Clarity Recommends: James Hoffmann

Every now and then we get asked about coffee products we’ve never heard of, weird coffee science, or drink recipes we’re not familiar with. Most of the time, we turn to James Hoffmann, author of the World Atlas of Coffee, World Barista Champion, and coffee professional based in London, UK. James has one of the most engaging and quality YouTube channels in the coffee world!

Here are 3 reasons you should subscribe to James’s channel:

Honest Coffee Reviews

Most gear reviews are either so ambiguous you’re unsure how they feel about it or so passionately supportive of it that you know it was paid for by the company. James’s combination of technical knowledge and experience in customer service make his reviews both insightful and honest without being overly negative or too vague to be helpful. Also, all of his equipment reviews are purchased through a Patreon account to ensure objectivity! For a solid review on coffee storage, check out his review of the Fellow Atmos or for a funnier take on coffee gear, check out his review of “All of IKEA’s coffee stuff”.

Helpful Brew Guides

You can find brew guides to the brewers we love like the Fellow XF, Chemex, and Aeropress, here, but James’s videos and techniques are easy to use, engaging to watch, and always lead to a good cup! Check out his brew guides and check out other popular brew methods like the Hario V60 or French Press!

Weird Coffee Science

Could microwaving your coffee help create a more even grind? Could humidifying your coffee slow oxidation? Sometimes coffee science feels like the wild west. A new company or celebrity promises to change the world of coffee and it can be difficult to prove or disprove it. 

Bonus!

We’re big fans of La Croix, using it to carbonate our Espresso Cream Sodas or Matcha Lemonade, but James’s review of La Croix Coffea Exoctica is a treasure!

We use James Hoffmann’s book, The World Atlas of Coffee, in the shop for training and reference and love the easy to understand explanations, beautiful photography at origin and throughout the seed-to-cup process, and overviews of coffee producing countries and common coffee varieties!

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