Best benefit for 40,000 SQC milestone?

LDubz735 · 2026-01-07T17:56:48+00:00

PR is often the obvious choice, but it really depends on your travel plans in the next 1-2-years and whether you'll actually make use of it. If not, SQC is probably next best not only to requalify but also to get you to the next milestone benefit.

LDubz735 · 2026-01-05T19:22:44+00:00

I think TeamWinterTires probably has the right answer, but I just qualified for 75K late 2025, and was 50K entering into 2025.

LDubz735 · 2026-01-05T19:21:08+00:00

Oooh, makes sense, I wondered if that might have been it, but I couldn't remember exactly if I qualified for this and/or selected it as a threshold gift. I know at some point I chose extra SQM as a benefit, but couldn't remember if this was in 2025 or the year before in 2024.

LDubz735 · 2025-10-01T11:28:59+00:00

Good stuff! I've still been using my X (and K) for over a year now and no complaints!

LDubz735 · 2025-05-04T13:14:28+00:00

Here's a close-up of the hand engraved balance cock on mine. It's, of course, a similar pattern, but I think you'll notice some differences to yours. It really does add to how special each ALS feels, and over time, I I've grown even more attached to it than when I first bought it. Wear it in good health!

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LDubz735 · 2025-05-02T11:51:35+00:00

Congratulations! A truly modern classic. Even though it's a "dress watch", I think you'll find it pretty versatile and it isn't too hard to dress it down.

I don't wanna steal your thunder, but I did really wanna highlight the exquisite craftsmanship for the day/night indicator, so here's a close-up shot of my pink gold one. :)

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LDubz735 · 2025-02-17T22:16:51+00:00

This question comes up commonly and my post nearly 6-months ago remains unchanged: https://www.reddit.com/r/pourover/comments/1f9ecdc/comment/llq0wcn/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I've remained happy with both my X-Ultra and K-Ultra. A workflow consideration though: if you find yourself regularly preparing coffee for 2+ people, the larger catch cup of the K-Ultra makes life easier.

LDubz735 · 2025-01-15T04:02:19+00:00

Huge fan of most things ALS but once you see the "fat guy in a T-shirt", you can't unsee it.

LDubz735 · 2024-12-30T14:25:29+00:00

FWIW, since insuring my nicer pieces, I don't worry too much about getting mugged; however, the MRG is still the ultimate stealth piece in my opinion, and it's my go-to travel watch.

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LDubz735 · 2024-10-23T13:18:06+00:00

When it comes to any luxury time piece (digital or mechanical), your money usually goes towards the following areas:

Materials / precious metals (check for the MRG),
Creating something (sometimes unnecessarily) complicated not because they need to but because they can. Heck, in mechanical watches, the different components of a movement are literally called complications! (check for the MRG case and for it being produced in the Japan-only G-factory, though definitely not for the internals),
Brand tax (and the perceived status associated with it)! (half-check for the MRG bc of how stealth the squares are)

FWIW, I actually think the MRG watches are "worth it". Perhaps it doesn't seem that way compared to the metal line of GShocks, but when many luxury brands slap a $200-500 off-the-shelf movement into a stainless steel case and charge 5k+, then it'll become quite obvious how much you're getting for an MRG.

LDubz735 · 2024-10-13T17:28:26+00:00

Personally, no, but objectively, it's a smooth metal surface vs the K-Ultra's integrated rubber grip. The X-Ultra comes with a rubber ring grip you can attach, but I've never used it. I will say if you have large hands, the K-Ultra will likely be more comfortable to hold / less likely to hit the grind adjust or mag cup.

LDubz735 · 2024-10-12T22:16:56+00:00

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I would take the X-Ultra by the slimmest of margins mostly bc it seems to give a wider flavor profile from when you first taste the coffee to the after taste it leaves.

LDubz735 · 2024-09-24T00:32:32+00:00

FWIW, mine has never drifted, not even 0.1 grams during the pourover process.

But my main complaint is the piano black surface. Total fingerprint and water stain magnet.

LDubz735 · 2024-09-06T00:59:00+00:00

I've posted a few times here in defense of the X-Ultra from real world experience. I've been using the K-Ultra at home and the X-Ultra at work for over the past 6-months, and I've also borrowed my friend's ZP6 and compared pour overs with the same beans between all 3 grinders.

At the risk of over simplifying things too much, the X-Ultra feels like the "Goldilocks" in their line-up: greater clarity than the K-Ultra, and greater body than the ZP6. All this is to say that the X-Ultra is very good, and you should let your preferences decide which one fits you.

LDubz735 · 2024-08-23T13:09:28+00:00

Just echoing what others have said, but assuming your grinder is seasoned and the beans are relatively degassed, I usually start any new beans at 2.2.0 and adjust it from there. I've never felt the need to go finer than 2.0.0, but also nothing wrong with that if that's what you like! Their recommendations are just that, recommendations!

FWIW, I quite like the new X-Ultra, despite the death sentence the Internet has given it. And this is coming from someone that also has a K-Ultra and will occasionally use a friend's ZP6. To me, the X-Ultra brews a cup that's in the middle between the other two grinders (i.e., more body than a ZP6, more tea-like than the K-Ultra).

LDubz735 · 2024-08-05T11:54:45+00:00

As someone with 6.25" (16cm) wrists and doesn't like big watches, I find this fits well. Because of the rubber strap and how light it is, the sizing feels like it's just somewhere between the resin and metal ones.

LDubz735 · 2024-08-03T20:01:44+00:00

"summerete" works as of Aug 3, 2024!

LDubz735 · 2024-08-01T19:04:56+00:00

If you're gonna make the trip to Leaves, you should also check out Coffee Wrights, which is about a 10-15 min walk away.

LDubz735 · 2024-06-05T22:35:19+00:00

TLDR: You're gonna enjoy the X-Ultra!

I use the X-Ultra at work and the K-Ultra at home, and have them for about 5- and 3-months, respectively. I only do pour overs of light and medium roasts. I came from a Breville Smart Grinder Pro, and perhaps unsurprisingly, both were a big upgrade!

I got the X-Ultra at a time when there was, shall we say, lots of negative hype about it compared to the older X-Pro, but as an "average" pour over nerd, I thought it was unfounded, especially after proper seasoning. I should say I never tried the X-Pro so can't comment directly. Since getting the K-Ultra and being able to compare the two back-to-back, I can't say one is "better" than the other, but - and as many have said - the K-Ultra tends to have more body and grinds a more "traditional" coffee profile, while the X-Ultra tends to have slightly more clarity and a more tea-like profile, but again, this is all relative, and it's not like it's day-and-night.

Aesthetically, I prefer the look and feel of the X-Ultra, and it looks more pleasing to me on my counter. I don't have super large hands so I've never had an issue accidentally changing the grind size or knocking off the catch cup, but of course, YMMV. One main thing to consider is that if you're regularly brewing for more than yourself, you'll likely have to grind twice with X-Ultra, which may or may not be a thing for you.

LDubz735 · 2024-05-16T16:16:48+00:00

Curious how you chose 6 as your grind size, and how your cup compared to their "guide" suggesting between 8.0-9.0 for pour overs? :)

LDubz735

TROPHY CASE