The Coffee Drinker's Guide

Struggling to choose a Christmas gift for the coffee lover in your life? In this festive bonus episode, I share my top ideas for 2025 from brewing gear worth the money to flavourful gift sets that help your giftee explore the wide world of coffee. We’ll also cover the best time to buy beans so they taste great on Christmas morning plus key tips on how to buy coffee for someone else to ensure your...

In this final episode of the season, I take off my roaster’s apron and put on my consumer hat as I explore the supermarket coffee aisle to see how much the labels on coffee bags really tell us. Armed with a single origin Kenya and a premium own-brand blend, I compare what the packaging promises versus what’s actually in the cup. From roast levels and brew advice to origin detail and flavour accura...

In this episode we’re exploring the impact of time on every stage of your coffee’s journey from bush to brew. From the slow development of the coffee cherry to the fleeting window when a roasted bean is at its peak. We delve into the influence that time has on your coffee and why it pays to be curious about when your coffee was harvested and roasted. This week’s FACQ reveals just when a coffee is...

This week we’re continuing our exploration of the fringes of the specialty coffee world as we dip our toes into the delightfully divisive world of flavoured coffee. Is adding syrup to your espresso a playful twist or a specialty coffee sin? From the coffee aficionado’s horror at artificial flavourings to the syrup-loving masses, we unpack why flavoured coffee stirs such strong opinions. You’ll lea...

In a detour from our usual deep dives into specialty coffee we are taking a look at one of the more fringe coffee trends out there as we investigate the curious case of white coffee - and no, it’s not coffee with milk! From its unusual light roast level to its health claims and grassy flavour profile, we unpack what white coffee really is, how to brew it without breaking your espresso machine and...

Is it finally cool to freeze your coffee? In this episode, we explore the surprising shift in expert opinion on storing roasted beans in the freezer. Once frowned upon, freezing might just be your secret weapon for fresher brews—if you do it right. And in this week’s FACQ, we tackle the question: s hould you be freezing your coffee at home? How to Store and Use Frozen Coffee ONA Coffee https://ona...

Coffee beans in adverts are usually shown as dark and glossy but in this episode we discover why  shiny  - or in other words, oily - coffee beans are not actually likely to taste that great and why they are frankly best avoided. Find out what the shiny appearance of the beans can tell you about a coffee before you even take a sip. If you are stuck with a bag of oily beans we have some brewing tips...

In this episode we dig into the OG of coffee processing - AKA natural coffee. Find out how natural coffees are the comeback kid of the specialty coffee world and what sparked their renaissance when that world had - for good reason - moved on. Discover why naturals taste the way they do and pick up some brewing tips to get the best out of them. This week’s FACQ answers the pertinent question of - ...

In this episode we are on a side quest to explore an intriguing little round coffee bean known as a peaberry or caracol. What is behind this coffee's name, is it in fact a ‘novelty coffee’ and is it worth the higher price it often commands? These questions and more will be answered along with this week’s FACQ: is peaberry coffee better than regular - or ‘normal’ - coffee? Listen to find out!...

In a fact-packed episode we take a deep dive into the filter brewing method. Discover the herstory of filter brewing, why it’s the best way to taste the best quality coffee and practical tips to improve your filter brewing technique.  If you've never brewed filter coffee before here’s a recipe to get you started: For a lighter bodied brew use 15.5g per 250ml cup; for a heavier bodied, more in...

Just about everyone knows coffee contains caffeine but how much do you know about the actual caffeine level of your daily brew? Listen to find out how brewing methods, coffee bean type and roast level all impact the caffeine content in your cup - and how to use this information to control your caffeine buzz! Listen to ‘Why your coffee is bitter and what to do about it’  On Apple Podcasts   https:/...

Welcome back to Season Four! Today we launch straight in with a deep dive into the crema on your espresso. Listen for the skinny on the ‘Stir it in or skim it off’ debate and how the crema’s appearance can tell you loads about your coffee before you even taste it. I’m also thrilled to announce that I have been nominated for the London Coffee Festival’s 2025 Influencer of the Year award. Update: vo...

