Coffee Roaster Warm Up Sessions

The Best of Panama 2025 champion scored a wild 98 points and sold for $30,000/kg. Both the score and final price set new records. In this episode, we get to talk to Cole Torode who was one of the judges at Best of Panama coffee, tasted the winning cup, and got a front row seat to a historic event. Here's what went down behind closed doors and why we've entered a new era of luxury coffee. F...

If you’re thinking about starting your mobile coffee cart to cater weddings and events, you’ll find tons of helpful advice on tackling events in this episode. We just catered a wedding with our mobile setup and share all the details from our experience. We cover everything from gear, workflow, ways to deal with disruptions, and how to serve guests quickly and efficiently. This episode is packed wi...

What does it take to start cafes and win world latte art championships? We sit down with two brothers, Nicolas and Kenji Tanaka who have been crushing it in the industry, both as competitors and in their daily work in coffee. This coffee podcast episode is about their life, what has lead them to where they're at now, and what it takes to execute at such a high caliber in coffee. Nicolas' IG: https...

Most people choose coffee by development level whether that's light, medium, or dark roast. This is because each roast development comes with a general flavor profile, but it's not as simple as that. There are other variables at play that can create more nuance to flavor profiles ranging from ultralight to dark roast. Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Ins...

As coffee drinkers and enthusiasts, we oftentimes stick to a few coffee roasters that we become attached to and for very good reasons. What about discovering new roasters and coffees? It's usually uncomfortable, comes with uncertainty, and feels like a gamble. In this episode, we talk about how to discover new roasters and coffees that you'll love to drink!

Everyone who has worked in coffee for some time has horror stories to share. We've all had customer service experiences going wrong, equipment breaking during rushes, and dealing with the unexpected. It's part of the fun of working in coffee that keeps you on edge! We share our experiences and horror stories from our time in the industry.

When it comes to brewing coffee, rules are extremely helpful. Especially when you're just getting into coffee, they create the boundaries and guidance you need to achieve great results. On the other hand, some rules are meant to be broken and sometimes that leads to new discoveries. This podcast episode is all about learning to break rules and the traditional approaches to making coffee. Pick...

There are many pour over drippers on the market and so many variations of both flat bottom and cone shaped drippers. Although, it is a little over saturated and one does not need to own all of them, they do come with their unique differences and flavor experiences. In this episode, we talk about what we've noticed brewing with several flat bottom drippers and cone shaped drippers and how they...

This past year, the coffee industry was hit with some unexpected challenges. Doubling c-market prices, tariffs, and inflation hit coffee businesses which have made an already difficult job even more difficult. Maxwell Mooney is a coffee consult that helps people build healthy coffee businesses. In this episode, he offers a few practical steps for coffee shop owners can take to start moving in the...

We regularly visit specialty coffee shops. Having comfortable seating, a delicious drink, tasty pastries and more are all big factors to the experience. In this episode, we talk about a few things that we've experienced in cafes that can quickly make a visit less than ideal.

We often times hear people say, I just want my coffee at home to taste like it does at the coffee shop. Now we totally get that people just want to brew great coffee at home, however, there are certain things that distinguish the coffee experience at home from the cafe. Here’s how to make your home coffee experience better than the one at your local coffee shop. Pick up our coffee here: https://mi...

How do you become great at brewing filter coffee? Do coffee drippers matter? Why did he help build the UFO dripper? We chat with Jay Kim, one of the founders of the UFO dripper about how to become better at brewing filter coffee, what makes the UFO dripper special, and some of the science of coffee drippers. Jay Kim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brewedbyjay/?hl=enUFO dripper on Instagram...

Last episode, we talked about why hand coffee grinders are better than electric coffee grinders. Now although there are many perks to hand grinders, they do come with their shortcomings and where electric grinders shine. In this episode, we unpack upsides of going with an electric grinder over a hand grinder. Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://w...

Coffee grinders are one of the most important parts and pieces of gear on your coffee bar. Over the last decade, hand grinders have skyrocketed in popularity and have become the go-to grinder for many, but what makes them so special? Are hand grinders really that good? In this episode, we talk about the main reasons hand grinders outperform electric grinders. Pick up our coffee here: https://mirro...

As we source, roast, taste, and compete in coffee more, we're constantly learning and evolving. We've changed over the years. The coffee industry in general is shifting, and we're also evolving. How we talk about certain things, the words we use, the way we approach different parts in coffee is adjusting. This episode is about reflecting on the past and processing those changes out loud. Pick up o...

As a coffee roasting company, your primary offer to wholesale accounts is coffee. That alone has to be great, but to stand out in a crowd of roasters, you might need to go further. In this episode we talk about what you can do to have a wholesale program that thrives and serves your clients well. Shop our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/

Being a good coffee roaster isn't just about roasting coffee that tastes good. A skilled coffee roaster knows how to roast coffee consistently good from batch to batch and from day to day. It may sound simple, but it's much easier said than done. This episode is all about how to increase your consistency from batch to batch by focusing on your between batch protocol (BBP) and your warm up....

The coffee industry is going through unprecedented changes. C-Market has nearly doubled within a few months, political and economic uncertainty, and supply and demand changes are creating a storm the industry has yet to have experienced. We talk with Edwin Martinez, CEO of Onyx Coffee, about what he’s seeing behind the scenes, the current state of global coffee trades, and what he thinks will happ...

Iced coffee is quickly growing in popularity and especially amongst Gen Z. With summer around the corner, sometimes an iced coffee is refreshing however it often lacks the nuance and flavor profile we like in hot coffees. In this episode, we share how to get the best out of your iced coffee, the kinds of coffees we found that work well, and how to make cold brew taste even better. Pick up our coff...

Juan Diaz, owner of Know Where Coffee, is always on the search for the best coffee in Colombia. Over the last several years, he has not only competed in the national competitions but also sourced coffees used by some of the top competitors in the country. We chat with him about what he's doing with Know Where Coffee and his approach to sourcing incredible coffees from the best producers in Colombi...

You bought an espresso machine for home. Your espresso tastes good, but you can't get your milk steaming and texturing right. It's something we commonly hear and that's why this episode is all about nailing your milk steaming at home. This podcast episode addresses common milk steaming issues, how to get the right texture, how milk affects your steaming, and more. Pick up coffee here: https://bit....

We sit down with Chris Deferio from Keys To The Shop to give you clear, practical tips on how to grow your coffee shop business. Ideally, your coffee shop is growing 10-20% year over year and if that's not happening, we break down how to make that a reality. Chris shares so many valuable insights on how to scale your coffee business. Boasting more than two decades of widespread coffee experien...

How you store roasted coffee at home can have a huge impact on its flavor. Coffees should be rested off of roast, especially if they're roasted light, however, how you rest coffee matters! It's the difference between a vibrant, juicy cup and a cup that tastes subdued and leaves you hoping there was more. In this episode, we dive into how to store coffee and some ways we've found that p...

We wrap up our series on coffee flavor profiles by diving into varietals. There are many coffee varietals in the world with nearly all coffees being under two main categories: arabica coffee and robusta. Within arabica coffee, you find many different varietals and each have their unique characteristics. When combining varietals, processing, and origin, you start to build the bulk of what each sing...

Coffee processing plays a huge role in flavor. It's one of the biggest variables that impacts the end flavor profile. We have already covered the core three processing methods, washed, honey, and natural, however, in this episode we dive into a few of the experimental processing methods. We cover thermal shock, carbonic maceration, and mosto process in coffee. Pick up coffee here: https://mirr...