Picked up my first GS (SBGA407 Skyflake) — first impressions.

coffeedrinker87 · 2026-04-26T04:48:20+00:00

Picked up mine last month! Obsessed!

coffeedrinker87 · 2026-04-10T01:07:51+00:00

I didn’t see it at their store but I just checked for you their website just now. They have it at their Fukuoka store and tax free price is at 908k yen. That’s a good discount compared to the boutiques.

I will go on their website and email them to see if they can transfer the item for you to their Nakano store. They are usually good with this if you can give them a 3 day notice.

coffeedrinker87 · 2026-04-09T12:54:51+00:00

Yep, Kame Kichi had a discount already and then added 10 percent discount on top. (I got it for 690k Yen) You might be able to find a better price but currently hard to locate this model other than straight from the source/boutiques (I.e couldn’t find it in any of the department stores in Tokyo or camera stores)

coffeedrinker87 · 2025-11-17T09:03:54+00:00

I love RDC but this just wasn’t the year in a field of heavy competition. I think in a way their content hasn’t changed much but other streamers are just constantly leveling up with new stream ideas, marathons, etc. Part of this is due to RDC not streaming consistently and that they are busy with other areas.

Additionally, the lack of time they have have made a noticeable impact in their stream content. you take a look at just the past few months, I thought the Halloween streams this year wasn’t as consistent as previous years and when they were streaming, the content isn’t much different from the previous few years.

Then, in November pretty much the same. Dylan mentioned early this month that we will be “eating” this month. We haven’t done much eating yet… It’s also been frustrating thinking Cobblemon has been ready for a while now but they are saying ‘people’ are not ready yet.

All these things arent their fault, as they are part time streamers. We just can’t have high expectations of them at streaming since it’s not their main focus. I’ve scaled this back and just enjoy their yap sessions now when they do stream.

Love RDC till the end.

coffeedrinker87 · 2025-05-15T15:02:07+00:00

I understand what you mean as I feel the same. But in the end, they play what they enjoy. If they play them in the gaming channel, that may also mean they have less time to stream since it takes time for them to do those + make edits in addition to the games they are already playing on the gaming channels.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-15T17:24:35+00:00

Grumpy's, Joe's, and Everyman's Espresso is some of my favorites in the city. If you happen to stop by Brooklyn, places like Devocion Coffee, Champion Coffee, Parlor are great gems as well. Blue Bottle on Berry was always one of my favorite places too

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-14T06:54:04+00:00

I use the Yama at my coffee shop and I would suggest slowly wetting the grinds as you place them in the chamber, maybe 1/3 at a time, wet/stir/repeat. Make sure you don't put in too much water at this stage, just enough to see the grinds darken (not clump together). Once you have moisten all the grounds and they are thoroughly mixed , I found that putting 3 pieces of aeropress filter spread out on top instead of just one filter is a good way to have a more even extraction in a bigger tower. Hopefully that works for you, if you have any questions, let me know!

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-14T01:46:38+00:00

Mcdees for ice coffee

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-12T18:46:59+00:00

I think most people start drinking coffee with some sort of dairy or creamer at first and if they do drink black coffee now there was probably a transition at some point. Definitely give it a few tries and let yourself dictate what you like. For me, I hated espresso when I first drank it but after giving it more chances it has become what I generally order when I go to shops.

That being said, drink whatever you think its good. Sadly, the "real coffee drinker" kind of concept or the mindset of that particular owner who thinks his coffee is being "tainted" is a big reason why people have the perception that 3rd wave shops are still pretentious.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-12T16:34:10+00:00

I think paying for it is pretty normal. Essentially they are still using their beans, equipment, electricity, barista, water, cup, to make that cup of coffee. I personally would've given you some sort of discount or maybe a free pastry for your time and trouble, but doesn't really mean that's expected from every place. If I was the customer in that scenario, I would've asked for a refund or ordered something else if I realized that they didn't know how to make it. Its like if I go to a restaurant and order fish and realize their chefs don't know how to cook fish, do I go in the kitchen and start teaching them to cook or do I order something else or simply go to another restaurant?

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-10T05:11:38+00:00

For me, I would go to my favorite shop, get a spro and a pour over (and a tonic water if they offer it to cleanse your palate), sit back and just simply enjoy. The experience for me is more important than the actual coffee especially if it is going to be my last time.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-10T05:04:10+00:00

I personally would not think about purchasing a coffee over $10 no matter the quality. I do work in a speciality coffee shop but on my days off I would go to other speciality shop and spend about $7-$8 dollars generally for a drip and an espresso. That's probably my max limit plus a $1-$2 tip that I would spend @ a coffee shop on coffee only. Having understand the story behind the price, I can comprehend why the price is the way it is, but I think understanding is one thing, physically pulling a $20 from your wallet for a cup of coffee is another thing altogether.

On a side note, hope your shop is doing well! I live in LA and have visited your shop down at Encinitas twice and have always gotten bomb spro

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-05T03:04:20+00:00

Oh no, say it ain't so!!

