Coffee Facts

Coffee’s New Roastery Triples Output, Embraces Simplicity

Feb

Coffee Factsbenefits of coffee, Evans, Father

Coffee’s New Roastery Triples Output, Embraces Simplicity

Listen up: 321 Coffee is scaling up. The North Carolina roastery, now triple the size of its original warehouse, is no longer just a hub for inclusive coffee work. It’s a production powerhouse, fueled by a bold pivot from tech-heavy systems to low-tech precision. The move reflects a deeper truth: sometimes, simplicity outshines complexity. The new 5,000-square-foot space in Raleigh houses a Loring S35 roaster alongside its existing S15 model, doubling capacity and meeting surging demand from wholesale clients and five local cafes. But the real shift isn’t the machines—it’s the workflow. After years of relying on digital systems to…

Specialty Coffee Steps into the Spotlight at James Beard Awards

Feb

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsAgroforestry, Beard, Father, James, Onyx

Specialty Coffee Steps into the Spotlight at James Beard Awards

When the James Beard Awards—food industry’s Oscars—turned their gaze to coffee, the specialty world took notice. For the first time, a coffee shop made it to the shortlist alongside restaurants, bars, and wine counters. Arkansas-based Onyx Coffee Lab, a roastery with roots in craft coffee since 2015, has landed a semi-finalist nod in the Outstanding Bar category. The recognition isn’t just a win for Onyx—it’s a seismic shift for an industry long sidelined by mainstream culinary acclaim. Onyx’s 1907 location, a sprawling 30,000-square-foot café and roastery, embodies the ethos of modern specialty coffee. It’s not just about beans; it’s about…

The Good Food Awards Coffee Finalists: A Spotlight on Origin and Innovation

Feb

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsColombian, Ethiopia, Father, Good, superfood

The Good Food Awards Coffee Finalists: A Spotlight on Origin and Innovation

Time to spill: The 2026 Good Food Awards coffee finalists are here, and they’re rewriting the rules of origin storytelling. With 25 single-origin entries from 20 U.S. roasters, this year’s crop leans heavily on Ethiopia and Colombia, but don’t sleep on Costa Rica, Panama, Rwanda, or El Salvador. These aren’t just beans—they’re narratives, each one tied to soil, altitude, and the roasters’ obsession with transparency. The Good Food Foundation’s criteria? No shortcuts. Roasters must prove their sourcing practices, highlight processing methods like thermal shock or anaerobic honey, and balance flavor with ethical intent. The judging process is as rigorous as…

The Chefs Who Brew the Best Coffee: A List of Their Trusted Roasters

Feb

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsAngeles, benefits of coffee, Carlos, Father, This

The Chefs Who Brew the Best Coffee: A List of Their Trusted Roasters

Consider this your morning briefing: The world’s top chefs are treating coffee like a fine wine, curating roasters that match their culinary vision. From Copenhagen to Los Angeles, chefs are ditching generic brews to partner with specialty roasters, ensuring every cup aligns with their philosophy. At Noma, chef René Redzepi and Tim Wendelboe crafted a “nomacano”—a hybrid of Americano and pour-over—to complement their tasting menus. This isn’t just coffee; it’s a deliberate act of storytelling, where the bean’s origin and roast profile mirror the dish’s intention. In Los Angeles, Be Bright has become a staple for chefs like David Chang…

The Anaerobic Lactic Coffee Roasting Conundrum: A Behmor Breakdown

Feb

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsBehmor, Father, Lactic

The Anaerobic Lactic Coffee Roasting Conundrum: A Behmor Breakdown

Pour yourself a cup for this one: You’re not alone in the struggle to coax clarity from anaerobic lactic Costa Rica on your Behmor. While anaerobic natural fermentations from the same farm thrive under your current profile, the lactic variant feels muted—like a whisper instead of a shout. The issue isn’t the beans; it’s the chemistry. Anaerobic lactic coffees ferment with wild yeast and bacteria, creating a tart, almost effervescent profile that demands precision. Unlike naturals, which develop sweetness through extended drying, lactics need a roast that balances acidity without masking their delicate fruitiness. The key lies in temperature control.…

