Roast dates on bags shape how many of us judge quality, yet sensory tests and barista experience suggest older coffees can still deliver. Here's why the industry's freshness assumptions deserve a second look—and how careful brewing and roasting choices can keep good coffee out of the bin.
A tea promoted for its calming compound offers a distinctive cup, though its health claims warrant scrutiny.
A Milwaukee roaster's three-bag release shows drinkers how washed, semi-washed and natural methods shape the cup.
Understanding how dissolved minerals in water influence coffee extraction and flavor, and the challenges of designing ideal brew water.
A practical guide to cupping manners and technique, from controlling distractions and following table rules to working through fragrance, aroma, break, skim, and repeated slurping as the coffee cools.
A Singapore technology firm's spectroscopy-based tool captures a coffee sample's molecular signature in seconds, then uses cloud AI to predict SCA scores, flavor attributes and moisture content — aiming to put quality data within reach of cooperatives, farmers and smaller traders.
After nearly seventy years, the iconic Coffee Brewing Control Chart has been reimagined. A research collaboration has produced a new tool that blends modern sensory science with consumer data, offering a more nuanced view of what makes a good cup.
F1 hybrids are a novel category of coffee varieties produced by crossing genetically distant arabica parents and using only the first-generation offspring, offering potential gains in yield, resilience, and cup quality.
Why the pursuit of an ideal cup misses coffee's fleeting artistry—and what we should ask instead.