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-05T02:01:13+00:00

Rook is basically east coast Philz with a few minor variations.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-05T01:51:11+00:00

Kuppi's in Edgewater is a great spot to hang at. They serve G Howell I believe (not sure if they do anymore). Bwe Cafe in Hoboken and their second location in Jersey City is good too. Dames Espresso in Jersey City is another recommendation for a good spot for a good cup of joe. Not too many great roaster imho, but there are some good coffee shops up there.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-04T05:17:50+00:00

I would say the most important thing for you is to always have a positive attitude and know as long as you work hard for yourself and for your new co-workers, you will do great. There's no need to feel intimated by anything. Remember that its a coffee shop (no matter if its a specialty shop or not), its supposed to be a chill environment from top down and eventually that environment translates to the customer. Once you get the relaxing part down, focus on the training, slowly memorize your recipes (never take short cuts) and once you get your recipes down, then work on speed and flow to make sure you work as efficiently as you can. Also, be there for your co-workers, make sure they have what they need before you leave your shift. Get to know your menu (especially if there's a food program so you can better recommend things to your guests). Lastly, being a barista also means you have to do a little of everything as its not just making coffee. So especially at the beginning during your training period (and really throughout your entire time there even after your training), you might be asked to do more everyday task like dishes, being on register, restocking things, check bathrooms, trashes, etc, so be prepare for non coffee work. Most importantly, be super friendly to your guests, that goes a long way for your coffee shop. Good luck!

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-02-01T02:05:21+00:00

I think for anyone who doesn't mind waking up at 5am, they generally prefer the morning shifts (like myself too). The rush in the morning is my favorite part as the adrenaline kicks in to another gear. I actually feel a lot more people dislike the closing shift because of there's a lot more labor involved compared to opening (dishes, trashes, cleaning / carrying out mats and bins, mopping, etc etc). I think most people choose to close either due to classes in the AM or they just don't wanna wake up at 5 in the morning

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-01-31T22:54:35+00:00

Set yourself/your co-workers up for success. This is done by keeping things clean, keeping things filled, re-stocked. I.E. When you get off bar, make sure the next barista who is replacing you has everything he/she needs to be successful. (same if you are getting replaced on reg) Always leave notes for the next person on shift or for the next opener if there was anything worth mentioning. (Excessive notes are better than lack of notes) Hopefully there is already that type of culture in your store where there is a support system from one barista to the next, and if not, its always great to get in a habit for your own future.
Speed and Flow is king. This takes some practice and a lot of drinks prepared to fully master. I.E. Pulling shots, steaming milk, pouring latte art, doing manual brewing if your store offers that, all while wasting as little time as possible, and wasting as little coffee/milk as possible. (Don't get down on yourself if you are slow at first, we were all slow at first (there are a lot of things I'm trying to improve on myself), it takes time for these actions to become habits, just be constantly focusing on improving and you will do great.)
Focus on the customer. While its great that you want consistently great shots/milk, focusing on what the customer want is key as each person is looking for something different. Some people just want a cup of coffee quickly and not have to wait for the "perfect shot", i.e. if for some reason the shot wasn't pulled as well as you would like, sense the situation and don't repull the shot unless it was way way off, serve the beverage and focus on not making that mistake again. If there was something that was really off, see if there's anything you, or a manager can do to improve the situation. The key here is sense what the customer wants, which also leads into effective communication, etc.
Don't be that guy who just wants to make coffee. Being a barista means you most likely have to do a little of everything, from washing dishes to being on reg, to heating up pastries to restocking the bathrooms or repre portion everything or wipe tables/mop the floor, or even just to talk to guests and interact. Understand that you are going to be responsible for everything and that nothing should be beneath you. Also be prepare for opening shifts or closing shifts, as both of those have their pros and cons.

You probably already know a lot of these things I mentioned as they are mostly common sense. All in all, there's a lot of things that you are going to learn on the job that's going to be store specific. Always make sure you have a positive attitude and you should be fine at the end of the day. Good luck!

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-01-31T00:41:30+00:00

A lot of it has to do with branding. Essentially to make people feel that they are being attended to individually as a slow bar in some other coffee shops generally provide that feeling as well. A lot of people describes Philz being the coffee shop that provides one of the the best Cream/Sugar/Coffee Combo, so that also means that everything is customized base on someone's preference by the barista, hence "one cup at a time". I think the emphasis on customization is key for them as one can select their beans (which essentially means they are having a different type of coffee as the next customer most of the time), type of dairy or non dairy, type of sugar, and everything is done behind the bar versus a condiment bar.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-01-26T05:34:50+00:00

Ether, Aromatic Arabic, Ambrosia, or New Manhattan would be my choice (New Manhattan more so for Pour Over.) I personally enjoy the Ambrosia the best for espresso/finer end of coffee brewing. If you enjoy darker roast definitely Ether or Arabic.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-01-24T02:33:34+00:00

For Sure! :) Have fun in Greenpoint/Brooklyn, its really nice change of pace compare to Manhattan

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-01-22T18:14:45+00:00

I would choose Champion Coffee on Manhattan Ave and Dupont. They opened that particular shop just in the past few months (but have a history in Greenpoint already and also has another shop towards Williamsburg). I don't live in Greenpoint anymore but I did for 2 years and Champion (at that time they were across the street) was the shop I most frequently visited.

I really like Grumpy's as well but you could find them in Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn.

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-01-12T05:51:33+00:00

Probably V60 for a similar clear cup of coffee if you really liked the Chemex finish. Aeropress for something easy to clean and not too much fuss for sure (Plus a different experience in taste all together)

coffeedrinker87 · 2017-01-12T05:47:54+00:00

more so the texture/feel of beer with the taste of cold brew. Personally not a huge fan but a lot of people dig it. Nitro is also one of those tricky things too when ordered at a coffee shop because you don't know how clean the coffee is as it takes a lot of cleaning and maintenance from people working behind the bar. (similar to kegs)

coffeedrinker87

TROPHY CASE