Coffee Knowledge
Latest articles, industry insights and brewing guides
How to Tell if Your Coffee Beans Are Fresh
Find out if your coffee beans are fresh using three simple steps: smell, look, and peel. Learn the signs of freshness and when to use them.
How to Tell Real Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee
Learn how to spot genuine Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, why most 'Blue Mountain' is fake, and where to find the real thing.
How to Spot and Fix Coffee Roaster Exhaust Blockages
Learn how to identify and clear blocked coffee roaster exhaust pipes, which can ruin roast profiles and cup quality.
What Defines Specialty Coffee According to SCAA
Learn how specialty coffee is graded, what qualifies a coffee as 'specialty', and how scoring systems like COE set global standards.
Self-Service Coffee Machines: How 'Coffee Zero Bar' Raised 30 Million RMB
A Beijing-based startup, Coffee Zero Bar, raised 30 million RMB in Series A funding for its smart self-service coffee machines serving 16 brews in under 45 seconds.
How to Hide Dark Furniture Scratches with Coffee
Use coffee grounds to reduce the visibility of scratches on dark wood furniture. A simple two-step method restores the surface's appearance.
11 Ways to Remove Fridge Odors — Coffee Works Best
Coffee is the most effective way to eliminate fridge smells. Here are 11 budget-friendly, proven methods to deodorize your fridge naturally.
How to Adjust Coffee Extraction Rate & Concentration in Chain Cafes
Learn how to tweak coffee taste using extraction rate and TDS concentration metrics—with ideal ranges for balanced results.
How Grinder Type Affects Coffee Flavor: Flat vs Conical Burrs
Flat and conical burr grinders impact coffee flavor differently. Learn their pros, cons, and how they change your brew’s clarity, body, and extraction.
Eight Principles for Cupping Specialty Coffee
Learn the eight essential criteria for evaluating freshly roasted specialty coffee during cupping, from cleanliness to balance.
How Coffee Acidity Varies by Bean Type and Roast
Learn why some coffees taste more acidic than others — based on species, process, roast level, water temp, and brew time.
18 Coffee Aromas and How to Taste Them Like a Pro
Coffee tasting involves 18 distinct aromas, basic tastes like acid and bitterness, and mouthfeel traits. Here’s how to assess them accurately.
Key Coffee Tasting Terms Every Specialty Drinker Should Know
Understand 20+ essential coffee flavor, aroma, and texture terms used in cupping and professional tasting notes—explained clearly for serious drinkers.
Specialty Coffee Tasting Terms Explained
Learn the precise meanings of key coffee tasting terms—flavor, acidity, body, and more—from professional cupping and sensory evaluation.
How and When to Drink Coffee for Best Flavor
Learn the best temperatures, drinking styles, and timing for tasting coffee, especially specialty single origins and milk drinks like cappuccino.
Four Common Mistakes When Drinking Coffee
You might be ruining your coffee without realizing it. Avoid these four common errors that affect flavor and enjoyment.
How Coffee Cupping Works: The Professional Tasting Method
Learn the standardized 6-step coffee cupping process used by professionals to evaluate roasted coffee’s aroma, flavor, and score potential.
How to Taste Coffee: The Right Way to Drink Specialty Coffee
Learn how to properly taste coffee like wine—by identifying four key flavor profiles, appreciating aroma, and layering sugar and milk.
Taste Zone Map: Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter on the Tongue
Learn how human tongues perceive basic tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter—and where flavor detection really happens during coffee tasting.
Understanding the New SCAA Coffee Tasters Flavor Wheel
Learn what the updated SCAA Coffee Tasters Flavor Wheel is, how it’s structured, and how to use it for better coffee tasting.