Whether you’re a world barista champion brewing a $150 rare
coffee from the hills of Panama, or you’re stirring a spoon of
instant coffee in boiling water, at the end of the day, It’s Just
Coffee!
It’s Just Coffee! is a podcast for all those coffee lovers out there
and we're endeavouring on a journey to find the perfect cup.
Not only will we be talking to the world’s best coffee makers
and roasters, we’re going to be talking to athletes, comedians,
celebrities and anyone that just loves a great cup of coffee.
The coffee community around the world is engaged and
passionate (sometimes to a fault), and we want to explore
some of the biggest debates that happen across the Internet,
and in the local cafe around the corner from you.
Questions like:
• Which country has the best coffee in the world?
• Should it be illegal to mix milk in black coffee?
• Is Starbucks actually coffee?
We’ll dive into some of the best coffee conversations on the
internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the
day, that It’s Just Coffee!
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Roasting Advice That Actually Changes Your Coffee | COFFEE BREAK!
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • Duration 24:58
What actually helps you become a better coffee roaster? We asked experienced people across the coffee world for the one skill, tool or habit that made the biggest difference.
Rohan and Ben unpack their answers: tracking time through a roast, measuring bean colour, matching the roast to the way a coffee will be brewed, and trusting what’s in the cup over a perfect looking curve. They add a few tips of their own on sensory calibration, roaster maintenance and sharing knowledge with other roasters. Plus, Condesa Co.Lab brings us the weekly green coffee market report.
COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from barista tips and honest café conversations to the coffee knowledge people don’t always share.
CHAPTERS!00:00 What Makes a Better Coffee Roaster?00:58 Track Time Through the Roast04:18 Why Roasters Measure Coffee Colour09:12 Match Your Roast to the Brew13:15 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report15:25 Taste the Coffee, Not the Curve18:28 Calibrate Your Cupping20:10 Keep Your Roaster Clean21:31 Share What You Know23:11 Colin Harmon’s Coffee Business Books
Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod
Got a roasting tip we missed? Send it to hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com.
Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/
Thanks for listening!
#CoffeeBreak #CoffeeRoasting #SpecialtyCoffee
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An Astrophysicist Explains Your Coffee Grinder | JONATHAN GAGNÉ!
Monday, October 5, 2026 • Duration 01:23:35
Do bigger burrs make better coffee? Are flat burrs cleaner than conical burrs? And why can two grinds that look the same brew completely differently?
Astrophysicist and Coffee Ad Astra author Jonathan Gagné joins Rohan and Ben to unpack what grinders actually do to coffee. They get into particle size distributions, fines, burr seasoning, freezing beans and espresso flow, then tackle the coffee claims that sound certain even when the science isn’t.
If you’re new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we’ll always remind ourselves that at the end of the day, it’s just coffee!
CHAPTERS!00:00 Why grinders became coffee’s big obsession02:04 Meet Jonathan Gagné03:11 APAX LAB03:53 From astrophysics to Coffee Ad Astra07:22 Are bigger burrs actually better?12:08 Burr heat, extraction and grinder myths16:24 Flat, conical and burr seasoning17:45 Static, freezing beans and keeping coffee fresh23:20 What particle size distribution really means32:04 Why some coffees produce more fines37:00 Should you grind coarser for filter coffee?43:11 What the 300 grind tests revealed48:49 How water moves through an espresso puck58:34 Filter coffee claims that don’t hold up1:01:58 Tamp pressure and puck preparation1:06:53 Does “high clarity” mean better flavour?1:13:23 What we still don’t know about coffee and water1:18:43 How to question confident coffee claims1:21:49 Where to find Jonathan
Explore Jonathan’s work: https://coffeeadastra.com/Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgagneastrocoffee/
Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod
Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.
Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/
Thanks for listening!
#ItsJustCoffee #JonathanGagné #CoffeeAdAstra #CoffeeGrinders #CoffeeScience
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Our Coffee Highlights of 2026 | International Coffee Day
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 • Duration 36:23
In the past year of coffee: What are our favourite coffees, cafes, podcast episodes, and coffee culture moments? We also unpack our mixed experiences with pre-batched vs fresh espressos, and discuss the fermentation process by Lohas Beans that challenged us on what fermentation can be!
If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!
Want more coffee content?
IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236
Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.
Proudly sponsored by:
Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/
Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/
Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/
Thanks for listening!
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The Book Every Café Owner Should Read Before Expanding | COLIN HARMON!
