Boston masterclass announcement! Plus: Water chemistry, again from 2022-03-06T17:28:03

Boston Masterclass

Introducing CupWise from 2022-02-13T10:00:54

Delicious Filter Coffee from an Espresso Machine from 2021-09-29T03:42:27

Should you omniroast? The answer is not so simple from 2021-09-18T16:31:29

5 Things Learned in 5 Cuppings from 2021-08-05T08:14:16

5 Things Learned in 5 Cuppings

by Ryan Brown, Founder of Facsimile Coffee

I selfishly started Listen

Best Practice Espresso Profile from 2021-05-18T14:28:15

The most impressive, productive (and sometimes over my head) discussion about espresso these days is on the private Decent Diaspora forum. One of the wonderful things about the De...

Does the difference in the body of various coffees matter? from 2021-05-09T16:00:29

"Solubility matching" and blending coffee from 2021-03-09T00:21:12

Every Green Buyer’s White Lie from 2021-02-18T21:40:30

To Be a Great Coffee Taster from 2021-02-13T23:56:33

The West-Coast Tour from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

I'm excited to announce that John is touring the West Coast of the US and Canada over the next two weeks with two DE1+ machines in tow.  John's demos have already wowed several groups of co...

The Coffee Podcast from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Recently Jesse and Weston of The Coffee Podcast were kind of enough to invite me on their show, and it w...

Prewetting: When to do it, when not to from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

A comment in the recent hand-pour post prompted the idea of writing a short post about prewetting. I think prewetting is a bit misunderstood (aren’t we all?), and seems to have gone from somethi...

Some Observations on Hand Pours from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Hand pours seem to have died at some point in the past few years, but nevertheless I’d like to do a short posthumous com...

CUP SCORE INFLATION from 2021-01-18T17:21:36

2020 HOLIDAY COFFEE-GIFT GUIDE from 2020-12-08T00:39:26

As we enter the holiday season, I thought it would be nice to make some gift recommendations for the coffee enthusiast in your life. I admire and...

Online All-Levels Roasting Class! from 2020-10-09T00:25:24

I’m pleased to announce my newest all-levels online roasting class this November 7.

The class will be broadcast through a private Facebook group. All ticket holders will...

Managing astringency in coffee brewing from 2020-10-08T00:24

I’ve frequently written about astringency on Instagram and Jonathan Gagné, author of the forthcoming book The Physics of Filter Coffee, wrote an excellent Listen

How to Choose a Roasting Machine from 2020-04-09T20:20:39

If you’re in the market to purchase a coffee roaster, I wrote this book for you. I’ve had the fortune to roast on hundreds of machines throughout my career, and I’d like to help n...

Coffee Roasting Fundamentals from 2020-03-29T20:24:22

Sometimes the most fundamental and important messages seem to get lost in the details. Some of what is said online and otherwise about roasting, and about what I have said about r...

Beginners' Online Roasting Class! from 2020-03-29T19:50:19

April 18— May 17

I’m pleased to announce my first online roasting class for beginners, April 18. This class is appropriate for anyone curious about roast...

Welcome to The Coffee Innovation Summit from 2020-02-05T23:08:06

What are the best dose and brewing ratio? from 2020-02-05T23:02:12

Australian and American coffee bars: Their differences, and what they can learn from each other from 2019-12-22T15:29:31

There are two significant differences in how third-wave baristas serve coffee in the US and Australia. I believe if baristas in each country adopt the other’s...

ONLINE ALL-LEVELS ROASTING CLASS + FORUM from 2019-11-23T23:39:13

I’m pleased to announce I will offer an online roasting course on January 4th, 2020. The class will be broadcast through a private Facebook group. All ticket holders will have access ...

TUNING YOUR ROASTING MACHINE from 2019-11-23T23:38:06

The vast majority of machines I’ve worked on in my consulting career have needed what I call “tuning.” For example, just this past month, a client with a new Probat had far less airflow...

Q&A COFFEE PODCAST, EPISODE 2: BREWING from 2019-08-01T18:14:39

Today's podcast is all about brewing, with a sprinkling of questions about coffee & business.

Q&A COFFEE PODCAST WITH SCOTT RAO from 2019-07-14T21:17:32

Scott Rao answers your submitted questions with Vassily Lissouba.

Idle noise, ROR intervals, and analyzing roast curves from 2019-07-04T23:42:04

Idle noise, ROR intervals, and analyzing roast curves

Recently, Marko Luther of Artisan published a fascinating blog post “ Listen

Was it the green? The roast? The extraction? from 2019-05-18T14:36:20

Was it the green? The roast? The extraction? 

