If you’re just getting started with making better coffee at home, there’s one tool that will make a bigger difference than you think: a good burr grinder. And for me, the Baratza Encore was that tool for over five years.
When I moved back to Hawaii, one of the things I didn’t expect to miss so much was my favorite coffee. You can find some incredible Kona roasts locally, but I was used to variety, all the flavors and profiles I’d come to love during my time in Australia and travels around the mainland. For a while, I figured I’d just have to settle.
Like most people who get deeper into coffee, I started by figuring out what I didn’t like. Burnt, bitter cups from grocery store tins. Overpriced “dark roast” drinks that all tasted the same. I kept hearing about arabica beans, so I started looking for them on coffee bags, expecting that label to mean I was buying something better.
I’ve had a lot of coffee in my life. Good, bad, and everything in between. As someone who’s spent years around quality coffee and lived in Australia for over a decade, I’ve grown used to a certain standard when it comes to my morning brew. So when friends ask if they should get a Nespresso machine, especially one from the Original Line, I usually pause. I get the appeal. It’s sleek, quick, and feels a bit more elevated than a Keurig. But the truth is, it still falls short where it matters most.
Why I chose the Moccamaster and Never Looked Back
My first experience with a Keurig was at my in-laws’ house. At the time, the one-button simplicity felt like a win. But after a few weeks of plastic-tasting coffee, constant descaling, and the growing guilt over all those pods in the trash, it started to feel less like convenience and more like compromise. The Keurig K Mini coffee maker promises the same quick fix in a smaller size, but the downsides? Still the same, though maybe even worse.
Coffee fuels my freelance life, strategy sessions, deep work, and many zoom calls. So when Amazon’s Black Friday Deals hit, I always take a moment to share my setup as there really is no better time to change things up.
Why the Moccamaster Still Beats Every Flashy Deal Out There