Monday, September 28, 2026 • Duration 01:02:22
What do you know about growing a coffee business? Not much? Well Colin Harmon knows a bit, in fact he’s written another book about it! The 3fe Founder shares a taste of the stories and lessons you’ll find in his book: like the scoop mix-up that wiped out a cafe's profit, why he turned down a half-million-euro deal, and how potato bags changed his roastery.
Plus! Colin runs us through real numbers on what scaling costs, the second-shop trap, and why growth might just mean more time with your family.
00:00 Is Growth Actually the Goal?
04:37 What Does Growth Really Mean?
06:52 Should You Open a Second Cafe?
10:35 The Problem With Scaling
14:24 Business FOMO
18:25 What Makes a Good Leader?
22:59 You’re Not a Bank
25:55 Outthink, Don’t Outspend
32:28 Getting More From a Small Cafe
36:58 Does Staying Small Work?
43:16 Keeping Personality as You Scale
50:10 When Is Enough, Enough?
53:20 Fixing Barista Competitions
58:16 Where to Get Colin’s Books
Massive thank-you to Colin for joining the podcast. Make sure you check out his book at https://3fe.com/products/what-i-know-about-growing-a-coffee-business/
Connect with Colin here: https://www.instagram.com/colinharmon/
3fe Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/3fecoffee/
If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!
Want more coffee content?
IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236
Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.
Proudly sponsored by:
Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/
Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/
Thanks for listening!
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James Hoffmann’s Cappuccino Index - Is Australia Really Winning? | COFFEE BREAK!
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 24:29
An Australian barista can earn enough for a cappuccino in about 10 minutes. In India, James Hoffmann’s Cappuccino Index puts it at nearly three hours. But what do those numbers actually tell us about the people making our coffee?
Rohan and Ben dig into the price of a cup, barista wages and the costs a café has to cover. Is Australia’s result a win for workers, or a sign that cafés are struggling to charge enough? And how much does the picture change when specialty coffee is an everyday drink in one country and a luxury in another? Plus, Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly green coffee market report.
COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips and honest café reviews to hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.
CHAPTERS!00:00 James Hoffmann’s Cappuccino Index01:02 Riverina Fresh01:46 How the Cappuccino Index Works02:08 Cappuccino Prices Around the World03:07 Barista Wages Around the World05:01 How Café Competition Affects Coffee Prices08:40 Is Specialty Coffee an Everyday Drink or a Luxury?10:18 Is Australia’s Cheap Coffee Sustainable?13:00 What the Index Misses About India15:52 How US Tipping Changes Barista Pay18:19 Are Coffee Producers Paid Enough?20:25 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report22:49 What We’re Drinking
James Hoffmann’s Cappuccino Index video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtlE3BW9Nqs
Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod
Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your thoughts on coffee prices and barista pay where you live.
Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/
Thanks for listening!#CoffeeBreak #CappuccinoIndex #SpecialtyCoffee
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Why a Busy Café Can Still Lose Money | ERICA ESCALANTE!
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 01:08:39
A queue out the door doesn’t mean there’s money in the bank. Café consultant Erica Escalante joins Rohan and Ben to unpack why busy cafés can still struggle to pay the bills, and what owners can actually do about it.
From pricing your menu and selling more retail coffee to getting your team across the numbers, Erica shares lessons from nearly a decade running her own café and bakery business. We also get into burnout, better leadership and why loving coffee isn’t enough to run a healthy business. Somehow, the solutions involve colourful spreadsheets, puppets and taking ourselves a little less seriously.
If you’re new here, welcome! We get into the big debates, brilliant people and everyday chaos of the coffee world. There’s plenty to take seriously, but at the end of the day, it’s just coffee!
CHAPTERS!
00:00 Busy Doesn’t Always Mean Profitable
01:10 APAX LAB
02:02 Meet Erica Escalante
04:03 From Barista to Café Owner
06:27 Learning Your Costs the Hard Way
08:15 Is Your Café Actually Making Money?
11:25 Why Your Team Should Understand the Numbers
19:05 The Café’s Role in the Coffee Supply Chain
21:52 How Do You Raise Coffee Prices?
