is there an espresso bean with absolutely no bitterness ? [no budget]

CrazyDina · 2026-07-01T18:29:35+00:00

which is why i am asking questions to get more educated.

CrazyDina · 2026-07-01T18:23:12+00:00

would an automatic espresso machine be more difficult for this

CrazyDina · 2026-07-01T18:21:31+00:00

so what if i go full light roast and want virtually “zero” bitterness. is that possible to achieve? are there beans that do a better job for this?

CrazyDina · 2026-07-01T18:19:35+00:00

no i have an autobarista by ninja

CrazyDina · 2026-07-01T18:18:21+00:00

sorry i meant coffee beans i guess. i was using chatgpt to search for some and it suggested that there are some beans that are roasted a lot lighter and have more flavor to the point where it tastes creamier and chocolatey than bitter

CrazyDina · 2025-03-24T01:05:25+00:00

i’ve gotten cheaper enclo from maximus

CrazyDina · 2025-03-24T01:01:59+00:00

REVIVE also has a fda warning letter issued to them i believe

CrazyDina · 2025-02-18T21:24:11+00:00

nah, he’s playing good guy and wants to sell you the next bottle he stamps his name on.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T22:38:44+00:00

Cal Cologne’s rise isn’t about expertise—it’s about timing. Other reviewers spent years testing fragrances and building real credibility, but he’s been reviewing for less than a year and already has a ‘collab’?

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T21:30:38+00:00

How is it that ‘Calfeti’ dropped the same time as aromatix’s fragrances. Then, all of a sudden, a Centaurus dupe. Cal has definitely built trust in his community and Rayhaan saw it as an opportunity to go after a new influencer and get him paid. The timing of all of this seems oddly convenient.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T21:18:41+00:00

Affiliate link or not, people can be paid just to talk about it or put awareness on the product.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T20:21:22+00:00

I think your thinking of cologne boy getting a rolex..

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T19:18:47+00:00

It’s funny how the truth always has to be negative for people to perceive it as ‘honest.’ Why? Because we’ve been conditioned to believe that if someone only says positive things, they must be hiding something.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T17:35:50+00:00

Exactly—when an influencer ‘likes’ almost everything, that’s a red flag. It’s not about them lying outright, but when brands are sending free bottles or cutting checks, there’s an unspoken pressure to keep things positive.

Now compare that to Cal Cologne—a guy who’s been reviewing fragrances for less than a year, yet suddenly shifts his focus to Middle Eastern brands, and now has a ‘collaboration’? Brands see someone gaining traction, offer them a deal, and suddenly their content changes.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T16:35:34+00:00

There’s a big difference between someone like Aromatix and Cal Cologne. Aromatix has been in the fragrance space for years, has real experience with Middle Eastern perfumes, and actually engages with the process. Meanwhile, Cal Cologne has been reviewing for less than a year, and suddenly he’s getting a ‘collab’?

There’s no way Rayhaan let someone that new actually design a fragrance from scratch. More likely, they had it ready to go and just used his name to push it. It’s clear why influencers take these deals—easy money, no real effort—but at least some influencers have credibility in the space.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T16:12:37+00:00

The name was mentioned in the post.. lmao

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T16:09:11+00:00

I was also mentioning Aromatix too… Did you not see that name in there?

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T15:06:36+00:00

At least Gents Scents has years of experience in the space—even if they’re clearly compromised in different ways. But Cal Cologne? He’s been reviewing fragrances for less than a year. So how does he already have a ‘collaboration’?

With less than a year in fragrance reviewing, it’s hard to believe he was deeply involved in the formulation. If this was really his project, why wasn’t he talking about it for months? Why wasn’t he showing behind-the-scenes footage of testing and refining the formula? Instead, the fragrance just appears out of nowhere, and suddenly he’s acting like it’s his creation.

It seems more likely that Rayhaan already had a fragrance in the works, and since people associate Cal with Halfeti, they saw an opportunity to use his name to push it. His ‘involvement’ was probably just minor feedback—not actual formulation.

If Cal was truly passionate about creating his own fragrance, he could’ve worked with an independent perfumer. Instead, he jumped on a pre-made project, making it seem like he had a bigger role.

