Derren: “Take maybe three big scoops of coffee…..” James: “HOW MANY GRAMS?!?!?!”

KZfaq took me down a Derren Brown rabbit hole that lasted a solid 2 weeks. So much fun.

I always thought you were ageless, but honestly now I'm just more confused.

Hello James, I fondly remember the time you worked with us at Gaggia and I am always proud to say that you started your career in coffee with us. Lovely to see the Gaggia images on your interesting video. I think Dr Espresso, in London, may have some of the collection. We have a couple of the 50's machines in our Gaggia Shops. During this difficult times, I am sure coffee brings a moment of satisfaction. I am missing my community of coffee lovers, as I stay at home, rather than my usual time spent with them at a coffee morning in Huddersfield, UK, making lots of coffee at our church centre. Raj Beadle, MD Gaggia UK.

This is particularly funny to me because both James and Derren visited the cafe where I work, which is thousands of miles away from the UK, a yearish ago. Two of my favourite personal icons I've had the pleasure of serving.

Don't beat yourself up like that, James. You didn't look as ridiculous as your WBC getup.

I'm studying, so I'm not constantly looking at the screen. When I heard "flick the bean off" and I didn't hear and immediate reaction from you I looked at the screen and I saw you looking at us XD You did not disappoint

That flick the bean joke was a good one.

I love Derren Brown and I've watched him for twenty years, but now after the flick the bean reference, it makes me want to go back and watch all of his stuff before he came out to see how often he snuck little jokes like that into his shows.

“I know you have a witty comment” you’ve broken him guys

Lol. Don't know what you have against the looks of younger you, you're fine. -- James, just wanted to express appreciation. These videos are more than a great source of information and instruction; you bring a lightness, a smile, and a reminder of just why we enjoy the...simple pleasures of this culture so much.

Discovered your channel about two weeks ago and have been binge-watching all the coffee content, then I saw this title in my notifications! Super awesome you had the opportunity to work with Derren and Andy first hand. I co-founded a magic company back in 2014 and that team just filmed parts of Derren's most recent Broadway run here in NYC. So wild how small the internet makes the world!

That beans pun was just a psychological trick to grind you down.😬

Watching this with my wife and she says: "you were cute then and you look dashing now"! I'm a bit jealous now

Yes James, keep up the hope during this difficult time ! All thé best and looking foward to more vidéos !

I'm glad this video is doing the rounds again. It's an incredible story, love hearing it ☺️

Your videos brighten my days! Thank you.

I don't know if I've ever seen a person who has aged better than James

Haha great video. I was meant to be seeing Derren Brown in Southend this year but we will see. I’ve been pulled up on stage on the miracle tour, it was weird and bizarre. Thanks for all the great videos as always. With everything going on I think everyone one needs something to bring the mood up. Good work!👍

James "good sized hand" Hoffmann

I got given a Gaggia classic for free and I've been cleaning it and replacing parts ever since and with every change I get a little bit closer to the perfect coffee. Love it.

This was very enjoyable to watch! Thanks for sharing that and the story.

This must be a wonderful memory to have. Thanks for sharing it! :)

Both the tricks brown performed are variations on really cool mirror tricks. I know that you can do the one shown in the video with any round-ish object that lies reasonably flat on a surface (so coffee is a great candidate), that might also explain the suggestion to pick a different bean, if you pick one that's too flat on the round side it might now work. The one you described has a lot of popular variations and usually works with angled mirrors in the ceiling, but can also be done with cameras. It's a super popular method to cheat stuff like people picking an object, writing stuff, etc while the magician is away. If you know how large the tray is compared to your cel sheet it's not crazy hard. The difficult part is always looking at the mirror/screen discretely.

5:57 _"There's just no way to trick that. You can't fake it. The only way you can do that, in those circumstances with me watching, is to remember the position of every bean on that tray."_ And this perfectly illustrates what's so awesome about magic. :)

I watched that when it aired, I’ve watched it several times since...... I never ever would have guessed that’s you! 😱

Thanks so much for the content, Ive been following your stuff for a long time, and this is an absolute lifeline at the moment ❤️❤️

Literally lost my job today due to this crazy virus. Your video is exactly the distraction I needed, please continue to make regular videos during this time. Thank you

I'm a hobbiest magician myself, can't believe you've did a video with him. Two of my worlds colliding. Love this. I don't think camera tricks or edits are fair for magic tricks at all. Thanks for doing this video. That bean looked a little taller than the rest. Either way, this was a great video. Thanks again!

I'm not sure what people expect, but as good as Derren is, one has to remember that it's still TV :)

ooh finally, someone who actually knows something about coffee! Informative and entertaining, will be binging out on your videos all over this lockdown! Thanks and keep it coming :)

Got your book for my birthday this week, absolutely love it!

If anyone is wondering, I counted the beans at 11:16 and I got around 680ish. Hard to tell exactly because some are stacked and it's dark in some areas. Picking one out of 1347 sounds more impressive though.

Just got your book! It is amazing. Really like the design and the content!

