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It’s been about a month since Apple’s latest iPhones—the 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max—hit the street and have been in the hands of new owners.
Some of the initial buzz is about the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max offering three powerful lenses that capture amazing shots. You can customize the shot from the main 48-megapixel lens by cycling through three focal lengths.
While you can see our full review of the 15 Pros on TheStreet, we know it pays to travel and capture the elements with the new iPhones. But to see just how good the cameras are on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, we worked with Luke Kelly, a pro photographer who focuses on travel and America’s nature, to put the flagship iPhone through its paces. The results were an incredible set of 14 images, shot with the 15 Pro Max in ultra-wide, on the main lens at 24mm, 28mm, or 35mm, and in telephoto in varying conditions.
We’ll walk through those images, along with some tips that Kelly shared to help you capture the everyday epic and two accessories that complemented the shooting experience in his usage. And for those wondering, he used a 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max in Natural Titanium, which, in our opinion, is the nicest shade.
iPhone 15 Pro, Starting at $999 at AT&T and Verizon
iPhone 15 Pro Max, Starting at $1,199 at AT&T and Verizon
Setting up for successful shots
Photographer Luke Kelly
Kelly’s 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max, ensures ample room for storing photos or videos in various modes, including a Live Photo or even a ProRAW one, which preserves the full megapixel count. For some protection while traveling, both near and far, it’s wrapped in an Evergreen FineWoven Case ($49 at Amazon).
He also opts for a 3-in-1, portable tripod from RetiCAM, which is super affordable at just $30. Kelly noted, “Accessories don’t need to be a big investment either,” which we agree with.
Whether planning to capture everyday moments or a more planned event, Kelly recommends customizing the iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max Action Button. You can set it to the camera, so “you’re always ready to shoot at a moment’s notice,” says Kelly. You can even get pretty precise and set it to the exact camera mode you’d like as your default—the main 28mm lens, ultrawide, or telephoto.
With many of these shots captured on iPhone 15 Pro Max, Kelly was able to use natural elements like golden hour and clouds to get some dramatic images. It all comes back to planning—depending on the weather report, you may get some advantages:
“Cloudy days can make for surreal and moody photos, while sunny days allow you to take colorful, vibrant images,” he said while noting to “Pay attention to which direction the sunlight is coming from, and think about how it will affect your subject.”
You could end up capturing an incredible shot with dramatic minimal overcast, as well those clouds reflecting over “Morning Glory Pool” in Yellowstone National Park, or the sun hitting Mount Moran in Grand Teton National Park along with reflection on a river surrounded by natural grass. These are epic shots, especially considering they were captured on an iPhone, but as long as you frame it, the onboard hardware can capture crazy levels of detail.
For instance, the Mount Moran shot was captured using the 5x optical zoom from the telephoto lens and retains an excellent accurate color representation of the mountain, greens in tall grasses, and even subtle ripples in the water. It’s just impressive.
Along with knowing the forecast, it pays to scout out appealing locations. Kelly shared, “You’ll want to pick out a scenic location beforehand and be there when the natural light is at its absolute best. Generally speaking, this happens during the golden hour—that fleeting window of time just after sunrise and right before sunset. The low angle of the sun casts the landscape in a warm glow, and the soft light and long shadows will add depth, relief, and texture to your photos.”
Taking advantage of three lenses
Photographer Luke Kelly
After that, arrive a little early and be ready to explore various shooting methods on the device. Kelly specifically shared that he’s been enjoying the multiple lenses and focal lengths to pick from, as on the 15 Pro Max, it’s a wide range: Ultra Wide – 13mm (0.5x), Main – 24mm (1x), Telephoto 48mm (2x), Telephoto – 77mm (3x) or Telephoto – 120mm (5x). The improvement, coupled with software improvements and the image pipeline (essentially how the iPhone constructs an image), yields improved low-light shots for images captured at night and with an image shot with varying light sources.
Kelly shared his tips for bigger and smaller shots to help pick the right lens to shoot with on the iPhone 15.
“When you’re thinking big, the Ultra Wide and Main camera can capture an incredible depth of field and all of the visual elements that make a landscape breathtaking.”
“On a smaller, more detailed level–the new 5x optical zoom brilliantly captures people, wildlife, and all of the unique patterns and textures that exist in nature.”
Photographing fellow travelers
Greig Farm, Red Hook, NY2 (Main camera, 24mm on iPhone 15 Pro Max)
Last but certainly not least, Apple also leveled-up shots of folks and pets (well, at least dogs and cats) thanks to the iPhone now auto-detecting someone in the shot and capturing depth information. This way, you can turn a photo into a Portrait Mode shot after the fact and adjust the focus. Kelly shared two images captured in this route—one around the campfire, an excellent example of adjusting the focus for night-time photos, and the second during daylight on a pumpkin patch.
You can see the full gallery of images captured by Luke Kelly above, but you can also see his full breadth of work by following him on Instagram here. He’s amassed over 110,000 followers and shares more epic moments.
Apple’s iPhone 15 family is available now to up your photo game. The 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are more expensive at $999 and $1,199 over the $799 15 and $899 15 Plus, but you get that extra telephoto lens, which jumps to 5x on the biggest iPhone. You can see full reviews for the 15 and 15 Plus and the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max on TheStreet.
However, carriers like Verizon and AT&T still run impressive trade-in offers that take up to $1,000 off any iPhone 15 with an eligible device trade-in.
iPhone 15 Pro, Starting at $999 at AT&T and Verizon
Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. We update when possible, but deals expire and prices can change. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. Questions? Reach us at shop@mensjournal.com.
It’s only been a week since the Asics Gel-Kayano 29 hit just $63—one of the lowest prices we’ve ever tracked—but the brand just slashed prices again. This time, on another pair of their most popular men’s running shoes—the Gel-Cumulus 23. Whereas the Gel-Kayano collection is touted as a go-to for neutral-to-overpronating foot types, the Gel-Cumulus is a top choice for those with neutral-to-underpronating feet and are fit for outdoor and indoor use.
