Meet the Team

Why you should trust me: I have been growing and writing about peppers for over 15 years. Before starting KnowThePepper, I worked in agricultural extension, helping small-scale farmers in Mexico and Guatemala optimize their pepper crops. I've grown every major variety from Carolina Reapers to mild shishitos across USDA zones 5 through 11. If a growing tip is on this site, it's because I tested it myself.

What I grow every season: At least 40 varieties — always Carolina Reapers, Scotch Bonnets, Thai chilis, and whatever new superhot cross I can get seeds for. I trial new varieties in raised beds with controlled soil mixes so the growing data is consistent.

Favorite pepper to cook with: Ají Amarillo. Fruity, moderate heat, and it makes everything golden yellow. I use it in everything from ceviche to pasta sauce.

Least favorite pepper experience: Eating a raw Chocolate Bhutlah on a dare at ZestFest 2019. I don't recommend it. The hiccups lasted two hours.

Why you should trust me: I have a Master's degree in Food Science from UC Davis, where my thesis focused on capsaicinoid profiling in Capsicum chinense cultivars using HPLC. I've published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and reviewed submissions for the International Journal of Food Science. Before joining KnowThePepper, I worked in quality assurance for a spice company, testing capsaicin concentrations.

What I actually do here: I verify every scientific claim on the site. If we say a pepper is 1,000,000 SHU, I trace that number back to a specific study or measurement. I also write the science-focused guides — the Scoville scale explainer, capsaicin chemistry deep-dives, and anything involving receptor biology.

Favorite thing to research: The TRPV1 receptor. It's the reason capsaicin makes you feel heat, and the biology behind it is genuinely fascinating. I wrote our capsaicin guide and could happily write three more.

Least favorite part of the job: Reading "studies" from supplement companies claiming capsaicin cures everything. It doesn't. I spend too much time debunking bad science.

Why you should trust me: I hold a Master Gardener certification from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and have been growing peppers seriously for 12 years. Our trial garden spans 2,000 square feet with 80+ varieties each season, across raised beds, containers, and in-ground plots. Every growing tip on this site has been tested in at least two soil types and two climate conditions before I sign off on it.

What I grow every season: Everything from Anaheims and poblanos for the kitchen to superhots for the seed-saving program. This year I'm trialing 15 new varieties including some rare Capsicum pubescens that I sourced from a grower in Cusco, Peru.

Favorite thing about this job: Watching first-time growers nail their first superhot harvest. The messages we get from readers who grew their first ghost pepper from our guide — that's why I write.

Least favorite part: Aphids. Every spring without fail. I've tried every organic control method known to science. Ladybugs are overrated. Neem oil is king.

Why you should trust me: I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and spent four years cooking at high-volume restaurants in Mexico City, including Pujol and Quintonil. I've been developing recipes professionally for six years, with bylines in Bon Appétit, Saveur, and Serious Eats. I specialize in Mexican and Latin American cuisines where peppers are not a garnish — they are the foundation.

What I do at KnowThePepper: I write the culinary sections of our pepper profiles, develop substitution ratios by actually cooking with both peppers side by side, and create the cooking method recommendations. When we say this pepper works great in mole, I have made the mole.

My kitchen essentials: A molcajete my grandmother gave me, dried guajillos always in stock, and a cast iron comal seasoned by 10,000 tortillas. I also keep a shelf of 30+ hot sauces, mostly for research purposes.

Favorite pepper to cook with: Pasilla de Oaxaca. Smoky, complex, and completely underappreciated outside of Mexico. It transforms any mole negro.

Least favorite food trend: Putting Carolina Reaper in everything for the shock factor. Superhots have incredible flavor when used properly — drowning a dish in capsaicin misses the point entirely.

Why you should trust me: I have been reviewing hot sauces and rating peppers for over six years. I ran the blog HeatSeeker for four years, reviewing 500+ commercial hot sauces with a consistent methodology. I have eaten raw superhots on camera more times than I can count and competed in sanctioned chile eating contests. I placed third at the Puckerbutt Reaper Eating Challenge 2022.

What I do at KnowThePepper: I write the head-to-head comparison articles. Every comparison includes firsthand tasting notes — I eat both peppers raw, cooked, and in sauce form before writing. I also maintain the heat tier classifications and write the substitution guidance for when you cannot find the pepper you need.

My hot sauce shelf: Currently 87 bottles deep. My daily rotation includes a habanero fermented sauce from Yellowbird, anything by Heartbeat, and a ghost pepper sauce from a guy in Vermont who grows everything himself.

Favorite comparison I have written: Scotch Bonnet vs Habanero. People think they are the same pepper. They are not even close in flavor. That article gets more traffic than anything else I have written, probably because everyone has the same argument.

Least favorite tasting experience: A Trinidad Moruga Scorpion raw, on an empty stomach, at 7 AM for a video shoot. The cramps lasted four hours. Worth it for the content.