Explore every episode of the podcast The Coffee Drinker's Guide
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Christmas Gift Guide 2025 | 06 Dec 2025 | 00:09:05 | |
Struggling to choose a Christmas gift for the coffee lover in your life? In this festive bonus episode, I share my top ideas for 2025 from brewing gear worth the money to flavourful gift sets that help your giftee explore the wide world of coffee. We’ll also cover the best time to buy beans so they taste great on Christmas morning plus key tips on how to buy coffee for someone else to ensure your coffee gift will truly be appreciated. And in this week’s FACQ I have a thoughtful solution to the knotty question of what to get for the coffee lover who has everything? And of course I have to mention my puzzle book, Wordsearch for the Coffee Curious - the perfect stocking filler for anyone who loves coffee and a good brain teaser. Whether you’re buying for a friend, a family member or quietly building your own wish list this episode will help you gift with confidence. For more gift ideas listen to these episodes: Coffee Gifts Worth Spending Money On Taking The Stress Out Of Gifting Coffee Other gift ideas mentioned: 1zpresso hand burr coffee grinder https://1zpresso.coffee Dualit electric burr coffee grinder https://www.dualit.com/products/ccg3-burr-coffee-grinder Hario Switch brewer https://www.hario.co.uk/collections/hario-v60-immersion-drippers Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Grounds For Confusion: Separating Bean From Blarney | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:10:07 | |
In this final episode of the season, I take off my roaster’s apron and put on my consumer hat as I explore the supermarket coffee aisle to see how much the labels on coffee bags really tell us. Armed with a single origin Kenya and a premium own-brand blend, I compare what the packaging promises versus what’s actually in the cup. From roast levels and brew advice to origin detail and flavour accuracy, I ask: can you judge a coffee by its label? Tune in to find out which bag came out on top and why sometimes, spending just 35p more is the difference between a decent brew and a bitter disappointment. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| The Episode For The Caffeine Curious | 09 Apr 2025 | 00:09:43 | |
Just about everyone knows coffee contains caffeine but how much do you know about the actual caffeine level of your daily brew? Listen to find out how brewing methods, coffee bean type and roast level all impact the caffeine content in your cup - and how to use this information to control your caffeine buzz! Listen to ‘Why your coffee is bitter and what to do about it’ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-coffee-drinkers-guide/id1730087339?i=1000651288570 On Spotify Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Why Is Espresso Foamy? And Help Me Win Influencer Of The Year 2025! | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:09:48 | |
Welcome back to Season Four! Today we launch straight in with a deep dive into the crema on your espresso. Listen for the skinny on the ‘Stir it in or skim it off’ debate and how the crema’s appearance can tell you loads about your coffee before you even taste it. I’m also thrilled to announce that I have been nominated for the London Coffee Festival’s 2025 Influencer of the Year award. Update: voting has now closed. The winner will be announced at the London Coffee Festival at The Truman Brewery, London, UK on 18th May 2025. Watch this space! Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| I Made A Puzzle Book! | 26 Feb 2025 | 00:09:12 | |
In this very special bonus episode I am celebrating the launch of my new puzzle book “Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious’. Listen to find out about the puzzles I included in the book and why each puzzle comes with its own fascinating coffee fact. I also reveal why I felt compelled to create a coffee focussed puzzle book in the first place. If, like me, you like word search puzzles and you love coffee “Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious’ is where your daily word search fix meets your coffee obsession! Buy ‘Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious’ on Amazon: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, amazon.nl, amazon.pl, amazon.se, amazon.co.jp, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.com.br Making coffee breaks better, one wordsearch at a time! Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Celebrating The People Who Bring Your Brew To You | 22 Jan 2025 | 00:10:32 | |