Right now, the Asics men’s Gel-Cumulus 23 running shoe in the “Black/Reborn Blue” color is on sale for as low as $53—up to 56% off the original price of $120. Not only is this a great value on a superior runner, but it’s a style many customers reach for even at full price. The shoe has held down a steady 4.5-star average after nearly 3,000 ratings from satisfied customers because they’re comfortable, nice-looking, and, even at full price, an excellent value.
Asics Men’s Gel-Cumulus 23 Running Shoes, From $53 (was $120) on Amazon
The Asics Gel-Cumulus 23 is a neutral running shoe with a 10mm drop and a full rubber sole. While it’s designed to support push-off from neutrally distributed pressure in the forefoot, it also works for underpronating feet and supports a stride that favors the smaller toes and outside of the foot. It features classic Asics gel in the heel for better shock absorption as well as a carefully engineered midsole with small pillar-like shapes that help increase compression without losing stability. The mesh upper is both flexible and breathable, which is great for feet that run hot, and only further increases the shoe’s comfort
This style has earned its own following under the Asics brand since its release in 1999. Though after 25 iterations the shoe looks completely different than it did in its inception, Gel-Cumulus fans—some who have worn the style since its release—remain loyal and continue to rely on it as their primary walking, running, or training sneaker. In fact, customers are often the first to notice the pros and cons of each new iteration, and not all of them are good.
However, according to one customer who has been wearing the Gel-Cumulus since the ‘90s, this specific iteration, the 23, is among the best they’ve worn. They said, “This model peaked around the 20 and 21 [iterations], both of which had a somewhat wider fit and absolutely superb cushioning. The 22 was a disappointment, with an undersized and excessively narrow fit. I am happy to report that these 23s feel like the 20s and 21s. They are again roomier and the cushioning is excellent.”
Some customers have even tried to switch brands but continue coming back to the Gel Cumulus because of its staying power. One customer said, “I can usually get about 300 miles out of a pair before I have to replace them…and after 300 miles they owe me nothing. I have tried more expensive shoes and keep coming back to these.”
With Asics holding firm as one of the top brands in running, a deal like this doesn’t come around all the time, especially on one of the brand’s core shoes. When you can find a pair of running shoes like the Gel-Cumulus 23 for as low as $53, you jump on it—quickly. It’s unclear how long this price will last so make sure to grab your size while it’s still available.
Hardcore electric vehicles (EVs) seem to make headlines more and more often these days. And nobody can argue against the ungodly stats made possible by instantaneous torque—now that the Rimac Nevera and Lucid Air Sapphire can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under two seconds. But the price tag for super EVs might snap your neck even faster than a hard launch off the line, even while standing head and shoulders above seven-figure hyper-cars in terms of straight-line acceleration.
For EVs attainable by the common man, though, official range estimates keep rising and prices keep falling. Welcome to the future long promised, where society can leave internal combustion behind and evolve into a cleaner, quieter interconnected utopia. Or so the dream goes. But here in the real world, the sad truth remains that for most car buyers, plug-in hybrids still make a lot more sense than full EVs.
Many electric vehicles can now go the same distance on a full charge that a gas car can travel on a full tank.
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EV Infrastructure Is Hard to Implement
Now that many electric vehicles can go the same distance on a full charge that a gas car can travel on a full tank, it may be time for urban dwellers to leave range anxiety behind. Lucid broke that news in 2021, announcing the Air’s 520-mile range. Sure, that Air cost an absurd $169,000, but more “affordable” variants—not to mention Teslas—can now manage over 400 miles too. Meanwhile, Toyota and Subaru released the jointly developed BZ4X and Solterra twins this year, which have less range than the Model S offered when it debuted a full decade ago.
Tesla’s Supercharger network helps Elon Musk continue to attract customers despite the nonstop onslaught of Twitter feuds and questionable interviews. And a big question about whether government regulations will eventually force Tesla to open Superchargers to the general public may help to boost EV appeal in the near future. Right now, Ford and GM have plans in motion to allow their vehicles to use Tesla chargers with an adapter in 2024.
Further muddying the waters, California’s decision to ban the sale of all internal-combustion cars by 2035 raised an uproar. California’s grid already struggles to handle electricity demand on hot days—it was only a few days after announcing the time horizon that Governor Gavin Newsom asked EV owners not to charge their vehicles during a heat wave.
And in comparison to the number of functioning charging stations available today, conservative estimates of how many California still requires to support the EV revolution sounds laughable. The real key to EV adoption is home charging for all. But how?
Incentives to install home chargers can help. But don’t even ask about nuclear power and fusion to support the resulting electricity spike. The former always causes controversy and the latter is still a pipe dream hawked by the supposed saviors of civilization (rest assured, someone will certainly find a way to capitalize on the prospect of unlimited, sustainable, free power).
And then, we run into the last bastion of gasoline and diesel fanatics who simply hate electric cars and everything they signify. Maybe the prospect of performance hybrids, which supplement gasoline and diesel engines with a bit of electric torque, can help nudge these stubborn minds in the right direction.
After all, we’re not talking about your mom’s Prius anymore—Chevrolet announced the quickest Corvette ever built this year uses an electric motor to power the front wheels, and Mercedes teamed up with AMG to build the most powerful S-Class of all time using gasoline and electric power simultaneously.
The stunning new Prius Prime only needs 13.6 kWh of battery to allow up to 44 miles of all-electric range.
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Hybrid Vehicles Are Rapidly Improving
Even a base Prius now looks kind of cool, since Toyota decided to revamp the design in light of a newfound rebelliousness. In an era of electric adoption, is a Prius purchase now the counterculture move? The 2023 Prius Prime can manage a zero to 60 mph time of only 6.4 seconds, almost four full seconds faster than its predecessor. Not bad, even if it’s a ways off the AMG S-Class E Performance with 791 horsepower and 1,055 lb-ft of torque, good for a zero to 60 mph time of 3.2 seconds despite a curb weight almost matching a Ford F-150 Raptor R.
Those figures pale in comparison to the Rimac Nevera’s 1,741 lb-ft of torque and 1.79-second sprint to 60. A Lucid Air Sapphire can clock in about a tenth of a second behind the Nevera at about a tenth of the price, with ample luxurious seating for five. Whether cars this fast should even be allowed in the hands of consumers is a serious question, but the pep of even commuter EVs during daily driving makes gas cars seem absolutely prehistoric in comparison.