The Best Small Roaster for Hands-Off Coffee Lovers

Feb

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsBullet, California, Father, Fluid, Kaleido

The Best Small Roaster for Hands-Off Coffee Lovers

Real talk: If you’re eyeing roasting as a side hustle but crave minimal effort, fluid bed roasters are your secret weapon. These machines automate temperature control and airflow, letting you focus on sourcing beans rather than micromanaging the roast. But the question remains: are they worth it? Fluid bed roasters like the Nucleus Link and Ikawa are engineered for precision, using hot air to evenly roast beans. They’re less hands-on than drum roasters, which require constant stirring. However, both models are tiny—perfect for samples but not scalable for a side business. The Nucleus Link, for instance, roasts 2–5 lbs at…

Craft Roasting for Specialty Coffee: Why It Matters

Feb

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsFather, Specialty

Craft Roasting for Specialty Coffee: Why It Matters

There’s something brewing in the quiet corners of the coffee world—a growing demand for roasting education that dares to prioritize craft over scale. While mainstream programs focus on efficiency and consistency, a niche movement is emerging around small-batch roasting, lighter profiles, and the intricate dance between terroir and processing. For enthusiasts who crave depth over volume, this isn’t just a trend—it’s a rebellion against homogenization. The craft approach hinges on understanding how a bean’s origin shapes its potential. Terroir—the combination of soil, climate, and altitude—dictates flavor notes, acidity, and body, while processing methods like natural or honey drying introduce layers…

Jan

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsEthiopian, Father, French, Post, This

Why That Roast Flattened in the Cup

The verdict is in: a roast that shone in cupping can vanish in the cup. This week, a Guji Ethiopian roast—roasted to 20% with a drop temp of 212°C—delivered bold blueberry and milk chocolate notes in the cupping, only to fade into blandness when brewed as a French press. The mystery? A perfect storm of timing, technique, and chemistry. Roasting is just the first act. Post-roast, beans need time to degas, releasing CO2 trapped during the process. If you brew too soon, the gas escapes during extraction, leaving a flat, underdeveloped cup. This roast was cupped Tuesday, brewed Wednesday—just a…

The Sumatran Roast Dilemma: When Darkness Turns Sour

Jan

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsFather, Sumatran, Ugandan

The Sumatran Roast Dilemma: When Darkness Turns Sour

Here’s a conundrum that’s leaving even seasoned roasters scratching their heads: Sumatran beans, once a reliable favorite, are now throwing curveballs at the dark roast stage. The issue isn’t just about timing—it’s about control, chemistry, and the delicate balance between heat and flavor. When roasting Sumatran beans to medium/dark levels, the beans seem to race past the desired window, leaving roasters with oily, smoky results that feel more like a disaster than a triumph. The problem starts with the second crack—a telltale sign that the beans are nearing their dark roast destiny. But here’s the catch: pulling at the exact…

The Yunnan Menglian Red Honey Roast: A Quiet Powerhouse?

Jan

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

0 Comments

Coffee FactsAlfred, But, Father, Honey, Yunnan

The Yunnan Menglian Red Honey Roast: A Quiet Powerhouse?

Consider this your morning briefing: A rare bean from the Yunnan highlands is quietly defying expectations. The China Premium Yunnan Menglian Red Honey, roasted by Burmans Roast, delivers a caramel-toffee profile with a sharp lemon-lime finish—but at a price. The roast, done to 12% weight loss on an SR800 with OEM ext tube, leans into bright notes, yet the result feels subdued. Is this a flaw or a feature? The bean’s character is paradoxical. On the surface, it’s smooth and approachable, with a sweetness that lingers like a well-aged wine. But beneath that, there’s a quiet tension. The lemon-lime finish…