Coffee knowledge, brewing tips, and stories from Swiss coffee culture
Coffee Culture
Gift coffee in Switzerland: 7 gift ideas for coffee lovers, from freshly roasted beans to the right grinder to a coffee subscription. Inspiration for every budget.
Brewing
Japanese iced coffee isn't cold brew. It's brewed hot and chilled instantly over ice. That's how every fruit and floral note stays in the cup.
Coffee Culture
How coffee evolved in three waves from anonymous mass product to transparent specialty, and what the Third Wave really means.
Coffee Knowledge
Cup of Excellence is the oldest and most respected competition in specialty coffee. We walk through the six scoring rounds, what 87 points really means, and why a single auction can change a coffee family's life.
Brewing
Oat, soy, almond, coconut. We walk through the main milk alternatives for coffee, what makes each different, and why some foam better than others.
Sustainability
Garden, skin, cleaning, compost. What you can actually do with your coffee grounds and which myths you can safely forget.
Coffee Culture
What Schümli really is, where it comes from and why it is so closely tied to the Swiss bean-to-cup machine. Plus what a good specialty blend looks like in an automatic machine.
Brewing
Pre-infusion is the short phase before the real extraction where the coffee bed is wetted at low pressure. What happens during it, how long it should last and why it genuinely improves your espresso.
Coffee Knowledge
Anaerobic fermentation is one of the most exciting processing methods in specialty coffee. What happens in the tank, why the flavors are so wild, and how to spot a good anaerobic bean.
Coffee Culture
Turkish coffee brewed in a cezve has been on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list since 2013. What makes this method special, where it comes from, and how to brew it at home.
Brewing
What sets the Kalita Wave apart from a V60, where it comes from, and why so many specialty bars swear by it. Plus a simple recipe to brew at home.
Coffee Knowledge
How a forgotten variety from Ethiopia became the world's most expensive coffee bean in Panama. History, flavour, and what is really behind the record prices.
Brewing
What a ristretto actually is, where it comes from, and why it tastes sweeter than espresso. Brew ratio, timing, and how to pull one at home.
Coffee Knowledge
What we call a coffee bean is actually the seed of a small fruit. We walk through every layer of the coffee cherry and show why each one helps decide the taste in the cup.
Brewing
What happens when you pour water on freshly ground coffee? Why the bloom phase decides flavor and how to do it right.
Brewing
How the moka pot works, why it isn't espresso, and the small tricks that make a real difference in the cup.
Brewing
How Alan Adler built a brewing method in his garage in 2005 that over five thousand baristas now compete with each year. The story, the recipe, and why it works.
Brewing
Espresso crema is more than foam. It signals freshness, bean type, and extraction. But not everything you've heard about it is true.
Brewing
The French press is the most honest brew method out there. Here is how to get the best out of it, without sediment in your cup.
Brewing
Why the V60 sits in almost every specialty café, where it comes from, and how to brew a clean, bright cup at home.
Coffee Knowledge
Why fermentation is the most important step in a coffee's life, what anaerobic and carbonic maceration actually mean, and how it changes your cup.
Brewing
How a German chemist invented the most beautiful brewing method in the coffee world in 1941, why the filters are so thick, and how to brew a cup at home that really tastes of something.
Coffee Knowledge
Single origin, blend, microlot. Three words on every coffee bag, rarely explained. What they actually mean, what the SCA says about them, and which coffee fits which moment.
Coffee Knowledge
Three phases, two cracks, a bean that doubles its volume. What really happens chemically and physically during roasting, why the Development Time Ratio decides the flavour and how to read it on the bag.
Brewing
What really happens in the pitcher, why 60 degrees is the magic line, which milk actually foams and how to get silky microfoam at home without a pro machine.
Brewing
Three milk coffees that constantly get mixed up. We walk through cup size, espresso ratio, milk texture and origin so you know what is actually in the cup next time you order.
Brewing
Thirty pounds, thirteen kilos, perfectly level. What actually matters when tamping, what the Specialty Coffee Association says and why distribution beats force.
