Latest publications
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6 min readHow Colombia's civil wars changed the course of its coffee production
In parts of Colombia during La Violencia, the coffee harvest was the most dangerous time of year. We trace how...
How Colombia's civil wars changed the course of its coffee production
In parts of Colombia during La Violencia, the coffee harvest was the most dangerous time of year. We trace how more than a century of civil war, from the Thousand...
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5 min readA History of Mexican Coffee: The German Fincas of Soconusco
In the 1890s, millions of coffee trees were coming into bearing in Mexico’s Soconusco, and there was almost no one...
A History of Mexican Coffee: The German Fincas of Soconusco
In the 1890s, millions of coffee trees were coming into bearing in Mexico’s Soconusco, and there was almost no one to pick them. How German planters solved that problem, and...
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5 min readWhat did revolution do to Ethiopia's coffee?
In 1974, a revolution swept away Ethiopia’s emperor, and within a year every piece of rural land in the country,...
What did revolution do to Ethiopia's coffee?
In 1974, a revolution swept away Ethiopia’s emperor, and within a year every piece of rural land in the country, including the coffee farms, belonged to the state. We look...
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5 min readIndustry Insight: How Land Reform Shaped Peru's Coffee
Peru’s great land reform didn’t start in government offices. It started, in part, with coffee farmers in the La Convención...
Industry Insight: How Land Reform Shaped Peru's Coffee
Peru’s great land reform didn’t start in government offices. It started, in part, with coffee farmers in the La Convención valley near Cusco. We trace how haciendas gave way to...
All Articles
6 min read
How Colombia's civil wars changed the course of its coffee production
In parts of Colombia during La Violencia, the coffee harvest was the most dangerous time of year. We trace how...
How Colombia's civil wars changed the course of its coffee production
In parts of Colombia during La Violencia, the coffee harvest was the most dangerous time of year. We trace how more than a century of civil war, from the Thousand...
5 min read
A History of Mexican Coffee: The German Fincas of Soconusco
In the 1890s, millions of coffee trees were coming into bearing in Mexico’s Soconusco, and there was almost no one...
A History of Mexican Coffee: The German Fincas of Soconusco
In the 1890s, millions of coffee trees were coming into bearing in Mexico’s Soconusco, and there was almost no one to pick them. How German planters solved that problem, and...
5 min read
What did revolution do to Ethiopia's coffee?
In 1974, a revolution swept away Ethiopia’s emperor, and within a year every piece of rural land in the country,...
What did revolution do to Ethiopia's coffee?
In 1974, a revolution swept away Ethiopia’s emperor, and within a year every piece of rural land in the country, including the coffee farms, belonged to the state. We look...
5 min read
Industry Insight: How Land Reform Shaped Peru's Coffee
Peru’s great land reform didn’t start in government offices. It started, in part, with coffee farmers in the La Convención...
Industry Insight: How Land Reform Shaped Peru's Coffee
Peru’s great land reform didn’t start in government offices. It started, in part, with coffee farmers in the La Convención valley near Cusco. We trace how haciendas gave way to...
5 min read
Industry Insight: Mexico, Where Fairtrade Began
In November 1988, coffee from a cooperative of indigenous communities in Oaxaca became the first ever sold under a Fairtrade...
Industry Insight: Mexico, Where Fairtrade Began
In November 1988, coffee from a cooperative of indigenous communities in Oaxaca became the first ever sold under a Fairtrade label. We look at how Mexico’s coffee industry was organised,...
5 min read
Industry Insight: How Brazil Moves the Price of Coffee
Brazil grows nearly 40% of the world’s coffee, so a cold night in Minas Gerais can change what roasters everywhere...
Industry Insight: How Brazil Moves the Price of Coffee
Brazil grows nearly 40% of the world’s coffee, so a cold night in Minas Gerais can change what roasters everywhere pay for green coffee. We look at how the C-price...
9 min read
A History of Ugandan Coffee: Between State and Market
For much of the 20th century, Uganda’s state decided who could buy coffee, what farmers were paid and how it...
A History of Ugandan Coffee: Between State and Market
For much of the 20th century, Uganda’s state decided who could buy coffee, what farmers were paid and how it left the country. Then, in the early 1990s, it threw...