I remember seeing this back in the day, but I had long forgotten it and didn't know that it was James who was the mark for this trick.

What a great ‘follow up’ video. Thanks!

His introductions of Squarespace as a sponsor just get smoother and smoother

It’s very funny, I introduced his work to a lot of my friends in the states... I missed him when he came to New York last year, so I guess I have to stick to the internet and Netflix now... one day I’ll make it over there. Lol! I’ve also been a fan of his for a very long time and had a modest collection until some things were taken from me.. Im suprised this video is still up though because he’s been able to keep a lot of things off the internet for years.. but I like this video! Have a great day

So cool to see you again after all that time! A very handsome man 😍

Nice. Thanks for sharing, how cool that happened to you.

the switcheroo of reactions is something the Derren Brown shows and David Blaine were absolutely prolific with. Every other shot was a switched reaction. It was also very clear that they shot the same "tricks" multiple times with varied participants and then picked out whoever responded the best. That is absolutely critical with mentalism & hypnotism type stuff as some people respond perfectly and others don't. It's actually a trait embedded into the core of the cognition for most of us to look around and follow others, especially those with perceived authorities for clues when we find ourselves suddenly In an unknown confusing & disorientating situation. Most of us are also conditioned to follow the expectations of the people and world around us. That's how most of the mentalism & hypnotism stuff works. A man with a suit tells you to sleep in front of an expectant audience and by golly you sleep. But the level at which people do it and how entertaining they are varies, especially in the derren brown shows where they were often on their own, blindfolded and such. So you really need to pick out the best performers and chop & splice reactions. You are lucky you weren't forced into something more ominous.

WHAAAT! James and Derren!

Thank you for sharing. Take care and good health

Love these little "behind the veil" videos. Good job

I had no idea the museum was gone. I have very fond memories of that place, tea to the left, coffee to the right.

I've been watching Darren brown for years and I have learned so much about psychology more than anything. He is a master of his craft. Thanks for the video bud.

This is the first video I've seen of yours James. As a Darren Brown fan myself, I appreciate the insight into his show.

The last Broadway show I saw before the covid lockdown (as someone who sees at least a couple or three such shows a year) was Derren’s show “Secret.” It blew my mind, of course, but it will also remain one of my fondest memories of life in the Before Times. Alas, I haven’t been to any live theatre since then. Thanks for this video, James.

Yesterday while I was washing my Aeropress I thought: James Hoffmann never tell his thoughts about cleanIng coffee instruments. I mean, better clean your V60 on hot water or dish soap? Is hot water effective to eliminate coffee oils? Or which dish soap taste less on your coffee? (I was worried about the last one for months). Always funny to watch you CoronaVideos-19!

This is a crossover I wouldn’t have dared dreaming of in my wildest imagination!

Really good to see, it is never the same on TV as in real life! Also, a large a police officer, the GAW is an amazing gesture. My regular roasters has closed their doors and I can’t say when or where I can stop off to get some proper coffee... so thanks for the chance and I hope someone deserving wins! 👍🏻☕️

Thanks for sharing your knowledge about coffee. A real pick-me-up.

I've seen Derren Brown live, he's a legend. Shame we don't see him so much nowadays.

Penn Jillette makes fun of tv magic shows and how they say there are no camera tricks. He says something like; “It’s true, no camera tricks ...loooottts of editing tricks though!”🤣🤣🤣

I loved this story! Derren is amazing.

Thanks for a lovely video that took me away from the world for a bit :)

The first time I saw Derren (on TV) was at the dog track pay window... been a fan ever since.

I met Derren years ago when I lived in Bristol, just before he got famous. He did some close-up at a party at my house. Years later I got the Devils Picturebook and was amazed when he fully described an amzing multi-part trick for 3 people that he had fooled me with all those years ago.

I love Derren Brown. And mentalism and magic in general! Love coffee. Perfect video!

Very interesting video, James. Thank you.

For the first trick, there's the possibility that Derren used a combination of cameras and screen/projectors. Let me explain, you throw the beans down on the tray and an over head camera takes a photo. Derren walks away to where the paper lays. There's a screen/projection of the image underneath the paper showing a faint image of the beans and Derren proceeds to trace the locations of the beans.

Interesting to see the difference between what we see on the TV and what really happens. Him not allowing you to pick a bean at random, as is portrayed, changes everything. All it needs is a secret mark on it. Could easily be chipped or magnetic, allowing him to narrow down where it is trivially with a detector in his sleeve and then allow him to look for the little mark on it. I saw his live show and I remember thinking that whilst it was brilliant, it was nowhere near as astounding as the TV shows were....because they're tricking the viewer constantly as to what really happens.

thank you for the video

Thanks for your honesty

It's such a trip to realise I watched you like 16-17 years ago on TV and then later subscribed to your KZfaq channel. I was just a kid back then but also a derren brown mega fan. And still am. I've read his books too

I've always had a very hard time with televised magic. For this very reason. Editing.

