Coffee Roaster Warm Up Sessions
The Coffee Roaster Warm Up Sessions podcast covers all things coffee including roasting, brewing, tasting, and business. It offers a glimpse into real discussions between two brothers, Sergei and Mark Kutrovski, who are co-owners of Mirror Coffee Roasters.
Episodes
257 | Finding the perfect style of coffee for you ( Part 2/2 )
Finding the kinds of coffees you like, how the best way to brew them, and using the perfect gear for you is one of the most important parts of coffee. We're learning to dial in our preference and nail it down as much as possible. This part 2 of 2 in our mini series about discovering your preference. In this episode, we dive into the biggest variables that impact coffee flavor, from roast developme
256 | Finding the perfect style of coffee for you ( Part 1 )
In the coffee industry, you have more options for coffees and gear than you ever had, and all of it is pointless until you find this one thing - your preference. You can buy the most expensive grinder in the world and still hate the cups you get out of it. Finding your preference changes how buy gear and brew coffee. In this episode we unpack the importance of discovering your preference.Pick up o
255 | Is Omniroast dead? And redefining what espresso roast is
Omni, filter, and espresso roast. We’ve all heard those labels, but are they still relevant in 2026? In this episode, we talk about the differences between those three, why we think filter roasts can taste good on espresso, and why espresso roast needs to be redefined.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirr
254 | Why coffee flavor isn't all about roast level
Many coffee enthusiasts stress roast level whether that's medium roast, ultra light roast, nordic, American light roast, and so on. It's not wrong because roast level plays a huge part in coffee flavor, but it's not the full picture. There are many other variables that can make a coffee taste better or worse. We discuss all of that in this episode.
253 | How the Deep 27 has made brewing expensive coffees easier
The Cafec Deep 27 dripper is a game changer for a very specific use case. The Deep 27 dripper tackles a problem that few drippers on the market have addressed. In this episode, we talk about why this has become one of our favorite drippers, how it helps with brewing expensive premium lots, and a simple recipe you can use. Wholesale Form: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/pages/wholesale-partnership
252 | Q&A: water temp vs grind size and pour over repeatability
This is part II of our Q&A episodes where we answer questions submitted by you. We tackle dialing in coffee with temperature vs grind size, repeatability, and more on changing our roasting approach.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Belling
251 | Coffee Q&A: varietals, dialing in pour over coffee, & starting a roasting company
This is part 1 of our Q&A episodes. We took all the questions you all asked and answered them on the podcast. This episode, we covered our favorite varietals, how to dial in new coffees on pour over, and the costs associated with starting a new coffee roastery.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror C
250 | Brewing coffee at home changed how we roast coffee
We're reflecting back on the last 6 years of coffee roasting at Mirror Coffee Roasters. It's been a long journey of unlearning things we thought we knew and discovering new things in the process. These years have formed the way we roast and source coffee today. In this episode, we are talking about how brewing coffee at home changed us, the lessons we learned along the way, and how we'
249 | The OXO Rapid Brewer: What You Didn't Know About The ORB
The OXO Rapid Brewer broke the internet for coffee enthusiasts. It was a new brewer that changed how we thought about brewing coffee and pushed us coffee fanatics into a realm we didn't know existed. Today, we chat with Chris Diskin, the lead engineer at OXO who helped build the rapid brewer. He shares about the early stages of building the ORB, how it came to be, R&D discoveries, and how
248 | 3 Best Coffee Drippers For Home Brewing in 2026
There are A LOT of coffee brewers and drippers available on the market, and most of them are not that much different from one another. Many of them have subtle differences that highlight design and aesthetic more than actually being practical when it comes to brewing delicious coffee.In this episode we cut through the noise and recommend 3 manual brewers and drippers you need for your home coffee
247 | Are multi-roaster coffee shops the perfect model?