6 min read
What's With the Shift Towards Decaf Coffee? A Conversation with Calm Coffee Roastery and Decaf Nation
"Is this definitely decaf?" It's one of Decaf Nation's favourite reactions from customers - and it says everything about the...
What's With the Shift Towards Decaf Coffee? A Conversation with Calm Coffee Roastery and Decaf Nation
"Is this definitely decaf?" It's one of Decaf Nation's favourite reactions from customers - and it says everything about the reputation problem decaf has had to shake off. Decaf has...
10 min read
Aillio Bullet: Everything You Need to Know
The Aillio Bullet is an induction-heated drum roaster with infrared temperature sensing and a proven software ecosystem. Here's everything you...
Aillio Bullet: Everything You Need to Know
The Aillio Bullet is an induction-heated drum roaster with infrared temperature sensing and a proven software ecosystem. Here's everything you need to know - setup, seasoning, controls, troubleshooting, and how...
8 min read
Green Coffee Basics
How to Improve Your Coffee Tasting Skills: A Practical Guide
Getting better at tasting coffee is mostly about paying attention - comparing coffees side by side, learning to tell acidity...
How to Improve Your Coffee Tasting Skills: A Practical Guide
Getting better at tasting coffee is mostly about paying attention - comparing coffees side by side, learning to tell acidity from bitterness, and connecting what you taste to what you...
8 min read
Home Roasting
Is It Worth Roasting Your Own Coffee? An Honest Look
Home roasting gives you freshness, control, and cost savings - but the real reason most people do it is because...
Is It Worth Roasting Your Own Coffee? An Honest Look
Home roasting gives you freshness, control, and cost savings - but the real reason most people do it is because it is genuinely enjoyable. Here's an honest look at the...
4 min read
The Invisible Labour Behind Every Cup of Coffee: The Unpaid Work That Makes Every Harvest Possible
Unpaid domestic work is one of the largest categories of labour anywhere in the world, and almost none of it...
The Invisible Labour Behind Every Cup of Coffee: The Unpaid Work That Makes Every Harvest Possible
Unpaid domestic work is one of the largest categories of labour anywhere in the world, and almost none of it counts. In Colombia's coffee-growing communities, this invisible work is what...
10 min read
Kaleido M10 Review: What Owners Running It as a Production Roaster Told Us
We asked four Kaleido M10 owners, including one who built a roastery on it, for the unfiltered version: real batch...
Kaleido M10 Review: What Owners Running It as a Production Roaster Told Us
We asked four Kaleido M10 owners, including one who built a roastery on it, for the unfiltered version: real batch sizes, real downsides, and how it actually stacks up against...
6 min
Kaffelogic Nano 7 Review: The Complete UK Buyer's Guide
The Kaffelogic Nano 7 has quietly become one of the most talked-about home roasters on the market — but does...
Kaffelogic Nano 7 Review: The Complete UK Buyer's Guide
The Kaffelogic Nano 7 has quietly become one of the most talked-about home roasters on the market — but does it actually deliver? We put it under the microscope: performance,...
11 min read
Best Coffee Beans: What Every Small Roaster Should Know
The difference between a forgettable cup and one that stops a customer mid-sip comes down to a single decision: the...
Best Coffee Beans: What Every Small Roaster Should Know
The difference between a forgettable cup and one that stops a customer mid-sip comes down to a single decision: the beans you choose to roast. For small roasters looking to...
9 mins
Specialty Coffee in Europe: Trends, Data and What Small Roasters Need to Know
Europe's coffee culture has undergone a quiet but profound transformation over the past decade. What began as a niche movement...
Specialty Coffee in Europe: Trends, Data and What Small Roasters Need to Know
Europe's coffee culture has undergone a quiet but profound transformation over the past decade. What began as a niche movement in Scandinavian roasteries and London's independent cafes has evolved into...
Unfiltered July - What's been going on behind the scenes
Following a short hiatus, we're bringing back the Unfiltered newsletter. I've got some exciting updates on how we make green...
Unfiltered July - What's been going on behind the scenes
Following a short hiatus, we're bringing back the Unfiltered newsletter. I've got some exciting updates on how we make green coffee accessible through the site. This issue leans more towards...
4 min read
What was the Shining Path, and what did it cost Peru's coffee regions?
