Unfiltered Coffee Podcast: The Theory, Philosophy, and Science of Specialty Coffee

In this introduction podcast, we share a clip from our friend Kimhak Em, who shares his candid advice for a new barista just starting out. This clip comes from a future podcast with Kimhak, where we talk about the future of coffee and his unique approach to running a coffee shop. Kimhak Em is part owner, roaster and barista at his coffee shop PAIR Cupworks in Mesa, AZ. He has a 15 years of food service experience, with 5 being in specialty coffee. He has spent time in various roles from coffee director/educator to now running his own roastery. He's a serial Coffee Champs competitor and has competed in roasting, brewing and coffee in good spirits. Learn more about his shop by following their Instagram @pair.cupworks or visting their website https://paircupworks.com/. Follow Kimhak directly on Instagram @kimhak.em. Learn moreFollow us Instagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastTwitter: @unfiltercoffeYouTube: Unfiltered Coffee PodcastReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we are joined by Kimhak Em in our first cupping to evaluate some of his coffees. Then Eddie and Spencer talk about cloud cafes, delivery coffee and wholesale hardships. Kimhak then joins in to talk about frozen green coffee and his future innovations in his coffee shop.Segment 1 Coffee Rankings:1st placePanama - Hacienda La Esmeralda Gesha2nd placeEthiopia - Kayon MountainSpecial GuestKimhak Em is part owner, roaster and barista at his coffee shop PAIR Cupworks in Mesa, AZ. He has 15 years of food service experience, with 5 years being in specialty coffee. He has spent time in various roles from coffee director/educator to now running his own roastery. He's a serial Coffee Champs competitor and has competed in roasting, brewing and coffee in good spirits. Learn more about his shop by following their Instagram @pair.cupworks or visting their website https://paircupworks.com/. Follow Kimhak directly on Instagram @kimhak.em. Follow us Instagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastTwitter: @unfiltercoffeYouTube: Unfiltered Coffee PodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we try to understand what the job of the barista would be in a fully automated coffee shop, the benefits of automation with covid, and how this may impact the producer. Then we bring back Kimhak to ask him his thoughts on automation and coffee trends more generally.Special GuestKimhak Em is part owner, roaster and barista at his coffee shop PAIR Cupworks in Mesa, AZ. He has 15 years of food service experience, with 5 years being in specialty coffee. He has spent time in various roles from coffee director/educator to now running his own roastery. He's a serial Coffee Champs competitor and has competed in roasting, brewing and coffee in good spirits.Learn more about his shop by following their Instagram @pair.cupworks or visting their website https://paircupworks.com/.Follow Kimhak directly on Instagram @kimhak.em.Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastTwitter: @unfiltercoffeYouTube: Unfiltered Coffee PodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we start by cupping coffees that have been exported and imported by our guest Herbert Peñaloza and his buisness La Real Expedición Botánica. Then, we talk with Herbert about how he got started in coffee, why he started exporting and importing himself, and ask about his views on coffee processing.  Segment 1 Coffee Rankings:1st placeColombia - El Crucero2nd placeColombia - Agua De Dios3rd placeColombia - Sugarcane DecafSpecial GuestHerbert is a modern day coffee polymath, he owns a farm in Colombia that goes by the name 575 café, he runs his import/export business, and roasts/brews his own coffees. He is a wealth of information and it was an absolute pleasure to have him on the show.Learn more about his work by following La Real Expedición Botánica @larealreb (website)  or his farm @575cafe (website).Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastTwitter: @unfiltercoffeYouTube: Unfiltered Coffee PodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode we talk to Daniel Mendoza, he led an interesting career in coffee working for many different coffee roasteries around the country including Buddy Brew Coffee in Tampa, as well as Corvus and huckleberry in Denver. He then moved into the world of Specialty tea, where he helped bring to specialty coffee shops across the west coast. He is now working at Cropster, where he does support and sales. We discuss his work in judging roasting competitions, roasting advice, roasting software, specialty tea and much more.Special GuestDaniel is a one of those amazing people that just want to help make the world a better place. He has worked all throughout the industry and has a wealth of knowledge that he kindly spreads.Learn more about his Daniel by following him on Instagram @oigaperoque. Learn more about Cropster on their (website). Other companies mentioned in this podcast were:Buddy Brew Coffee @buddybrewcoffeeCorvus Coffee @corvuscoffeeSweet Bloom @sweetbloomcoffeeHuckleberry @huckleberryroastersPair Cupworks @pair.cupworksCute Coffee @ilovecutecoffeeFollow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastTwitter: @unfiltercoffeYouTube: Unfiltered Coffee PodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we start by cupping coffee sourced by our guest, Aaron Jordan from The Roast House. The Roast house is a fully organic roastery in Spokane, Washington. We talk to Aaron about his start in coffee, then we dig deep into the organic process and sourcing organic coffees. Aaron also shares valuable insights on growing a roasting team and making sustainable long term decisions. Aaron is such a blast to talk to and we hope you love his stories and insights.Segment 1 Coffee Rankings:1st placeEthiopia -  Nano Genji #62nd placeColombia - La Pradera Gesha3rd placeCosta Rica - Diego RobeloRead about the variety here. 4th placeColombia - La Pradera TabiSpecial GuestAaron has an incredible mind for business and sustainability, as well as being an awesome coffee roaster. We were honored to have him on the show. If you would like to follow him, you can find him @pouroveraaron or you can follow Roast House @theroasthouse.Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastTwitter: @unfiltercoffeYouTube: Unfiltered Coffee PodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we talk with our guest Curtis Zimmerman owner of Presta Coffee, where he is also the green buyer and roaster. Curtis is a long time friend and incredible person. He talks to us about how he got into coffee, roasting, sourcing, how he thinks about building out cafes and biking. We learned a ton from Curtis and think you guys will love this conversation.Special GuestCurtis is one of the most genuine and kind people you will ever meet. He is also one of the best roasters that we know. If you want to try some of his coffees, you can find them on his website  or you can follow his company @prestacoffee.Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this podcast we talk to Anita Tam, owner of Slow Pour Supply, which is a distributor of coffee tools. We talk about how she got into coffee, what makes for good design, latte art, inclusivity, and so much more. Special GuestAnita is  incredibly intentional and thoughtful in everything she does. We learned so much from her and were so happy to have her on the show. You can find look at her website Slow Pour Supply or follow their Instagram @slowpoursupply to find more. Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this podcast we talk to Jake Miller, the CEO and Founder of Fellow, a coffee product designer and manufacture based out of San Francisco. We talk to Jake about a bunch of different aspects of his business including how he thinks about product design, the process behind creating the Ode grinder, marketing, and running his business during covid. This was such a fun conversation for us after using fellow products for so many years. We hope you enjoy. Special GuestJake Miller is responsible for the creation of so many things that we love and use on a daily basis. If you want to check out his work head over to Fellow's website. If you want to support his amazing cause, which is helping to get coffee shops the support they need during this hard time head over to cometogether.coffee.Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastDonatepatreon.com/unfilteredcoffeeReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

