Totally Dissolved

Learning about Specialty Coffee can be daunting for anyone, regardless of being in coffee for 1 year or 10 years. Grant Gamble and Suneal Pabari created Leaderboard: The Coffee Game to help make learning about coffee fun for everyone, educational, and a unique way to think about how you learn about coffee. This week’s conversation gives us a peek into the thought process of creating educational experiences and how you can help develop a better palate. Grant is an ad school dropout turned coffee professional, typically working behind the scenes on too many projects at once. In addition to Leaderboard, Grant is the founder of Culture Coffee Project, Creative Director for the World AeroPress Championship, Events Director for the NA division of Allegra Events and the Director of Marketing for the Montreal-based symposium ECCM. Despite having been in the industry since '05, Grant is still learning everyday (though he's pretty confident he'd score at least 86 points in Leaderboard). Suneal is obsessed with making fun coffee experiences and pushing the boundaries of the coffee industry. Back in 2014 he co-founded The Roasters Pack (Canada’s best specialty coffee subscription service - think of it like your nerdy coffee friend who shares awesome coffees) and has since co-founded a few other coffee projects along his journey in the coffee industry. Hand him a cup of a washed Ethiopian or Colombian and he’ll be a happy man. #coffee #coffeepeople #palatedevelopment #tasting #coffeecupping

Join us as Edwin tells us about his path to founding Onyx Coffee and how he has seen the landscape for the production and consumption of Guatemalan coffee change over the years.

Community and coffee are synonymous. Coffee brings people together into shared spaces and through sharing stories and experiences. This week we chat with Double J on how he builds community through Black Rabbit and sharing coffee, culture, and stories through his new project Coffee Breath.

Trying to educate oneself about coffee can be daunting and confusing. This week we chat with Hailie Stevens from Fellow and gives us some great perspectives on educating consumers on Specialty Coffee.

We have a very fun, science focused episode this week for you all! We bring back Chris Hendon and welcome Robin Bumbaugh to discuss experiments they've done this past year with grind particles, electricity, and chemical reactions. Dr. Christopher H. Hendon is a Professor of Computational Materials Chemistry at the Univeristy of Oregon. His interests are in energy materials and coffee science. Prof. Hendon’s interest in coffee began during his PhD, and since then has published several peer-reviewed articles and a book, Water For Coffee. He enjoys washed African coffees, dry Rieslings, and east coast oysters. Robin Bumbaugh is a PhD Candidate at the University of Oregon and has been conducting research in the Hendon Coffee Lab since 2021. Originally from northern California, she obtained her B.S in Chemistry and Biochemistry from California State University, Chico in 2019. From there she spent a sunny summer working at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida before heading to UO where she earned her Master’s in Chemistry. Recently, her work at UO has earned her a Graduate Student Community Builder Award and an upcoming publication in Matter. Aside from coffee, Robin’s hobbies include spending time in the sun, cooking, and walking her dachshund. The manuscript of the study, "Moisture Controlled Triboelectrification During Coffee Grinding," will be available to read in Matter in November and will link here when available. DM us if you would like a copy. #coffee #coffeepeople #coffeescience #specialtycoffee #coffeegrinders

Technology is ever evolving in Specialty Coffee and quickly developing in every facet from Roasting to Brewing. We chat this week with David Chou from Eversys to help us better understand how automatic espresso machines have changed and the possibilities this technology has in Specialty Coffee and Hospitality. David Chou (he/him) is the Customer Success Manager at Eversys USA, based in New York, NY. With a background in coffee education at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, he now creates resources for end users and technicians, and ensures that the programming and recipes of each machine match what is expected. He is also the co-chair of the US Latte Art Competition, and greatly enjoys seeing the competitors, judges, and competition itself grow in its return to the USCC stage. Outside of coffee, he loves cooking, running long distances, and hanging out with his wife and two cats. #coffee #coffeepeople #espresso #specialtycoffee #technology

We interview each other about Training, Education, and Barista-ing. We both love being in the Specialty Coffee Industry and sometimes you just need to chat it out to learn more and also appreciate how much has changed and evolved over time. Tell us what you think about being in the role you do in Specialty Coffee and bonus points for also sharing fun kid pics and stories and your ideal day. #coffee #coffeepeople #specialtycoffee

We continue our discussion on SE Asian Coffee with Will Frith. We get into the history and rise of Vietnamese Coffee and it's modernization. Will Frith is an American of Vietnamese descent who grew up in Texas. He first came to Vietnam in 2004 to meet his maternal grandparents, and has subsequently split his time between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. He got his start in the coffee business as a barista at MOD Coffeehouse in Galveston, Texas. In 2007 he was hired as a Production Assistant at Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters (now Dancing Goats Coffee) in Olympia, Washington, and would eventually become Production Roaster and QC Specialist at Olympia Coffee Roasters. In 2013 he moved to Vietnam to contribute to the development of specialty arabica. He is largely credited with sparking a movement in specialty coffee there. With the exception of a year at The New Black in Singapore and three years with Modbar as its west coast US rep, he has since lived and worked in Saigon, dedicated to changing the way the world views Vietnam's coffee. In 2019 he co-founded Saigon-based Building Coffee, a coffee company at origin that believes in Better Coffee for More People. He opened Building Coffee's flagship cafe BEL with Building Coffee partner Kel Norman in 2021. Ed Leebrick, owner of Seattle's legendary Lighthouse Roasters, joined Building Coffee in 2021. The brand launched in the USA at the Specialty Coffee Association's 2023 Expo in Portland, OR. <www.willfrith.com> <www.building.coffee> #coffee #coffeepeople #vietnam #vietnamesecoffee