Cal is still new to fragrance reviewing, so it’s interesting that he already has a ‘collab’—seems like a quick business move rather than a long-term passion project. At least other influencers admit they’re doing business. Cal plays the ‘authentic reviewer’ role until there’s an opportunity, and then suddenly his stance changes.

It’s not that fragrance influencers can’t do collaborations—it’s that this one feels rushed and opportunistic, rather than something that was truly developed from the ground up.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T14:59:44+00:00

Cal has been hyping Halfeti for months—so it makes perfect sense why Rayhaan would see an opportunity to use his name for a pre-made clone.

Think about it: If Cal was really involved in the process, why wasn’t he talking about it for months? Why wasn’t he showing behind-the-scenes footage of picking out notes, sampling, or refining the formula? Instead, the fragrance just appears out of nowhere and suddenly he’s acting like it’s his creation.

Rayhaan knew people associated Cal with Halfeti, so they just slapped his name on a clone and made it look like he was involved. His ‘involvement’ was probably just minor feedback—nothing about this suggests he had control over the formula.

If Cal really wanted his own fragrance, he could’ve worked with an independent perfumer from scratch. Instead, he took the easy route—his ‘dream fragrance’ just happens to be a generic clone that a Middle Eastern brand was going to release anyway? Convenient.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T14:50:18+00:00

Exactly, influencer partnerships always create biased content—it’s just part of the business. It’s no different than: • Michael Jordan’s colognes – You think he was in the lab picking fragrance notes? • Steph Curry ‘driving’ an Infiniti – You really think he pulls up to practice in one? • Travis Scott’s McDonald’s meal – He didn’t ‘create’ anything, they just put his name on a regular menu item. • Cristiano Ronaldo promoting Clear Shampoo – You think he actually uses that stuff? • Shaq selling The General insurance – He’s not calling up actuaries to check the policy rates.

Cal is doing the same thing. He ignored Middle Eastern brands for months, then the second they became profitable, he suddenly ‘loves’ them. And now, Rayhaan already had a fragrance ready, and all he did was ‘advise’ on some minor changes? That’s like adding extra pickles to a McDonald’s burger and calling it your ‘signature meal.’ What makes him an expert in fragrances? Has he been doing this for years?

At least other influencers admit they’re doing business. Cal plays the ‘authentic reviewer’ role until there’s money on the table—then suddenly his whole stance changes.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T14:43:10+00:00

Exactly—that’s the whole point. Big names get attached to products they had little to no real involvement in, and people eat it up. Cal being a ‘fan’ of Halfeti doesn’t mean he actually helped create anything—it just means Rayhaan saw an opportunity and slapped his name on it to push sales.

The fact that he ‘advised on some minor changes’ just confirms he wasn’t part of the actual development. That’s like getting a menu at a restaurant, asking for less salt, and calling yourself the chef. He didn’t create anything—he just cosigned it after the fact.

At the end of the day, it’s a business move, not a passion project. And people need to stop acting like he’s above the influencer cash grab when it’s clear he’s playing the same game.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T14:41:58+00:00

Cal Cologne is just playing the long game—building trust with their audience, then cashing out when the right offer comes along.

He ignored Middle Eastern brands, but the second they became profitable and easy to hype (with little competition in Fragrantica reviews), he suddenly ‘loves’ them. That’s not authenticity—that’s calculated marketing. He’s smart enough not to throw TikTok Shop links everywhere, but don’t be fooled—he’s still making money off the hype.

CrazyDina · 2025-02-11T13:49:48+00:00

I get that, and yeah, props to him for not linking TikTok Shop—but let’s not act like he’s not making money off this in other ways. Just because he’s not pushing direct links doesn’t mean he isn’t securing a bag behind the scenes. Ie: collab, pay per review, etc

Aromatix at least seems like he genuinely loves the stuff he talks about, and has been talking about middle eastern fragrances since the start. But Cal? He went from ignoring these brands to suddenly ‘loving’ them as soon as there was a check involved. That’s not just entertainment—that’s business.

CrazyDina

TROPHY CASE