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Coffee Cupping 101: How to Taste Coffee Like a Pro
Coffee cupping is the simplest, most consistent way to taste coffee and understand what you are actually drinking. It is how roasters evaluate new coffees, check roast consistency, and compare origins side by side. The best part: You do not need fancy gear. You just need a few cups, a spoon, and a repeatable process. Learn how to taste coffee like a pro What is cupping (and why it works) Cupping is a standardized tasting method where coffee steeps in hot water, then you taste
Bryce Mead
Jan 204 min read
Water Quality: The Forgotten Ingredient in Great Coffee
You’ve invested in specialty coffee beans, dialed in your grind size, perfected your brewing technique—but something still tastes off. Before you blame the beans or your brewing method, consider this: water makes up 98% of your finished cup. That means the quality of your water has a massive impact on flavor, extraction, and overall coffee experience. Great beans can absolutely taste bad when brewed with poor water. It’s the most overlooked factor in home brewing, yet it’s on
Bryce Mead
Jan 126 min read
Coffee Myths Busted: Separating Fact from Fiction
COFFEE MYTHS BUSTED Coffee culture is full of advice, tips, and “rules” that get passed around like gospel truth. Store your beans in the freezer. Dark roast has more caffeine. Espresso is the strongest coffee. You’ve probably heard all of these—and maybe even believed them. The problem? Most of these widely accepted coffee “facts” are actually myths, and following them can lead to disappointing coffee and wasted money on great specialty coffee beans. Myths persist in coffee
Bryce Mead
Dec 21, 20259 min read
What IS Specialty Coffee?
☕ What Makes Coffee “Specialty”?
1. Graded 80+ by Q Graders
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It must score 80 points or above on a 100-point scale by certified coffee tasters (Q Graders).
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Flavor, aroma, acidity, body, balance, and absence of defects are assessed.
2. Grown in Ideal Conditions
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Specialty coffee is typically grown at high altitudes, with rich soil and ideal climate conditions.
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Often from regions like Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
3. Traceable and Ethically Sourced
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You can trace the coffee to a specific farm, farmer, or cooperative.
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Ethical practices such as fair prices, sustainability, and direct trade are common.
4. Expert Processing
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The cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness and carefully processed (washed, natural, or honey methods).
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This preserves the bean’s distinct flavor characteristics.
5. Craft Roasting
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Roasters highlight the bean's unique origin flavors, not mask them.
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Often small-batch roasting with precision and testing.
6. Brewed with Care
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Specialty coffee is typically brewed with attention to detail — pour-over, Chemex, AeroPress, espresso, etc.
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Water quality, temperature, and grind size all matter.
💬 Think of it this way:
Specialty coffee is to regular coffee what craft beer is to cheap lager. It's about quality, story, and experience — not just caffeine.
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