Coffee is part of a complex family tree. Thanks to agricultural intervention, producers and researchers have added even more branches to a never-ending genealogy of coffee varieties and coffee cultivars. Biologically speaking, it all starts with the Rubiaceae shrub family, from which we get the Coffea genus. The most common coffee species that people drink every day are Coffea arabica…

How to Roast Coffee Beans I started out in coffee in the mid-2010s as a barista at the only third wave cafe in my area. My first job roasting was a couple years later with Strange Brew Cafe + Roaster in Palos Hills, IL. We started a roasting program out of both necessity and curiosity. I learned as much as…

Coffee in Costa Rica is as advanced as it gets. Smallholders here are highly motivated to keep Costa Rican coffee on the map for innovation, diversification, and a reputation for premium quality. They pay extensive attention to technical advancement, particularly in agriculture and coffee processing, and farmers don’t hesitate to experiment with new varietals and fermentation techniques. With Costa Rica’s…

In this post we explore the exciting possibility of growing coffee in the comfort of your own home. Yes, you read that correctly – you can have your very own coffee plant flourishing within your four walls! You probably don't have the acreage to have a robust coffee harvest and this will definitely be a years-long project if you want…

Over half a million families dedicate their livelihoods to producing unroasted Colombia green coffee on small farms that dot the country’s volcanic mountain ranges. As the world’s third-largest producing country, the volume, quality, and variety that comes out of Colombia year-round is staggering. Coffee from Colombia is never dull, and we look forward to every harvest with eager anticipation. Colombian…

How to Make Big Batch Cold Brew Coffee The sun is out. The weather is warm. It’s time to swap out those steaming mugs of filter coffee for a refreshing glass of cold brew on the rocks. Cold brew coffee is one of the easiest beverages to prepare in a big batch for serving summer customers or chugging it all…

It’s hard to summarize an origin country like Brazil and its vast role in coffee’s past, present, and future. Since the 1800s, Brazilian coffee has dominated the coffee trade. Brazil has been a top producer of Arabica and Robusta with an immense range of flavor profiles and processing methods. And every harvest, we bring coffee roasters fully traceable unroasted Brazilian…

With it rich volcanic soil, mountainous terrain and varied micro-climates, Guatemala is a perfect country for coffee cultivation. Guatemalan green coffee beans are the delight of roasters and coffee drinkers alike. With its wide array of growing regions Guatemala encourages a diverse range of outstanding flavor profiles. Together with our in-country sister company, we’re proud to source some of the…

We were all super-excited to arrive in Portland for EXPO this past April. Right after check-in, we went straight to the conference center to build out our booth. Every exhibitor was busily constructing their booth in anticipation of the deluge of coffee lovers that were about to descend on Portland. We were thrilled because our program of roasters and speakers…

Coffee filters come in many shapes, sizes, and materials. There are nearly as many types of coffee filters as there are coffee brewing devices. So many, in fact, it can be overwhelming to filter through all the options. We’ve compiled this handy guide to determine what type of coffee filter is the best for your brewing method. That way, you…