During The Joe Rogan Experience episode with comedian Joe DeRosa, Rogan discussed his effort to reduce the amount of plastic in his daily life. Coffee became a particular focus because many conventional coffee machines send hot water through plastic reservoirs, tubes, and internal components.
“The issue is that you’re not supposed to really be drinking out of hot plastic,” Rogan said. “All that s**t’s plastic. There’s plastic the water goes into plastic. There’s plastic here and plastic there. I’m trying to eliminate as much plastic in my life as possibly as we can.”
Rogan described experimenting with several coffee-making methods, including a small individual brewer and an AeroPress. He said he eventually preferred the AeroPress because it was simple, quick, and required only a few basic components. His setup involves boiling water, grinding coffee beans, and pressing the brewed coffee through a metal mesh filter.
Although he liked the convenience of traditional coffee makers, Rogan was uncomfortable with the amount of plastic involved.
Joe DeRosa agreed and recalled buying expensive Italian espresso machines that became difficult to repair after about a year. In his view, elaborate machines often brought unnecessary maintenance and more plastic into the process.
DeRosa said he preferred making more than one cup at a time, leading Rogan to recommend an all-metal French press. He presented it as an inexpensive alternative with no plastic parts and no complicated moving mechanisms.
“This is the best tasting coffee you’re ever gonna get because it’s got all the oils from the beans,” Rogan said. He argued that paper filters remove some of the coffee’s flavor along with the grounds, while a French press leaves more of the natural oils in the cup.
The conversation also touched on electric kettles. Rogan uses a steel kettle with temperature settings for different drinks, including French press coffee. Once the water reaches the selected temperature, he pours it over freshly ground beans, waits about a minute, and presses the filter down.
For Rogan, the appeal is both practical and personal. He makes one cup of coffee a day and prefers a process with fewer parts, less maintenance, and less contact between hot water and plastic.
