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 parameters, and how to achieve consistency. They also explain what the 10 different cupping attributes are, i...
Sep 21, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 31
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 standard that is used to evaluate the taste profile of a coffee. It is not uncommon to cup a roast mo...
Sep 14, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 30
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. That is why the industry is exploring new ways to use those waste materials, as well as working to ...
Sep 07, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 29
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 bean tastes so different depending on how it is roasted, how the various parts of the process, in parti...
Aug 31, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 28
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 roast, the roast curve, halogen roasting, first and second crack, and tipping just to name a few of ...
Aug 24, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 27
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 cup. Decaffeinated coffee is good for you. Kenneth explains, in detail, why that is. Drinking the decaf...
Aug 17, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 26
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 is 100% chemical free. KEY TAKEAWAYS Caffeine was first extracted from coffee beans in 1820. There ...
Aug 10, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 25
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 Organic coffee is about more than chemical free farming. It is designed to support the environment. R...
Aug 03, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 24
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 TAKEAWAYS Dealing with bureaucracy and paperwork is very time-consuming. In certain parts of Columbia...
Jul 27, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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 effective way to protect coffee during transport and storage. Some countries do not use GrainPro Bags. O...
Jul 20, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 22
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 rather a result of a natural process, which does not negatively impact the taste. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sustainab...
Jul 13, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 21
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 natural is something between wet and dry processing. With pulp natural processing the aim is to remove the...
Jul 06, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 20
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) processed coffee. KEY TAKEAWAYS Farmers are getting better at having final cup taste in mind when processin...
Jun 29, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 19
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 another way better for others? We'll answer these questions and more in the show! KEY TAKEAWAYS The harvesti...
Jun 22, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 18
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 difference in coffee cherry yield and quality. More trees annually die from improper pruning than pest...
Jun 14, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Katie Thomas and Fred Cowell to talk about the impact soil has on the quality of the coffee you drink. Fred is the general manager of the Kauai Coffee Company in Hawaii. It is the largest coffee producing farm in the United States and is also known as the 'Disneyland of Coffee'. Fred explains why he told his team they were going to 'stop growing coffee and start growing soil'. They also discuss why volcanic soil is so good for coffee growing and the role t...
Jun 08, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this fun episode, Kenneth sits down with Katie Thomas to debate and provide a comprehensive answer to one of the biggest, most long-standing coffee debates – shade or sun - which is best for growing coffee? Kenneth walks the audience through the pros and cons of each growing method. Looking at which is best for the environment, the farmer, and taste in that final cup. He provides an overview of how agroforestry polyculture and monoculture growing techniques work. KEY TAKEAWAYS Shade-grown cof...
Jun 01, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Stefan Tribble and Steph Parsons to continue their discussion about how the way the beans are grown affects the taste. Today, they are talking about the impact elevation has on the coffee we drink. They delve into how elevation impacts the rate of growth, the density of the bean, and the taste profile. Importantly, you will also learn about some simple tricks you can use to quickly pick out the best-tasting coffees - tips you can use whether you are buying...
May 25, 2022•33 min•Ep. 14
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Eric Brenner from the Bourlag Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M. They discuss the challenges coffee farmers face. They discuss how the price they are paid, climate change and diseases and pests impact the farmer. Eric explains the relationship between these issues, and how one problem feeds into the others. He also shares details of how by working together these challenges can be overcome so that everyone can continue to enjoy superi...
May 17, 2022•26 min•Ep. 13
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Stephen Tribble and Steph Parsons to talk about the basics of coffee varieties. You will learn about the botany of the coffee plant and what the difference is between a variety, varietal, and cultivar. What you learn in this episode will help you to look at the bag, read what the variety, varietal and/or cultivar are, and instantly anticipate what it should taste like. If you understand the varieties better, you can get better at selecting the coffee you w...