Coffee shops are usually split into two categories - those that roast their own coffee and those that serve other roasters. Both have their strengths and weakness, and both offer a different experience to the customer. Is one better than the other? What do people prefer?In this episode, we dive into these questions and discuss the pros and cons of both models.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirro
246 | 3 Pour Over Recipes You Should Know
In this episode, we breakdown 3 of our current favorite pour over recipes that get us delicious cups. All three recipes have different workflows, procedures, and flavor presentations, however, each has its own strengths and weaknesses.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty
245 | The OXO Rapid Brewer Broke The Internet & Soup Coffee
The OXO Rapid Brewer was a phemonena that needs to be studied. A company not known for creating stellar coffee gear launched a piece of coffee equipment that has us coffee enthusiasts mind blown. It has made us rethink ratios, brew times, and brewing styles. In this episode we talk about the ORB, the style of coffee it makes, and how we've found best results with it.Pick up our coffee here: ht
244 | Understanding Coffee Terms For Beginners
Coffee people use a lot of words that can sound really confusing, complicated, and like you're learning a new language. In this episode, we simplify the terms you're likely to hear on public forums, youtube videos, and around coffee enthusiasts. The hope is that this helps you wrap your head around some of these terms and make them a little easier to understand.Pick up our coffee here: htt
243 | Saving a bad roast coffee with good brewing
We’ve all been there where we buy a bag of coffee and it’s just overdeveloped and outside of your preferred style. Is the coffee lost for good or are there things we can do to make it better? Although there is no way to totally save a coffee not roasted to your preference, but there are a few things you can try to make the most of the situation. Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroaster
242 | When green coffee sourcing goes wrong
Sourcing green coffee is one of the most important parts of running a coffee roasting company. Although it may seem as simple as trying coffee and placing an order, there's a lot more going on and a lot of risk you're managing. In this episode, we reflect back on a few challenges we faced this year with green coffee and share what it's like dealing with hiccups in the supply chain.Pick
241 | The difference between home and cafe baristas
At this point, making coffee at home has turned into more than a caffeine hit. Home baristas have high end equipment, physics books on extraction, and the time and patience to perfect their morning cups. That is not the same as brewing coffee behind bar and there's a huge difference between the two. In this episode, we talk about why home baristas are pushing the coffee industry forward and wh
240 | Are home espresso machines worth it?
Many people dream of getting a home espresso machine for their kitchen. At first glance, it feels like bringing a cafe home and having the power to make a drink whenever you want without the price tag. That sounds dreamy, but when you start realistically looking at all it takes to get great espresso at home, it's not so romantic. In this episode we unpack the pros and cons of building at an es
239 | How to make pour overs easy and delicious
One of the biggest complaints we hear about pour overs in coffee shops is that they're inconsistent and oftentimes not worth the added price tag. It's not because of coffee, but because of brewing. It's hard to train a team of baristas to nail every pour over every time. In this episode, we talk about a few ways we can make pour overs easier while increasing consistency and maintaining
238 | Managing your home coffee supply
Depending on a coffee’s roast level, coffee tastes best at different resting periods after the roast date. Coffees that are roasted light and lighter usually need 3+ weeks to taste best, but that does complicate things when you always want to coffees at their peak. In this episode, we discuss a few helpful tips that can keep your home coffee bar stocked and tasting best.Pick up our coffee here: ht
237 | How electrical currents can read coffee TDS and Roast Level
About a week ago, a new paper was published on the use of cyclical voltammetry to read a coffee's TDS and roast level. It has the potential to make a huge difference in how roasters and coffee drinkers exchange information, achieve consistency, and standardize quality. Read the full paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71526-5Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroast
236 | The Need For Coffee Processing Transparency
Coffee processing has seen huge leaps forward in the last 10 years. It’s more innovative than ever and has made coffee taste better than ever. As processing is become more complex, their seems to be a greater lack of clarity, communication, and transparency. For many coffee drinkers, it’s become alarming. This is episode 236!Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Inst
235 | Fellow Aiden: The good, bad, and unbeatable
The Fellow Aiden home drip coffee maker has been out for over a year now, and we've been using it for the last year. We've brewed hundreds of brews with it, and we can confidently say that it is the best home drip coffee machine available, however, it's notorious for giving many people issues. We talk about it all on this episode!Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.co
234 | The Limitations of Ultra Light Roasts
Ultra light roast coffees have high clarity, preserve volatile flavors, and roasted in a way to minimize roast flavor. That sounds like a perfect cup, however, there are some limitations to that style of roasting. In this episode we unpack a few ways ultra light roasts are limiting and may not be the coffee for what you want to do. Listen to the episode with Jacob from Airworks: https://open.spoti
233 | Ultra Light Roast Coffee Unlocks A Whole New Flavor Profile with Airworks Coffee
Ultra light roast coffee is becoming more and more popular amongst coffee enthusiasts. At first it may seem like it's just underdeveloped, grassy coffees, however, we think there might be some misconceptions around ultra light roast coffees. On this episode, we explore ultra light roasts with Airworks, an ultra light roast coffee subscription that brings in coffees from roasters around the wor
232 | What you need for perfect water for coffee with Christopher Hendon
Water is the most important ingredient in a cup of coffee. It can make a cup go from being undrinkable to mind blowing. That’s why for this episode we invited Dr. Christopher Hendon on the podcast. A scientist, professor of chemistry, and co-author of Water For Coffee. We talk about the most important variables to measure in water, the impact of magnesium and calcium, and mineralization post brew.