The coffee in your cup takes quite the journey to get from growing on a bush in the subtropics to being served in your local cafe. In the final episode of Season Three we are celebrating the network of people who form the links in the coffee supply chain bringing your coffee from farm to cafe. This time we highlight the work at the consumer end of the chain by green bean buyers, roasters and baristas. In this week’s FACQ we discover who has the biggest influence on the coffee in your cup. I am also very excited to announce that I will shortly be releasing a puzzle book called ‘Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious’ to celebrate 25 years working in the coffee industry. Update on 14/02/25: My puzzlebook is now available to buy! Check out the Amazon links below. As the book is out in the world, the waitlist is now closed but if you'd like to hear future updates from the podcast and receive a free downloadable wordsearch that is not included in the book you can sign up here. Or copy and paste this link in your web browser: https://fierce-artisan-9425.kit.com/c34c96cf3f Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| The Coffee Machines You (Probably) Don’t Know About | 15 Jan 2025 | 00:09:26 | |
By now, most people probably appreciate that to get coffee from the bush where it’s grown to your coffee mug involves a lot of manual work by many different people across the globe. But you may not be so aware of the various machines that are also involved in the process. So in this week’s episode we are shining the spotlight on some of the machines used to transform coffee cherries into the coffee you drink and how they can unexpectedly affect your coffee. This week’s FACQ offers advice on what to do if you are unlucky enough to come across hard evidence of one of these machines in your coffee bag. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Start This Habit For Better Tasting Coffee | 08 Jan 2025 | 00:09:56 | |
Following on from last week’s episode about coffee habits, this week’s episode hones in on an important habit that we should all cultivate. This week’s FACQ tackles the knotty question of how often we should be doing it. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| New Year, New Coffee? | 01 Jan 2025 | 00:08:35 | |
Happy New Year! New Year's resolutions are not for everyone and coffee habits are hard to break. But if you are feeling in a bit of a coffee rut this episode has some actionable tips to help nudge you out of it. This week’s FACQ highlights some unsuspected benefits of taking a fresh look at the coffee you buy. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Fun Coffee Stuff At Twixtmas | 28 Dec 2024 | 00:08:41 | |
If you find yourself twiddling your thumbs this Twixtmas this bonus episode is packed with suggestions for fun things to do with coffee. Put the Quality Street tin down and hone your brewing skills, sharpen your palate or host a tasting party instead. Pick a coffee documentary to watch from the list presented in the video review by the YouTube channel European Coffee Trip: Top 8 Coffee Documentaries To Watch Online (for free) Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| ‘Interesting’ Moments From My Coffee Life | 25 Dec 2024 | 00:10:32 | |
It may appear to be a glamorous job but in reality the life of a professional coffee roaster is very routine and repetitive. That is not to say that it doesn’t have its moments. In this special episode for Christmas Day I’m sharing some stories from my coffee life where things didn’t exactly go the way I’d like. And this week I am answering a question that no-one has ever actually asked me! Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Is Bigger Really Better? | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:08:54 | |
If you have never given any thought to it at all, you may be surprised to learn that coffee beans come in different sizes. And if so, you may perhaps be even more surprised to hear that bean size can affect the flavour of your coffee. In this episode we delve into why an understanding of coffee bean sizes and quality grading systems will help steer you towards better tasting coffee. This week’s FACQ explains why bean size matters to roasters when making their roast plan. If you want more information on coffee bean sizes and grading coffee for quality this article by Tom Morris at Omani Coffee Co is a useful summary of coffee grading systems around the world. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Coffee’s Secret Ingredient: Time | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:08:16 | |
In this episode we’re exploring the impact of time on every stage of your coffee’s journey from bush to brew. From the slow development of the coffee cherry to the fleeting window when a roasted bean is at its peak. We delve into the influence that time has on your coffee and why it pays to be curious about when your coffee was harvested and roasted. This week’s FACQ reveals just when a coffee is likely to taste at its best. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Taking The Stress Out Of Gifting Coffee | 11 Dec 2024 | 00:09:21 | |
Buying a great coffee as a gift for a coffee loving friend or relative will score you brownie points and gold stars, but can be a stressful process if you are not into coffee yourself. In Part 2 of my festive gift guide, this week I give you key tips to ease the buying process and help you buy something they will (hopefully) love. This week’s FACQ tackles the issue of just when to buy that coffee so that they will experience it at its best.
Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Coffee Gifts Worth Spending Money On | 04 Dec 2024 | 00:09:37 | |
With the festive season upon us, the pressure to buy ‘the perfect gift’ can be immense and as the clock ticks down may lead to the desperate purchase of items which are at best vaguely related to the recipient's interests. In this episode I take you through a few choice gifts that most keen coffee lovers would be very happy to receive - and in this week’s FACQ some that they would definitely not be impressed with! Coffee equipment worth buying as a gift: For espresso aficionados: For all coffee lovers: Thermometers, a pouring kettle or temperature controlled kettle, travel coffee mug, smart mug or an airtight coffee storage container e.g the Airscape or Fellow Atmos containers (not sponsored!). And of course, a burr coffee grinder! Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| How To Get Excellence In A Cup | 27 Nov 2024 | 00:09:45 | |
How do you know if the coffee you are drinking is certifiably of the best quality? One way is to buy a coffee that has been judged to be a winner in a Cup of Excellence coffee competition. In this episode we look into what the OG of coffee tasting competitions is all about and why its worth trying a Cup of Excellence coffee when its offered by your local roastery or in your local cafe. Check out the Cup of Excellence website for more information about the competition (https://cupofexcellence.org/) Check out the Alliance For Coffee Excellence website who manage the auction platform for the competition (https://allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org/) Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Have You Ever Heard Of The Quaker Bean? | 20 Nov 2024 | 00:08:36 | |
In this episode we take a look at the oddly named quaker bean. Find out just what a quaker bean is, how it affects your coffee’s flavour (hint: not in a good way) and why one may possibly be lurking in the coffee you’re drinking today. Along with one of my easiest hacks ever to improve the flavour of the coffee you drink at home, this week’s FACQ reveals how to spot potential quaker beans before you experience them in your brew. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| There’s More Than One Type Of Coffee? | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:09:03 | |
There is more to coffee than just its roast level and in this episode we are taking a look at the many different types of coffee that are out there and why it's useful to know your type. This week’s FACQ lifts the lid on ‘Heirloom’ coffees. Photos: Examples of Arabica coffee varieties: For many more examples of Arabica varieties check out: the World Coffee Research coffee varieties catalog (https://varieties.worldcoffeeresearch.org/arabica/varieties) Types of coffee by shape of coffee bean: Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Levelling Up Your Coffee On A Budget | 06 Nov 2024 | 00:08:46 | |
Welcome to the first episode of Season 3! In Seasons 1 and 2 we explored some key influences on the taste of your coffee for better - and worse! Now its time to use that knowledge to help you up your coffee game without breaking the bank. Yes, its true, you really don’t have to spend a fortune on coffee and coffee paraphernalia to be able to drink better coffee. To that end in this week’s FACQ we circle back to the question of using the (relatively inexpensive) spice grinder to grind coffee. Suggested episodes to listen to: On brewing variables: Other useful episodes: Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| The Future Of Coffee | 21 Aug 2024 | 00:09:34 | |
In the last episode of Season 2 we are taking a moment to muse on the future of coffee. What will be the next revolution in brewing, will it taste like coffee as we know it today and will our coffee of the future even be made from coffee beans? In the final FACQ of the season we find out that the future of coffee may already be here! Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Top Tips For The Home Espresso Machine Novice | 14 Aug 2024 | 00:10:35 | |
For someone who loves their daily espresso, flat white or latte from a cafe on the way to work the idea of buying a home espresso machine is very tempting. But there are some things to think about before splashing your hard earned cash on such an expensive purchase so this week's episode has some tips for anyone who has ever thought ‘hmmm…home espresso: how hard can it be?’ In this week’s FACQ we answer the question of how to go about getting a good shot and in doing so reveal what your daily brewing regime is likely to be if you do take the plunge on a home espresso machine. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Why Coffee Is Blooming Lovely | 07 Aug 2024 | 00:09:02 | |
In this episode we explore the phenomenon of the coffee bloom. It might sound floral but in fact it has nothing to do with flowers. The bloom is actually something that happens during the brewing process. As it tells you a lot about the freshness of your beans and can affect the extraction of the coffee it's a useful thing to get your head around. In this week’s FACQ we take a look at how the bloom can be controlled when brewing espresso coffee. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| You Say French Press, I Say Cafetière | 31 Jul 2024 | 00:09:24 | |
Join me as we plunge into the popular cafetière coffee brewer. We take a look at its history, its pros and cons as a coffee brewer and learn some key tips for getting the best brew with it. This week’s FACQ is about a very common problem that just about everyone has experienced at some point when using a cafetière. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Maple-Bacon Flavoured Coffee Anyone? | 28 May 2025 | 00:09:11 | |