In this very special bonus episode I am celebrating the launch of my new puzzle book “Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious’. Listen to find out about the puzzles I included in the book and why each puzzle comes with its own fascinating coffee fact. I also reveal why I felt compelled to create a coffee focussed puzzle book in the first place. If, like me, you like word search puzzles and you love coff...

The coffee in your cup takes quite the journey to get from growing on a bush in the subtropics to being served in your local cafe. In the final episode of Season Three we are celebrating the network of people who form the links in the coffee supply chain bringing your coffee from farm to cafe. This time we highlight the work at the consumer end of the chain by green bean buyers, roasters and baris...

By now, most people probably appreciate that to get coffee from the bush where it’s grown to your coffee mug involves a lot of manual work by many different people across the globe. But you may not be so aware of the various machines that are also involved in the process. So in this week’s episode we are shining the spotlight on some of the machines used to transform coffee cherries into the coffe...

Following on from last week’s episode about coffee habits, this week’s episode hones in on an important habit that we should all cultivate. This week’s FACQ tackles the knotty question of how often we should be doing it. Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com , amazon.co.uk Get in touch! Email: thecoffeedrinkersguide@gmail.com Instagram:...

Happy New Year! New Year's resolutions are not for everyone and coffee habits are hard to break. But if you are feeling in a bit of a coffee rut this episode has some actionable tips to help nudge you out of it. This week’s FACQ highlights some unsuspected benefits of taking a fresh look at the coffee you buy.  Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious&...

If you find yourself twiddling your thumbs this Twixtmas this bonus episode is packed with suggestions for fun things to do with coffee. Put the Quality Street tin down and hone your brewing skills, sharpen your palate or host a tasting party instead. Pick a coffee documentary to watch from the list presented in the video review by the YouTube channel European Coffee Trip: Top 8 Coffee Documentari...

It may appear to be a glamorous job but in reality the life of a professional coffee roaster is very routine and repetitive. That is not to say that it doesn’t have its moments. In this special episode for Christmas Day I’m sharing some stories from my coffee life where things didn’t exactly go the way I’d like. And this week I am answering a question that no-one has ever actually asked me! Send m...

If you have never given any thought to it at all, you may be surprised to learn that coffee beans come in different sizes. And if so, you may perhaps be even more surprised to hear that bean size can affect the flavour of your coffee. In this episode we delve into why an understanding of coffee bean sizes and quality grading systems will help steer you towards better tasting coffee. This week’s FA...

Buying a great coffee as a gift for a coffee loving friend or relative will score you brownie points and gold stars, but can be a stressful process if you are not into coffee yourself. In Part 2 of my festive gift guide, this week I give you key tips to ease the buying process and help you buy something they will (hopefully) love. This week’s FACQ tackles the issue of just when to buy that coffee...

With the festive season upon us, the pressure to buy ‘the perfect gift’ can be immense and as the clock ticks down may lead to the desperate purchase of items which are at best vaguely related to the recipient's interests. In this episode I take you through a few choice gifts that most keen coffee lovers would be very happy to receive - and in this week’s FACQ some that they would definitely...

How do you know if the coffee you are drinking is certifiably of the best quality? One way is to buy a coffee that has been judged to be a winner in a Cup of Excellence coffee competition. In this episode we look into what the OG of coffee tasting competitions is all about and why its worth trying a Cup of Excellence coffee when its offered by your local roastery or in your local cafe. Check out t...

In this episode we take a look at the oddly named quaker bean. Find out just what a quaker bean is, how it affects your coffee’s flavour (hint: not in a good way) and why one may possibly be lurking in the coffee you’re drinking today. Along with one of my easiest hacks ever to improve the flavour of the coffee you drink at home, this week’s FACQ reveals how to spot potential quaker beans before y...

There is more to coffee than just its roast level and in this episode we are taking a look at the many different types of coffee that are out there and why it's useful to know your type. This week’s FACQ lifts the lid on ‘Heirloom’ coffees. Videos showing the cupping method: The method https://www.instagram.com/reel/CCDaoMYhYik/ The process https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWqNy7mj6bx/ Photos:...