Ever wondered how Brazil became the biggest name in coffee? I’ll be honest: When I first started getting into coffee, I didn’t think about where the beans came from. If it tasted good, it was good. Simple as that. But after writing for Coffee Voilà and pulling endless shots on my Barista Express, something shifted….
Ever sipped your usual coffee and thought, “Why doesn’t this taste like the stuff from that little café downtown?” Most people don’t realize they’re drinking blends. Often a mix of Arabica and Robusta. That was me for years. I’d grab whatever was on sale, toss it into the machine, and go about my day. But…
Ever wondered what makes Arabic coffee so special? I didn’t get it until one weekend when visiting my friend Khalid in Riyadh. We sat down in his living room after dinner, and he brought out a tall, elegant dallah with the most fragrant coffee I’d ever smelled. Golden, spiced, and poured into tiny cups that…
Did you know that over 70% of the world’s coffee exports come from Arabica beans? It’s easily the most popular coffee species globally. However, most people don’t realize how much variety exists within it. For a long time, I didn’t care much about what coffee I bought. As long as it had caffeine, I was…
Did you know there are over 87,000 different drink combinations at Starbucks? No wonder it can feel overwhelming staring at the menu when all you want is something that tastes good and wakes you up. Honestly, even as someone who runs a coffee blog, I find myself at Starbucks more often than I’d like to…
What’s the one thing most home baristas overlook that can make or break your espresso? One thing that saved my coffee years ago was learning how to test my water. I had spent months adjusting grind size, changing beans, even questioning my espresso machine. But nothing seemed to fix that dull, sometimes bitter shot. Well,…
Ever dialed in everything… and your espresso still tasted off? When I got my brand new Barista espresso machine, I was pumped. It looked gorgeous on my counter like a mini café setup just for me. But the taste? Total letdown. I mean, the beans were freshly roasted, my grinder was calibrated, the tamp was…
Ever tried tamping espresso with a shot glass or a jar lid? About a week ago, I was cleaning out my kitchen drawer and found the old “tamper” I made when I first got into home espresso. Just a stack of coins wrapped in a paper towel held together with a bottle cap. I actually…
Not sure what pod to choose? Though Nespresso isn’t exactly my thing. I’m more of a manual brewing guy. But sometimes you’ve gotta make a few sacrifices for the greater good. Well, I can’t say it was a huge sacrifice, since I was sipping espresso after espresso for this guide. But still, testing over 30…
Ever wondered what would happen if you mixed honey and cocoa into your espresso? Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved adding honey to my tea especially when I wasn’t feeling well. But these days, I’m more of a coffee guy. One afternoon, I was watching this French barista on YouTube. Couldn’t catch a…