October is FilAm History Month and this week's episode we get to know what is special about Philippine Coffee. Paul Barreto is local to the LA area (Long Beach represent!) and is one of the burgeoning FilAm Specialty Coffee Roasters specifically working with Filipino Coffee and Filipino Coffee Farmers. We (especially Bronwen) are so excited to share this conversation with you all and share a little about Philippine Specialty Coffee. Paul Barreto is one of the co-founders of Out of Office Roasters. As a hobbyist, he began roasting on a Whirley Pop in his apartment kitchen. After several fire alarm incidents, and a trip to Mexico City seeing coffee culture in a coffee origin country, the idea for Out of Office Roasters arose and he was inspired to produce coffee on a larger scale. Out of Office Roasters aims to connect coffee, art, and people while providing a platform for Asian and Asian-American creatives. Paul’s passion is in showcasing the amazing creative work by AAPI artists, and in building community with other AAPI and BIPOC business owners in the Long Beach and Los Angeles area. Paul recently finished his first documentary, Ma'am Tere, which explores Philippines specialty coffee and the work of the farmers, mill managers, and importers in the Philippines. The film is an official selection for the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest in 2023. Out of Office Roasters continues to source coffees from the Philippines and hopes to bring more attention to the unique flavors of the coffee, as well as the people and relationships behind it. #coffee #coffeepeople #roaster #pinoy #philippinecoffee

We're baaaacccck!!! Happy Autumn and we've got another fun and educational season of caffeinated learning ahead. We begin our season's lesson with Roasting. We talk with the talented Kat Melheim, who isn't shy and loves sharing her knowledge. Kat Melheim (she/any) - aka: Roaster Kat - is a roaster, writer, content creator, artist, and all around coffee person. She started in the coffee industry 10 years ago as a barista, and learned to roast in 2017. In 2018 Kat started Coffee People Zine, a print coffee and art publication that celebrates the creativity of the coffee community. That same year she started an Instagram account called Roaster’s Apprentice, to chronicle the things she was learning on the job, through trial and error, at roasting events and seminars, etc. That account has since become @roasterkat - a platform where Kat shares tips and tricks for roasters, behind-the-scenes roastery content, and things she learns and encounters as a coffee professional. From publishing a print zine to sharing roasting knowledge online, Kat’s passion is encouraging, equipping, and emboldening other coffee pros to share their creations with the world. #coffee #coffeeroasting #coffeepeople

What a whirlwind of a season! It's our last episode for Season 3 and we recount the adventures we had at this year's Specialty Coffee Association Expo. What are some highlights you all had? We're also taking a short break to plan and rest before Season 4. Thanks for learning with us and will catch you on the next one!

As avid coffee drinkers and coffee professionals we all get wrapped up in perfecting the brewing of coffee, we often overlook the economics and complexities of how our coffee gets to us. Sure we're also curious about what happens on the farm and different processes, but what about the in-between? Today, we converse with Katie Cargulio about what happens after the harvest and before the roast of your green coffee. With over 20 years of experience, Katie has held the positions of barista, customer support representative, quality controller, and green coffee buyer. She is currently the Counter Culture Coffee's Western Coffee Manager based out of their roastery in Emeryville, CA. She is the 2012 United States Barista Champion, a certified Q grader, and recently joined the board of World Coffee Research. Her north star is to constantly learn about and promote the values of quality and sustainability in the coffee industry.

This week we are so honored to talk with Veronica Pearl about creating community and inclusivity. It is challenging to find sufficient words to fully capture the immense inspiration, unwavering drive, and iconic leadership of someone like Veronica. She shares not only her story, but how everyone can continue to push for change no matter your position or circumstance. Veronica Pearl is a fabulous, queer, trans woman who’s fierce as hell and cute to death. She is the founder and Chief Glitter Officer of Glitter Cat Barista. She started Glitter Cat in 2018 with two goals in mind: she wanted to try once more to win the title of “Champion” and hoped to find a way to help increase representation and diversity at the top-tiers of the competition stages. Veronica was also valedictorian of both high school and college and still proudly displays her first place trophies for rabbit showmanship in her Los Angeles apartment. Impressive, we know, but she did fail miserably for the one season she played hockey. --- Veronica needs her community's support. She is currently getting treatment for an ongoing mental health crisis. If you can, please support someone who has done so much to help others. <https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-veronica-pearl-get-mental-health-treatment>

We discussed dairy on our previous episode and this time around we learn more about dairy alternatives. Lauren Lathrop has given her expertise to develop better versions of dairy alternatives that go wonderfully with coffee. Lauren Lathrop (she/her) works as the Director of Education at Mill City Roasters. She also serves as the Competitions Coordinator for the US Coffee Championship and has worked with Pacific Barista Series since 2012 as a Brand Ambassador and R&D Barista. During her career in the coffee community, she has found that nothing sets people up for success more than high-quality training, consistent practices, and calibration with industry peers. She applies all of those principles in everything she does, helping to build strong education curriculum and evaluation techniques to improve outcomes. Outside of coffee, her hobbies include bouldering, cycling, bread baking, being outside, and spending time with her wife and their 3-month-old daughter.