24:35 Better Margins Without More Customers
27:42 Getting Over Your Fear of the Books
33:00 Stress Is Not a Badge of Honour
42:47 Building Systems That Work
47:23 Where Café Leadership Goes Wrong
52:22 Why Owners Wait to Ask for Help
54:13 Inside The Cafe Operator
57:15 A Hotline for Café Owners
59:44 Erica’s Advice for Struggling Owners
01:01:49 Hot Take: Loving Coffee Isn’t Enough
01:04:55 Industry Shout-Out
01:06:19 Building a Café in France
01:07:28 Where to Find Erica
Find Erica:
Consulting, resources and workshops: [ericaescalante.com](https://www.ericaescalante.com/)
Want more coffee content?
IT’S JUST COFFEE: [Find everything here](https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod)
Want to get in touch?
Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, hot takes or guest suggestions.
Proudly sponsored by:
APAX LAB: [apaxlab.com](https://apaxlab.com/)
Thanks for listening!
#EricaEscalante #CafeBusiness #ItsJustCoffee
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How a World Barista Champion Prepares Milk for Coffee | 3 Methods with ANTHONY DOUGLAS!
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 • Duration 43:04
What if the secret to a better milk coffee was changing the milk itself? World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas is back to show us how freezing, freeze-drying and blending can turn an everyday ingredient into something that tastes like melted ice cream.
We break down three ways to level up your milk: freeze distillation, cryodesiccation and milk blending. Anthony explains what each method brings to the cup, which coffees work best and how to try these techniques at home or put them into café service. We get into sweetness, texture, supermarket milk powder and why more concentrated doesn’t always mean better. Then we taste regular milk and freeze-distilled milk side by side. Think grape bubblegum, butterscotch and a very convincing reason to make some room in your freezer.
Plus, Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly green coffee market report.
COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips and honest café reviews to hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.
CHAPTERS!
00:00 Giving Milk Coffee the World Champion Treatment02:41 Three Ways to Level Up Your Milk03:53 Riverina Fresh05:24 How to Freeze Distil Milk08:21 Finding the Right Balance of Coffee and Milk13:17 Could You Just Add Cream?15:48 Making It Work in a Café17:03 Freeze-Dried Milk Explained21:18 Freeze-Dried vs Freeze-Distilled: Taste and Texture23:55 Can You Use Supermarket Milk Powder?26:20 Blending Milks for Better Coffee28:52 Why Lactose-Free Milk Tastes Sweeter31:25 Milk Coffee Deserves More Love33:25 Finding the Right Milk Temperature34:37 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report36:16 The Taste Test: Starting with Regular Milk38:31 Trying the Freeze-Distilled Version40:17 Another Way to Balance Your Espresso41:49 Give It a Go and Tell Us What You Think
LINKS
Find Anthony and Homebody Union:Anthony Douglas: InstagramHomebody Union: InstagramShop Homebody Union: homebodyunion.com
Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE: Find everything here
Want to get in touch?Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, milk experiments or favourite coffee combinations.
Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: apaxlab.comCondesa Co.Lab: condesacolab.com.auRiverina Fresh: riverinafresh.com.au
Thanks for listening!
#AnthonyDouglas #CoffeeBreak #SpecialtyCoffee
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World Champ Anthony Douglas, Won't Call his Bar a Cafe | HOMEBODY UNION!
Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 01:05:25
No matcha. No hot chocolate. No signature drinks. So what happens when a World Barista Champion opens a space entirely dedicated to coffee?
Anthony Douglas is back, and he’s opening a coffee bar with a very clear rule: coffee comes first.
The 2022 World Barista Champion’s new Melbourne space, Homebody Union, takes its cues from wine bars. Think 40 seats, a long menu of coffees, and no matcha, hot chocolate or signature drinks.
We get into the espresso techniques behind the concept, how to make specialty coffee feel welcoming, and why Anthony has put buying a house on hold to make it happen.
A world title might get people through the door, but can it take the nerves out of opening your first place? Plus, we test his hospitality skills with an order for two strawberry matchas.
If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!
Anthony Douglas: https://www.instagram.com/anthony_jdouglas/
Homebody Union: https://www.instagram.com/homebodyunion/
Shop Homebody Union: https://homebodyunion.com/
CHAPTERS
00:00 What Happens When a World Champion Opens a Coffee Bar?
02:53 Why Anthony Isn’t Calling It a Café
07:54 Choosing a Coffee Bar Over Buying a House
09:07 Home Baristas Are Raising the Bar
10:30 Rethinking Nine-Bar Espresso
12:22 Why Build a Coffee Bar Around Decent Machines?
15:04 Trying Modern Espresso at Home
17:23 Is Competition Keeping Up With Coffee?
