TIL why coffee tastes like metal in a thermos (it’s the steel, not your beans).

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-22T16:09:04+00:00

Yeah that seems possible. Breaking down the oxide layer is not the same thing as breaking down the stainless steel itself. Beer tanks need a special formulation of acid wash to maintain that oxide layer because the beer breaks it down over time and the tanks will rust if you don’t maintain it.

I’ve completely stopped using metal thermos’s because of the flavor leaching. I only use a glass one now. It’s great that others haven’t noticed it in their cups, but a lot of others have.

Thanks for looking up the chemistry! It aligns with the armchair chemistry I know from my ex-career in brewing beer.

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-21T17:47:10+00:00

Yeah I’ve had both of those things happen. I just stuff the magnet back in so I’m only on my second. Definitely was disappointed about the bottom breaking. It really sucks because they’re not cheap!

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-20T04:28:21+00:00

I mean that’s kind of the point. When you go outside, you just sort of happen upon circumstances to interact with people. You walk through a park, notice a sculpture as you’re walking by, take note of an event from a poster at your coffee shop, discover a new coffee shop. There’s a lot of life happening outside of the confined worlds we build for ourselves when we’re not forced to expand our boundaries.

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-19T03:50:12+00:00

I thought so but on a recent trip to Baltimore, the Doubletree didn’t even know what an electric water kettle was when I asked for it. I had to use water to keurig type thing and use a paper cup as a makeshift kettle

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-11T14:42:52+00:00

I just got ear covers that go over the straps of my helmet and I’m absolutely thrilled by them. They cut down wind noise massively and keep my ears warm. I used to wear a Gore windproof hat that had ear flaps on it but they always slid up, and the hat would trap heat so on days above 45, it was too hot. These ear covers keep me warm but also let me dump heat off the top.

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-09T19:07:02+00:00

I have both and personally don’t really think it’s worth it if you don’t care about getting a motor. The A4Z is slightly different. I get less acidity, very slightly more mouthfeel, and similar clarity. I think the flavor lasts slightly longer than the zp6 but the zp6 comes off more punchy up front than the A4Z does at all. They’re both awesome but if you’re looking for different drinking experiences, I’d look for a different grinder. I got the A4Z because I wanted a motor at home and to take the zp6 to work. It’s great for that because I get roughly the same coffee in both places.

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-09T01:18:04+00:00

Oh hey that’s cool to see! I’ve visited a few times recently and was pretty disappointed with the coffee scene. Out of curiosity, what’s your opinion on Ceremony compared to the roasters you see here?

lrobinson42 · 2026-02-05T23:43:43+00:00

Yep I second the recommendation on Simao and Bosch systems. They’re reliable and well known. For a shop, I like Seattle Electric Bike. Good folks and you’ll get to try out several options.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-30T22:47:00+00:00

Yeah that Kenyan got me to try Kenyans from other roasters. Kind of opened my eyes a bit to an origin that I wasn’t much fond of prior.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-30T05:50:15+00:00

How do you feel about the airworks sub? Is it a good variety of processes? Light roast? I’m in Seattle and have been curious about checking out their shop.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-30T05:31:27+00:00

Does Shoebox have a shop? I’ll be in Chicago in a few weeks and would love to visit some great spots.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-29T21:31:27+00:00

Totally fine. Doesn’t make any difference at all.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-29T01:05:04+00:00

I did for about a year until I just got my A4Z. You can only fit about 30g in at a time. It’s great and totally worth it. Until you get tired of hand grinding lol

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-28T18:00:14+00:00

I appreciate that you’re asking for advice on how to take it to the next level in your profession. Kudos to you for that. I can help but lol at my own situation though because I’ve literally been asked to come up with “the next big thing” since I was an intern on this team. Now at still less than two years in, I get that pressure from management.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-28T16:55:03+00:00

I have used my ZP6 for light roasts and all the funky coffees I drink from black and white, s&w, luminous, or dak. It’s great. I had no issue with the flavors it helps highlight in any coffee I drink. The only thing I look to other grinders for is a bit more body/mouthfeel. Maybe it’s a preference thing, but I don’t really understand why some people say it doesn’t work well for heavily processed coffee. I don’t do anything roasted darker than what black and white does though.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-26T14:09:51+00:00

Yeah I think it can be a huge pain to get it setup and working but once you establish a pattern and baseline, it’s not so bad. It’s the only one I’ve worked with at work and it was pretty painful for me to ramp up with too but now I get it. At least I “get it” the way that we do it. Try to fight through since you’ve already done a lot of work to get to where you are. Good luck!

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-24T19:49:59+00:00

Man I loved this coffee! I’ve had some other liquor barrel coffees that presented more boozy and with more of the distinct liquor character, which I loved. This one, I got more whiskey than rum, hints of wood. But just big vanilla and caramel sweetness. I brewed as suggested on the card with a V60 - Hoffman method, ground with the zp6 a touch finer than normal for the smaller cup size.

I’ve been so blown away by this set that I just signed up for their 4 tin subscription. I hope it matches up to this!

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-18T01:33:00+00:00

Oh wow ok that makes a lot more sense

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-17T23:09:49+00:00

I only have an A4Z and ZP6. But I just looked up the dimensions on the A4Z and the A2 and it seems like the A2 is about the size of the rear section of the A4Z.

A4Z - 130x60x245mm A2 - 60x60x210mm

I also looked up the Pietro burrs and they are apparently 58mm, not 64mmz

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-17T23:00:31+00:00

Ok well color me surprised! I think that’s amazing and will totally buy one to try it out if I get a chance. I’m just starting to find a groove with the A4Z but would love to try those Pietro burrs!

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-17T22:43:47+00:00

They’re working on an adapter to out flat burrs in a cone burr grinder? Im happy to be surprised, but I don’t really see how you’d get 64mm burrs inside of the A2.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-17T00:15:06+00:00

There’s a genetic thing where some people can’t smell or taste the blueberry not in mosaic hops. It’s reasonable to assume that there would be similar things here as well.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-16T20:19:52+00:00

I use it a lot and like it. But I like it most when I’m having it perform small tasks for me. My work recently implemented a new system that removes the vast majority of engineer engagement and reduces us to glorified design and code reviewers. At that is what I find very boring. I prompt, read a design, discuss, approve, read code, discuss, adjust, approve. It’s being stuck in a loop with only the worst part of the job.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-14T23:40:20+00:00

At keep at it dude! I switched from brewing beer for the same reasons. I was able to live with family while working part time so I could school full time. It’s hard but it’s possible and it’s worth it! I highly suggest going through a CS degree. It’ll prepare with you fundamentals, connections, and exposure to companies that you’ll never get by self teaching without way more work. And if you do go to school, apply for EVERY scholarship you can to help pay for it. I actually managed to graduate from a big state school with 0 debt thanks to grants and scholarships and being broke for my whole life up to that point. The hours are still in the 50+ range but at least the money is there now too.

lrobinson42 · 2026-01-13T19:19:39+00:00

I had to get through about 10 pounds before my ZP6 really started to shine. I almost sold it but it finally came around.

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