Travel Coffee Gear, Hand Grinders, & Coffee Roasting with Calibration Coffee Lab’s Alex LeBlanc

Travel Coffee Gear, Hand Grinders, & Coffee Roasting with Calibration Coffee Lab’s Alex LeBlanc

Author: BLISTER November 5, 2025 Duration: 51:20

How do you make great coffee on the road? Jonathan talks with Alex LeBlanc, the owner and head roaster at Calibration Coffee Lab, to talk about our recent attempts at this. Then, we discuss Alex’s own approach to roasting, and what becomes clear is that there are lots of different priorities and values that a particular coffee roaster might have — and understanding those will likely help you identify your favorite roasters.

We Want to Hear from You!

Have a topic, craft category, or craft company you’d like to see us cover? Email us here to share those or any other thoughts you have about CRAFTED.

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Craft Collective

Become a BLISTER+ Member

CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Blister Studios (our new channel)

Blister Review (our original channel)

TOPICS & TIMES:

New Coffee Gear & No-Bypass Brewing (3:31)

Water Additives (13:14)

Hand Grinders vs Electric Grinders (14:49)

Bed Pressure (23:44)

Filter Coffee & Various Brewing Styles (26:13)

Roasting: Alex’s Approach (32:42)

Over Roasting & Other Coffee Crimes (42:19)

SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Blister Cinematic

Bikes & Big Ideas

GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

BLISTER NEWSLETTER:

Get It & Our Weekly Gear Giveaways


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


There's a particular kind of conversation that happens when someone has dedicated their life to making something tangible, driven by obsession over details most of us overlook. CRAFTED, from BLISTER, is built on those conversations. Each episode moves beyond a simple product review to explore the entire ecosystem of creation, whether the subject is a meticulously roasted coffee, a complex whiskey, a precision timepiece, or a bold new wine. You'll hear directly from the individuals who define these fields-brewers, distillers, founders, and artisans who started their ventures not because it was easy, but because they couldn't imagine doing anything else. This podcast digs into the raw materials, the failed experiments, the business risks taken on a principle, and the quiet triumphs that happen long before a product reaches a shelf. It’s about the philosophy embedded in the process as much as the technical skill. Tuning in feels less like listening to an interview and more like pulling up a stool in a workshop or a tasting room, offering an intimate look at the patience, setbacks, and unwavering standards that transform a simple idea into a crafted object. The stories are specific, but the themes of creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit are universal, connecting anyone who appreciates the depth behind a well-made thing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

CRAFTED
Podcast Episodes
Zero Gravity Beer: 20 Years of Independent, Craft Brewing in Vermont [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:28
While the overall category of craft beer is currently experiencing a decline, the Burlington, Vermont craft beer maker, Zero Gravity Beer, is thriving. How? To find out, Eli talked with Zero Gravity’s Christopher Costell…
Our Reviewers' 2025 Craft Obsessions & 2026 Curiosities (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:46
Jonathan talks with Blister managing editor Luke Koppa, reviewer Paul Forward, and our bike editor, David Golay, about the craft categories that most captivated them this past year, and some of the categories they are mo…
Our Reviewers' 2025 Craft Obsessions & 2026 Curiosities (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:32
As we wrap up 2025, we are once again sharing the craft categories that most captivated our Blister reviewers this past year, and we’re revealing some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2026. We k…
Amateur Hour: Camera Gear w/ Jonathan Ellsworth and Justin Bobb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:02
Recently, Jonathan has been going deep down the rabbit hole of camera gear and lighting, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb has been his spiritual guide. So today, we’re broaching these topics with all of you, and y…
Caviar 101 with Black River Caviar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:25
Caviar. Is there any word — or food — that more quickly conjures up associations of luxury and opulence? But caviar isn’t just a thing to serve on the yacht you don’t own, caviar has a rich history. Once a snack only for…
The Whiskey that Set a Land Speed Record: Montgomery Distilling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:48
Not every distillery owner has a land speed record to their name, but Ryan Montgomery of Montgomery Distilling does. So Eli talked with him about all things spirits, from the Montana-grown grain that helped power that la…