Coffee 101

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Katie and Dylan Morse of Tinker Coffee in Indianapolis to look at 10 common coffee myths. Between them they blow most of them out of the water, explaining where these misconceptions came from and why they are wrong. This is the first of two episodes on this fascinating subject. Here are some takeaways and a list of some of the questions they provide answers...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Stefan Tribble to discuss the best ways to store your coffee. They explain how light, heat, moisture, and oxygen begin to break down coffee beans. Listen to this episode to find out whether you should store your coffee beans on the counter, in the fridge or in the freezer. As well as to learn what type of container will keep your coffee at its freshest for t...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Matt McLaughlin of Starved Rock Coffee Company to talk about the cost of good quality coffee. Their discussion provides “behind the scenes” insight into what it takes to source the best beans from sustainable sources. Then roast them in a way that keeps as much goodness as possible in the product and do so consistently, so the customer always enjoys the tast...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Katie to continue to talk about the health benefits of coffee. This time the focus is on making coffee in a way that ensures that you get the maximum benefit from each and every cup. KEY TAKEAWAYS If coffee smells a little stale or the aroma is weak, the chances are it is not that fresh. Look for a roasted-on date. That is the best way to tell how fresh the...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down again with Katie to continue their discussion about the impact coffee has on health. In this one, the 4th in the health and coffee series, they discuss what coffee companies can, and are doing, to make their product as healthy as possible, As well as how you can optimize coffee for health, when you make it at home and how many cups are healthy to drink for most a...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Katie to talk more about how coffee can affect your health, both good and bad. For this episode, the focus is on the impact coffee has on your metabolism, heart health, and mental health. Kenneth shares the details of some extensive long-term studies and talks about what he has noticed while working as a physician. KEY TAKEAWAYS If you suffer from acid reflu...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Katie to discuss the health benefits of coffee. The first of 4 or 5 episodes that will dig deep into the subject. Kenneth is a physician as well as a coffee roasting expert, who has spoken about how coffee drinking impacts people's health at US medical conferences. Today´s episode is primarily about the antioxidants coffee contains and the role these play in...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Paul Reed of Savor Brands to talk about coffee packaging. In particular, they discuss the role packaging plays in ensuring that you can always enjoy the perfect cup of coffee. They also discuss the role design and branding plays in how we select products as consumers. Paul also provides insights into the packaging industry. Including how it works to save roa...

In this episode, Kenneth and Stefan Tribble compare single origin coffee to blended coffee. They explain what both terms mean. Then, talk through the differences between them. They also discuss the pros and cons of each option. KEY TAKEAWAYS There is a place for both blended and single origin coffee in most people's lives. Blending coffee enables you to balance out sweetness, acidity, and other el...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Jeremy Moore of Bonlife Coffee in Cleveland, TN to discuss coffee tasting notes. In particular the flavor wheel. They explain what it is and how it is used in a way that anyone can understand.  They also talk about some of the other tools they use including the sensory lexicon. Jeremy also shares details of how Bonlife Coffee has evolved and found ways to di...

In this episode, Kenneth once again sits down with Andrew McCaslin of Kaldi´s Coffee to talk about coffee cupping. This time they talk through how to explain what you are smelling and tasting to others, something professionals do using the language of coffee cupping. Kenneth and Andrew talk about how different types of defects affect the taste, what happens to roasts that do not meet the parameter...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Andrew McCaslin of Kaldi´s Coffee to talk about the basics of cupping coffee. Or to put it another way – how to taste coffee and do it as the pros do!  Kenneth and Andrew explain what cupping is and why it is a crucial part of delivering great-tasting coffee, every time. They take you through the entire process, step-by-step. KEY TAKEAWAYS  There is a global...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Professor William Ristenpart who is the director of The UC Davis Coffee Center to discuss the efforts that are being made to engineer a better cup of coffee. They discuss how the industry is working to reduce the level of waste generated and make better use of the byproducts. Currently, humans only consume around 3% of the coffee cherries that are harvested....