Berlin Roasting Masterclass, June 8 from 2019-04-28T16:39:46

Why we care (or don’t care) about seasonality from 2019-04-28T15:59:37

Extraction Curve Analysis from 2019-04-07T20:03:21

Most of my work over the past ten years has involved analyzing roast-curve data for clients. Those years spent analyzing tens of thousands of curves have helped me identify consistent, verifiabl...

Introducing the Litmus XTS Spray Head from 2019-03-11T00:13:59

Roasting Classes during SCA Boston! from 2019-03-11T00:13:31

I’m pleased to announce I will be holding two roasting masterclasses in Boston this April during the SCA Expo.

These will be very advanced classes, complete with a tasting of the newest R...

A more effective way to align your grinder from 2019-01-30T19:32:30

Sydney Masterclass, February 3rd from 2019-01-17T17:30:10

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be offering a Roasting Masterclass in Sydney at Collective Roasting Solutions on February 3.

This will be a very advanced class, complete with a few new ...

The best cascara I have ever tasted from 2019-01-17T17:17:51

(Photo credit Lucia Solis)

Why Spin the Slurry? from 2019-01-09T21:00:15

Why Spin the Slurry?

A guest post by Jonathan Gagné

From Scott:  The history of The Spin is murky…although it’s often called the “R...

Melbourne Masterclass, February 9 from 2019-01-08T05:04:49

I’m excited to visit Melbourne during MICE this February, because:

• It’s a blast to explore Melbourne’s food and coffee scene.

• I’m...

  Listen

BARATZA FORTE VS EK43: WHICH IS BETTER? from 2019-01-06T05:27:03

Online All-levels Roasting Class, January 19 from 2019-01-06T01:50:19

Coffee Nerd Gift Guide from 2018-12-18T20:23:57

Just in time for the holidays, I thought I’d share a few book and gift recommendations for you to get for the coffee nerd in your life. Or just gift them to yourself if that appeals.  :)

Roasting Masterclass | NYC (12/22) from 2018-12-06T17:06:07

I'm pleased to announce the last Roasting Masterclass of 2018, to be held at the Regalia Company in NYC. This masterclass is unlike any other offered in the world. This will also be an unusually ...

How to Use Cropster To (Almost Always) Know Exactly When First Crack Began from 2018-12-06T15:15

One challenge to precision roasting is knowing when first crack began. Some roasting machines make hearing the cracks nearly impossible, but even when hearing the cracks is easy, knowing exactly ...

Roasting Masterclass | Vancouver (10/9) from 2018-11-28T01:56:18

Somehow despite the cold. Canada is calling to me for the second time in a month. Perhaps it’s the polite people, or perhaps it’s just nice to spend time in a country with a reasonable leader.

Roasting Masterclass | Montreal (11/7) from 2018-11-04T17:12:23

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be offering a three-hour roasting masterclass in Montreal on November 17. The masterclass will include two hours of lecture, a cupping of the Roast Defect Kit, a...

Litmus Coffee Labs' First Product: The UFO Spray Head from 2018-11-02T16:46:43

Introducing: Litmus Coffee Labs from 2018-11-02T16:46:36

Last year, I met Dan Eils, an engineer, through my blog. We found we had a shared philosophy on how to go about improving coffee equipment, so we decided to set to work on a new coffee-machine p...

Foreign Language Coffee Books from 2018-10-31T02:48

I’m overdue for letting you know that my books are now available in six different languages worldwide, with more books in more languages on their way.

Using Extraction Levels To Rate Grinders from 2018-10-30T23:07

One thing notably absent from most marketing and discussion of grinders is mention of extraction level. Manufacturers routinely reveal burr size, lbs or kg per hour, motor RPM, etc, but rarely me...

Let's Play A Game from 2018-09-26T16:02:49

I recently posted a roast curve on my IG to illustrate how the way one sets the axes (the ranges for time, temperature, and ROR) affects a curve’s appearance. 

For instance, if one se...

Common roasting machine problems from 2018-09-16T13:56:04

I’ve worked with several hundred roasting machines over my consulting career and have experienced a troubling problem: manufacturers often deliver roasting machines with what I would consider de...

Advanced Mode on the DE1+: The Best Quality Espresso Extraction I've Ever Had from 2018-07-19T15:38:09

WELCOME TO NEW YORK'S NEWEST SHARED ROASTING SPACE from 2018-07-12T20:16:08

Last year I had plans to open a cooperative roastery in LA but various problems with the landlord and the building forced me to cancel that project, I'm sorry to say.  However, I've been qu...

Flow Profiling on the De1+ from 2018-06-29T11:08:15

Probably the most exciting feature of the DE1+ is its ability to manage shots by flow rate.  That may not sound like a big deal, but read on to have your mind blown. 