This week we’re continuing our exploration of the fringes of the specialty coffee world as we dip our toes into the delightfully divisive world of flavoured coffee. Is adding syrup to your espresso a playful twist or a specialty coffee sin? From the coffee aficionado’s horror at artificial flavourings to the syrup-loving masses, we unpack why flavoured coffee stirs such strong opinions. You’ll learn how coffee gets flavoured, what it does to the taste and whether flavoured beans are ever a good idea. And in this week’s FACQ, I share my own (deeply questionable) experience with vanilla-flavoured coffee. Spoiler: it made a lasting impression, just not the kind you’d hope for. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| The Daily Grind(er) | 24 Jul 2024 | 00:11:27 | |
In this episode we explore the part the often overlooked coffee grinder plays in brewing great coffee. I make the case for getting a grinder for the home and explain why, if you can afford it, it really should be a burr grinder. In this week’s FACQ answer we dig into how to look after your grinder to keep it in tip top condition. Key features to look for when buying a burr grinder are:
Shout out to the podcast Happier in Hollywood who recommended The Coffee Drinker’s Guide on their show. You can check out that episode here and I also recommend listening to Happier in Hollywood to follow hosts Liz and Sarah as they navigate the world of show running and TV writing in the fundamentally insane world that is Hollywood. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Washed Coffee: Nothing To Do With Soap! | 17 Jul 2024 | 00:08:53 | |
If you’ve ever pondered the significance of the word ‘washed’ in a coffee’s description, you are not alone. In this episode we lift the lid on some ‘good to know’ coffee jargon that can have a profound effect on the flavour in your cup. This week’s FACQ poses an important question about the environmental impact of the washed coffee process. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| What's The Deal With Black Coffee? | 10 Jul 2024 | 00:09:07 | |
For most of our coffee drinking history we have habitually put additives - notably sugar, spices, milk and syrups - in our coffee to make it palatable to drink. But in the last 20 years or so this practice has become frowned upon by some people in Specialty Coffee who seem to be obsessed with making you drink coffee black. If you have ever wondered what the deal is with black coffee - or have been made to feel like an ignoramus simply by asking for the sugar and milk then this is the episode for you. This week’s FACQ takes a look at the use of flavoured syrups in coffee. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Put Down The Scoop And Get Out The Scales! | 03 Jul 2024 | 00:10:17 | |
In this episode we tackle the question of how much coffee you need to use to brew a tasty cup and why the ubiquitous coffee scoop is not in fact the best tool for the job. It gets a bit technical as we get out the scales and get our heads around brew ratios so you may need to grab a biscuit to keep you going through this one! In this week's FACQ answer we dig into espresso brew ratios and what they actually mean in the cup.
Example: The Specialty Coffee benchmark for a good extraction of coffee is:
But this is not an absolute to be followed zealously. Suggested brew ratios by brewing method:
These suggestions are intended as starting points. You can personalise to suit your taste by either adjusting the weight of coffee or the volume of water each time you brew until it tastes good to you - but not both at the same time!
Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Are You Drinking Defective Coffee? | 26 Jun 2024 | 00:09:53 | |
In this episode we’re exploring the topic of defective coffee beans which are beans with problems that make them taste bad. What exactly is defective coffee and how can you tell if you are unfortunate enough to be drinking a cup of it? All will be revealed along with the importance of defective beans in defining the quality of a coffee. This week’s FACQ asks the crucial question of how to avoid buying defective coffee. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Why Acidity In Coffee Is A Good Thing! | 19 Jun 2024 | 00:09:14 | |
The word ‘acidity’ doesn’t sound particularly pleasing, especially as its so often associated with indigestion. So you might be surprised to discover that in the Specialty Coffee world acidity in coffee is both desirable and prized. In this episode we take a deep dive into acidity in coffee and find that it is about much more than just pH levels. That said, in this week’s FACQ we discover the actual pH of coffee and how it relates to other drinks. Is coffee more acidic than Coca Cola? Listen to find out! The Academics of Acid in Coffee is a readable article on coffee acidity by Five Senses Coffee in Australia. (https://fivesenses.com.au/blogs/news/academics-acid-coffee/) Check out Season 1, Episode 1 on brewing water temperature and its influence on the acidity in coffee: Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Why Arabica Is So Special To Specialty Coffee | 12 Jun 2024 | 00:09:53 | |
