A Brief History of Manual Brewing Methods

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Manually brewing coffee at home has many advantages. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to do, making it popular with those getting familiar with coffee for the first time. It’s also a brewing method that you can experiment with, making it equally popular with coffee professionals and coffee shops. Whether you’re a home brewer wanting to know more about which device to invest in, or a barista looking to better understand the origins of the device you use every day, you’ll benefit from knowing the history of the following manual brewing devices.  Here’s how approaches to manual coffee brewing have changed over time, as well as the most popular devices that… Read More

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What’s a Macchiato Coffee?

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‘Macchiato’ is an Italian word that loosely translates to ‘marked’ – and is commonly used to describe the coffee beverage of the same name. Ask most fans of the drink how to make it, and they’ll say that you add some milk to an espresso shot. While this is correct, there’s no universally accepted amount of milk used, which means that if you order a macchiato in different cafés, you could get drastically different drinks. Here’s where the macchiato originates from, how it’s served today, and how it might evolve in the future. WHO INVENTED THE MACCHIATO & HOW IS IT MADE? The macchiato was likely created in Italy in… Read More

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French Press to Pour Over: How to Make Great Coffee at Home

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Delicate filter coffees and bold espressos aren’t solely found in coffee shops. Brewing coffee can be done from the comfort of your own home, too. It’s an enjoyable pastime that has delicious results. Plus, you get to learn something new every day. We’ve put together a guide on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee at home, whether you’re new to specialty coffee or a seasoned pro. Read on to find out how to make coffee at home and discover some top tips to get the best results. IF YOU’RE NEW TO HOME BREWING Whether you’re taking your first steps into making coffee at home, or have a fair… Read More

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Crema: How It’s Formed, What It Tells Us, & How to Learn From It

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Espresso is a complex beverage characterised by a signature layer of crema. For some, the crema is seen as a fundamental part of the espresso. For others, it’s viewed as an unnecessary byproduct of the extraction process. To find out why people view crema so differently, I reached out to three coffee specialists for their insight. Here’s what they had to say about crema is and what it can tell us. WHAT IS CREMA? Crema is formed during espresso extraction. In James Hoffmann’s book, ‘The World Atlas of Coffee’, he explains that when water is under pressure, it dissolves more carbon dioxide, which is a gas in the coffee beans… Read More

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World Coffee Research Launches Global Survey on Agricultural Research Priorities

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Only one more day to participate in the @WCoffeeResearch (WCR) Agricultural Research Priorities Survey! Learn more and take the survey here. Agricultural research and development are critical for securing the future of coffee.  World Coffee Research (WCR) has designed a global survey on agricultural research priorities with input from other coffee organizations including the SCA. The survey aims to understand the needs of the coffee industry in agricultural research and development. The purpose of the survey is to amplify the voices of the coffee community and to help the research community understand the professional and business needs that can be addressed by scientific, academic, and applied research. Please take a few minutes… Read More

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A Single ‘Super Parent’ Plant Birthed All of Arabica, Research Finds

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A Bourbon variety coffee plant can be traced back thousands of years to a single ‘super parent’ plant, according to new research. When one coffee plant loves another coffee plant… Research first made available this morning has given that age-old story a whole lot more context, at least in the coffee world. It seems all of arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) species can be traced back to one single plant, a “super parent” that came from a speciation event between two other coffee species — Canephora, a.k.a. robusta, and Eugenioides.  That fortuitous event, a beautiful and spontaneous coupling, happened between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, according to the new study, which resulted from a… Read More

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What Is a Micro Lot in Specialty Coffee?

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Over time, many terms have been created and adapted to meet the needs and expectations of the specialty coffee industry. One of these terms is micro lot, which is used by many members of the coffee industry to refer to small, exclusive, and traceable lots of coffee. However, there’s still some confusion as to what exactly defines the term. Over time, many terms have been created and adapted to meet the needs and expectations of the specialty coffee industry. One of these terms is micro lot, which is used by many members of the coffee industry to refer to small, exclusive, and traceable lots of coffee. However, there’s still some… Read More

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Roast Defects in Coffee: How to Identify Them in The Cup

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There are a number of different roast defects which can affect the flavour of your coffee. You might taste the burnt and ashy flavours of scorched coffee, or maybe even oaty and bread-like notes of baked coffee.  As a roaster, you won’t want these flavours overpowering the hard work you’ve put into a roast. Identifying these defects by sight and taste will help you roast to a higher standard and more consistently. Read on to discover why cupping is so important in roasting, how to identify defects in cupping, and how to make changes in your roast for that defect. Why Identifying Roast Defects Is Important Roast defects can affect… Read More

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French Press – The History & Brewing Guide

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You might know it as a cafetiére, plunger or French Press, but the truth is that there have been several patents with different names and from different origins for this popular brewing device. A history lesson is in order to understand how it has evolved over time. You might know it as a cafetiére, plunger or French Press, but the truth is that there have been several patents with different names and from different origins for this popular brewing device. A history lesson is in order to understand how it has evolved over time. The French Press, as designed by Mayer and Delforge in 1852. Credit: beandelivered.com The History of… Read More

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Astrophysicist Jonathan Gagné Connects Science and Brewing Via Coffee Ad Astra

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Jonathan Gagné uses his own scientific background to better understand coffee brewing by publishing experiments on his blog Cofee Ad Astra. BY CRAIG BATORYSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Jonathan Gagné When astrophysicist Jonathan Gagné isn’t searching for exoplanets outside the solar system, you’ll likely find him at his kitchen table exploring the never-ending complexities of specialty coffee. Jonathan, an astrophysicist who started the coffee blog Coffee Ad Astra, is currently pursuing a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montréal. In his free time, he explores and diagnoses complex issues around coffee brewing. Jonathan first became interested in coffee while he… Read More

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