Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries – Details, episodes & analysis

We’re back with another series of The Science of Coffee—and this time we’re diving even deeper into coffee’s hidden microscopic secrets!

 

Over the past year, narrative audio producer and coffee professional James Harper has scoured academic journals, ventured deep into coffee farms, and conducted bold tasting experiments.

 

Now, he’s weaving those discoveries into captivating audio stories that reveal why coffee tastes the way it does—and how we can make it taste even better.

 

In this new series, you’ll learn about cold brew extraction science, explore innovations in roasting, and follow the shifting business models that shape farmers’ livelihoods. You’ll also take a journey through commodity vs. specialty supply chains and examine the historical, sociological, and philosophical perspectives that define what “specialty coffee” truly means.

 

Press the “Subscribe” button so you don’t miss an episode!

https://bit.ly/3TdDnHO

 

For more coffee science and behind-the-scenes content, follow James on Instagram @filterstoriespodcast.

https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

 

The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper’s documentary podcast, Filter Stories. 

https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e

 

Season 3 is made possible by these leading coffee organizations:

 

The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat

Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Deep inside your coffee grinder, tiny changes can have massive consequences.  This episode takes you deep inside Mahlkönig’s grinders to show you how coffee is ground and the importance of particle sizes on flavour.  If you’re a home coffee lover, you could easily spend thousands of dollars on your coffee grinder. But after diving deep into the R&D of grinder manufacturing, I learned that after a certain point spending more probably won’t produce a better tasting cup of coffee for you!  --------- Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!  Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter.  Write a review on Apple Podcasts Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Explore Mahlkönig’s range of world leading grinders, trusted by baristas globally. Go deeper into the world of grinding  Take Barista Hustle’s Advanced Espresso course Learn from Lance Hedrick where the sweet spot is for buying a coffee grinder Get super nerdy with Jonathan Gagne’s writings on grinding Read up on Samo Smrke’s work on coffee fines Connect with my very knowledgeable guests  Arnaldo Rodrigues - LinkedIn Luca Lange - LinkedIn Chris Meier - LinkedIn Dario Burger - Instagram The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:  BWT Water and More Marco Beverage Systems ROEST Sustainable Harvest Mahlkönig The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories

Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

So you’ve just taken a sip of a very rare coffee, and flavours of passion fruit explode in your mouth. But here’s the thing: that flavour of passion fruit is not coming from your mouth. It’s not even coming from your nostrils. It’s being picked up behind your eyes! In this first episode of The Science of Coffee's second series, I unravel how our sense of smell and taste works to help you be a better coffee taster. I shrink us down microscopically and we dive into your tongue to show you why good black coffee tastes sweet, even though there’s no sugar in it. We then travel up into our noses and get stuck in a lot of mucus. This slime might be disgusting, but we need it to be able to smell well. And finally, with the help of tasting expert and author Mandy Naglich, I show you three effective ways you can train yourself to be a much better coffee taster without having to go on any expensive courses. The trick is to train our internal flavour prediction models! This episode will help you deepen your appreciation of coffee and its delicious complexity. --------- See Marco Beverage Systems' SP9 for yourself, and discover their range of consistent and energy-efficient coffee brewers for your cafe. Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Become a better coffee taster! Pick up a copy of Mandy Naglich’s book “How To Taste” Sign up for the Specialty Coffee Association’s Sensory Skills courses Do an online sensory course with CoffeeMind Connect with my very knowledgeable guests Mandy Naglich - Instagram Linda Bartoshuk - Website Joel Mainland - LinkedIn Fabiana Carvalho - Instagram Janice Wang - LinkedIn Peter Giuliano - LinkedIn Bram De Hoog - Instagram The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations: BWT Water and More Marco Beverage Systemshttps://bit.ly/3RD2X9G ROESThttps://bit.ly/48wpPP4 Sustainable Harvesthttps://bit.ly/3NGRFA6 Mahlkönig The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