Coffee Knowledge
How a Q-Grader scores coffee, why 80 points is the magic threshold for specialty and what changes in 2025 with the SCA's new Coffee Value Assessment.
Coffee Knowledge
Coffee acidity is not a stomach problem, it is a flavor. What the SCA actually means by it, which acids end up in the cup and why good acidity makes a coffee come alive.
Brewing
Why the same coffee tastes sweet one time and bitter the next. How the SCA defines extraction, what 18 to 22 percent means and which four levers you have at home.
Coffee Knowledge
Freshly roasted beans are full of CO2. Why you should wait five to fourteen days, what the SCA says and how to tell when your coffee is ready.
Sustainability
The coffee cherry husk often goes straight to the compost. Yet inside it sits a sweet, fruity tea with a long history. What cascara is, how it tastes and why it matters for the farmers.
Brewing
How siphon coffee works, where it comes from and why it never disappeared in Japan. History, flavour and a compact guide to the two-chamber brewing method.
Coffee Knowledge
What peaberry beans actually are, why they are sorted, where they come from and whether they really taste different. A grounded look at the round coffee bean.
Brewing
The story behind the heart in the foam, what microfoam actually is, and why latte art is more than decoration.
Brewing
How much coffee, how much water? Why the SCA Golden Cup standard sits at 1:18 and how to find your own perfect ratio.
Coffee Knowledge
Berry? Blossom? Caramel? With the SCA Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel you find the right words for what you taste in the cup.
Brewing
Why water temperature makes or breaks espresso. From crema to flavor: how temperature controls extraction.
Coffee Knowledge
Paper filters or metal filters? Learn what's better for your coffee and the environment.
Coffee Knowledge
The higher the farm, the better the coffee? How altitude affects flavor, density, and quality.
Coffee Knowledge
Caffèine, antioxidants, heart health: what current studies show about coffee and health, and how much you can safely drink.
Coffee Knowledge
Decaf has a bad réputation it does not deserve. Here are the four main decaffeination methods and why good decaf tastes better than ever.
Coffee Knowledge
Cupping is the standardized tasting method used by professionals. How the SCA protocol works and how you can try it at home.
Coffee Knowledge
Why does Geisha taste like jasmine and Bourbon like chocolate? A look at the most important Arabica varieties and their history.
Brewing
Cold brew is more than cold coffee. Learn how it works, why it tastes smoother, and how to make it perfectly at home.
Coffee Knowledge
Filter coffee is 98% water. Learn how mineral content, hardness, and TDS affect flavor and what the SCA recommends.
Coffee Knowledge
Learn why grind size affects your coffee's flavor more than almost anything else - and how to dial it in for every brewing method.
Coffee Knowledge
Processing shapes the flavor of your cup more than almost any other variable. Here's what washed, natural, and honey actually mean.
Coffee Culture
Benefits of coffee subscriptions, discovering variety, supporting local roasteries, convenience, and cost comparison - why subscriptions make sense.
Coffee Knowledge
The roasting process, degassing, supermarket coffee age, the optimal freshness window - learn why freshly roasted matters.
Coffee Knowledge
The SCA Flavor Wheel, cupping, tasting notes - learn how to train your palate and truly enjoy coffee.
Sustainability
What is Direct Trade? How does it differ from Fair Trade? And why do specialty roasters care so much about it?
Coffee Culture
Switzerland drinks more coffee per capita than almost any other country. Discover the history, statistics, and the exploding micro-roastery scene.
Coffee Knowledge
Two coffee species, two completely different profiles - learn when each one fits.
Coffee Knowledge
The four enemies of coffee and how to defeat them - so your coffee stays fresh longer.
Coffee Knowledge
Understand roast levels and how they affect flavor - and why dark doesn't mean strong.
Brewing
Discover the five most popular brewing methods and how to master each one - from pour over to espresso.
Coffee Knowledge
Learn what specialty coffee means, how SCA ratings work, and why it matters.