Our guest today is Blair Smith, the general manager at Presta Coffee. Blair has had a long and storied career in coffee. Starting with a position as a barista at Tart baking company in Massachusetts and then moving across the country to work for Augies, where she would become the general manager. She also started her competition run with Augies starting in 2014, and has now competed at a national level or judged every year since. This conversation is packed with information about coffee shop management, brewers cup and how to brew a better cup of coffee.Special GuestBlair is not only an incredible competitor with 5+ years of judging/competition experience but she is also a top notch coffee shop manager, and is responsible for creating a one of kind experience during her time at Augies. She is just starting her journey at Presta and we can't wait to see what she can accomplish there. If you want to follow her on her coffee journey you can find her on instagram @theblairista or follow Presta Coffee. Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

Our guest today is Steve Holt, founder of Unravel Coffee Merchants, a business working directly with farms in Ethiopia with his partner Ashenafi Argaw. Steve started his specialty coffee career in 2002 at Novo Coffee in Denver, before moving to co-found Ninety plus where he has worked up until he started Unravel.  He has spent years, working on farms in Panama and Ethiopia, helping to create some of the highest quality coffees in the world. During his time at Ninety Plus, their coffees were used to win 5 world brewers cup championships. Steve walks us through his history in coffee up until this point, talks about his plans for Unravel Merchants, his love for Ethiopia, and gets into some fermentation techniques. This was a fascinating conversation and we hope you love it.Special GuestSteve has been on the cutting edge of specialty coffee for over a decade but you would never guess from his kind and humble presence. He is doing incredible work in Ethiopia make sure to follow his progress  @unravelmerchants or his coffee shop @unravelcoffeeco. Reach out for samples at oneteam@unravelmerchants.com.  Follow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this podcast, Eddy and Spencer break down extraction theory, brewing variables, ways to assess your coffee, and ways to brew better at home. We created a feedback form and would love to hear back from you guys about how we can make the show better in the future! Click here to fill it out.LinksFlavor MapWatersThird Wave WaterPerfect WaterGC WaterWater RecipesFollow usInstagram: @unfilteredcoffeepodcastReach outUnfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