We're back with another series of The Science of Coffee! Across 10 science stories, narrative audio producer and coffee professional James Harper takes you on a journey into coffee's hidden microscopic secrets. James has spent the last year traveling to Central America, Greece, Norway, Switzerland and interviewing dozens of the world’s leading coffee scientists. This insights will help you appreciate coffee more deeply and make even better coffee at home. We'll explore organic coffee growing, delve into the science of roasting, uncover optimal storage and grinding techniques, enhance your tasting skills through sensory science, and share James' journey towards thinking more like a scientist. Press the Subscribe button so you don't miss future episodes! https://bit.ly/3TdDnHO Follow James on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations: BWT Water and More Mahlkönig Marco Beverage Systems Sustainable Harvest ROEST Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

America is coffee-obsessed. From Central Perk’s red couch being the centre of major plot twists in Friends to the fact the average American drank more than two cups a day. And the conventional explanation is pretty straightforward: an English colonist introduces coffee to Jamestown in 1607. 150 years later Americans rebel against the British by throwing tea chests into Boston harbour and drinking coffee becomes their patriotic duty. Oh, and of course who won the civil war? The side that had the coffee. But, actually, the truth is much more surprising, and reveals a much more counter-intuitive story of America. In this final episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we offer you a story of America through the lens of a black drink, another black drink, a third black drink and perhaps even a fourth. A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player. ----------- Please spread the word about A History of Coffee! Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story. Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ) Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ) This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years (https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz) Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU) Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e) Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO) Learn how Brazil massively expanded output in episode three of the first series of A History of Coffee: Coffee Catches Fire (https://bit.ly/2NArChO) Brew up some Yaupon Holly! (https://bit.ly/40R6IuY) Discover Deb Hunter's All Things Tudor podcast (https://bit.ly/3L5OZet) Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

One morning back in the ‘80s, Howard Schultz walks out of his Milan hotel, stumbles into an espresso bar, and fundamentally changes coffee history. He discovered (and then popularises) the iconic, timeless Italian coffee experience: Rich thick coffee, an affordable price and great theatre. But this Italian ritual is surprisingly young, so young that Howard Schultz was in school while some of it was being developed! In this third episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we show you why for most of Italy’s history, coffee was thin, expensive, dull to watch…and that’s if you were lucky enough to even be drinking the real stuff at all! A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. ----------- Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player Please spread the word about A History of Coffee! Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story. Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ) Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ) This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years (https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz) Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU) Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e) Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO) Go deeper into the story of espresso machines: James' science podcast about Espresso Machine Technology Neapolitan coffee maker (https://bit.ly/3zZCivl) Espresso at 1906 World’s Fair in Milan (https://bit.ly/3MOX7kQ) Rancilio's Museum, Officina Rancilio 1926 (https://bit.ly/3Q7vqTI) "La Cornuta" espresso machine (https://bit.ly/41uBryd) Rancilio's Berlin Showroom, the BER Rancilio Station (https://bit.ly/3mD0lNA) Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Haiti was once the biggest, most profitable coffee growing region in the world. But today Haiti is one of the world’s poorest nations where you can’t get a bag of Haitian beans delivered to Berlin in a week for love nor money. In this second episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we show you how colonialism and racism dragged Haiti into poverty, and the role of coffee at the centre of it. Be warned: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence. A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. ----------- Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player Please spread the word about A History of Coffee! Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story. Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ) Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ) This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years (https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz) Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU) Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e) Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO) Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