May 11, 2022•43 min•Ep. 12
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Stephen Tribble and Steph Parsons to talk about the basics of coffee varieties. You will learn about the botany of the coffee plant and what the difference is between a variety, varietal, and cultivar. What you learn in this episode will help you to look at the bag, read what the variety, varietal and/or cultivar are and instantly understand what it is likely to taste like. Helping you to pick a better coffee. This topic is discussed across two episodes, a...
May 03, 2022•21 min•Ep. 11
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Wes Walton, the owner and head roaster of Manuscript Coffee, to talk about the coffee tree, cherry, and bean. Kenneth and Wes explain what the bushes and trees look like as well as how the beans are extracted from the fruit and how the different processing methods used impact the way your cup of coffee tastes. They also walk you through the taste profile for several of the most popular coffee-growing areas of the world and provide an insight into how the p...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Rob Hoos of Iteration Coffee and Hoos Coffee Consulting. He is a coffee roasting consultant who has visited numerous coffee farms during his career. Today, he provides insight into what modern coffee farming is like. Rob speaks about the different coffee farming business models he has seen. Everything from harvesting coffee from wild bushes to running huge heavily mechanized farms. They also discuss some of the challenges the farmers face. Including dealin...
Apr 19, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Omar Herrera of Café Imports, out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They come together to discuss where the coffee comes from. In particular, the coffee that comes out of Colombia, which is the country Omar mainly deals with. Kenneth and Omar discuss how the country has managed to become the number three coffee exporter in the world and how they are able to produce such a huge range of different tasting coffees. Kenneth and Omar provide a fascinating insight into...
Apr 12, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Stephen Tribble to discuss the waves of coffee. Or to put it another way, they discuss the different types of coffee that have been developed and enjoyed during each era. This episode covers pre-wave, first, second, third and fourth wave coffee. They explain when each wave started, how the product was presented, prepared, and enjoyed. Finishing the episode by discussing the fourth wave, which is just starting to emerge and evolve. KEY TAKEAWAYS Most people...
Apr 06, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with John Lawrence the Co-founder and owner of Mudhouse Coffee Roasters in Charlottesville, Virginia. John has been creating specialty coffee for 20+ years. In 2014, he and his co-founder became licensed Q graders. They were also Roast Magazine´s Coffee Roaster of the Year, in 2017. They talk about the specialty coffee movement and how this approach ensures that you get the best from every bean. John also speaks about the new Panamanian specialty coffee farm he...
Apr 06, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Daniel Lopez from Frothy Monkey. To talk about the two main coffee species and a third one that is showing great promise. They discuss the differences between the three. Including, how they grow, what they taste like, and how they are used. Daniel explains how coffee is tasted and graded. They also walk through why it is hard for farmers to switch from growing Robusta to producing specialty arabica coffees. As well as talk about how the industry is working...
Apr 06, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Kenneth once again sits down with Jonah Holland of the Unfiltered Coffee Company to finish their discussion about the history of coffee. In the last episode, they looked at the origins of coffee and how it reached the shores of Europe. Today, they discuss how its use grew from the late 1800s to the point it is at, now. They touch on the impact the industrial revolution, trains, vacuum packaging, modern marketing, the percolator, espresso machine, and new roasters had. As well as explaining how s...
Apr 06, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Jonah Holland of The Unfiltered Coffee Company to talk about the history of coffee. They talk about the Legend of Kaldi and why it is unlikely a goat herder started the trend of drinking coffee made from roasted beans. Kenneth explains how the early forms of coffee, Keisha, cascara, and Kahwa are made and how they evolved into the drink we know today. They explain how coffee ended up being widely drank in Europe as well as where it had a big impact on how ...
Apr 06, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Stefan Tribble to talk about why people like coffee so much. He explains how caffeine is metabolized by the body and the mechanism that stops you from feeling sleepy. As well as how athletes and others use coffee to help them to perform better. Kenneth also talks about the differences between synthetic and natural caffeine. KEY TAKEAWAYS Historically people drank coffee for the caffeine hit. It really does help to keep you awake and energized. Taste is now...
Apr 06, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 2
