SCAA Announces Changes to United States Barista Championship Program
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the organization who produces the United States Coffee Championships, has announced changes to the prequalification system for the United States Barista Championship (USBC). Competitors will be able to register to compete at the USBC, beginning in the 2016 cycle, as follows: Baristas who either hold a level 1 …
SCAA Barista and Roaster Compensation Report Shows Correlation Between Certification and Higher Salaries
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) has published the 2014 Barista and Roaster Compensation Report, which shows that while some coffee professionals are paid only slightly over minimum wage, certification plays a key role in advancing their compensation. The objective of this report, conducted in conjunction with Marketing General, Inc. (MGI), is to recognize …
DRC’s First-Ever Coffee Cupping Competition Rejuvenates Coffee Sector
The first-ever specialty coffee cupping competition in the DRC, Saveur du Kivu, took place with great Congolese and international fanfare on June 2nd and 3rd. The events were hosted by the Government of South Kivu and the National Coffee Organization of DRC, and the competition followed Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) global standards to …
SCAA Announces New Sustainability Director, Kim Elena Ionescu
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) has announced the selection of Kim Elena Ionescu as its new Director of Sustainability. Ionescu will be the first to hold the new role within the organization, which was created as part of a larger effort to grow SCAA’s work in the sustainability sector. “We are very pleased …
Coffee Talk: Iced Coffee
By Danny Pinnell, SCAA “Summer is just around the corner, which means that I start getting Facebook messages and reporters calling about iced coffee,” said Peter Giuliano at the beginning of this week’s coffee talk. “I’ve worked for over a quarter-century in coffee, and I swear I’m going to be remembered for my position on iced …
Run Across Congo Held in Conjunction with First-Ever DRC Cupping Competition
On Sunday, May 24, a team of nine women will embark upon Run Across Congo, seven marathons in seven days through South Kivu, in an effort to shine a light on the remarkable Congolese communities striving every day to improve their lives and build a sustainable future. “We hope that this light will be so bright it …
SCAA Offers Job Opportunities in Marketing
**POSITIONS FILLED** The Specialty Coffee Association of America staff is a small but mighty force of workers who support a diverse and vibrant community of coffee professionals. SCAA has opened up a couple of positions that may be of interest to members of the coffee community. The first of these is the position of Event …
Coffee Community Supports Farmers Affected by Nepal Earthquake
The 2015 Nepal earthquake, also known as the Gorkha earthquake, killed more than 7,000 people and injured more than twice as many with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter Scale. Lekali Coffee Estate, run by Nima Tenzing Sherpa, was greatly affected by the earthquake. 37 families who work on the farm were displaced and …
Coffee Talk: Milk-Based Drinks
By Danny Pinnell, SCAA Among coffee drinkers, we have noticed that there tends to be a lot of confusion and anxiety about what to call certain beverages–primarily the ones made up of espresso and milk. Between terms like cappuccino, macchiato (both of the Italian and Starbucks variety), cortado, piccolo, caffé latte, Gibraltar, Gaspar, and Flat …
Announcing the Newest SCAA Certified Home Brewer: Bonavita BV1900TD 8-Cup Digital Coffee Brewer
Bonavita now has three SCAA certified brewers, their newest addition being the Bonavita BV1900TD 8-Cup Digital Coffee Brewer. Building on the success of predecessors, the Bonavita 8-Cup Digital Brewer with Stainless-Steel Carafe features improvements that will result in an even better cup of coffee. Bonavita is committed to bringing the highest level of coffee brewing technology to …
The Cupping Exchange: A Place to Share Coffee
By Mya Stark Now in its fifth year, The Cupping Exchange provides Event attendees with a means to promote green coffee export offerings, compare single-origin flavor profiles, and provide a benchmark of testing different roasting systems. Most importantly, the Exchange conforms to all the stringent technical requirements of an SCAA-certified cupping lab—something it’s not always …
SCAA 2015 Best New Product Winners Announced
Each year, the Specialty Coffee Association’s Best New Product Competition recognizes new products that represent quality and add value to the specialty coffee and tea industry. Awards were presented at The 27th Annual SCAA Exposition on April 11, 2015, in Seattle, WA. In addition to the Best New Product Competition, which is judged onsite at …