In 1980, a small Maoist movement calling itself Sendero Luminoso — the Shining Path — launched what it called a...
What was the Shining Path, and what did it cost Peru's coffee regions?
In 1980, a small Maoist movement calling itself Sendero Luminoso — the Shining Path — launched what it called a people's war against the Peruvian state. Its founder, a philosophy professor...
8 min read
Home Roasting
First Crack in Coffee Roasting: What It Is, What It Means, and What to Do
Every roasting decision you make happens relative to first crack. This guide explains what causes it, how to recognise it...
First Crack in Coffee Roasting: What It Is, What It Means, and What to Do
Every roasting decision you make happens relative to first crack. This guide explains what causes it, how to recognise it on different equipment, how it differs from second crack, and...
6 min read
Commercial Roasting
Development Time Ratio (DTR) in Coffee Roasting: What It Is and How to Use It
Development time ratio measures the percentage of your roast that happens after first crack. Here's what it tells you, what...
Development Time Ratio (DTR) in Coffee Roasting: What It Is and How to Use It
Development time ratio measures the percentage of your roast that happens after first crack. Here's what it tells you, what it does not, and how to use it alongside cupping...
4 min read
Moving Up: How to Translate Your Bullet R1 Roast Profiles to the R2 and R2 Pro
Discover how to translate your Aillio Bullet R1 roast profiles to the new R2 and R2 Pro. Compare the 1550W...
Moving Up: How to Translate Your Bullet R1 Roast Profiles to the R2 and R2 Pro
Discover how to translate your Aillio Bullet R1 roast profiles to the new R2 and R2 Pro. Compare the 1550W vs 2300W power steps, learn the mid-range rules of thumb,...
8 min read
Home Roasting
Baked Coffee Beans: What It Tastes Like, What Causes It, and How to Prevent It
Baking is one of the most common roast defects and one of the hardest to spot - the beans look...
Baked Coffee Beans: What It Tastes Like, What Causes It, and How to Prevent It
Baking is one of the most common roast defects and one of the hardest to spot - the beans look fine, but the cup has no sweetness, no brightness, and...
5 min read
How Long to Rest Coffee After Roasting: A Practical Guide
Freshly roasted coffee needs time to degas before it tastes its best - but how long depends on your roast...
How Long to Rest Coffee After Roasting: A Practical Guide
Freshly roasted coffee needs time to degas before it tastes its best - but how long depends on your roast level, your roaster, and how you brew. Here's how to...
8 min read
Commercial Roasting
Uneven Coffee Roast: What Causes It and How to Fix It
Uneven roasting means beans in the same batch develop inconsistently - some darker, some lighter, and a muddled, unbalanced cup....
Uneven Coffee Roast: What Causes It and How to Fix It
Uneven roasting means beans in the same batch develop inconsistently - some darker, some lighter, and a muddled, unbalanced cup. Here's what causes it and how to fix it.
7 min read
Commercial Roasting
Coffee Roast Profiling: How to Translate Sample Roasts to Production
You cannot copy a roast profile from a sample roaster to a production machine - but you can learn how...
Coffee Roast Profiling: How to Translate Sample Roasts to Production
You cannot copy a roast profile from a sample roaster to a production machine - but you can learn how a coffee behaves before you commit a full batch. Here's...
6 min read
Home Roasting
Quakers in Coffee: What They Are, Why They Happen, and What to Do
Quakers are pale, underdeveloped beans that show up after roasting - and they are a green coffee defect, not a...
Quakers in Coffee: What They Are, Why They Happen, and What to Do
Quakers are pale, underdeveloped beans that show up after roasting - and they are a green coffee defect, not a roast defect. Here's what causes them, what they taste like,...
10 min read
Home Roasting
Kaffelogic Nano 7: Everything You Need to Know
Whether you have just bought a Kaffelogic or you are considering one, this guide covers setup, the built-in profiles including...
Kaffelogic Nano 7: Everything You Need to Know
Whether you have just bought a Kaffelogic or you are considering one, this guide covers setup, the built-in profiles including altitude-matched options, how levels work, the Studio software, the BOOST...
4 min read
How colonialism built Kenya's coffee industry
Coffee isn't native to Kenya - even though the country shares a border with Ethiopia, where arabica originated, and Uganda,...
