The Reading Room

If you’re lying awake nights wondering what a macchiato is and how it’s different from a cappuccino, then read on. Gene Vann has compiled the meanings of most coffee shop menu drinks, so now you will know just what is...

It's been awe-inspiring, exciting and a moving competition but the time has come to crown the 2011 World Barista Champion. Let's give a huge round of applause for Alejandro Mendez of El Salvador, this year's World Barista Champion. Equally commendable...

Well, we've had a few extreme days of skills put to the test and today the Top 6 just finished their final round. Now it's up to the votes of the judges to determine which contestant was the most outstanding....

This title is not a joke. Have you heard of the new leggings that are hyped as a means by which to lose inches of fat from your legs? A just-published article by Becky Worley reports that the legwear is...

 These 5 mistakes ruin good coffee before you ever brew it. Learn how to keep it fresh with the right storage habits at home.

The World Barista Championship is the highest-level annual espresso competition in the world, run by the SCA and contested by national champions from over 60 countries. Each competitor prepares 12 drinks in 15 minutes , 4 espressos, 4 milk drinks, and 4 signature beverages , scored on flavor, technical precision, and presentation. This guide covers what the WBC is, how scoring works, and what it means for the coffee you drink at home.

We all hate hearing and reading about disasters, and the recent tornado damage to Joplin MO is no exception. What we do like to read about are the heartwarming stories of individuals and groups who respond to such disasters with...

One of the reasons I enjoy ROASTe is that it allows me to try coffee from many different roasters. Incidentally, this is also one of the reasons why I regularly visit a local café called Spro. To quote from their...

It was just announced that Google is now diving into the online deal-making business. As with Groupon, through these social buying services, consumers can buy coupons at money-saving prices. They can only be bought online, for short periods, so the...

I have years of experience with various single-serve coffee systems, including Nespresso, and so by now I’m aware of their benefits and limitations. Can any of them ever beat freshly ground, freshly roasted beans in terms of cup quality? No....

Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coarse ground coffee in cold or room-temperature water for 12 to 24 hours. The result is a naturally smooth, low-acid concentrate that can be diluted with water or milk. This guide covers the correct ratio, steep time, grind size, how to make it without specialized equipment, and 4 mistakes that produce weak or sour cold brew.

We’ve covered the subject of many workers choosing the coffee shop as their office and workspace. Now the UK’s Independent comes to fill in fascinating details from history, so we know what famous writers actually set the precedents. The article...

I’ve been thinking about the freshness of my coffee quite a bit these days ever since I managed to acquire a large whole-bean selection due to my own splurges in combination with gifts from generous friends and vendors. I’m the...

Another tea drinking country is experiencing a surge in coffee consumption. We’ve seen it happening in China, Japan, Thailand, New Zealand, Great Britain and elsewhere. Now of all places, Russia’s tea-drinking culture is being challenged as coffee enjoys a rise...

Cold brew, Japanese iced coffee, and iced pour-over each produce a fundamentally different cup. Here is how each method works and which one you should be making at home.

Coffee is mission-critical for military personnel , consumed in higher quantities, under more demanding conditions, and more often black than in any other professional context. Blackout Coffee was founded in 2018 in Florida with the military community at its core. This post covers why military coffee culture runs deep, how Blackout supports active duty through Operation Blackout, and how service members and veterans access discounts through GovX.

French Press - Bad Press - Addressed The French Press has been in the news for awhile as an unhealthy way to brew coffee, because it’s filter doesn’t filter out the cafestol. Cafestol is a substance that causes the body’s...

/files/World-Barista-Championship-Bogota-20110529.jpg" alt="Bogota, Colombia - Host of the 2011 World Barista Championship" title="Bogota, Colombia - Host of the 2011 World Barista Championship" align="middle" height="200" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="601" />Well, it’s no secret that we’re all thrilled about the upcoming competition. Many of...

A New Zealand coffee roaster just announced that his company has introduced the world’s first fresh coffee bag that is compostable. Once the bag is empty, you can toss it onto your compost pile or into your bin, or bury...

/files/u2252/1SL7860_0.jpg" align="right" height="400" width="240" />Our European friends have been enjoying one of the newer style machines for brewing pods for a while now - the Senseo Quadrante. I was very excited to find one of these in the wild wired...

There are certain benefits to saying and sometimes believing that there is nothing new under the sun. For one thing, it better equips one to humbly and often wisely excuse oneself from seriously considering the ever-changing latest. And in coffee,...