CRAFTED

“My whole goal in life was to be a ski bum and a chef.” For Mark Connell, the executive chef at PARC Aspen, we can definitely say: mission accomplished. Mark is a passionate skier and a culinary genius, and we discuss how Mark & Jonathan first met; Mark’s background and his time working at The French Laundry; what punk rock has to do with high-end cuisine; frozen pizza; white wine; celebrity chefs; & more.RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:How Mark & Jonathan Met (3:53)Mark’s Background (9:33)Punk Rock & High-End Cuisine? (22:08)The French Laundry (37:50)Italy (40:43)Celebrity Chefs (46:04)Palettes (53:25)Frozen Pizza (1:06:20)Wine (1:11:38)Junk Food & Topics for ‘Part 2’ (1:21:37)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These days, owning a beautiful home is often prohibitively expensive, while “affordable” housing too often fails to include quality craftsmanship. But there is a solution, and today, Zack Giffin reminds us of this fact and discusses the craft of designing smaller structures that address our true needs. This is a conversation where design and philosophy come together in a big way, as does the art of fostering real communities and constructing vibrant towns.RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberBlister Podcast Ep.275: Zack GiffinTOPICS & TIMES:Zack’s background (3:48)Why are smaller houses controversial? (9:05)Construction & Craft (21:20)Renting vs Owning + Rules of the Road (32:36)Designing a Tiny Home for Jonathan (37:17)Strangest Build Request? (58:40)Where Should People Find Out More? (1:00:21)Current State of Prohibitions (1:04:18)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we get a crash course on the vinyl revival and why spinning records on a turntable is a more engaging way of listening to music. Our guest, Michael Fremer, is regarded as one of the premier experts in the audio field, and he's extremely passionate about it. Michael and Simon get into how Led Zeppelin II was made, why Howard Stern hates vinyl, how to go about buying your first turntable, the travesty of “smashed” music, turntables that cost as much as a house, and tons more.RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Records Just Sound Better (3:11)The Vinyl Revival (7:16)Michael’s Today Show appearance (8:08)What’s A Pressing? (11:11)Record Store Days (14:22)Turntables (21:11)Michael’s First Turntable (24:34)A Turntable As Expensive As A House (25:46)Quincy jones and Michael Jackson (27:34)Turntables Are Vibrations Measuring Devices (30:16)Phono Preamps (33:41)Choosing Records (40:57)“Smashing” Ruins Good Recordings (43:04)Bob Ludwig’s Cut Of Led Zeppelin II (46:52)How To Really Listen To Music (54:04)Current Vinyl Sales (1:06:46)Michael’s Two Records (1:08:09)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the greatest big-mountain skiers of all time is also seriously passionate about making great pizza. So what’s the story here, and what do pizza and skiing have in common? What has Sage learned about the art of making dough and sauce? And what do you need to know to start making great pizza yourself? We cover all of this, plus Sage’s most recent trip to Alaska.RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberBlister Pod #41: Sage on Skiing SpinesBlister Pod #270: Angel Collinson / Sage’s Pizza TOPICS & TIMES:Pizza & Skiing (5:58)Outdoor Pizza Ovens (15:00)Pizza Team (18:14)Pizza & Espresso (21:08)Outdoor Pizza Ovens, Part 2 (23:25)Angel’s Story of Sage's Pizza (37:31)Sage’s Most Recent Trip to AK (43:15)Pizza 101: Getting Started (54:40) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

La Marzocco is the most iconic espresso-machine maker in the world, and last month, Jonathan went to the La Marzocco Accademia to talk with their head product designer, Stefano Della Pietra, about the history and core principles of the company; how he became the head of product design there; and the task of taking La Marzocco into the future while staying true to the brand’s storied past.RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Accademia del Caffe EspressoInnovation (5:39)Avoiding Fads (14:12)How Did You Get Your Position? (16:43)Lina Micra & Mini (20:28)Other Areas of Design Inspiration (25:12)Espresso Machines & Watches (27:48)Officine Fratelli Bambi (30:08)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After much deliberation, we’re revealing the machine that Jonathan ended up going with on his quest to create daily doses of “hero espresso” — a phrase coined at the end of this conversation. Simon Stewart joins Jonathan for all the glorious, dorky details, and they also discuss decaf coffee & N/A beer; the price of a thing vs. the amount of joy it brings; mtn bikes vs. espresso machines; & more.RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Tea?? (4:36)PSA: Great Coffee can be Cheap (6:15)Origins of JE's Obsession (9:57)E61 vs. Saturated Group Head (15:37)JE's La Marzocco Linea Micra (26:38)Beans (31:45)Other Machines JE Considered (36:38)Microfoam, Cortados, & Macchiatos (39:33)Decaf Coffee & N/A Beer (45:16)Manual Machines & Simon’s Quest (52:37)Weighing Beans (1:03:52)Cost & the Economics of this Setup (1:08:39)Florence, Italy (1:15:31)Hero Espresso (1:20:51)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Ellsworth was recently at JING Tea headquarters in London for another CRAFTED conversation with JING founder, Ed Eisler. After a proper tea tasting, they sat down to discuss all things tea (and skis); agriculture as art; and the qualities of a great tea.RELATED LINKSCRAFTED ep. 23 w/ JING’s Ed EislerCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Coffee, Tea, & Skis (5:12)Curiosity (12:41)Standards (21:47)Buying Local (25:49)Principles & Sourcing Tea (30:26)Going Forward (32:13)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are discussing a product that people get very passionate about — and even more opinionated about: cast-iron cookware. Jonathan is joined by Blister senior bike editor, Simon Stewart, who has been using cast-iron cookware for more than twenty years, but is now on a quest to see if the fancier, more expensive options out there are better than their cheaper counterparts. We also discuss the notion of ‘elevating the everyday’; cast-iron cookware as heirlooms; the introduction of new tech; the return of old tech; and more.RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Why are we talking about cast iron cookware (2:57)Defining "Nicer" (9:26)Amatuer Hour PA (13:25)Price Ranges (15:28)Rape Seed Oil Sanding (21:20)Why Cast Iron and the Obsession (23:53)Current Landscape of Cast Iron (27:57)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz, aka, the ‘Sauna Shaman’, talks about how Hoji kicked off his obsession with saunas; their numerous benefits; and lays out what it takes (and costs) to build your own sauna. (On our site, you can check out a bunch of photos of the sauna that Matt built. It’s sweet.)RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Defining Terms (8:59)The cold plunge trick (25:15)Heart and inflammation (27:19)hot tub vs sauna (29:42)planning a sauna and costs (31:17)Temperatures (43:14)Sauna Enthusiasm and becoming a Shaman (48:30)Infrared (51:57)Wrap Up (55:02)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To wrap up the year, we are sharing the craft categories that most captivated our Blister reviewers in 2023, and some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2024. This is a fun one, and it certainly fills out the picture of the people behind our reviews, videos, articles, podcasts, and Blister Summit events.And over on our Blister Podcast, you’ll also get to hear our team talk about their highlights of 2023, and their resolutions for 2024. Happy New Year!RELATED LINKSCheck out the Blister Craft CollectiveBecome a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:1: Luke Kopppa (2:11)2: Dylan Wood (13:49)3: Simon Stewart (26:17)4: Kara Williard (36:56)5: Jonathan Ellsworth (45:33)6: Eric Freson (56:59)7: Sascha Anastas (1:10:42)8: Kristin Sinnott (1:18:28)SEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Blister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.