How colonialism built Kenya's coffee industry
Coffee isn't native to Kenya - even though the country shares a border with Ethiopia, where arabica originated, and Uganda, home of robusta. It was introduced in 1893, most likely...
8 min read
Green Coffee Basics
Coffee Cupping: How to Cup Coffee at Home
Cupping is the most reliable way to evaluate your roasts and the green coffee you buy. Here's how to set...
Coffee Cupping: How to Cup Coffee at Home
Cupping is the most reliable way to evaluate your roasts and the green coffee you buy. Here's how to set it up at home - the method, what to taste...
9 min read
Commercial Roasting
How to Blend Coffee: A Practical Guide for Home and Small-Batch Roasters
Blending is one of the most useful and most underrated skills in roasting. Here's how to decide between pre-roast and...
How to Blend Coffee: A Practical Guide for Home and Small-Batch Roasters
Blending is one of the most useful and most underrated skills in roasting. Here's how to decide between pre-roast and post-roast blending, how many components to use, which coffees work...
4 min read
How coffee sent Japan's rural poor to Brazil - and then brought their grandchildren back
Brazil is home to 1.5 million people of Japanese descent, the largest Japanese community outside Japan. Japan, in turn, is...
How coffee sent Japan's rural poor to Brazil - and then brought their grandchildren back
Brazil is home to 1.5 million people of Japanese descent, the largest Japanese community outside Japan. Japan, in turn, is home to roughly 230,000 Brazilians, most of them ethnically Japanese, many...
14 min read
Home Roasting
How to Roast Coffee in a Pan, Wok, Oven, or Air Fryer
Kitchen methods can produce genuinely good roasted coffee with zero investment. This guide covers five no-machine approaches in detail -...
How to Roast Coffee in a Pan, Wok, Oven, or Air Fryer
Kitchen methods can produce genuinely good roasted coffee with zero investment. This guide covers five no-machine approaches in detail - pan, wok, oven, air fryer, and popcorn maker - with...
9 min read
Home Roasting
Types of Coffee Roasts: Roast Levels, Methods, and How to Choose
Coffee roast levels explained - what light, medium, medium-dark, and dark roasts look like, taste like, and how to achieve...
Types of Coffee Roasts: Roast Levels, Methods, and How to Choose
Coffee roast levels explained - what light, medium, medium-dark, and dark roasts look like, taste like, and how to achieve each one. Covers the traditional naming system (City, Full City,...
8 min read
Home Roasting
Underdeveloped Coffee: What It Tastes Like, Why It Happens, and How to Fix It
Underdevelopment is one of the most common roast defects, especially for home roasters aiming for lighter profiles. This guide explains...
Underdeveloped Coffee: What It Tastes Like, Why It Happens, and How to Fix It
Underdevelopment is one of the most common roast defects, especially for home roasters aiming for lighter profiles. This guide explains what it tastes like, what causes it, how to tell...
11 min read
Home Roasting
Mastering the Rate of Rise in Coffee Roasting: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Use It
The rate of rise (RoR) is one of the most useful - and most misunderstood - metrics in coffee roasting....
Mastering the Rate of Rise in Coffee Roasting: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Use It
The rate of rise (RoR) is one of the most useful - and most misunderstood - metrics in coffee roasting. It tells you how fast your beans are gaining heat,...
5 min read
The Cold War coup that protected Brazil's coffee oligarchy
Between 1894 and 1930, Brazil was governed by so-called "coffee presidents" - leaders drawn from the planter oligarchies of São...
The Cold War coup that protected Brazil's coffee oligarchy
Between 1894 and 1930, Brazil was governed by so-called "coffee presidents" - leaders drawn from the planter oligarchies of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, who ruled in the direct interests...
9 min read
Home Roasting
Scorching and Tipping in Coffee Roasting: How to Spot It and Avoid It
Scorching and tipping are surface-level roasting defects that leave visible marks on your beans and off-flavours in the cup. They're...
Scorching and Tipping in Coffee Roasting: How to Spot It and Avoid It
Scorching and tipping are surface-level roasting defects that leave visible marks on your beans and off-flavours in the cup. They're easy to spot once you know what to look for,...
8 min read
Green Coffee Basics
Carbonic Maceration Coffee: What It Is and How It Works
Borrowed from winemaking and refined at origin over the last decade, carbonic maceration is now a recognised processing category in...