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Mark Michaelson, 2017 US Coffee Roasting Champion, to talk about how roasting impacts your coffee cup. He was head roaster at Onyx Coffee Lab and now works with San Fran Roasters and has his own coffee roasting consulting business. Mark is a coffee roasting consultant who helps his clients to take their roasts to the next level. They discuss why the same bea...

For this episode, Kenneth sat down with Eric Stone of Mudhouse Coffee Roasters to talk about the art and science of roasting. They recorded this episode in Boston while competing as finalists to determine who's the best specialty coffee roaster in America. Eric and Kenneth discuss the subject of roasting coffee in-depth including the different types of coffee roasters, how temperature imoacts the...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Katie to talk about why everyone should give drinking decaffeinated coffee a go. He explains how to choose a good quality decaf and use it to make a tasty drink that is also good for your health.    KEY TAKEAWAYS  Decent quality decaf tastes as good as regular coffee. Decaf does not extract as much, so you need to use a bit more coffee to make a good quality...

This episode is all about decaffeinated coffee. Kenneth tells you about the history, the 5 most common processes that are used to produce it, and some of the pros and cons of this style of coffee. He then digs deep into how the Swiss Water method was developed with Erin Reed from Swiss Water. She is part of a dedicated team of people who make high quality decaffeinated coffees using a process that...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Mark Inman of Sustainable Harvest to talk about coffee certifications. They discuss each of the recognized certifications, explaining what they mean and the standards the farmers have to follow to gain each of them. Understanding all of this will help you to choose a coffee that fits in with your values and the way you want to live your life.   KEY TAKEAWAYS...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Juan Carlos Arango, owner of Arango Specialty Coffee, a family-focused Columbian specialty green coffee importer. They discuss how coffee is imported. Juan Carlos explains the ins and outs of the process, highlighting some of the challenges that are faced by importers by sharing interesting stories about what has happened to him while importing coffee.   KEY...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Gino Roverssi who oversees Operations at Dinamica Coffee Exporters which is based in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Kenneth and Gino discuss how coffee is prepared, packaged, sold, and exported. KEY TAKEAWAYS A typical coffee sack weighs about 154LBs (69 kgs). A standard shipping container can hold around 275 69 kg bags of coffee. GrainPro Bags are a highly effe...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down to discuss green coffee grading with Mark Inman of Sustainable Harvest. The duo weaves through the ins and outs of the green coffee grading process - what matters and what doesn’t, why it is important, and the impact it has on the way your coffee tastes. Mark and Kenneth share a few insider tips, for example, how to tell if a hole in the bean is a defect or rathe...

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Elika Liftee of Onyx Coffee Lab again to talk about coffee processing methods. This time they are discussing some of the less widely used methods including pulped natural, honey processed, wet hulled (giling basah), and anaerobic. Kenneth explains the difference between white, yellow, gold, red and black honey processing techniques. KEY TAKEAWAYS  Pulp natur...

How does that coffee cherry actually get reduced down to just the coffee bean?  And how does that affect the ultimate question…how does my coffee taste?  In arguably one of Coffee 101's most important episodes to date, Kenneth and Stefan are joined by Elika Liftee of Onyx Coffee Lab.  They take a deep dive into the 2 main coffee processing methods: washed processed coffee and dry (or natural) proc...

Want to learn more about that black magic elixir we call coffee?!  Look no further!  I’m Kenneth Thomas and this is Coffee 101, brought to you by Umble Coffee Co.  Coffee 101 is your complete knowledge base for all things coffee.   This episode is all about coffee harvesting methods.  Is there a better one?  Why does it even matter how it's harvested?  Is one way better for certain situations and...

In this episode, Kenneth and Katie sit down with Delvin Navarro of Navarro Coffee farms and Hawaiian Monarch Coffee located on 'The Big Island' in Hawaii. They discuss how pruning impacts the way coffee grows, how it is harvested and the way it tastes. Delvin also explains what the Beaumont-Fukunaga cycle pruning system is and how some coffee growers use it.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Pruning can make a big...