Then there’s the lithium question, which also applies to other rare minerals required to produce lithium-ion batteries. The Air Dream Edition uses a 118 kWh battery pack, while GMC’s behemoth Hummer EV rides on a massive 246 kWh skateboard. With full lithium recycling also on a seemingly retreating time horizon, hugely powerful EVs with the range to challenge gasoline cars use too much of the environmentally arduous minerals.
Enter hybrids, which typically combine efficient turbocharged gasoline engines with a small electric motor (or motors) and a petite battery pack. The new Prius Prime, for example, only needs 13.6 kWh of battery to allow up to 44 miles of all-electric range before the little four-cylinder gas engine kicks in. For most people, 44 miles of range will cover daily driving without question. And that’s when the worst emissions happen anyway, during cold starts and bumper-to-bumper traffic.
For road trips, you ask, how much total range does the Prius Prime manage while using both gas and electric power? How about 600 miles on a gas tank that only holds 10.6 gallons—all while using about a tenth of the lithium used for a Lucid Air Dream Edition, which can “only” do 520 miles. Now think about topping off that gas tank quickly, without having to worry about charge times, broken chargers, and weather quite so much. Range anxiety goes straight out the window. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
Audi’s mid-sized SUV hybrid, the Q5 TFSI e, has just enough all-electric range at 23 miles.
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Hybrids Might Be the Better Short-Term Solution
More and more automakers clearly view hybrids, and specifically plug-in hybrids, as the happy middle ground (that they are, in reality). Audi nailed the Q5 TFSI e with just enough all-electric range at 23 miles in the most popular segment, mid-sized SUVs. Somehow, the Mitsubishi Outlander is the world’s best-selling PHEV, but that should change as better options hit the market. And the 1,000 horsepower Lamborghini Revuelto—which they dubbed a “HPEV (High Performance Electrified Vehicle) hybrid super sports car”—is about to hit the streets, and tracks, with a combo of screaming V12 and three humming electric motors.
Looking at the bigger picture of going eco-friendly as quickly as possible to save a dying planet, staunch environmental advocates simply can’t force EVs onto consumers fast enough, no matter how pure the ethos behind such regulations may be.
Rural buyers will still hold out, alongside automotive enthusiasts and the inevitable sticks in the mud. And that’s just here in the United States—forget about less industrialized nations where the sheer cost and complexity of widespread EV adoption still presents an insurmountable number of logistical and governmental challenges.
Right now, the planet needs better solutions than the slow crawl towards electrification. Improved catalytic converters can be installed to improve the emissions of aging cars already on the road. Alternative fuels under development can further reduce the production of greenhouse gases, while slashing the petroleum industry’s massive carbon footprint caused by the drilling and fracking required to get those dinosaur guts out of the ground in the first place. (Cleaning up the process of actually building vehicles helps a bit, too, even if capitalists will never support efforts to slow down the churn rate of lease-own-crush consumption).
Eventually, the environmental impact of each individual car on the road will improve. The many benefits of hybrids in contrast to undeniable shortcomings of current EVs may well continue to widen, as well. After all, hybrid systems should improve just as quickly as full-electrics, since the same technology goes into both.
Though some Tesla simps are fighting against that possible future—including former Head Twit Elon Musk—by poo-pooing the bona fides of PHEVs to help the environment (and also sidestepping the lithium issue). A YouTuber sent an open letter to Congress last year complaining that PHEVs shouldn’t get the same $7,500 rebate that EVs do since their smaller batteries, some as little as 7 kilowatt-hours, are much less expensive than the 50 to 100 kWh packs that power full EVs. He’s missing the forest for the trees, avoiding the whole point of incentives for the consumers, versus the capitalists who build the cars. Elon huffed in response to the pushback to incentives for wider PHEV adoption by posting on Twitter—which is now tragically known as X—”Good point. Time to move on from hybrid cars. That was a phase.”
It’s clearly not a phase (see the aforementioned hypercars and supercars and SUVs and pickups that are flourishing under the new designs) and as the finished products improve, increased market demand will therefore further influence manufacturer decision-making. And even if manufacturers won’t go on the official record quite yet to admit that the pivot away from EVs is already underway, the increasing number of hybrid options does reveal that most diehard EV buyers may well have already taken the plunge. For the rest of us, a plug-in hybrid should almost definitely be our next new car.
Over the past six years, James Hoffmann, former World Barista Champion has been taking diehard coffee enthusiasts (and the merely coffee-curious) from all around the world down illuminating rabbit holes: from product reviews to expert tips and techniques, to entertaining history lessons.
Hoffmann’s disarming humor mixed with an utmost attention to detail and an unpretentious approach has earned him 1.85 million YouTube subscribers and over 246 million views for his videos to date—making him the world’s most popular voice in coffee.
What sets his truly unbiased product reviews apart is that he funds all of them through Patreon, and then gives away the gear to his supporters after he reviews it. These same supporters also help him produce only the videos that he wants to make—the YouTube equivalent of the quirky indie feature—without concern for clickbait.
We spoke with Hoffmann to get his best advice for anyone looking to upgrade their home coffee experience and to find out what excites him the most about where coffee culture is headed.
James Hoffmann’s YouTube coffee review setup.
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Men’s Journal: What ignited the passion for coffee in your life?
James Hoffmann: I was interested in coffee before I even liked the taste of it. I got a job selling little domestic espresso machines in a department store and I thought, “I should know something about these things.” And there was only one book in the local bookshop about coffee at the time. It was this dude who starts in Ethiopia and follows the journey of coffee around the world, called The Devil’s Cup, by Stewart Lee Alan.
And I read the book and I was like, “This is very entertaining, and coffee is super interesting.” It’s just knitted into every culture now, in different ways. Like the way it’s a part of Italian culture is totally different to the U.S. culture, or totally different to Scandinavian culture or anything else. It’s this really interesting thing that is also kind of wild—people are smashing the seeds of a tropical fruit tree and putting them in hot water every morning like that’s normal. And it’s not normal. It’s a really wild thing that we’ve all done.