19:20 APAX LAB
20:22 Finding the Right Roast, Ratio and Temperature
23:55 What China Gets Right About Signature Drinks
26:25 The Money, Risk and Fear of Opening
34:10 Making Specialty Coffee Less Intimidating
38:53 Unlearning Competition Habits
40:13 Training Baristas Beyond the Numbers
44:05 Telling Coffee Stories Customers Care About
48:13 Putting Anthony’s Hospitality to the Test
51:28 Do Flavour Notes Really Matter?
55:18 Breaking the Usual Café Routine
57:21 Anthony’s Advice for Opening Your Own Place
58:47 Hot Take: Is There Such a Thing as Bad Coffee?
1:02:01 Ben’s Positivity Corner: Shout-Out to Sue
1:02:58 Where to Find Anthony and Homebody Union
Want more coffee content?
IT’S JUST COFFEE: Find everything here
Want to get in touch?
Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, hot takes or guest suggestions.
Proudly sponsored by:
APAX LAB: apaxlab.com
Thanks for listening!
#AnthonyDouglas #SpecialtyCoffee #ItsJustCoffee
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Thurman Wise Takes On Coffee in Good Spirits | COFFEE BREAK!
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 • Duration 32:34
In our latest episode, bartender and beverage innovation specialist Thurman Wise taught us what coffee professionals can learn from the cocktail world.
Now we’re putting those lessons to the test.
Thurman is back for a competition-style collaboration loosely inspired by the World Coffee in Good Spirits finals. His challenge is to make two drinks using the same bright Kenyan peaberry: a classic Irish coffee and a completely different designer beverage, all while keeping coffee at the centre.
There are no rehearsed routines, and we’re following the competition rules very loosely. Thurman adjusts the whiskey by taste, sweetens the cream and changes his signature drink halfway through making it.
The result is a lighter specialty-coffee Irish coffee, followed by a stripped-back Manhattan riff made with rum, cherry syrup and black pepper, with coffee taking the place of sweet vermouth.
We explore how to balance coffee with spirits, why temperature and dilution matter, how these ideas could become non-alcoholic café drinks and why the best signature beverages are often the simplest.
Then Thurman shares his favourite martinis from around the world and explains what coffee can learn from bars obsessed with getting every little detail right.
It’s Coffee in Good Spirits, IJC style.
Plus, Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly green coffee market report.
COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips and honest café reviews to hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.
CHAPTERS!
00:00 The Coffee Cocktail Challenge
00:58 How Coffee in Good Spirits Works
02:52 Making a Specialty Irish Coffee
05:15 Finding the Right Coffee-to-Whiskey Balance
07:10 How to Float the Cream
07:49 Tasting the Irish Coffee
10:41 Coffee Cocktails Beyond the Espresso Martini
12:56 Riverina Fresh
13:35 Challenge Two: The Signature Drink
13:57 Turning Coffee Into Vermouth
15:01 Changing the Recipe Mid-Drink
18:02 Tasting the Coffee Manhattan
19:45 Does a Coffee Cocktail Need to Taste Like Coffee?
21:37 Making Coffee Cocktails Without Alcohol
23:35 Why Signature Drinks Go Wrong
25:21 Thurman’s Favourite Martinis
28:37 What Coffee Can Learn From Martinis
29:40 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report
31:41 Should Thurman Enter the Competition?
LINKS
Find Thurman and MEASURED Guide:
Thurman Wise: https://www.instagram.com/thurmanwise/
MEASURED Guide: https://www.measured.guide/
Want more coffee content?
IT’S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod
Want to get in touch?
Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, hot takes or favourite coffee cocktails.
Proudly sponsored by:
APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/
Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/
Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/
Thanks for listening!
#CoffeeCocktails #CoffeeInGoodSpirits #SpecialtyCoffee
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The Bartender’s Guide to Better Coffee Drinks | THURMAN WISE!
Monday, September 7, 2026 • Duration 56:04
Signature coffee drinks are everywhere. But are they actually balanced, or are cafés piling on syrups, foams, layers and garnishes until the coffee disappears?
Thurman Wise is a bartender, beverage innovation specialist and Product Director at MEASURED Guide. He’s also gone viral travelling the world in search of its coldest martini.
Today, Thurman becomes our spirit guide, in every sense of the word, as he teaches Rohan Cooke and Ben Bicknell what coffee professionals can learn from the cocktail world.
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IT’S JUST COFFEE!, a podcast by Ben Bicknell & Rohan Cooke - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data