MARCO WELLINGER of ZHAW (Wädenswil, Switzerland) explains why alkalinity is more important than pH and why you should adjust your water recipes to your beverage ratio and extraction method. Even as raindrops are falling to earth, gases already diffuse into it, most notably CO2. The dissolved CO2 combines with water to form carbonic acid, which …
NOA BERGER traces how French cafés and roasters navigate the “glocalization” of specialty coffee. All photos by Albin Durand for La Fontaine de Belleville. Despite being relatively slow to catch on, this movement has caught the attention of the culinary industry, as evident by the recent entry into specialty coffee of French chef Alain Ducasse. …
KELSEY KUDAK traces the evolution of the global competition and its impact on the specialty coffee industry over the past 20 years. [Editor’s note: After going to print, we regrettably noted a photo caption omitting the presence of Sherri Johns, US Barista Championship co-organizer, WBC Miami co-organizer, and past Head Judge. The caption has been …
First established in 2016, Design Lab – a platform showcasing great design in specialty coffee – has continued to grow. Now in its fourth year, the competition celebrates the design efforts of our industry through four key platforms: coffee spaces, coffee vessels, packaging, and brand. As the hundreds of submissions are received and carefully evaluated …
Long rows of palm trees, arranged flowers, incredibly clean streets – these are things I associate with Singapore or Switzerland, but there they were! The streets were so clean and green, I found myself wondering if there was even any dust to be found. I first came to Rwanda in 2013, looking for a place …
The turning of the year brought exciting changes to SCA leadership. Our board – now more reflective of our global community – recently directed SCA staff to allocate substantial resources to understanding and addressing the coffee price crisis. We look forward to working with Executive Director Emeritus Ric Rhinehart on the SCA’s Coffee Price Crisis …
Dr. JOSEPH KING explores the role of specialty coffee across two case studies of conflict and development efforts in Rwanda and Eastern Congo. All photos by Dr. King. The peoples of the Great Lakes region are as diverse as its ecosystems, geographically marked by volcanoes, rainforests, savannas, and lakes. Numerous tribal groups, national boundaries, and …
LEAD Scholar SMAYAH UWAJENEZA reflects on her personal experience working as a specialty coffee professional in Kigali, Rwanda in a 25 Magazine online exclusive. I was born after genocide (in 1997) and brought up by the lovely community who taught me the value of life and the treasure of generosity. I was lucky enough to …
Postdoctoral fellow Dr. SCOTT FROST, Professor JEAN-XAVIER GUINARD, and Professor WILLIAM D. RISTENPART share early results of an ongoing research project in partnership with the SCA and Breville Corporation. Anybody who has shopped around lately for a drip coffee brewer will recognize that modern brewers typically come with a filter basket that is either “semi-conical” …
Professor CHARLES SPENCE of Oxford University’s Crossmodal Research Laboratory explains the impact sound has on your perception of flavor. In fact, everything from the sound of the coffee machine through to the background noise/music in your favorite coffee shop has been shown to influence our sensory expectations, not to mention our coffee drinking behavior. One …