So, I thought, “Coffee is interesting, I should probably learn to drink it.” And I learned to like the taste of espresso, which, looking back at the coffee I was serving, was a heroic feat. It’s a pretty compelling beverage, chemically and otherwise. So that was it for me; initially it was that coffee is just interesting. And that felt like a secret.
For the last 20 years, people who’ve become passionate about coffee have become weird little zealots, because you discover what feels like a hidden world. I had no idea this punishingly brutal, bitter, necessary pain of my morning can be fascinating and delicious and complex and varied. Before that, people told me that coffee tastes like Folger’s or Nescafé when it doesn’t! It’s a lot more. And I think that turns people very passionate, enthusiastic, and slightly weird. And I’m one of them still.
One of the things that fundamentally sets you apart from other reviewers is how you use Patreon to review gear without being beholden to any brands. How did you arrive at that model?
What I want to do is find people, and that’s the challenge of the internet. For me, reviews were a great way to find people, and also to build a relationship with them where they trust me. So, from the beginning, that was a really important base requirement of the videos that I make—that I need to build a trust-driven relationship with you. Because then, you might trust me when I say to experiment and try stuff.
Like everyone else who started making coffee videos on the internet, manufacturers were very quick to be like, “Hey, can we send you something?” And one of them sent me something, and I was like, “This is the video,” and they’re like, “We don’t like it. That’s not OK.” And I thought, “I haven’t set you up with the expectation that you would be disappointed. I’ve messed this up.” I knew I just wanted to be able to make the video. So how do I do that?
At the time, I was vaguely aware of Patreon, and I was like, “Why don’t I try it, and if enough people chip in a couple bucks a month, I might get enough money to buy one espresso machine a month. And I don’t really want to own it, because I have enough coffee stuff in my life. So, then I figured, “OK, well, what better thing than to just give it back to that audience?”
James Hoffmann setting up a coffee review in his YouTube studio.
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What was it like to see it grow the way it has?
It started with the goal of $1,000 a month, and I’ve always left the financial side of my Patreon public. Because, again, it’s about trust more than anything else. And it just kept growing and growing. And eventually I’m thinking, “I can’t review this many machines,” and the point of this is not to just give me more money. So, it’s always been a public total, in the hopes of discouraging people from paying. Because I don’t need $50,000 a month, what am I going to do with it? I can hire people, and I can do a better job.
But at the same time, if I’m trying to build a sustainable thing—I sort of hate tipping culture—I should build a sustainable thing on my own, and I shouldn’t be reliant on something like this. But it basically has given me complete freedom to do this, and it still stuns me that more people haven’t adopted a similar model.
Is trust at the heart of your model?
The audience knows that the advertorial-editorial line is blurry. They know that when people say, “They gave me this machine, but they don’t have a say in the video,” that there’s a bias there. They understand that. And actually, they would be much happier if you said, “I’m aware this will lead to a bias in this review.” I mean, like, it’s the presentation that there’s no bias when of course there’s still bias. I have biases, and I need to tell you about them. If you understand my bias, then you’ll trust me a bit more when I say something.
Reviews were really great because for a long time the coffee industry didn’t evolve that quickly. We don’t release new products on a tech cycle. And so, if you’re curious about the AeroPress, a review of the AeroPress is kind of evergreen. And that’s a great way for me to find people wherever they are in their coffee journey.
If you take a nice batch brewer for home, let’s say an OXO Brewer, people in the market for that and researching that could be anyone from, “I just want to upgrade my Mr. Coffee to something a bit better,” through to “I’m tired of making pour-overs and I want a little help.” And that’s great.
I want to meet everybody. I want to find everybody who cares vaguely about coffee. And so, reviews were this really great tool to have a wide-reaching net, to show someone something that would help build a relationship and build trust with them. And then on the upside because of Patreon, I got to do a kind of review that’s really hard to find on the internet.
James Hoffmann shooting a review for his YouTube coffee aficionado channel.
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Beyond product reviews, with your travel pieces and stories from coffee history, you’ve also created a new production model for short features. Is that something that you think about?
One-hundred percent. I think it’s allowed us to make videos that are risks. Because we’ve got this excess from Patreon, we tend to spend that on more complex projects where maybe we don’t want to put a sponsor section in the video. But I’ve also had enough of a peek behind the curtain about how quickly the costs ramp up when you want to get a little bit more ambitious. And I certainly do want to get a little bit more ambitious. But I’m aware of the order of magnitude the budgets need to jump by, and that’s hard through Patreon.
For my own longevity in this, I need to make things I wantto make. That doesn’t overlap entirely with things that YouTube wants me to make. I just feel like we have said it’s blockbuster or nothing now, and all the interesting stuff in the fringes is going away. And I still want to make the interesting stuff on the fringes, but my weird coffee YouTube version of that thing. The mid-budget film, but for YouTube. Because I think it’s necessary. Otherwise, we end up with a ton of the same stuff and a homogenous culture, and it’s very dull and it’s not creatively satisfying.
As far as your distribution platform, is that where you see yourself for the foreseeable future, on YouTube?
YouTube is where the world is when it comes to long form video for knowledge and learning. Like I know people who did an entire house DIY just from YouTube. It’s the place where you go to learn a thing. And then if you can teach someone a thing, you can build a relationship with them by extension. And then you can take them on a journey, and then maybe achieve your nefarious goals of getting them drinking coffee.
What is the one thing that surprises people most about coffee?
The thing that pops up most is, “I just didn’t know it could taste that good.” It’s a classic, “I didn’t know that I didn’t know something.” A lot of people are like, “Why are people so happy with bad coffee?” And that’s a bit like saying, why are people not angry that bourbon doesn’t taste like grapefruit? Why would they be mad that it doesn’t taste like someone else? And so, we treat people who drink conventional coffee that way—”Why aren’t you mad that it isn’t sweet, complex, fruity and acidic and fun?” Because it never has been.
And so that moment of understanding that coffee is this whole other world of flavor is a huge revelation to people. And that’s the bit where it feels exciting to me. Because whatever your preference is as a coffee drinker, you can like the darkest roast, the most bitter thing, but there’s probably something out there you’d like even more.
There’s always more. And that’s the thing that I think is kind of motivating and encouraging for me when I meet people with coffee preferences a long way from mine. Why bother talking to them? Because they could still enjoy whatever they like, but there’s a deepening of that enjoyment. That’s the motivator—that coffee can be delicious in a very unexpected and complex way.
