The Coffee Drinker's Guide

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3! In Seasons 1 and 2 we explored some key influences on the taste of your coffee for better - and worse! Now its time to use that knowledge to help you up your coffee game without breaking the bank. Yes, its true, you really don’t have to spend a fortune on coffee and coffee paraphernalia to be able to drink better coffee. To that end in this week’s FACQ we...

In the last episode of Season 2 we are taking a moment to muse on the future of coffee. What will be the next revolution in brewing, will it taste like coffee as we know it today and will our coffee of the future even be made from coffee beans? In the final FACQ of the season we find out that the future of coffee may already be here! Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For T...

For someone who loves their daily espresso, flat white or latte from a cafe on the way to work the idea of buying a home espresso machine is very tempting. But there are some things to think about before splashing your hard earned cash on such an expensive purchase so this week's episode has some tips for anyone who has ever thought ‘hmmm…home espresso: how hard can it be?’ In this week’s FAC...

In this episode we explore the phenomenon of the coffee bloom. It might sound floral but in fact it has nothing to do with flowers. The bloom is actually something that happens during the brewing process. As it tells you a lot about the freshness of your beans and can affect the extraction of the coffee it's a useful thing to get your head around. In this week’s FACQ we take a look at how the...

Join me as we plunge into the popular cafetière coffee brewer. We take a look at its history, its pros and cons as a coffee brewer and learn some key tips for getting the best brew with it. This week’s FACQ is about a very common problem that just about everyone has experienced at some point when using a cafetière.  Whether you call it cafetière, French Press or plunger if you have long consigned...

In this episode we explore the part the often overlooked coffee grinder plays in brewing great coffee. I make the case for getting a grinder for the home and explain why, if you can afford it, it really should be a burr grinder. In this week’s FACQ answer we dig into how to look after your grinder to keep it in tip top condition. Key features to look for when buying a burr grinder are: the evennes...

If you’ve ever pondered the significance of the word ‘washed’ in a coffee’s description, you are not alone. In this episode we lift the lid on some ‘good to know’ coffee jargon that can have a profound effect on the flavour in your cup. This week’s FACQ poses an important question about the environmental impact of the washed coffee process. Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearc...

For most of our coffee drinking history we have habitually put additives - notably sugar, spices, milk and syrups - in our coffee to make it palatable to drink. But in the last 20 years or so this practice has become frowned upon by some people in Specialty Coffee who seem to be obsessed with making you drink coffee black. If you have ever wondered what the deal is with black coffee - or have been...

In this episode we tackle the question of how much coffee you need to use to brew a tasty cup and why the ubiquitous coffee scoop is not in fact the best tool for the job. It gets a bit technical as we get out the scales and get our heads around brew ratios so you may need to grab a biscuit to keep you going through this one! In this week's FACQ answer we dig into espresso brew ratios and wha...

In this episode we’re exploring the topic of defective coffee beans which are beans with problems that make them taste bad. What exactly is defective coffee and how can you tell if you are unfortunate enough to be drinking a cup of it? All will be revealed along with the importance of defective beans in defining the quality of a coffee. This week’s FACQ asks the crucial question of how to avoid bu...

The word ‘acidity’ doesn’t sound particularly pleasing, especially as its so often associated with indigestion. So you might be surprised to discover that in the Specialty Coffee world acidity in coffee is both desirable and prized. In this episode we take a deep dive into acidity in coffee and find that it is about much more than just pH levels. That said, in this week’s FACQ we discover the actu...

Ever wondered about the significance of the word ‘Arabica’ on your coffee packet? In this episode we take a look at why Specialty Coffee is all about Arabica  and why Arabica coffee is so special. This week’s FACQ wonders where the plant came from in the first place and how it rose to dominate the coffee world.  Check out the Robusta episode from Season 1 here: Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcast On th...

Did you know that the flavour of your coffee is influenced by the way that you brew it and especially the brewer that you use? Perhaps more mind blowing is that despite the many and various types of brewing kit available on the market there are actually only two basic methods of brewing coffee. This episode takes a look at the range of coffee brewing kit out there and how your choice of brewer may...

Welcome to Season 2! This season we will be exploring various - potentially surprising - things that affect the flavour of your coffee. In this first episode of the new season we return to the topic of water. In Season 1, Episode 1, we covered the influence of the temperature of your brewing water on coffee extraction. This time it's all about the quality of the water that you brew with as th...

It's the season finale! In the last episode for this season we find out why that great coffee you just had was in fact a miracle in a cup. Discover just what had to go right all along the way from coffee bush to cup so that you could have a moment with your coffee. This week’s FACQ answers the frustrating question of why it is that when you find a good coffee it’s never there when you go back...

It’s time to tackle coffee blends. Did you know that while all coffee blends are coffees not all coffees are blends? In this episode we explore this distinction, why it’s important and what it means to you as a consumer. This week’s FACQ wonders just how many different coffees you can find in a blend. Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.c...

Specialty coffee is all about the beans from the Arabica coffee plant which are complex and varied in flavour. But there is another coffee species called Robusta, widely used in cheap, high volume coffee products, which is potentially more resilient than Arabica to the threats posed to coffee production by global climate change. As the future of coffee may well lie with Robusta this episode takes...

Do you like bitterness or are you bitter averse? In this episode we explore bitterness in coffee: what causes it, how you can influence a coffee’s bitterness and why it is actually something to be embraced not avoided. This answer to this week’s FACQ tackles the search for that ever elusive ‘not too bitter’ coffee! Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious&a...

This episode tackles the subject of the freshness of your coffee. What is defined as fresh coffee?  How can you tell if your coffee is fresh? Can coffee ever be too fresh? This week’s FACQ explains the important difference between the ‘roast date’ and ‘best before’ dates on coffee packaging. Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com , amazo...

All about decaffeinated coffee, or decaf for short. All coffee naturally contains caffeine so any coffee that is labelled as decaf has to have gone through a manufacturing process to remove its caffeine. This episode covers what’s involved in that process and how decaffeination affects the way coffee brews and tastes. This week’s FACQ asks just how decaffeinated is decaf coffee? See the photos sho...

This episode picks apart the tangle of what we mean when we talk about strength in coffee. Encouraged by supermarket labelling, you might fall into the trap of thinking that the strength of a coffee is merely a consequence of its roast level but in fact the brewing method and a coffee’s inherent character also have a part to play in its strength. This week’s FACQ tackles how to reduce the strength...

This week’s episode delves into what is meant by roast level and the impact of roast level on brewing and coffee flavours. This week’s FACQ discusses the effect of roast level on the amount of caffeine in your coffee. 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: @t...

The importance of coffee grind size on the flavour in your cup and why you really should buy a grinder. This week’s FACQ answers the age old question: can you grind coffee for Instant? 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: @thecoffeedrinkersguide Lusona webs...

In this episode we explore the impact of how coffee is stored on how it tastes - for better and worse! This week’s FACQ tackles the best way to store roasted coffee at home to keep it tasting good. See the photos showing green coffee and what coffee sacks look like here Send me a text message Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com , amazon.co.uk Get in touch!...

When you’re trying to find a good coffee to brew at home the world of specialty coffee can be an impenetrable and confusing place. This episode cuts through snobbery and marketing to suggest ways to find a coffee that you’ll love. This week’s FACQ answers the question of why the altitude that a coffee is grown at has a profound effect on its flavour.  Key information to note about the coffees you...