started with a popcorn popper over a decade ago, went through a few air roasters that don’t last, and a Behmor that needed too much babysitting. I can now do 80g tests with precision for developing a roast, then knock out 160g batches in the kitchen every 15 minutes by just hitting play. Perfect repeatability. So every week or so, I spend about an hour while cleaning the kitchen, prepping dinner or just hanging out. Small batches are fine, if they’re a background task. It wasn’t cheap, but it checked all the boxes. It’s electric. I can use it under a kitchen hood. No babysitting. Can fine tune a roast. Perfect repeatability. Enough volume and ease of use for myself and gifting. Now, if my coffee doesn’t hit the mark, I don’t adjust my espresso recipe, I improve my roast.

[@davidh13]

Last year i bought a used behmor roaster for £100 which can roast 200-400g, great straight forward machine.

[@ende421]

I don't know ... OP complaining about the KL Nano being pricey if one could also roast using a $30 popcorn maker ... while at the same time me and millions of ppl (and probably OP too) are making coffee using $$$ grinders and $$$ machines where one could also just pour water on coffee ground with a $30 grinder. 😂

[@randallino3364]

Thanks!

[@Sprometheus]

Thank you for watching and the Super Thanks! It’s much appreciated my friend!