A coffee shop is a lot more than just a place to drink coffee. The seats and sofas encourage you to invite a friend, and chat. And chatting is powerful: ideas that emerge from these caffeine-fuelled conversations give birth to modern finance and even the founding of great artistic and scientific institutions. Meanwhile, other ideas threaten those in power, and have led to many attempts to ban coffeeshops (and even coffee itself!) these last 500 years. In the first episode of Series Two of A History of Coffee, we show you how the coffee shop changed the world, and we ask whether it still has what it takes to upend society. A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. ----------- Don't miss future episodes by pressing the 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' button in your podcast player Please spread the word about A History of Coffee! Follow us on Instagram - Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) and James (@filterstoriespodcast) - and tag us in an Instagram story. Write a review on Apple Podcasts (http://apple.co/3jY42aJ) Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3K2h4RQ) This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for your home and coffee bar for almost 100 years (https://bit.ly/3U3oLMz) Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU) Listen to other coffee documentaries on James’ Filter Stories podcast (https://bit.ly/3ajoT5e) Download all episodes of this second series right now by subscribing to the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel (http://bit.ly/2NArChO) Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

We're back with more stories about the tiny psychoactive seed that changed the world and continues to shape our lives today. In Series Two, we reveal how the invention of the coffee shop revolutionised societies, why colonialism, racism and coffee have kept once prosperous Haiti poor today, how Italy's revered espresso culture was created, and we debunk many myths around America's supposed love affair with coffee. If we want to make coffee a more equitable industry that’s also kinder to the environment, a place to start is understanding the stories and systems that put the coffee into your cup this morning. Press the ‘Subscribe’ button so you don’t miss future episodes. Listen to all the episodes at once on the A History of Coffee podcast channel. A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. Follow us on Instagram! Jonathan Morris @coffeehistoryjm and James Harper @filterstoriespodcast. This free educational content was made possible with the support of Rancilio, manufacturers of professional Italian espresso machines for almost 100 years. Join us live at the London Coffee Festival 2023! We have three time slots for you to choose from: Saturday, 22 April, 11:00-11:30 and 14:30-15:00, and Sunday, 23 April,14:30-15:00. Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Imagine you’ve got a cup of coffee in front of you. You haven’t tasted it yet. You therefore don’t know what it tastes like, right? Wrong. Some scientists argue that you actually do know what it will taste like (more or less), and the act of tasting simply confirms what you have already imagined it will taste like. And that’s because a growing body of research is revealing that sight, sound and touch all affect your expectation of a coffee’s flavours. In this episode, I explore how certain sounds might make your coffee taste sweeter, while other sounds translate to bitterness. And I expose how some cafe owners might be ruining the flavours of the high-end specialty coffee you paid for without even realising it. In the second half, I show you why so many of our scientific questions about coffee are going unanswered. I take you deep into the future of coffee science by explaining who’s doing research into coffee science, why they’re doing it, how much it costs and how you can get involved. ---------- Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee! Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story Write a review on Apple Podcasts Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify Explore the technology behind Fiorenzato’s AllGround home coffee grinder Get more involved in coffee science! Buy Brita Folmer’s The Craft & Science of Coffee Read the Specialty Coffee Association's 25 Magazine for cutting edge insights into coffee science, business and sustainability, including Charles Spence’s article on sonic seasoning Partner with the Coffee Science Foundation Explore Felipe Reinoso Carvalho’s sonic research, including Diego Campos’ winning World Barista Championship routine Apply to study at the UC Davis Coffee Centre Do an online course with ZHAW’s Coffee Excellence Centre Subscribe to Barista Hustle and complete their online coffee courses Become a member of the Barista Guild, Coffee Roaster’s Guild, Coffee Technicians Guild and attend their events! Connect with my very knowledgeable guests Charles Spence - Academic profile Fabiana Carvalho - Instagram Janice Wang - LinkedIn Felipe Reinoso Carvalho - LinkedIn Chahan Yeretzian - LinkedIn Bill Ristenpart - Academic profile Peter Giuliano - LinkedIn Jenn Rugolo - LinkedIn Giulia Bagato - LinkedIn Denis Girardi - LinkedIn The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations BWT Water and More Marco Beverage Systems Traboccahttps://bit.ly/3CBkp6X Eversyshttps://bit.ly/3exvlKS Oatlyhttps://bit.ly/3T3nmUQ Fiorenzato Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here. How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out.   Pull a shot on the gorgeous Slayer Steam Single. What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.