Technique, from the bar to your bench.
The craft behind a good cup, explained plainly by the people who pull thousands of them a week.
Is six-dollar coffee really too expensive?
A flat white looks like a simple purchase until you actually price out what's behind it. Here is where the money goes.
14 August 2024 · 3 min read
The pinch of salt trick, does it actually work
An old brewing habit with a genuine chemical reason behind it. Here's what a small amount of salt actually does to a cup of coffee.
13 August 2024 · 2 min read
Spotting bean defects at home, and why it matters
A handful of defective beans can drag down an otherwise good batch. Here is how professional graders spot them, and how to do a version of it yourself.
5 August 2024 · 2 min read
Should you freeze coffee beans before grinding
Cold beans grind differently. Whether that's worth the trouble depends on the grinder you own.
23 July 2024 · 2 min read
Dual-phase extraction, an advanced brewing technique worth trying
Splitting a brew into two phases by particle size sounds fussy. For a serious home setup, it is a genuine way to get more out of the same beans.
22 July 2024 · 2 min read
How to brew Vietnamese phin coffee properly
A small metal filter, a slow drip, and a genuinely different way of extracting coffee. Here is how to get it right at home.
15 July 2024 · 2 min read
Coffee degassing, and why your beans taste different each day
Freshly roasted beans are not ready the moment they leave the roaster. Here is what actually happens to them over the following weeks, and how to time your brewing around it.
8 July 2024 · 2 min read
Honey process coffee, what the colour names actually mean
White, yellow, red and black honey aren't flavours, they're how much mucilage was left on the bean. Here's what that changes.
2 July 2024 · 2 min read
Build a DIY coffee sensory training kit at home
You don't need an expensive commercial flavour kit to start training your palate. A well-stocked kitchen cupboard covers most of what you need.
27 June 2024 · 2 min read
Why temperature control matters more than you'd think
Water loses heat fast between kettle and cup, and that quiet temperature drop is doing more to your coffee than most brewing advice admits.
16 June 2024 · 2 min read
Anaerobic fermentation, a home experiment worth trying once
Sealing green beans away from oxygen builds genuinely different flavour. Here's what it actually takes to try it safely at home.
11 June 2024 · 2 min read
How to make a perfect Einspänner at home
Strong espresso under a cloud of whipped cream, no spoon required. Vienna's coachman's coffee is easier to get right at home than it looks.
11 June 2024 · 3 min read