Unexpected, but very entertaining! Really looking forward to the Olympia review teased in the profiler review

Found this video randomly on my reccomended. Possibly due to all the Derren Brown videos i watch. Subscribing to your channel because you just seem like an absolute gem of a person. I like coffee and all that but i'm subscribing to your channel for you! lol

Damn J Hoff, blast from the past!

I’m meant to be seeing ‘Showman’ (his live performance) in July, just hoping it isn’t cancelled!

superb review/response vid. nice to see someone confirming how they switch up the response to a trick and which trick it actually was.

You seem lovely and I stumbled across this because of Derren Brown and it’s nice to see a fellow fan of his! Also I’m jealous you met him aha

World atlas is coffee is an excellent book, as are your tutorials. I also recently purchased some filter roast from square mile which is also excellent! Please could you delve into espresso/grinder setups at different price points, perhaps even including some manual machines ( great value given their ability to vary brew pressure at much lower price points) Thanks!

Thanks for posting this. Your experience correlates with another trick he did at an advertising agency where I used to work. I wasn't in it but I knew the guys who were. When I spoke to them they stated that the sequence of events was heavily edited in Derren's favor to make it look like more of a trick. I do like Derren Brown and I like his tricks, but it became more obvious to me how a lot of the "tricks" are done and how they come out in the edit.

I remember watching this when it first aired. I think somewhere in my subconscious is why I’ve subscribed to this channel..!

Was hoping this whole time that you would do a magic trick on the video. I won't say I'm disappointed, because your videos are great and so enjoyable, but just thought you would enjoy someone as actually interested in seeing that. Also, thank you for helping me take my personal coffee game to the next level. I thoroughly enjoy now weighing, and carefully brewing my cup, and getting more enjoyment out of it than effort I am putting in.

So you're telling us that television shows are guilty of editing - not a grand revelation there. So they used a different facial reaction to that trick. At least they didn't alter the trick in editing. I don't appreciate his edited shows as much as his live stage shows. I've caught a few 'embellishments' on his edited shows that betray his supposed trickery - basically cheating the cheat. (The art gallery heist) It's clever if you can fool an audience through actual misdirection and suggestion, but doing it in editing isn't clever, it's just creating fictional entertainment.

8:42 James Hoffman, serial bean flicker??

You are a great narrator James - sincerely!

Most interesting thx for posting

I've never heard of him , but this was entertaining

FYI: You didn't look ridiculous back then.

I’ve only recently discovered your videos about a year ago. I remember this clip but I don’t remember it being you! What a blast from the past.

I have experience in face to face sales and just Awww you had such a great tool at your disposal! Also I’ve been subscribed for a while joe and had no idea who had been on Trick or treat back in the day 👍

I am a fan too and was rejected from being a patsy at his live show, he shook my hand stared into my eyes and said "It won't work on you". Your explanation is a perfect example of the "manipulation" of "reality" TV. The end product has to work so they have to "adjust" the footage to suit.

Can I just say, I clicked as I’m a DB fan so the KZfaq algorithm and COVID quarantine conspired against me. I don’t even drink coffee, but that was hugely entertaining. You have an incredible way of presenting, I hope you have a series where you just explain stuff we thought we knew ... 🤞🏻

what a nice video, hope to see more of old James...

Omg omg omg! I remember watching this trick when it aired years ago! I even remember the flick your bean joke and my jaw hit the ground! 🤣

Just a thought - but was the extra bean that he drew on the plastic sheet in the first trick in the same place as where you put the bean in the second trick? Usually when there is a preceding trick, with similar props and ideas, it sets up a force for a following trick.

This dude aged like fine wine. In 13 years I'm going to look like a nightmare.

Well, i didnt think id end up here, but im going to sub to your channel on this video alone. Now im off to get a coffee to fuel me for the binge watching that will now ensue

I love Derren Brown!!! You did well on his show. Enjoy the videos. :)

The Devils Picturebook has been re-released over the last couple of years by Vanishing Inc.

I used to love watching derren browns show and he is pretty amazing at what he does but I found out back then early on it was hard to focus on what was a 'real' trick as such and what was just showmanship as such given you are seeing it edited and via television as it allows an extra dimension of showmanship and trickery to the overall process

Well I was going to just glance over how you looked back then, but now you've made such a big deal of it, I feel obliged to bring it to your attention.

Great random vid recommendation.

For the first trick: note that everything is being filmed, because they are making a television programme, so when you scatter the beans, that is all filmed by the cameras. Then all Derren needs is a monitor hidden away somewhere where the image of the scattered beans is displayed, and he traces their positions.

If you are a fan of card tricks Tim Ferris did an interview with Richard Turner that you might find interesting. It’s on Tim’s KZfaq channel.

I was working for Gaggia at the same time, you're so right that system worked. I worked the Norwich outlet. One of the easiest sales jobs ever. Sad that Gaggia couldn't hold it's brand. I think we met at training in Halifax once. Love your channel!

I was a huge fan of him before. It’s so cool that you met him