231 | Avoid these mistakes when starting a coffee roasting business
We've made a lot of mistakes in our coffee roasting journey that we had to learn the hard way. Mistakes are inevitable when you're trying to build something you've never built before. In this episode, we reflect back on the early years of starting Mirror and talk about the 3 things we wish we did differently that would push us forward much faster.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirror
230 | Using temp to dial in your v60 and is coffee terroir still important
This is our first Q&A on the podcast in a long time. We cover dialing in a v60 pour over by temperature vs grind size, did processing make coffee origin obsolete, and how you should use social media to market your cafe. This was a fun conversation with a handful of questions approaching different aspects of the coffee industry.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us o
229 | Creating a coffee menu your guests will actually love
Coffee shop owners oftentimes think they need to have a menu item for everyone and try to serve as broad of an audience as possible. It may sound right, but only until you consider that some of the more successful businesses in food and beverage do the opposite. In this episode, we talk about how you should build your coffee menu for your coffee shop and we highlight a few key points that the most
228 | 3 Ideas We're Rethinking in Coffee
There is tons of information out there about coffee, and it's pushing the coffee industry forward. We're growing in popularity and innovation. In this episode, however, we cover 3 ideas that we need believe we need to shift our perspective on.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters
227 | How to Brew Coffee During Travel And On The Go
We've all traveled and realized we're stuck on vacation for 5 days with the most important part missing - delicious coffee. In this episode, we talk about how you can build your own travel coffee setup and helpful tips that can make your workflow easier while being on the go. Enjoy tasty coffee anywhere you go and never be left stranded without coffee.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirro
226 | The best home coffee setup under $500
You decided you wanted to go down the coffee rabbit hole, and now what? You'll quickly realize you need coffee gear to experiment, learn, and brew tasty cups with. In a time when there's more and more coffee gear out there, is it possible to have a great setup on a budget? We cover this in episode 226 and give two great setups under $500.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroaster
225 | 3 things that makes someone exceptional at brewing coffee
As coffee enthusiasts and baristas, we're always trying to raise the bar for what our coffee tastes like. Most of the time, that comes down to brewing really good coffee, but what makes someone good at making coffee? In this episode, we boil it down to 3 traits that we notice in people who are exceptional at brewing coffee.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on In
224 | Are coffee flavor notes on bags unnecessary?
Coffee tasting notes on a bag of coffee helps us understanding what the coffee will taste like, but what happens when we don't taste those flavor notes in the cup? This is a common struggle we hear from people and it can be frustrating, but the conversation around coffee flavor notes is a little bit more nuanced. In this episode, we try to unpack the nuance and explain why it sometimes okay no
223 | What’s coming for the coffee industry in 2026 ( our predictions )
Coffee’s popularity keeps growing and the coffee industry keeps evolving. With 2026 here, we sit down and talk about where we see and think the industry is going for the year and beyond. We’d love to hear where you think the coffee industry is going in 2026 down in the comments.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroa
222 | Coffee Omakase: changing the cafe experience with Josh from Kamakase
Komakase is a coffee omakase experience unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Extraordinary coffee paired intentionally with sweets. After my visit to Komakase, I wanted to get a behind the scenes look into this fascinating coffee project. This is my conversation with Josh from Komakase. Check out Komakase: https://komakase.coffee/Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find
221 | The Most Iconic Coffee Brands of 2025 - Sprudge Awards
Every year, Sprudge runs their famous Sprudge Awards. It's their way of honoring the best in the coffee industry in categories including roasters, cafes, producers, creatives, and more. We go through all the nominations and share who we think should win every category.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/
220 | How to master anything in coffee & our favorite coffees of 2025
We're approaching the end of the year, and wanted to take a moment to reflect back on our coffee journey this past year. In this episode we talk about our favorite coffees of 2025, big lessons of the year, and the one thing you need to do to master any skill in coffee.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirr
219 | Most Useful Coffee Gear of 2025
Coffee gear is meant to make coffee taste better and your life easier. In this episode, we each share our top 3 coffee tools that have impacted our coffee journey the most this past year.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA
218 | Is new coffee gear useful or just convenient?