We have an insightful and fun conversation all about dairy with Carl Hollifield. Carl has been in the Dairy Industry for a few decades and has lent his expertise to a few Barista Competitors and Champions. This is the beginning of a few conversations into Dairy Science. We hope your curiosity is peaked and we look forward to having Carl on again in future discussions to continue learning more! Carl Hollifield is the Director of the Dairy Enterprise System at NC State University. Carl has 20 years of experience managing dairy farm production, dairy processing and value added dairy marketing and sales. Carl supports NC State University’s teaching, research, and extension programs by overseeing the management teams at the dairy processing lab, dairy farm, and dairy sales outlets. Carl has experience in the processing and packaging of dairy foods as well as dairy products formulation. Carl also serves as associate director for one of six national dairy foods research programs, The Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center (SDFRC). SDFRC is known for its dairy sensory, microbiology, genetics, and processing applications. Our TikTok Coffee Trend for this Episode: <https://www.tiktok.com/@toastedpineapple/video/7016335450684001542>

We go through many discussions with a variety of new and seasoned Specialty Coffee Pros about careers and owning your own shop. It's a path filled with many firsts, success, and loss. We get to chat with the very talented and phenomenal pro, Erica Escalante about owning a business and career going forward. We loved learning not only about her journey, but her insight into creating it, making it, and having to let it go is filled with valuable perspective and knowledge.

We wanted to continuing highlighting our discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This week we talk with our good friend Mo and we get into it about Roasting, SE Asian Coffees, and being a Minority Business Owner. Mo Maravilla is the owner and founder of Kindness and Mischief Coffee Roasters. Born in Manila, Philippines, Mo and her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 3 years old. After working in art departments, as a stagehand all over the city, and as an audio and visual engineer for live events, TV and radio, she realized that her actual passion was for people and fostering community. Her goal was to open a business that uplifts women and people of color, actively choosing people over profit - all while making the best damn drinks and having the best damn time. After a tumultuous 2 years of working to open and successfully completing a Kickstarter campaign, Mo opened K+M Coffee in Highland Park in 2016 as a multi-roaster specialty coffee shop. Then, seeing a lack of women coffee roasters - especially women of color coffee roasters - Mo started her roasting journey and has been releasing K+M's own coffee since 2018. Now 7 years into being a small business owner, Mo's main focuses are to continue elevating Filipino culture and flavors, empowering her team in their coffee journeys, carrying on her passion for fostering meaningful connections and community, and having a whole lotta' fun while she's at it.

Specialty Coffee has so many opportunities for career growth, but often can feel overwhelming and confusing. This week we talk to Tarra Samuelson about how she took the path of being a consultant and what that can look like. Tarra has worked specialty coffee for the past 12 years with Klatch Coffee, Verve Coffee, Equator Coffees and Provision Coffee. Over the years she worked in both retail and wholesale, having roles such as barista, shift lead, account manager & trainer, national account manager, Director of Wholesale and has taught for the SCA through Barista Camp, Expo, and Technicians Guild. She owns a retail coffee consulting company, Curated Coffee Consulting.Outside of coffee, you'll find her taking classes (just finished cooking, now onto ceramics!), playing fetch with her dog Kumi (her motto: ball is life), or exploring the many restaurants and cafes of Phoenix with her husband, Dan.

We start Season 3 (!!!) with everyone's favorite Friend to All and Enemy to (maybe) None, the adventure seeking and very knowledgable Josh Littlefield. We laugh lots, but also talk shop about being a Coffee Tech and Coffee Equipment. Josh Littlefield (He/Him) is currently “The other guy” at Technico Coffee Service out in Nashville, TN. With his buddy Jake they manage an equipment sales and repair business that covers a large portion of Tennessee.  A chronic master of none, he’s worn many hats in coffee over the last decade, bringing him to to all four corners of the US and plenty of places in-between. He’s a former Barista competitor, judge and certified AST instructor. He loves mentoring and connecting others with the pathways that they can follow in coffee and when he’s not wrenching on espresso machines you can find him tinkering on old motorcycles, mopeds and the occasional dumpy jetski.

When we started Totally Dissolved, we wanted to put out a resource for coffee professionals that would go beyond  the 'basics' of coffee, to provide info out there to further develop as a coffee professional, AND have fun doing so. After 2 Seasons (!!!) we hope we've provided that for you all. We certainly have been getting inspired and having such a good time conversing with other lovely coffee peeps and humans. This episode, you ask us the burning questions.Thanks for listening!