Meet Daniel

Welcome to Coffee in the Wild, where we ask our team how they actually make, drink, and enjoy coffee in real life.

Meet Daniel: self-described caffeine addict, pour-over and cold brew fan, and someone who learned firsthand just how much upgrading from a blade grinder to a burr grinder can improve your coffee.

Are you a coffee addict?

“Yes,” Daniel says. “I would say caffeine addict.”

Fair enough.

How do you make coffee day to day?

It depends where he is.

“At home, usually cold brew or pour-over. At work, generally espresso,” he says. “I’m pretty open when it comes to coffee: however it’s made, I’ll try it.

At home, Daniel keeps his coffee setup intentionally simple.

“It’s small and cheap,” he says. “So it’s affordable to use and easily stowed away in my tiny little basement suite, my ‘caffeine cave,’ if you will.”

That means a setup that works well without taking over the kitchen, whether he’s making pour-over coffee, cold brew, or something else entirely.

What kind of coffee do you like?

Daniel is pretty open to anything.

“I’ve been getting more into light roasts since I started working here,” he says. “I’m a big fan of trying new things, so I’m into trying new and different coffees.”

If there’s a new roast, origin, or brewing style to try, there’s a good chance Daniel is interested.

What do you wish you knew earlier?

For Daniel, one of the biggest improvements to his home coffee setup came from upgrading his grinder.

“I started with a blade grinder for a few years, and when I first upgraded to a cheap burr grinder, it made a huge difference,” he says. “Then when I upgraded to a nicer — but still inexpensive — Timemore Chestnut burr grinder, I noticed an improvement again.”

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth upgrading from a blade grinder to a burr grinder, Daniel’s experience is a good example of why the grinder can make such a noticeable difference.

A burr grinder produces a more consistent grind size, which helps coffee extract more evenly and can improve flavour whether you’re brewing pour-over, cold brew, or espresso.

You don’t necessarily need the most expensive grinder on the market to notice an improvement. Even a modest upgrade can make a meaningful difference in the cup.

How do you best like to drink your coffee?

“Everywhere. Coffee makes everything better.”

The only exception?

“When I’m already over-caffeinated.”

On a good weekend, Daniel’s ideal start is pretty simple: coffee, relaxing, and some video games.

Favourite café?

Daniel doesn’t really have one.

“I generally make my own coffee!”

Dream setup?

Daniel’s dream setup is considerably less compact than his current caffeine cave.

He’d go with a Profitec Jump espresso machine and a DF83V grinder.

“They’re beefy and huge, but I like the look of them!”

Daniel’s coffee personality

Daniel’s coffee style is easygoing, curious, and open to pretty much anything.

He doesn’t need a complicated setup to enjoy good coffee, but he appreciates the upgrades that genuinely make a difference. Whether it’s cold brew, pour-over, espresso, a new light roast, or something completely different, he’s happy to give it a try.

Preferably before he’s hit his caffeine limit.