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Seth Mills. Based in the Phoenix area, Seth is a former coffee pro and current coffee enthusiast with a passion for all things culinary.

Who are you and what do you do?

An Arizona native with more than 13 years in Specialty Coffee, I honed my craft starting from behind the bar as a barista to leading coffee programs and developing education content.

While still an avid coffee enthusiast and home barista, I left the industry in 2019. Since then I’ve changed careers and am now a product manager at American Express.

More importantly, I am a husband and dad of six who loves building Lego, cooking, and crafting tropical cocktails when I’m not brewing coffee.

What does your brewing setup look like?

For espresso, I’ve had the Breville Dual Boiler and a modded Mazzer Mini paired up for well over a decade. While they’re not the fanciest or most hyped gear on the market, together they’re a workhorse combo and make consistently good espresso.

For filter / pourover, I have a Baratza Preciso grinder and Fellow Stagg EKG kettle . While I’ve owned almost every coffee brewer and gadget on the market over the years, these days I primarily drink pourover coffee brewed on either a V60-01, Kalita 155 , or a Gino dripper with a Hario glass decanter.

For both espresso and filter I have Acaia Pearl scales.

For drink wares I like:

  • Not Neutral Lino Diner mug
  • Not Neutral Lino Cappuccino and Espresso Cups
  • Heath Ceramics - Modern Cup
  • Acme Cappuccino Cups

What is you preffered brewing method?

I like balance in the cup and find that pourover is generally my favorite daily drinker. I’ve been an almost exclusive fan of the V60 for a long time but lately been drinking a lot of coffee on the Kalita 155.

My go to recipe of late:

  • 17 grams medium-fine ground coffee
  • 250 grams RO filtered water (125 ppm)
  • 212ºF

I make either a lightly sweetened iced latte or cappuccino on a daily basis for my wife and if I’m drinking espresso, it’s usually in a cappuccino.

Espresso specs:

  • 19 grams in
  • ~38 grams out
  • 28 - 35 seconds

Lastly, any coffee bean recommendations?

There are so many incredible roasters out there, it’s difficult to only highlight a few.

Recently, I’ve been subscribing to Sey Coffee. Their coffees are always on point with a focus on balance, clarity and sweetness.

For espresso I’ve been enjoying Sightglass Crown Point and Cat & Cloud The Answer.

Products referenced ¬