Café Altira Coffee Education Series

The Specialty Coffee Grading System

What Makes Coffee "Specialty Grade"? The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) defines specialty coffee as coffee scoring 80 points or higher on a 100-point scale. Everything below 80 is considered commercial-grade,...

The Specialty Coffee Grading System

What Makes Coffee "Specialty Grade"? The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) defines specialty coffee as coffee scoring 80 points or higher on a 100-point scale. Everything below 80 is considered commercial-grade,...

Brewing Methods Decoded

You've learned where coffee comes from, how it's processed and roasted, and how to grind it. Now comes the final step: actually brewing it. How water and ground coffee interact...

Brewing Methods Decoded

You've learned where coffee comes from, how it's processed and roasted, and how to grind it. Now comes the final step: actually brewing it. How water and ground coffee interact...

Grinding Matters: Particle Size and Extraction

Here's a statement that might sound extreme: the most important step in your home coffee routine isn't choosing beans or picking a brewing method. It's grinding. Grinding determines the surface...

Grinding Matters: Particle Size and Extraction

Here's a statement that might sound extreme: the most important step in your home coffee routine isn't choosing beans or picking a brewing method. It's grinding. Grinding determines the surface...

The Science of Coffee Flavor

When you take your first sip of coffee and taste "blueberry," there are actually no blueberries in that cup. So what's really happening? Welcome to the fascinating science of coffee...

The Science of Coffee Flavor

When you take your first sip of coffee and taste "blueberry," there are actually no blueberries in that cup. So what's really happening? Welcome to the fascinating science of coffee...

Terroir in Your Cup: Why Origin Matters

If you've ever tasted a wine from Burgundy versus Bordeaux and been amazed at how different they taste despite being produced just a few hundred miles apart, you understand terroir....

Terroir in Your Cup: Why Origin Matters

If you've ever tasted a wine from Burgundy versus Bordeaux and been amazed at how different they taste despite being produced just a few hundred miles apart, you understand terroir....

The Roasting Journey: From Green to Gold

If you walked into a coffee roastery and saw green coffee beans for the first time, you might not even recognize them. They look like pale green pebbles, smell grassy...

The Roasting Journey: From Green to Gold

If you walked into a coffee roastery and saw green coffee beans for the first time, you might not even recognize them. They look like pale green pebbles, smell grassy...