Carbonic Maceration Coffee: What It Is and How It Works
Borrowed from winemaking and refined at origin over the last decade, carbonic maceration is now a recognised processing category in its own right. This guide explains how it works, how...
11 min read
Green Coffee Basics
How Value Moves Through the Coffee Supply Chain
Where does the money go in the coffee supply chain? Explore the journey from farm to cup, the impact of...
How Value Moves Through the Coffee Supply Chain
Where does the money go in the coffee supply chain? Explore the journey from farm to cup, the impact of colonial trade history, and how value is distributed across the...
10 min read
Green Coffee Basics
What Makes Good Green Coffee? How to Think About Value
Is expensive green coffee actually better? Discover the factors that drive green coffee prices - from origin and processing to...
What Makes Good Green Coffee? How to Think About Value
Is expensive green coffee actually better? Discover the factors that drive green coffee prices - from origin and processing to grading - and learn how to find the best value...
9 min read
Green Coffee Basics
Coffee Cooperatives: What They Are and How They Work
Most of the world's coffee is produced by smallholders who rely on cooperatives for processing, market access, and collective bargaining...
Coffee Cooperatives: What They Are and How They Work
Most of the world's coffee is produced by smallholders who rely on cooperatives for processing, market access, and collective bargaining power. This guide explains how coffee cooperatives are structured, what...
11 min read
Green Coffee Basics
Green Coffee Grading Explained: How the Coffee Grading System Works
There is no single coffee grading system - different countries grade on size, defects, altitude, or cup quality. Here's what...
Green Coffee Grading Explained: How the Coffee Grading System Works
There is no single coffee grading system - different countries grade on size, defects, altitude, or cup quality. Here's what each system actually measures and what it means when you...
10 min read
Green Coffee Basics
What Does a Coffee Research Institute Actually Do?
Who are World Coffee Research, Cenicafé, and CIRAD? Go inside the coffee research institutes developing climate-resilient varieties and the future...
What Does a Coffee Research Institute Actually Do?
Who are World Coffee Research, Cenicafé, and CIRAD? Go inside the coffee research institutes developing climate-resilient varieties and the future of specialty coffee.
5 min read
Green Coffee Basics
How to Understand Physical Measurements of Green Coffee Bean: Moisture Content, Density and Water Activity
A practical guide to green coffee beans physical measurement, covering moisture content, green coffee density and water activity in coffee....
How to Understand Physical Measurements of Green Coffee Bean: Moisture Content, Density and Water Activity
A practical guide to green coffee beans physical measurement, covering moisture content, green coffee density and water activity in coffee. Learn how they interact and when measurement matters.
9 min read
Green Coffee Basics
Co-Fermented Green Coffee: What It Is and What to Expect
Co-fermented coffee is one of the fastest-growing and most debated categories in specialty. This guide explains what co-fermented green coffee...
Co-Fermented Green Coffee: What It Is and What to Expect
Co-fermented coffee is one of the fastest-growing and most debated categories in specialty. This guide explains what co-fermented green coffee is, how the process works, the difference between co-fermented and...
5 min read
Why producing countries can't roast their own coffee
Producing countries account for 74% of global coffee export volume but receive just 57% of the value. The stages where...
Why producing countries can't roast their own coffee
Producing countries account for 74% of global coffee export volume but receive just 57% of the value. The stages where the real money is made - roasting, branding, packaging -...
14 min read
Green Coffee Basics
Coffee Fermentation Process: What It Means for the Green Coffee You Buy
Names like World Coffee Research, Cenicafé, and CIRAD come up constantly in specialty coffee, but what these organisations actually do...
Coffee Fermentation Process: What It Means for the Green Coffee You Buy
Names like World Coffee Research, Cenicafé, and CIRAD come up constantly in specialty coffee, but what these organisations actually do is rarely explained clearly. This guide breaks down the different...
6 min read
Why Different Coffee Origins Use Different Processing Methods
Why does Brazil favour natural processing while Colombia has long relied on washed coffee? The answers lie in geography, climate...
Why Different Coffee Origins Use Different Processing Methods
Why does Brazil favour natural processing while Colombia has long relied on washed coffee? The answers lie in geography, climate and history as much as in technique. This article explores...
