Background
I spent 5 years as a mechanical engineer designing precision manufacturing equipment before I applied the same standards to coffee gear.
My background is in thermal systems and fluid dynamics, the kind of tolerances aerospace and medical devices demand. When I bought my first prosumer espresso machine in 2018, I was stunned by how little engineering went into most coffee equipment reviews. Spec sheets were regurgitated. Marketing claims went untested. Nobody was measuring what actually mattered.
So I started measuring. First for myself, then for a small blog, and eventually for what became Coffeeble. I built a home testing lab with proper instrumentation: Scace thermofilters for temperature profiling, laser diffraction for particle analysis, calibrated pressure transducers, and a lot of patience.
Testing Philosophy
I believe coffee equipment should be evaluated the same way we evaluate any precision instrument: with data, with controlled conditions, and with skepticism toward manufacturer claims.
Every machine I test goes through at least 500 extraction cycles before I write a word. I measure temperature stability during extraction, not just at idle. I benchmark recovery times under realistic usage patterns. I tear down machines to assess build quality and serviceability.
When I say a grinder produces "uniform particles," I mean I've measured the distribution with laser diffraction. When I say a machine has "excellent thermal stability," I mean I've logged temperature variance to within ±0.1°C. Data doesn't lie. Marketing does.
Credentials
- B.S. Mechanical Engineering — University of Washington, 2003
- M.S. Thermal Sciences — Stanford University, 2005
- 5 years — Precision manufacturing engineering (aerospace, medical devices)
- SCA Certified — Specialty Coffee Association, Barista Skills Professional
- 8+ years — Independent coffee equipment testing and analysis
Recent Articles
Contact
Questions about my testing methodology? Disagree with a conclusion? I want to hear from you. Accuracy matters more than ego.
Email: jake@coffeeble.com