James Hoffmann in the studio.
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As the person who has pulled this curtain back for so many people, what has been your biggest surprise?
As an industry, we really struggled to connect with an audience for a long time. You would see the roasters doing the brew guides, and making videos and that kind of stuff, and no one really cared. And I think it meant that I definitely vastly underestimated the size of the interested audience. It’s huge. If you can give them a reason to be interested, then lots of people are interested.
The brew guides, the same old things, are not interesting to people. But coffee is interesting to people if you show them interesting stuff. And so, for me, I’m actually surprised that 3 or 4 million people have watched some of these videos. Like, the sheer number of humans willing to sit down with me and engage and put it into practice is astonishing—and I don’t feel like I’ve reached everyone yet. I think the size of the audience that wants to hear someone talk about what salt does to the perception of bitterness in a cup of coffee, it’s a lot of people. It’s just very heartening, very motivating, and very exciting how interested people can be.
Is there one tip you share with people that will change their relationship with coffee the most?
[There’s] the obvious one that everyone’s heard—to grind your coffee fresh. But ultimately, it’s to do a comparative tasting. Like, just have two things that are different side by side. The number of times in coffee that we do comparative tasting compared to wine, you know, everyone gets that wines are different because they’ve done a tasting. We’ve made wine tasting really normal.
People have done a little flight of beers and they’re like, “Of course these are different. Why would I not think that?” You don’t get to do that with coffee and when you do it, it’s like, “Oh, yeah, what else is there?” This is better than this, this is a little bit more bitter, or this is a little fuller, richer, and sweeter, and this is a little bit more fruity. That’s the mindset shift of like, “OK, what else is there that I want to have?” And so that’s why for me, comparative tasting is the No. 1 thing that yields the biggest, strongest, and most satisfying response.
We [in the coffee industry] tend to turn tastings into a ceremony with rules and everyone’s a bit awkward and we’re gonna give you tasting notes. No, no, just taste this and taste that. Are they different? How are they different? Which one do you like? That very simple experience that’s so normal in so many industries and still so rare coffee. And it’s so effective and fun.
James Hoffmann filming one of his YouTube coffee review videos.
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If someone is trying to upgrade their coffee experience at home, what gear will make the biggest difference?
I think now, finally, we’re at the point where genuinely good coffee grinders exist at lower prices. And a good coffee grinder, like a good adjustable burr grinder, means that whatever you end up doing—you might go into espresso, or you might go into drip—you’re covered. You’ve got the central key piece of equipment. And after that, as soon as possible, you’ve got to start hunting down the raw materials that you like, because we get into a mindset that gear will fix your problem, but gear will only give you incremental improvements against the raw material that you start with.
And equipment companies don’t want to tell you that story. They’re like, “Our grinder will change everything,” or “Our espresso machine will change everything,” and it won’t. The coffee that you bought tastes like the coffee that you bought. So very quickly, your experience gets upgraded not through equipment, but through like the beans themselves. And that’s about finding a roaster you like.
When should people go beyond a good grinder to other gear upgrades?
You might start to bump up against certain things in your workflow that you might want to fix. Or you might never bump up against anything; you might just make a French press every day from a really good grinder, great beans, great fresh water, and that’s it. That is a pinnacle of coffee. You don’t have to go higher if that’s where you’re happy.
Or you go down the route of a pour-over and then you can get to a weird, zero bypass pour-over if it’s fixing a problem for you. But in an era where we probably need to look a little bit more thoroughly at our consumption of things, I don’t want to be like “Just buy more shit.” Because I don’t really want you to. And I know that’s how the world goes round. But you know, buy the better coffee, drink it, enjoy it, buy some more. It’s a pretty short cycle, it’s pretty low risk. But I still would say a good grinder is the linchpin underneath it all.
What excites you the most about the future of your coffee content?
I guess there’s two pieces to that, and one is investing in the science stuff. We just had a machine installed in the new studio space that I can’t legally talk about yet. But it’s gonna open up more analysis possibilities. And at the same time, I’m also aware that while citizen science is good and important, we want to liaise with bigger institutions.
I have this really weird platform where I have total freedom to do whatever I want. And I don’t want to act in the purest of self-interest. I want to act in a way that’s beneficial. I want to make the things that no one else can make. That’s my obligation. And that might be videos about coffee grinders that are way more technical than anyone else can make, but ultimately practical and useful.
And then I want to make bizarre television that I think would be genuinely interesting to more people that no one else but me is going to make. So, for me, I want to be a better filmmaker, I want to be a better presenter, I want to be a better writer. I also want to facilitate better research and ultimately, in the service of people who drink and enjoy coffee every day. That’s it, I want to do better entertainment, better education, and I have a platform to do that and that’s very exciting for me.
Conventional cruiser design follows the same wisdom behind good BBQ: It’s best enjoyed when done low and slow. A low-slung chassis with a rumbling American V-twin is in its element while soaking up the sights and sounds; it’s the two-wheeled equivalent of soul-satisfying fall-off-the-bone brisket. There’s a comfortable harmony in that.
Yet, Italian motorsport culture stands as the antithesis: Paint it red and make it blindingly fast. So, when Ducati approached the cruiser conundrum, it answered the only way it knows how: Genre-defining performance and pure attitude via its Diavel V4.
The Anti-Cruiser
In truth, the Diavel is not a cruiser in the traditional sense and never has been. I’d imagine there are a few Bologna-based engineers who’d become queasy at the notion of their work lumped in with Harley-Davidson or Indian Motorcycle offerings. I can almost feel the emphatic gesturing from here.
Let’s not mince words: Punishing suspension, limited lean angles, and squatty-potty seating positions are dime-a-dozen in that segment. Think I’m being harsh? Ride any H-D Sportster S over less-than-perfect pavement and get back to me. I’ll wait for you at the chiropractor’s office. To be fair, Japanese brands also know how to build a perfectly functional cruiser, but they have all the charm of kitchen appliance and sex appeal of a plastic-wrapped couch.