Ever wondered about the significance of the word ‘Arabica’ on your coffee packet? In this episode we take a look at why Specialty Coffee is all about Arabica and why Arabica coffee is so special. This week’s FACQ wonders where the plant came from in the first place and how it rose to dominate the coffee world. Check out the Robusta episode from Season 1 here: Check out the coffee brewing equipment episode here: Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| How Do You Brew Your Coffee? | 05 Jun 2024 | 00:10:36 | |
Did you know that the flavour of your coffee is influenced by the way that you brew it and especially the brewer that you use? Perhaps more mind blowing is that despite the many and various types of brewing kit available on the market there are actually only two basic methods of brewing coffee. This episode takes a look at the range of coffee brewing kit out there and how your choice of brewer may be affecting your coffee experience. This week’s FACQ tackles the question of the best way to brew coffee - and the answer may surprise you. Coffee brewers by brewing method: Percolation (water passes throughout the grounds) Hybrid brewers (these use immersion to extract the coffee then pass the liquid through a filter) Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| The Surprising Impact Of This Overlooked Brewing Variable | 29 May 2024 | 00:09:42 | |
Welcome to Season 2! This season we will be exploring various - potentially surprising - things that affect the flavour of your coffee. In this first episode of the new season we return to the topic of water. In Season 1, Episode 1, we covered the influence of the temperature of your brewing water on coffee extraction. This time it's all about the quality of the water that you brew with as the minerals, metals and salts in water not only affect its taste but also influence the extraction of the coffee too. This week’s FACQ tackles the best water for brewing coffee at home. Check out Season 1, Episode 1 on brewing water temperature to complete the lowdown on brewing water: Bottled water: Magnesium levels of 3.5 - 8mg/l Water filters: Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Miracle In A Cup | 24 Apr 2024 | 00:08:18 | |
It's the season finale! In the last episode for this season we find out why that great coffee you just had was in fact a miracle in a cup. Discover just what had to go right all along the way from coffee bush to cup so that you could have a moment with your coffee. This week’s FACQ answers the frustrating question of why it is that when you find a good coffee it’s never there when you go back for it again. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| It’s White Coffee Jim, But Not As You Know It... | 21 May 2025 | 00:07:58 | |
In a detour from our usual deep dives into specialty coffee we are taking a look at one of the more fringe coffee trends out there as we investigate the curious case of white coffee - and no, it’s not coffee with milk! From its unusual light roast level to its health claims and grassy flavour profile, we unpack what white coffee really is, how to brew it without breaking your espresso machine and why it tastes nothing like your usual cup of joe. This weeks FACQ explores the fundamental difference between this version of white coffee and Malaysian white coffee. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| What's In A Blend? | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:09:03 | |
It’s time to tackle coffee blends. Did you know that while all coffee blends are coffees not all coffees are blends? In this episode we explore this distinction, why it’s important and what it means to you as a consumer. This week’s FACQ wonders just how many different coffees you can find in a blend. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| We Need To Talk About Robusta | 10 Apr 2024 | 00:08:05 | |
Specialty coffee is all about the beans from the Arabica coffee plant which are complex and varied in flavour. But there is another coffee species called Robusta, widely used in cheap, high volume coffee products, which is potentially more resilient than Arabica to the threats posed to coffee production by global climate change. As the future of coffee may well lie with Robusta this episode takes a deep dive into its current situation - where it grows, what it tastes like and in this week’s FACQ, what your options are for tracking down Robusta coffee to try for yourself. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Why Your Coffee Is Bitter And What To Do About It | 03 Apr 2024 | 00:08:32 | |
Do you like bitterness or are you bitter averse? In this episode we explore bitterness in coffee: what causes it, how you can influence a coffee’s bitterness and why it is actually something to be embraced not avoided. This answer to this week’s FACQ tackles the search for that ever elusive ‘not too bitter’ coffee! Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| When Was Your Coffee Roasted? | 27 Mar 2024 | 00:08:35 | |
This episode tackles the subject of the freshness of your coffee. What is defined as fresh coffee? How can you tell if your coffee is fresh? Can coffee ever be too fresh? This week’s FACQ explains the important difference between the ‘roast date’ and ‘best before’ dates on coffee packaging. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| All You Need To Know About Decaf | 20 Mar 2024 | 00:09:16 | |
All about decaffeinated coffee, or decaf for short. All coffee naturally contains caffeine so any coffee that is labelled as decaf has to have gone through a manufacturing process to remove its caffeine. This episode covers what’s involved in that process and how decaffeination affects the way coffee brews and tastes. This week’s FACQ asks just how decaffeinated is decaf coffee? As mentioned, you can read more about decaf in this article on the Consumer Reports website. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Coffee Strength: More Than Just A Number | 13 Mar 2024 | 00:07:55 | |
