Dialing in your coffee can be hit or miss. There are so many factors to consider for the extremely large variety of coffees we are tasked with brewing. Methods, recipes, and philosophies abound yet still the complexity of brewing remains a barrier to getting the best from your coffee. That is the problem that todays guest, 2013 WBC Champ, Pete …
167 : Handing off the Shift : 4 Tips to Avoid Chaos
The most confusing moments in the day are when the shifts switch. People finishing tasks, gathering items to leave, and others coming in tying to get caught up to speed, get situated, and find their place. It can get chaotic and customers are often left wondering which one of the haired people behind the bar is going to notice that …
164 : Six Tips for Cooler Cold Brew w/ “The Cold Brew Chick”, Rachel Dillon
For so many people cold brew is the first step into the world of specialty coffee. In order to truly serve our customers well we need to make sure that, when we offer cold brew, we do it in a way that is engaging, fun, relatable, and helps showcase to them the vast possibilities of specialty coffee. Well, today we …
163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Little Field
There is no better feeling than when the cafe gets busy, the pressure is on, and you and your fellow baristas dig deep, communicate well, get orders out quickly, accurately, and keep the bar clean in the process. You just crushed it! This is the idea behind La Marzocco USA’s amazing team based competition, Crush the Rush. A …
155 : A Conversation w/ T. Ben Fischer, Founder of Glitter Cat Barista
Less Bitter, More Glitter. That is one of the mottos for Glitter Cat Barista, a new barista competition training program designed to give marginalized and underrepresented communities the resources to shine on the competition stage and address the problem of representation in the USBC. In it’s first year Glitter Cat has made substantial impact on the diversity seen in barista competitions …
154: Decoding Decaf w/ Mike Stumpf of Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee
Decaf coffee has been much maligned over the years but it has been getting steadily better. What once was a joke amongst “serious” coffee nerds is now being focused on with the same care as its caffeinated counter part thanks to the efforts of companies like Swiss Water. But while the death of “Death before Decaf” is eminent (I hope) …
149 : Celina Velez, Head Roaster of Merit Coffee in Austin, TX
Celina is about to celebrate her 2 year anniversary of joining the specialty coffee community having started with no knowledge of coffee as a roasting assistant at the great Merit Coffee in Austin, TX. Through hard work, curiosity, and integrity she has worked her way to head roaster and leads a team of people producing some of the best coffee …
148 : Exploring the Ground Control Brewer w/ Eli Salomon
We all want to extract the most out of our coffee. There are many methods and tools used to achieve maximum flavor but only a few machines offer innovation in a way that creates a substantial jump forward in brew quality and consistency. The Ground Control brewer is one of those machines and today we get to talk with the …
146 : How to Host a Throwdown w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencers Coffee, Bowling Green, KY
Want to know what goes into hosting a killer throwdown that energizes your baristas and brings the community together? Well your in luck because today we are talking with the creator of one of the nation’s biggest and most successful throwdowns, Justin Shepherd! Justin owns Spencers Coffee in Bowling Green, KY and has been hosting the “My Old Kentucky Throwdown …
144 : A Conversation with 2019 U.S. Barista Champion, Sam Spillman!
The Champ is in the house! 2019 U.S. Barista Champion, Sam Spillman of Dillanos Coffee Roasters joins me for this very special episode. In our conversation we discuss the evolution of her coffee career, her love for the community, what drives her as a professional, competition, challenges she has faced developing as a competitor, her first origin trip, balance in …
