Specialty Coffee Blog

Café Collectif: The Specialty Coffee Festival returns this Spring with Even More to Offer! Good news for specialty coffee lovers! The Café Collectif festival, which enjoyed great success at its first edition last year, is announcing its return to Montreal this spring. Coffee enthusiasts can already mark their calendars for...

For those aiming to upgrade their Mignon grinder, this article provides the essential mods to significantly improve your coffee brewing. Single Dose Hopper A single-dose hopper is designed for those who value precision grinding and fresh coffee with each brew. It allows for grinding just the right amount of beans,...

Should I Upgrade My Espresso Baskets? Espresso (also known as portafilter baskets) baskets’ vital role in coffee extraction is so often overlooked.  If you own a coffee machine, it’s likely you’ve been content to use the basket supplied with it.  If you have problems with your espresso extraction and flavor,...

The Mahlkönig EK43 is celebrated for its grind quality and versatility but isn't without its shortcomings, particularly when it comes to cleanliness and single-dose efficiency. Out of the box, the EK43 can be quite messy, with grind retention and spillage being common issues. Moreover, its design, originally intended for high-volume...

As coffee lovers we’re often told to choose coffee that is recently roasted, which is a great idea. However, it would be easy to follow that logic and conclude that that the fresher the coffee, the better it is but this is not necessarily true. Brewing coffee straight from the...

What is RDT? The Ross Droplet Technique (RDT), once a niche addition to espresso brewing methods, is becoming increasingly popular among home baristas. But what is it, and how will it benefit you when making your daily caffeine fix? Given it’s impressive-sounding title, the Ross Droplet Technique could not be...

If you have an espresso lover in your life, you may feel disoriented when it comes to selecting the perfect gift for them. Espresso lovers are known for their attention to detail and specific tastes—qualities that make the coffee itself so delicious but can make gift-giving a challenge. Fear not!...

If you're already a proud owner of the Fellow Ode, you'll know that it's an excellent brew grinder straight out of the box. However, coffee geeks understand that there's always room for improvement. Whether you want to improve retention or precision, here are four mods that can elevate your Fellow...

Coffee extraction, on the surface, is merely dissolving ground coffee in hot water. However, the journey to a great cup involves a delicate balance: water-to-coffee ratio, precision in the grind, roast quality, water temperature, and brewing time. Struggling to attain the perfect brew? This article delves into the core concepts of...

When you start getting into specialty coffee, the biggest step you can take to improve flavour is to invest in a decent set of barista scales and start weighing your coffee. A lot of people think this is overkill, but it makes such a difference! Once you start thinking about...

From a humble beginning as a suggestion in coffee forums, the WDT tool, or Weiss Distribution Technique, has now cemented its place in standard espresso brewing. Especially valuable for espresso newcomers or those finding it tough to achieve the perfect shot, a WDT tool could be your espresso savior. It's...

If you own a home espresso machine, it’s obvious that you’re pretty serious about coffee. But knowing how to use that equipment to make the perfect cup of coffee is sometimes trickier than we first think. There are lots of pitfalls and bad habits even professional baristas encounter which can...

Some of you have asked us on Instagram why we put a paper filter on the bottom of the portafilter. I'll tell you how paper filters affect the flavor of espresso in this article. Hopefully, you gain insights to optimize your brewing process and achieve exceptional results in your quest...

Preparing coffee involves both science and art. Brewing the perfect cup is not a matter of luck but a careful balance of precision, knowledge, and technique. In this article, we discuss important principles that lay the foundation for making great coffee. Uniformity is Key You may have heard grind uniformity...

In the pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee, one of the most critical aspects that influences the taste is the management of astringency. In this article, we will delve into the heart of this topic, shedding light on the most effective techniques to control and reduce astringency, and ultimately...

If you are starting to get interested in coffee extraction and grind size, you've probably heard the term fines. To understand what they are, you've come to the right place.  Fines in coffee extraction and flavor are often misunderstood. Let's break down fines' role, and their different impacts on espresso...

The pour over bloom, a critical step in coffee brewing, involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds to release trapped gases, enhancing flavor and aroma. But do you know when to bloom? This article provides comprehensive information about blooming coffee to help you optimize your coffee brewing experience. What is...

For espresso enthusiasts, there's nothing quite like watching syrupy coffee being pumped out of the machine. As we marvel at the transformation of our morning coffee into a cup of perfection, it's easy to forget what goes on behind the scenes. In reality, there's a lot that happens in those...

Do you love the taste of coffee from your favorite café but can't seem to replicate it at home? The culprit may be your tap water! Don't worry; there's a solution: make your own brewing water! It's a game-changer for anyone serious about brewing the perfect cup of coffee. Ready...

In this blog post, we introduce the top 5 coffee grinders of 2023 for filter coffee enthusiasts. Understanding that the right grinder is key to superior coffee, we provide detailed assessments of five market leaders to guide your selection process. The Importance of Quality Coffee Burrs In coffee grinders, burrs...