There's a lot of new coffee gear being released and it feels like it's more than ever which is exciting. New gear is a step in the right direction, however, does new gear make coffee taste better or is it simply making brewing coffee more convenient?Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee R
217 | Grinding finer is not the answer & high clarity burrs
We take 3 common phrases we heard around the coffee community and rate them as overrated, underrated, or properly rated. We talk about why grinding finer isn’t always helpful, the benefits of properly resting your coffee, and why you might not want high clarity burrs.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirro
216 | The Mystery Behind Roast Color and Development
Coffee roast color is one of the biggest variables in taste. We often choose the coffees we drink by roast development level, however, how do we measure that? Light, medium, and dark roast are broad terms that are difficult to quantify and that have a wide range. How can a roaster communicate their roast level in a way that is helpful to coffee drinkers? We talk about the challenges of defining de
215 | Starting a coffee shop with the right equipment
Coffee equipment plays a huge role in running a successful and thriving coffee shop. Picking the right gear for your specific coffee shop needs can help you serve your guests well, save money, and make it easy for your team of baristas to do their job. In this episode we expand on what to consider when shopping for espresso machines, coffee grinders, and other gear for your new coffee shop.Pick up
214 | Why expensive coffee doesn’t mean GOOD coffee
Many of us love the hunt of finding exceptional coffee to brew and drink at home. Oftentimes, they come with a much higher price tag. Exotic, hard to find, and delicious coffees deserve to cost more, but that doesn’t mean that all expensive coffees are delicious or worth their price. On this episode, we talk about what goes into pricing coffees and how sometimes, pricing can be deceiving.Pick up o
213 | How to create coffee roast profiles that taste good
Developing a coffee roast profile is one of the most important parts of roasting coffee. It’s what becomes the reference point to all your production roasts. Although we could have talked for another hour about building roast profiles, in this packed episode, we talk about our approach to building roast profiles, how new coffees are roasted, and the quality metrics we aim for that help dial in a c
212 | Building aeropress recipes, competing, and hario hand grinder wins at competition?
Recently, we competed in the regional aeropress championships. There were some last minute challenges we had to work around, build recipes, and create efficient workflows with the aeropress. We cover all of this in this episode of the coffee roaster warm up sessions podcast.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroaster
211 | Myths people believe about light roast coffee
Light roast has exploded in popularity over the last 15 years. It's quickly becoming many people's preference in coffee development, however, for many people, it's something they avoid. Through personal conversations, social media, and online forums, there are a few myths and misconceptions we often here time after time again. In this podcast, we address these misconceptions.Pick up ou
210 | Building your home drip coffee setup
Drip coffee is one of the most classic drinks in all of coffee which can oftentimes be overlooked. In recent years, however, drip coffee makers have become so good that they rival many people's pour over skill and results. We think everyone should own a killer drip coffee setup at home. This episode unpacks what you should look for and how to start brewing amazing drip coffee at home.Pick up o
209 | Why coffee shops should think twice about starting food program
It's becoming more and more popular for coffee shops to have food programs and there are good reasons for it. You can increase your average order value, appeal to more guests, and grow your overall business. On the other hand, having a food program comes with many challenges that might make you second think its benefits.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Insta
208 | Scoring the Best of Panama winning coffee and why luxury coffee is needed with Cole Torode
The Best of Panama 2025 champion scored a wild 98 points and sold for $30,000/kg. Both the score and final price set new records. In this episode, we get to talk to Cole Torode who was one of the judges at Best of Panama coffee, tasted the winning cup, and got a front row seat to a historic event. Here's what went down behind closed doors and why we've entered a new era of luxury coffee.Fo
207 | How to run a mobile coffee cart for events
If you’re thinking about starting your mobile coffee cart to cater weddings and events, you’ll find tons of helpful advice on tackling events in this episode. We just catered a wedding with our mobile setup and share all the details from our experience. We cover everything from gear, workflow, ways to deal with disruptions, and how to serve guests quickly and efficiently. This episode is packed wi
206 | Winning World Latte Art Championships & Starting Cafes with Nicolas and Kenji Tanaka
What does it take to start cafes and win world latte art championships? We sit down with two brothers, Nicolas and Kenji Tanaka who have been crushing it in the industry, both as competitors and in their daily work in coffee. This coffee podcast episode is about their life, what has lead them to where they're at now, and what it takes to execute at such a high caliber in coffee.Nicolas' IG: https:
205 | How Each Coffee Changes With Roast Level
Most people choose coffee by development level whether that's light, medium, or dark roast. This is because each roast development comes with a general flavor profile, but it's not as simple as that. There are other variables at play that can create more nuance to flavor profiles ranging from ultralight to dark roast.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Inst
204 | How to find NEW coffee roasters and coffees that you'll love
As coffee drinkers and enthusiasts, we oftentimes stick to a few coffee roasters that we become attached to and for very good reasons. What about discovering new roasters and coffees? It's usually uncomfortable, comes with uncertainty, and feels like a gamble. In this episode, we talk about how to discover new roasters and coffees that you'll love to drink!
