Skills & Education
Sarah Posma: A Fairbanks Coffee Leader's Path From Barista to Manager
An Alaska-born coffee professional reflects on eleven years at a Fairbanks roaster, a long-distance barista competition, and the rituals of winter café life.
Tags
Coffee
136 stories
- People
Q&A with Christophe Montagnon: Coffee Research Priorities and Climate Realities
Christophe Montagnon, scientific director at World Coffee Research, reflects on 2016 breakthroughs and outlines goals for 2017—from the International Multilocation Variety Trial to new arabusta breeding work.
- Asia-Pacific
A Farmer's Legacy: The Rise of Yunnan Coffee
Hu XiXiang's journey from rubber and tea technician to coffee cooperative leader illustrates the perseverance and community focus driving Yunnan's coffee sector.
- Prices & Trade
Decoding Coffee Certifications: What Those Little Logos Really Tell You
From organic to B Corp, certification seals on coffee bags promise transparency—but understanding their distinct aims and limitations is key to making informed choices.
- Coffee Competitions
From Beekeeping to Bean Champion: A Conversation with Keith J. Feigin
The co-founder and president of a Ukiah, California roasting company reflects on small-town pride, team achievements at the Golden Bean North America competition, and the evolving coffee landscape.
- Coffee Competitions
Dylan Johnson on AeroPress Competition Culture and Extraction Principles in New South Wales
An email interview with Australian AeroPress champion Dylan Johnson, covering his path into coffee, the brewer's growth in New South Wales, his competition preparation, and his extraction philosophy.
- Cafe Design
Inside Ipsento 606: How a Chicago Café Turns Limited Space into a Multi-Use Hub
Tim Taylor's second Chicago café, Ipsento 606, trades bottlenecks for breathing room while packing in a slow bar, a dual Slayer espresso setup, beer taps, and a basement utility system.
- Coffee Science
Beyond the Roast Date: Rethinking What 'Fresh' Means in Coffee
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.
- Company News
Peet's Acquires Two Specialty Coffee Leaders Within Weeks
Peet's Coffee and Tea purchased Stumptown Coffee Roasters outright, then took a majority stake in Intelligentsia Coffee, all inside a single month. The deals drew both alarm and approval from the specialty coffee sector.
- Coffee Competitions
Lemuel Butler on Competition, Signature Drinks, and Coffee Craft
The five-time Southeast Barista Champion shares his journey from reluctant barista to industry mentor, and explains how competition shaped his approach to coffee.
- People
A Roaster's View from the Coffee Expo: Rachel Apple on Hospitality, Mentorship, and Innovation
Rachel Apple, quality control at George Howell Coffee, shares her experience hosting international guests, supporting a partner's product launch, and participating in a mentorship panel at the coffee industry's major trade show.
- Coffee Competitions
Barista Guild and SCAA Board Retract Regional Competition Overhaul, Form Committee for Future Qualifying Events
After facing backlash over the cancellation of regional qualifiers for the US Barista Championship, the organizations have reversed the decision but say the old format cannot return as it was.
- Operations & Menus
Why One Café Chose to Shrink Its Kitchen and Refocus on Coffee
A small coffee shop's journey from ambitious food menus to a simpler partnership that cut waste and sharpened its coffee focus.
- South America
Cultivating Specialty Coffee on Brazil's Industrial-Scale Legacy
FAL Coffee is blending high-tech farming and meticulous processing to draw nuanced flavors from Brazil's volume-driven coffee heartland.
- Skills & Education
Protecting the Barista Body: Four Practical Steps for Cafés
Simple adjustments to training, workspace design, communication, and task rotation can reduce the physical toll of barista work.
- Skills & Education
The Consistency Game: Rethinking Tamping for Better Espresso
Why repeatable pressure beats perfect technique—and how to make tamping a non-issue in your espresso routine.
- Roasting Craft
Balancing Act: How Five Roasters Build Their Signature Espresso
From a Bend bike trail to a canyon above Los Angeles, these five roasting companies reveal how they design espresso blends that hold up neat or under steamed milk—and why consistency drives every decision.
- Marketing & Branding
What Coffee Packaging Communicates Beyond the Beans
Roasters use bag design to convey origin, processing, and brand values, but face cost and minimum-order hurdles. From compostable pouches to augmented reality labels, packaging choices reflect trade-offs between sustainability, aesthetics, and budget.
- Roasteries
Roasters Put Their Beans on Display
A showcase of craft coffee roasters sharing their standout single-origin and blended coffees, from a wood-fired heritage roast to heirloom varietals and a philanthropy-driven blend.
- Coffee Drinks & Food
The Story Behind a Chicago Café's Unlikely Signature Latte
How a honey-coconut-cayenne espresso drink overcame skepticism to become a café staple.