What the new Diavel V4 does lean into is the rowdy, ostentatious nature of American V-twins, with an unapologetically burly stance and wild design elements—including four-barrel Gatling gun exhaust, enormous 240-series rear tire, and honeycomb taillight. Stuff, in other words, that borders on the ridiculous, yet it works. None of that would carry any weight, though, unless backed by a massively powerful 1158cc Granturismo V4 engine.
A Superbike’s Spirit
We first met Ducati’s Diavel 11 years ago, when L-twin engines ruled the roost. True to form for the Italian firm, performance demands were satisfied by utilizing one of its superbike engines or a subtle variation of it. That hasn’t changed, either.
We started with the 1198cc mill and moved to the 1260 DVT (Desmodromic Variable Timing), bringing us to the current V4. The 168 horsepower and 93 foot-pound torque hand-me-down comes to us from the Multistrada V4 range by way of the Panigale V4 superbikes.
The perfunctory model-specific internal changes differentiate it from the Multi family, such as new camshafts and a shorter first gear, giving the masculine bruiser a punchier character. Happily, it’s also retained the spring valvetrain, which boasts Ducati’s industry-leading 37,000-mile valve service.
If that isn’t enough, oil changes are cited every 9,000 miles. That means more time on the road and less time at the dealership, which should ease the sting of this exquisitely appointed $26,689 machine.
The mighty mill has lovely low-rpm manners, happily plodding along in traffic. In that sense, it offers the kind of versatility and refinement that the L-twin power plants simply couldn’t match. It pulls from the rpm depths with a silky tug, where a massively broad midrange steals the spotlight and helps riders lunge from apex to apex. Those who feel the need to yank wild hairs still have wicked top-end power, delivered in an authentic, unbridled, superbike manner.
Sure, a Panigale V4 will achieve higher paint-peeling top speeds, though who’s counting when deep diving into triple digits is done in an instant. Shifting is slick, tidy, and sporting as you’d like with the bi-directional quickshifter, meaning you’ll only need to feather the somewhat heavy hydraulic clutch unless you’re setting off or stopping.
The Tech That Binds This Beast
Clever tech has become part and parcel of Ducati in recent years, with cornering ABS, lean-angle-aware traction control, wheelie control, cruise control, launch control, and damn-near-perfect throttle maps becoming staple features on the manufacturer’s sporting models. All these nannies work quietly in the background, never needlessly interjecting and can be dialed in from the full-color TFT display.
That tech-minded way of thinking applies to the V4 engine in this configuration—one that adopted rear-cylinder bank deactivation long ago, saving fuel and aiding with radiating heat. Yep, it’s a spicy meatball on a hot summer day.
New to the fold is an “extended” rear-cylinder cut, wherein the rear bank deactivates when operating below 4,000 rpm, except when in first gear. Raise the revs a bit, and it transforms seamlessly back into a snarling V4 powerhouse, and the only giveaway is a mild change in the exhaust note. It’s that smooth, and the first motorcycle to ever boast such tech.
The Diavel Is in the Details
What separates the Diavel from, well, any other cruiser on the market is its decidedly comfortable riding position. A positively girthy seat greets your backside, while the handlebars are brought in 20mm closer on the latest V4 to encourage a more upright riding position.
Finally, mid-mount controls allow ample legroom and better weight distribution. This isn’t your average coccyx-crushing clam-shell cruiser position, where your knees are held uncomfortably high and visions of medical stirrups uncomfortably flash through your mind; the Diavel V4 is generously roomy.
Of course, the elephant in the room is whether it can whip through with the veracity that Ducati has built its brand. To answer that question directly—yes, it does. On paper, the lengthy wheelbase, long rake, and fat rear tire shouldn’t allow anything of the sort, making for a pleasant surprise.
A few things are in play here: First, it is said to have lost 29 pounds compared to the outgoing Diavel 1260. Then, we must factor in the counter-rotating crankshaft within the V4 engine, which spins in the opposite direction of the wheels and reduces their gyroscopic forces.
All that nerd-speak amounts to is a bike that gleefully tips into corners and flatters its 520-pound claimed curb weight. The Diavel V4 will coax you through twisty bits of road, flicking from side to side as if you were on a more conventionally sporty steed.
Now, as it is lower than Ducati’s Monster or Streetfighter V2 and V4, the peg feelers will sneak up on you much faster, and part of the fun is grinding them into oblivion. That’s about the only cruiser aspect that’s on display. Naturally, top-tier Brembo Stylema calipers adorn the Ducati, and they’re flawlessly paired up with its well-sorted cornering ABS algorithms.
The fully adjustable Marzocchi suspension keeps the monocoque chassis aimed in the right direction while delivering excellent ride quality. Despite that praise, it’s only in this area where I feel that Diavel is leaving a little something on the table. Semi-active Öhlins seem befitting on the Diavel V4 and may be reserved for an up-spec “S” model in the future.
Changing the Game
When the Ducati Diavel platform rolled out of Ducati’s Borgo Panigale factory a little over a decade ago, it didn’t merely follow typical conventions. The brand made a cruiser exactly in its image, where overall performance is paramount and there are no compromises in the name of style.
Now, as the V4 engine continues to pepper its other models, we can see that Ducati has pushed the ball forward once again. In a sense, comparing a machine as vibrant as Diavel V4 to your average cruiser isn’t entirely fair.
Or maybe its high time we admit that the rest of the manufacturers must finally get their collective asses off the bench. Whatever labels you want to assign is up to you, because the Diavel V4 will put a grin on your face as quickly as it’ll plant your backside in the seat.
When it comes to outfitting yourself with the best ski and snowboard gear, the good news is that this stuff just keeps getting sturdier, lighter, safer, warmer, comfier, cooler-looking, and more technically advanced and brilliantly designed than ever. The better news is that we’re here to help you through this thickening maze—and pick your perfect ski kit from head to toe without feeling totally overwhelmed. Whether you’ll be practicing your turns on the blues or dropping into Corbet’s Couloir, the finest ski gear within your budget is always a wise investment. It can turn those fierce elements—wind, snow, cold, and everything in between—into your friends (or at least not merciless foes). When ski gear is performing at its peak and doing its promised job, a zen tranquility takes over, letting you focus on what you’re now perfectly suited for out there: having a total blast.