Help us get better!Survey LinkEquipment listAbsolute Low end budget (below $50)Quality coffeeSpring waterCoffee mugHand grinderSolid low end budget (below $300)Encore/Bodum/Chinese flat burr grinder Hand GrinderThirdwave waterPerfect waterKettlesDigital ScaleBrewersMid/High Tier ($300+)Niche ZeroFellow OdeTimemore Chestnut XTimemore MirrorFellow Stagg EKGFellow Stagg DripperHario SwitchApril CoffeeOrgami MelodripKruve SifterSebarist FilterMini Spray Bottle ResourcesScott RaoJames HoffmanBarista hustleAd Astra

In today's episode we break down what's happening during coffee fermentation. We start with some definitions, then move into processing types, microorganisms and carbohydrates, fermentation types, environmental factors, and flavor creation. This is all from an essay I wrote that you can find below.  This is where I put in the disclaimer that I am just a hobbyist fermentation lover and I tried to only put info I feel comfortable with and that I could find references for. I am sure I missed some of the nuances or made a few mistakes. If you feel like some of the info is incorrect, please email me so we can do a follow up episode in the future!Essay LinklinkLucia's PodcastlinkTip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In today's episode we talk to Nick Rayer. We were excited to talk to Nick as he is the middle of building his first business. He gives us his in the moment perspective of what it feels like to put it all together, along with some of his ideas on the future. We also get into his jazz career, as well as some talk about working on bar.  Special GuestNick is an amazing human and a great friend of the show. If you want to follow him on his journey with his new business go follow ixoracoffee. If you want to follow him directly you can find him here. Tip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this podcast we talk all about coffee species, varieties and the potential threats to coffee as we know it now. We start with out talking about species, then we move into the history of Typica and Bourbon, some thoughts on genetic diversity, what we think the future of coffee may look like and much more.Disclaimer: Neither Eddy or Spencer are botanists so if you feel something is incorrect, please reach out so we can correct it in the future! LinksCafe Imports Variety TreePink Bourbon StoryTypica/Boubon LineageSCA Botany 101 PodcastTip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this podcast we are joined by our good friend Kimhak Em to talk all about espresso theory, espresso machine mechanics and what espresso machines to buy.  Tip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this podcast we talk to Shelby Williamson about her coffee journey, learning to taste with her mentor Daniel Mendoza (a previous guest), her roasting philosophy, pros and cons of the different roasters she has roasted on, how to think about green coffee, how to QC effectively, and the future of coffee. We are deeply sorry about the audio quality on this podcast. We had some mic malfunctions during recording. We hope that the incredible quality of conversation that Shelby provided us with will off-set our failures!Follow Shelby & HuckleberryTip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

In this podcast we are joined by our good friend Kimhak Em of Pair Coffee to talk all about espresso theory and what espresso tools will help you pull the perfect espresso.Items mentioned:Weiss distribution toolPorcupressB plus espresso filterIms screenIms basketVst basketCube auto tamp by compakPuqpressScience tampMalhkonig e65Malhkonig e80Mythos 2 clima proMazzer ZMEspresso white paperFollow our guest:@kimhak.em @pair.cupworks Tip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com

Seven roasters come together with 50+ years of combined roasting experience to answer questions from instagram and a live crowd. Follow the speakers:Kimhak @kimhak.em - Pair @pair.cupworksSpencer @spencer.aidukaitis - Peixoto @peixotocoffeeMatt - Moxie @moxiecoffeecoBlair @theblairista, Curtis - Presta @prestacoffeeRandy - Xanadu @xanadu.coffeeMark - GrindTime @grindtime_coffeeTip us or our guests (Type episode # and we will split the tip with the guest)Venmo: @spencer-aidukaitisInstagram@unfilteredcoffeepodcastEmailunfilteredcoffeepodcast@gmail.com