Coffee Roasting Chemistry: Chlorogenic Acids
by Emma Sage, Coffee Science Manager, Specialty Coffee Association of America Chlorogenic Acids: Chemistry & Reality Coffee roasters and coffee-minded chemistry aficionados, myself included, often speak of chlorogenic acids (also known as caffeoylquinic acids or “CQAs”) in coffee. There may be hundreds of scientific studies published on these important constituents of coffee. However, what do we …
The Evolution of a Coffee Roaster: An Interview with Paul Thornton
An Interview with Paul Thornton, SCAA Immediate Past President & Director of Coffee for Farmer Brothers / Coffee Bean International How did you get started working in coffee? I was looking for a summer job out of high school. My brother worked for a small roasting company called Coffee Bean International, which at the time owned …
Equalizer: Observations on the Roasting Community
by Ben Angelo, Stumptown Coffee Roasters I think there’s a common hunger for knowledge when discovering and exploring craft roasting. That first batch drops and you want to know it all: was that the right temp to drop my Guatemala Antigua? Was the time good? It all looks brownish, so what’s the color I’m looking for? …
The Road to Roasting: One Roaster’s Journey
by Candice Madison, Notes Coffee Roasters It’s early morning—well, early-ish—and I’m sitting drinking a v60 of Kamwangi AA Lot #032 from Kirinyaga, Kenya. This new-crop coffee is one of many I have had a hand in buying for our roastery. I roasted the pre-shipment sample on a Quest M3, devised an appropriate profile for filter, highlighting …
Sustainability Award Recognizes Leadership and Innovation in the Coffee World
by Rosemary Trent, Pueblo a Pueblo For more than a decade, SCAA’s Sustainability Council has recognized individuals, businesses, and organizations that promote sustainability within the coffee world, selecting one each year to receive the prestigious Sustainability Award. This year’s panel received an unprecedented number of applicants representing projects that have demonstrated remarkable dedication to real and …
90+ Profiles: Getting to Know Norbert Niederhauser
Who are you and what do you do in coffee? My name is Norbert Niederhauser and I am the co-founder of Cropster, an information management service for coffee roasters, traders and producers. How and when did you get started in the coffee business? I got into the coffee business about 11 years ago. I …
Portfolio |Issue No. 3 | Innovation
Zojirushi Unveils Its First Commercial Use Water Boiler at the SCAA Show Zojirushi’s Commercial Water Boiler & Warmer (CD-LTC50) is the perfect solution for anyone needing a commercial-use hot water dispenser to make tea, hot chocolate, instant soups, instant oatmeal, sauces, or any other beverages or foods requiring hot water without the hassle of installing …
Portfolio | Issue No. 3 | Quality
Pack Plus is one of the nation’s fastest growing flexible packaging manufactures offering a wide variety of high-quality packaging solutions for the coffee and tea industries. Over the past 18 years, Pack Plus has been the most trusted coffee packaging suppliers that thrived in building partnerships with customers on all levels. We are committed to …
Portfolio | Issue No. 3 | Heritage
Visionary innovation for more than 70 years! BODUM®’s history dates back to 1944, when Peter Bodum launched the company in Copenhagen, Denmark. Renowned for its iconic French Press coffeemaker and signature Scandinavian design aesthetic, BODUM® has grown into a global housewares brand, with distribution in more than 55 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, the company continues …
Risk, Responsibility, and Potatoes? A Rwandan Coffee Story
There’s a lot more specialty coffee coming out of Rwanda these days, and there’s a lot to love about Rwandan coffee. 25% of Rwanda’s agricultural exports consist of coffee, and in recent years, the country has made substantial investments in specialty coffee infrastructure. As a result, numerous 90+ coffees are now coming out of the …
Serving Those Who Grow Coffee: A Barista’s Perspective
by Richard Sandlin, Fair Trade USA – Coffee For most of us living in the global North, working in coffee is a choice. Regardless of your association to Specialty Coffee–barista, roaster, importer, etc…–you’ve made the decision to pursue a career in coffee. We can switch companies, and still be in the coffee industry. For coffee …
On the Passing of Jim Karr
Though it is spread all over the globe, the specialty coffee community is like a close-knit family. And when a family loses a member, everyone feels it deeply. This past weekend, we lost Jim Karr, one of the coffee community’s most beloved and respected figures. Jim’s work was in – as SteamVolt, the company he founded, …