The best ski and snowboard gear simply equals a better day of skiing or riding. It’s not exactly science, but if you look good, you’ll feel good. And if you feel good, chances are you’ll ski or ride with more confidence. Warm feet, a well-fitting jacket and pants, and the right goggles and helmet make for better (and safer) runs—and will encourage you to get out more. More skiing or snowboarding means improved technique, increased fitness, self-assurance, and a mindset where you’re not just looking the part but feeling it too.
Here we bring you the best ski and snowboard apparel and gear for 2024. Over 80 items comprise our biggest ski kit blitz yet. In addition to the best skis of 2024, these top performers in all categories will cover you from head to toe out there. They include our favorite new skis and boots, jackets and pants, helmets, goggles, shades, gloves, and ski packs. It’s the whole package. Each item has been evaluated by ski gearheads who are obsessed with testing out the newest, game-changing releases every season. Select some new pieces, or get the whole ski setup.
Our Testing Process: Why You Should Trust Us
With thousands of pieces of ski and snowboard apparel and gear to sift through, our team of nine testers knows how to do their homework. Collectively, we’ll rack up more than 1,000 on-snow days in a given season just testing out gear to see if it lives up to its promise. Most of us have been testing apparel and gear for over 20 ski seasons. We’ve skied New England and Eastern Canadian hardpack, Whistler powder, Pacific Northwest cement, and everything in between, including months in the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps. Our testers have visited more than two dozen ski resorts in every condition imaginable, and skied plenty of peaks, steep slopes, and couloirs.
We’ve worked hard to include a blend of newer brands with tried-and-true favorites. We’ve curated the best pieces, with an eye on what people actually want to wear. This season, we’ve seen a focus on sustainability and recycled fabrics. We considered fit, performance, and durability. We know that ski and snowboard apparel isn’t cheap—and that prices have definitely been impacted by inflation, so the gear we picked for Best of 2024 is built to last.
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From groomers to glades to the best powder runs of your life, it’s truly amazing what a difference the right pair of skis can make. Singling out our favorite dozen of them was a ridiculously fun job. Our pick for the best overall ski is the mightyfor its incredible performance in all conditions.
Ski boots have trod a long way from those stiff, ugly clompers that left your feet feeling cold, squeezed, and glum. The following eight best boots of the year are marvels of new ski boot tech—with the groundbreaking Fischer Sports RC4 130 MV BOA taking our number one slot.
Superior fit, function, fabric, and features all factor into our lineup of the year’s best ski and snowboard jackets that will see you through bluebird days, blizzards, and everything in between. Our favorite of all is the, which we’d take anywhere.
Keep your lower half happy by investing in a pair of ski pants or bibs which sport all of those evolved features—adjustable waist, reinforced boot cuff, articulated knee, full length zipper—that your legs will love. You won’t find a comfier, more durable, and better looking pair than the , our number one pick in the inspired ski pants department.
Frigid fingers were once just a hard fact of life on the slopes. The following eight pairs of outstanding new ski gloves, mittens, and three-finger hybrids make for far happier hands these days—especially inside the Hestra Wakayama Glove, our top pick for durability, performance, cool retro look, and reliable warmth.
This year’s top ski goggles and sunglasses fuse cutting edge performance with style and conveniences, like interchangeable or adaptable lenses and fog-fighting hinge systems activated by the nudge of a glove. The POC Vitrea leads the way as the top goggle of 2024, and for shades the honor goes to Vuarnet’s sunglasses.
Now that helmets are standard on the slopes, it’s worth investing in the most trustworthy and comfortable noggin protection out there. Here they are—topped by our very favorite, Shred’s Notion No Shock Helmet, which is cool looking, functional (with an innovative venting system), and about as comfy as a helmet can get.
A ski pack might look like a regular bag, but it’s shouldering a much bigger job up there. The best of them are light, sturdy, water resistant, and thoughtfully engineered to haul everything from snacks, shades, and extra layers to water bladders, shovels, transceivers, and skis—all in a compressible, organized, back-hugging bag you’ll forget you’re wearing. Our top pick for 2024 is the Patagonia SnowDrifter 20L, which served us brilliantly from the front slopes to the backcountry.
How to Layer for the Slopes
The ideal outfit for skiing or snowboarding starts from next-to-skin and works out. You’ll want a wool or synthetic base layer (aka long underwear). Base layers should have a fairly sleek fit, as you don’t want air between them and your body. However, if you wear your “longhandles” as a standalone layer for post-ski drinks and dinner, think about moving up a size. The midlayer you select for the day is determined by temperature and activity. Midlayers should be versatile; think vests, light sweaters, and weightless down puffys. Think of your outer layer as your ski uniform. This hardshell (waterproof/breathable nylon or polyester material) is your first line of defense against the elements.
A pop of color boosts both safety and style on the slopes.
Liam Doran
Color: How to Use the Right Shade and Look
Color is safety in the mountains—and style-wise it’s making a comeback. Even if you lean black, brown, white, or beige in your personal color preference, know that a pop of brightness in your jacket, pants, helmet, or goggles helps you express your sense of fashion freedom, and individuality—and makes you safer.
Consider a bright jacket, add a neon helmet, vibrant mittens, or a splashy neck gaiter to stick out—in a good way. Ski apparel shouldn’t be camouflage, causing you to blend in with snow, rock, cliff bands, and trees. Ideally, you won’t end up in a tree well, snowdrift, or crevasse, but bright apparel does help your friends keep track of you in the lift line and on the slopes. Those same rules apply if you’re deep in the backcountry, where visibility makes all the difference in a rescue scenario. Finally, with color, you’ll look better in photos.
You need to wear to believe. Behind the following links are the best new pieces of ski gear for 2024—all must-have essentials for any skier’s wardrobe this year.
Dedicated barbecuers don’t take breaks from feeding the fire with mounds of meat just because the weather gets a little cold. But that whipping winter wind, freezing rain, and snow can take its toll—wreaking havoc on essential cooking temps when using propane or charcoal cookers. The answer? Pellet grills. These winter workhorses are easily the most reliable and user-friendly option for grilling and smoking during the chillier months.