Pressure Profiling on the Decent Espresso Machine from 2018-06-07T18:33

I've had a DE1+ at my house for the past few weeks and I've already learned a ton. In this post, I'd like to introduce readers to the "pressure" and "flow" modes of the Decent. In the next ...

June 23 Roasting Masterclass, Amsterdam from 2018-06-03T23:55

Roast Defect Kit #2 from 2018-06-03T23:39:28

I'm pleased to announce that I've just released the second ROAST DEFECT KIT today, in conjunction w...

How a Strong Offering Philosophy Beats “Purchasing Power” from 2018-05-24T21:13:29

By Ryan Brown

Author of Dear Coffee Buyer

A sentiment I hear ofte...

Dear Coffee Buyer from 2018-05-06T16:23:58

The Virtual, Advanced Roasting Class, Available Until MAY 21 from 2018-04-24T16:19:57

UPDATE APRIL 21:  The Seattle classes have passed, but the virtual class will be available until May 21.  If you purchase the virtual class you'll be able to view...

Introducing the Roast Development Kit + Virtual Roasting Class from 2018-04-06T20:31:30

First, please let me apologize for taking so long to offer the “Roast Development Kit” I had promised in Listen

It's Time to Create a Scoring System For Roast Quality from 2018-03-18T06:03:55

It’s clear that roast quality interferes with green evaluation to some degree, so isn’t it time we created a separate scoring system for roast quality? This would help us avoid allowing roast qua...

The Lucia Update Update from 2018-03-17T09:21

My apologies to the 150 or so readers who wrote to me requesting samples of coffees processed by Lucia Solis.  Bad luck and timing have conspired to delay the availability of a suitable set...

Lucia Solis Classes in Seattle, April 19--21 from 2018-03-09T19:23:51

This April, I'll be sharing the back building at the charming Ada's Technical Books in Seattle with my friends Lee Safar of Map It Foward&...

Map It Forward Events in Seattle This April from 2018-03-06T03:58:40

My good friend, the irrepressible Lee Safar of Map It Forward, will be offering two classes this April in Seattle during the SCA Expo week. Lee has partnered with established, successful co...

#raotips from 2018-03-03T19:07:19

As some of you know, I've begun a daily Instagram feature "Coffee Tip of the Day." I'm attempting to offer bite-sized bits of coffee knowledge as often as possible.  If you'd like to check ...

Second Melbourne Class Added! from 2018-03-02T17:20:58

I'm pleased to announce that tickets are selling like, well, like flat whites, for the Melbourne Roasting Masterclass, so I've decided to add a second class on March 23 from 8am--11am.  Thi...

MAP IT FORWARD: Mapping A Career and Business In Wholesale Roasted Coffee Sales (March 11) from 2018-03-02T04:14

Two of my favorite coffee people, Lee Safar and James Marcotte, will be co-hosting this event on March 11.  You can attend virtually, or in person if you're in the Los Angeles area. &n...

Roasting Masterclass | Melbourne from 2018-02-26T04:08

What is Baked Coffee? (MOST PROS DON'T KNOW!) from 2018-02-26T00:57:40

For years I’ve been promoting the idea of a steady decline in the ROR (rate of rise) during roasting.  Recently I’ve heard of some "educators" publicly discrediting the idea of a steadily d...

Decent Mice from 2018-02-25T05:01

Good news, Melbournians! John and Bugs of Decent Espresso will be in Melbourne to demo the DE1+ machine during MICE. I'll be helping them (aka acting like I understand what John is talking about...

Drip vs. Immersion: We May Be Calculating Extraction Incorrectly! And, A Contest. from 2018-02-19T06:19:52

Several readers recently requested a post explaining the differences in measuring extractions of drip vs. immersion brews. I have always wanted to write about this, but didn’t think anyone ...

Map it Forward: Beginner's Roasting Workshop (1/7) from 2017-12-18T16:41:29

My friend Lee Safar has spent the past year developing “Map It Forward,” a workshop to help coffee professionals plan...

The 2:1 Ratio from 2017-12-18T16:39:31

If third wavers are good at anything, it’s following trends and adopting new dogmas.  If I didn’t know any better, I would say that most young baristas are glued to Instagram all day, just ...

The Lucia Update (AKA The Yeast-Fart-Coffee Update) from 2017-12-18T16:38:41

Thanks to all of you who have expressed interest in tasting some of Lucia’s coffee.  Our original intent was to offer coffee from her project in El Salvador, but the crop was late and we de...

Looking Beyond Origin for Flavor Diversity from 2017-10-26T21:29:50

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Recently I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Lucia Solis, a fermentation expert who cut her chops in the wine industry.  Lucia has been working in coffee f...