Coffee Facts

Italian Espresso Isn’t What You Think: A Data-Driven Reality Check

Mar

Coffee FactsFather, Italian, Italy, Robusta, Shots

Italian Espresso Isn’t What You Think: A Data-Driven Reality Check

Listen up: The idea that Italian espresso is a burnt, bitter relic of the past is a myth. My trip to Italy—armed with a refractometer and a skeptic’s eye—revealed a coffee culture that’s anything but outdated. The real story is more nuanced. Northern Italy’s espresso is a revelation. Shots measured between 9.39% and 10.40% TDS, with a balance of cocoa, nuts, and chocolate that’s smooth, not harsh. The secret? Dark roasts blended with Robusta for low acidity and high solubility. This isn’t about complexity—it’s about comfort. Baristas here treat espresso as a ritual, not a performance. They’ve mastered the 1:2…

The Cold Truth About Coffee Bean Storage

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsBut, California, Father, Repetto, They

The Cold Truth About Coffee Bean Storage

Pour yourself a cup for this one: the debate over coffee bean storage isn’t just about temperature—it’s about preserving flavor, avoiding staleness, and respecting the craft. If you’ve ever wondered whether to freeze or refrigerate your beans, you’re not alone. But here’s the kicker: the answer hinges on timing, roast method, and how you handle them post-roast. Luciano Repetto, co-owner of San Francisco’s Graffeo roastery, cuts through the noise with hard-earned wisdom from decades of roasting. The first rule? Don’t rush. Freshly roasted beans aren’t ready to grind. “They need time to degas,” Repetto explains. Think of it like letting…

Global Coffee Awards Unveil 2026 Expansion and World Champion

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsAfrican, Asia, Father, Rueda, This

Global Coffee Awards Unveil 2026 Expansion and World Champion

There’s something brewing in the global coffee scene—a new era of competition, collaboration, and creativity. The Global Coffee Awards (GCA) crowned Lithuania’s Huracán Coffee as the 2026 World’s Best Roaster, celebrating its mastery in Filter and Flat White Alternative categories. But this isn’t just about a single winner. The GCA’s 2026 schedule is expanding into MENA, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, signaling a bold push to include roasters from every corner of the globe. The result? A more inclusive, dynamic coffee industry where innovation and tradition collide. The GCA’s World Championship, held ahead of the Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF)…

Mastering the Roast: Gesha and Red Bourbon for Filter Coffee

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsAlfred, Both, Bourbon, Gesha, This

Mastering the Roast: Gesha and Red Bourbon for Filter Coffee

This might just change your routine: You’ve got Gesha and Red Bourbon in your hands, and the question isn’t if you’ll roast them differently—it’s how. These beans are like two sides of a coin: Gesha’s ethereal clarity vs. Red Bourbon’s bold, syrupy richness. Both demand precision, but their paths to greatness diverge sharply. Start with Gesha. This is the bean that whispers, not shouts. Its origin in Panama or Colombia means it’s often delicate, with citrusy acidity and floral undertones. Roast it too dark, and you’ll mute its signature brightness. Aim for a light to medium roast—around 190–205°C for 15–20…

Blueberry Notes in Coffee: Where to Find Them

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsCalifornia, Ethiopian, Father, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe

Blueberry Notes in Coffee: Where to Find Them

If you’ve ever sipped a coffee that tasted like blueberries, you know how rare and magical that moment can be. The elusive fruitiness of blueberry in coffee isn’t just a flavor—it’s a sign of specific growing conditions, processing methods, and roast profiles. Ethiopia, in particular, has long been a go-to for floral and fruity notes, but finding that exact blueberry nuance requires more than just a guess. Ethiopian coffees, especially from regions like Yirgacheffe or Sidamo, often exhibit bright acidity and citrusy undertones. But blueberry? That’s a trickier target. It usually emerges when the beans are processed naturally or with…

Mastering the Behmor 2000ab: Fixing Grassiness in Honduran Roasts

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsCalifornia, Father, Honduran

Mastering the Behmor 2000ab: Fixing Grassiness in Honduran Roasts

Get ready to sip on this: The Behmor 2000ab is a powerhouse for precision roasting, but even the best gear can’t save a bean that’s not being treated right. If you’re wrestling with grassy, hollow notes in your Honduran roast—no matter how carefully you tweak the profile—you’re not alone. The issue often stems from a delicate balance between roast development and flavor extraction. Let’s cut through the noise and zero in on what’s really happening. Your current approach—starting at 150°F and dropping to 11:00—might be too aggressive for this bean. The grassiness suggests underdevelopment, but pushing past City+ without proper…

Uneven Roasts: What’s Causing the Split in Your Batch?

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsAgroforestry, California, Ethiopian, Father, how to clean your coffee maker

Uneven Roasts: What’s Causing the Split in Your Batch?

There’s something brewing in your roaster that’s leaving even the most seasoned roasters puzzled. You’ve got a batch of dry Ethiopian coffee from Sweet Maria’s, roasted on an SR 800 with an extension tube. Heat stays steady at three, airflow adjusted to keep beans moving but not frantic. First crack hits around seven minutes, development time just a minute. Yet here’s the rub: some beans look even, others are uneven, with hollow, less dense profiles. Is this a flaw in Ethiopian coffee, or a sign your process needs recalibrating? The answer lies in the dance between heat, airflow, and bean…

Mastering Nutty Roasts: Unleashing Brazil’s Hidden Flavor

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsBrazilian, California

Mastering Nutty Roasts: Unleashing Brazil’s Hidden Flavor

Here’s what you need to know: Brazilian coffee is often praised for its creamy body and caramel notes, but achieving a pronounced nuttiness requires more than just a medium-dark roast. If your Santos or Conillon beans are leaning fruit-forward instead of nutty, the issue likely lies in roast profile, origin, or even bean selection. The key is understanding how to coax out Brazil’s natural nutty character without masking it under sweetness or acidity. Start by recognizing that Brazil’s terroir—its high-altitude regions, clay soils, and tropical climate—creates beans with inherent nutty undertones. However, these flavors can be overshadowed by fruitiness if…

A New Roaster’s Honest Take on Their Third Batch

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee Factsacidity, But, Father, They, What

A New Roaster’s Honest Take on Their Third Batch

Coffee lovers, wine enthusiasts, tea devotees—here’s a raw, unfiltered look at a home roaster’s third batch. This isn’t a polished tutorial or a curated highlight reel. It’s a confession: the person behind this roast is still figuring things out. They’re a full-time student, a former higher education worker who got laid off, and now a budget-conscious hobbyist chasing the thrill of coffee. With a cheap roaster and a passion for beans, they’ve stumbled into the world of home roasting, learning by trial, error, and a dash of desperation. The problem? Their drying period is way too long. What should be…

Dark Roast Mastery: Secrets from Loring Roasters

Mar

By ADMIN@CoffeeWineTea.com

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Coffee FactsFather

Dark Roast Mastery: Secrets from Loring Roasters

The quest for the perfect dark roast has hit a snag. A customer’s demand for a coffee so dark it resembles “freshly oiled flavoured coffee” has left a roaster grappling with a dilemma: how to achieve that visual intensity without sacrificing flavor. The beans in question—Honduras with a hint of humidity—are a paradox: they’re exceptional in their raw state but resistant to the extremes of darkness. The solution? A 19-minute profile that drops to 470, but the roaster refuses to push further. The question now is how to leverage air cooling to dial in that dark appearance without compromising the…