“I absolutely love my pellet grill for the winter,” says grilling guru Tim van Doren. “You can just run outside, turn it on, set the temp and run back in where it’s warm—no babysitting required. As long as you have pellets in the hopper, you’re good to go.”
Unlike its distant propane and charcoal cousins, a pellet grill uses electricity to turn a feeder device that adds compressed wood pellets to the fire box at a steady rate. With no direct flame for cooking, it behaves more like a smoky oven than a traditional flame-broiled grill you need to hover over in colder temps—while adding fuel or adjusting gas levels to keep it more or less stable (until you open the lid and have to start all over again). While charcoal or propane grills are much more vulnerable to winter drafts, a pellet grill’s fire is tucked deep inside a little metal box in the bottom of the grill, shielding it from wind and fluctuating temps.
“The pellet grill’s electronics adjust the rate the pellets are fed into the fire to keep the internal temperature constant,” explains van Doren. “With propane, I have a hard time keeping it hot during the winter. If the wind’s blowing, it can be tough just keeping the fire lit—all while burning through more fuel.”
Pellet Grill Pro Tips
In colder climates, pellet grills will benefit greatly from throwing on an insulating blanket. These weather-resistant covers, usually made with a fiberglass fill, can slow down pellet consumption in extreme temps and make the whole preheating process (a must with a pellet grill) more efficient.
In wet or snowy conditions, you’ll also want to ensure moisture doesn’t get into the pellet hopper and ruin whatever pellets are stored there. A waterproof cover that you put back on after every cook (or before a wet-weather forecast) is essential. Moist pellets swell up, lose their rigid structure, and crumble into a damp mess that won’t properly fire up. If left to dry in the feeder, they’ll turn into a hard mass that’ll require some disassembly to clean out properly.
For the best year-round grilling and smoking, no matter what the mercury reads, here are the best pellet grills to keep you cooking through winter.
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When it’s cold, dark, and wet for several months out of the year, you have three valid excuses for staying inside instead of going on a run. But if you don’t want the weather to dictate your training schedule, suiting up in winter running gear is one way to combat the challenges that come with running in less-than-ideal conditions. Another way is to reframe your mindset.
What to Consider When Running During the Winter
Now that I live in the Pacific Northwest, I’m embracing the constant drizzle by appreciating the subtler changes the season brings, like the fresh rain scent and quieter streets. Having a go-to winter running outfit reduces the amount of mental energy it takes to plan my run, which means I can devote more energy to motivating myself to get outside when I’m less enthused. I’ve built on this habit by keeping my winter running gear close to the door, so it’s easy to grab and go.
I also make things easier on myself by keeping my kit pretty simple: Layers cover everything except my face, and I add and remove pieces depending on the temperature. I often wear the same outfit—often multiple times between washes—and together, these items keep me dry and warm. My advice for building a winter running gear outfit? Wear what you already have and fill in the gaps in your kit using the gear picks below.
How We Picked These Winter Running Gear Items
Most of the selections below can be found in my drawers and closet, while a few picks are alternatives to some of my more outdated pieces. I chose those items based on research and familiarity with outdoor gear brands I’ve built up in my five years as a product tester. Every piece in this guide is designed for winter performance, and I have tested many of these items in snow, rain, and cold. That said, if you live somewhere that regularly experiences subzero days, I’d suggest adding more breathable, wicking layers underneath your outer layer in addition to what’s in this list.
From traction devices to UV-blocking sunglasses, these 12 items complete the ultimate winter running kit. Face any wet and cold weather head on with this wind-blocking, weather-repelling, and sweat-wicking winter running gear.
The Best Winter Running Gear for 2023
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You don’t have to live in Buffalo or Minneapolis to know that layering up isn’t always enough to defend against Jack Frost’s wrath. When temperatures plunge and wind chills bite, staying warm requires more than fabric—that’s when you need to reach for heated winter gear, like heated gloves and heated blankets.
How Heated Winter Gear Works
While there’s a good chance you’ve used a heated blanket at some point, that toasty warmth can be applied to your entire outfit. From balaclavas to socks, chairs, and more, there’s no shortage of heated gear to keep you comfortable.
Most of these products use rechargeable electric batteries to power small wires or coils running inside the fabrics; as these wires heat up, they provide added warmth to complement your natural body heat. Of course, choosing quality products is of utmost importance when electricity is coursing across your body.
To write this guide, we scoured the internet, pored over customer reviews, and drew on our own personal experience to compile this list of dependable heated products. Below, you’ll find products that fit a range of categories, including heated blankets, heated gloves, and other heated gear from notable brands including L.L. Bean, Outdoor Research, Gobi Heat, and more. Stay toasty out there.
The Best Heated Winter Gear of 2023
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One more unbelievably long, hair-raising sprint up the opposite bank later and the hot lap comes to an end. In just those few minutes, however, paying spectators started populating the massive multi-colored grandstands, filtering into the pits and loitering as close as possible to the cars, drivers, and teams. Daytona’s announcers repeatedly boasted this year’s record-setting attendance of over 50,000 and I begin to see why: The prospect of climbing up that steep embankment, signing the start-finish line, peeking into racecar cockpits, and miming the positions of drivers slipped in tight, pretending to fiddle with steering wheel controls—everything brings out the imaginations of children and adults alike.
As the crowd swelled, five-time Daytona winner Hurley Haywood joined us for a quick tour of the pits and shared many of the ways that racecars, racers, and racing in general have evolved since his years on the track.
“When I was racing, we didn’t have any of this stuff,” Haywood laughed. “Things were pretty simple. The driver had to do everything. We now have sequential shifting, power steering, ABS brakes, and traction control that’s very sophisticated. So, as the car goes into the corner, the traction control is alerted and retards the engine so the guys can get back on full power after threshold braking.”
The next generation of professional drivers already spends far more time using simulations to train for all the computer inputs, buttons, sensors, and systems that racing now requires. But nothing can prepare the body for the physical effort of a 24-hour endurance test like Daytona.
“I love the feeling of going through the day and the night and back to the day,” Grosjean told me when I asked about the differences between F1 and his current task at hand. “You want to be rested before the race, for sure, but you want to be able to rest when you finish your stint, too, which is not always easy when you’re full of adrenaline.”