This episode picks apart the tangle of what we mean when we talk about strength in coffee. Encouraged by supermarket labelling, you might fall into the trap of thinking that the strength of a coffee is merely a consequence of its roast level but in fact the brewing method and a coffee’s inherent character also have a part to play in its strength. This week’s FACQ tackles how to reduce the strength of your coffee without compromising the flavour. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Exploring Roast Level And Its Impact On Your Coffee | 06 Mar 2024 | 00:08:14 | |
This week’s episode delves into what is meant by roast level and the impact of roast level on brewing and coffee flavours. This week’s FACQ discusses the effect of roast level on the amount of caffeine in your coffee. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Grind Size Matters | 28 Feb 2024 | 00:07:48 | |
The importance of coffee grind size on the flavour in your cup and why you really should buy a grinder. This week’s FACQ answers the age old question: can you grind coffee for Instant? Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Why Coffee Storage Matters More Than You Might Think | 21 Feb 2024 | 00:08:01 | |
In this episode we explore the impact of how coffee is stored on how it tastes - for better and worse! This week’s FACQ tackles the best way to store roasted coffee at home to keep it tasting good. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Finding Your Coffee | 14 Feb 2024 | 00:08:36 | |
When you’re trying to find a good coffee to brew at home the world of specialty coffee can be an impenetrable and confusing place. This episode cuts through snobbery and marketing to suggest ways to find a coffee that you’ll love. This week’s FACQ answers the question of why the altitude that a coffee is grown at has a profound effect on its flavour. 1/ The country and region within the country where it was grown Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Coffee In The Freezer: Brilliant Hack Or Bean Blunder? | 14 May 2025 | 00:09:50 | |
Is it finally cool to freeze your coffee? In this episode, we explore the surprising shift in expert opinion on storing roasted beans in the freezer. Once frowned upon, freezing might just be your secret weapon for fresher brews—if you do it right. And in this week’s FACQ, we tackle the question: should you be freezing your coffee at home? How to Store and Use Frozen Coffee ONA Coffee https://onacoffee.com.au/blogs/news/how-to-store-and-use-frozen-coffee?srsltid=AfmBOooJsjR7oADOH80vx0rCNrscWq0JIcDtxndMB6kRJ0vtJGHhPgol The effect of bean origin and temperature on grinding roasted coffee Scientific Reports volume 6, Article number: 24483 (2016) https://www.nature.com/articles/srep24483#Sec8 What We Know About Freezing Coffee Beans by Manchester Coffee Archive https://manchestercoffeearchive.com/freezing-coffee/ Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| The Impact of Brewing Water Temperature on Coffee | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:07:28 | |
How brewing water temperature affects the flavours in the cup, the ideal temperature range for brewing a good coffee and how to use brewing water temperature to control some aspects of coffee tastes. This week’s FACQ is about how to use other brewing variables to reduce the bitterness of your coffee. 88° to 92°Celsius or 190° to 198°Fahrenheit Keep it simple! Brew with water at 90°Celsius or 194°Fahrenheit
Too tart? Brew with water in the temperature range of 90° to 92°Celsius or 194° to 198°Fahrenheit. Too dark and bitter? Brew with water in the temperature range of 88° to 90°Celsius or 190° to 194°Fahrenheit. Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Trailer | 09 Feb 2024 | 00:02:37 | |
Are you drinking good coffee? Do you even know what makes a good coffee? In this weekly coffee-break length podcast for the coffee curious, find out what actually makes a coffee good and how to go about getting it… Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| Oil Be Honest: What Shiny Coffee Beans Are Really Telling You | 07 May 2025 | 00:09:22 | |
Coffee beans in adverts are usually shown as dark and glossy but in this episode we discover why shiny - or in other words, oily - coffee beans are not actually likely to taste that great and why they are frankly best avoided. Find out what the shiny appearance of the beans can tell you about a coffee before you even take a sip. If you are stuck with a bag of oily beans we have some brewing tips that will help take the edge off its less palatable flavours. This week’s FACQ answers the intriguing question of whether coffee ever goes ‘off’? Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||
| From Funky to Fabulous? The Natural Coffee Comeback | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:10:02 | |
In this episode we dig into the OG of coffee processing - AKA natural coffee. Find out how natural coffees are the comeback kid of the specialty coffee world and what sparked their renaissance when that world had - for good reason - moved on. Discover why naturals taste the way they do and pick up some brewing tips to get the best out of them. This week’s FACQ answers the pertinent question of - given their name - are natural coffees better for you? Buy my puzzle book 'Wordsearch For The Coffee Curious': amazon.com, amazon.co.uk Get in touch! | |||