203 | Coffee industry horror stories: when things go wrong
Everyone who has worked in coffee for some time has horror stories to share. We've all had customer service experiences going wrong, equipment breaking during rushes, and dealing with the unexpected. It's part of the fun of working in coffee that keeps you on edge! We share our experiences and horror stories from our time in the industry.
202 | Why you should learn to break these coffee brewing rules
When it comes to brewing coffee, rules are extremely helpful. Especially when you're just getting into coffee, they create the boundaries and guidance you need to achieve great results. On the other hand, some rules are meant to be broken and sometimes that leads to new discoveries. This podcast episode is all about learning to break rules and the traditional approaches to making coffee.Pick u
201 | How different pour over drippers impact taste
There are many pour over drippers on the market and so many variations of both flat bottom and cone shaped drippers. Although, it is a little over saturated and one does not need to own all of them, they do come with their unique differences and flavor experiences. In this episode, we talk about what we've noticed brewing with several flat bottom drippers and cone shaped drippers and how they
200 | Saving Your Struggling Coffee Shop with Maxwell Mooney
This past year, the coffee industry was hit with some unexpected challenges. Doubling c-market prices, tariffs, and inflation hit coffee businesses which have made an already difficult job even more difficult. Maxwell Mooney is a coffee consult that helps people build healthy coffee businesses. In this episode, he offers a few practical steps for coffee shop owners can take to start moving in the
199 | 3 Things Specialty Coffee Shops Can't Get Wrong!
We regularly visit specialty coffee shops. Having comfortable seating, a delicious drink, tasty pastries and more are all big factors to the experience. In this episode, we talk about a few things that we've experienced in cafes that can quickly make a visit less than ideal.
198 | Don’t replicate the coffee shop at home. Do it better!
We often times hear people say, I just want my coffee at home to taste like it does at the coffee shop. Now we totally get that people just want to brew great coffee at home, however, there are certain things that distinguish the coffee experience at home from the cafe. Here’s how to make your home coffee experience better than the one at your local coffee shop.Pick up our coffee here: https://mir
197 | How to brew filter coffee better and why he built the UFO dripper With Jay Kim
How do you become great at brewing filter coffee? Do coffee drippers matter? Why did he help build the UFO dripper? We chat with Jay Kim, one of the founders of the UFO dripper about how to become better at brewing filter coffee, what makes the UFO dripper special, and some of the science of coffee drippers. Jay Kim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brewedbyjay/?hl=enUFO dripper on Instagram
196 | Why you shouldn't buy a hand coffee grinder
Last episode, we talked about why hand coffee grinders are better than electric coffee grinders. Now although there are many perks to hand grinders, they do come with their shortcomings and where electric grinders shine. In this episode, we unpack upsides of going with an electric grinder over a hand grinder. Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://w
195 | Why Coffee Hand Grinders Are Better Than Electric Grinders
Coffee grinders are one of the most important parts and pieces of gear on your coffee bar. Over the last decade, hand grinders have skyrocketed in popularity and have become the go-to grinder for many, but what makes them so special? Are hand grinders really that good? In this episode, we talk about the main reasons hand grinders outperform electric grinders.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirror
194 | We were wrong! 3 things we're adjusting our perspective on
As we source, roast, taste, and compete in coffee more, we're constantly learning and evolving. We've changed over the years. The coffee industry in general is shifting, and we're also evolving. How we talk about certain things, the words we use, the way we approach different parts in coffee is adjusting. This episode is about reflecting on the past and processing those changes out loud.Pick up ou
193 | How to stand out with your wholesale program
As a coffee roasting company, your primary offer to wholesale accounts is coffee. That alone has to be great, but to stand out in a crowd of roasters, you might need to go further. In this episode we talk about what you can do to have a wholesale program that thrives and serves your clients well. Shop our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/
192 | How to achieve roasting consistency - BBP and warm up
Being a good coffee roaster isn't just about roasting coffee that tastes good. A skilled coffee roaster knows how to roast coffee consistently good from batch to batch and from day to day. It may sound simple, but it's much easier said than done. This episode is all about how to increase your consistency from batch to batch by focusing on your between batch protocol (BBP) and your warm up.
191 | Why coffee roasters need to plan for a difficult year with Edwin Martinez
The coffee industry is going through unprecedented changes. C-Market has nearly doubled within a few months, political and economic uncertainty, and supply and demand changes are creating a storm the industry has yet to have experienced. We talk with Edwin Martinez, CEO of Onyx Coffee, about what he’s seeing behind the scenes, the current state of global coffee trades, and what he thinks will happ
190 | How To Level Up Your Iced Coffee Game
Iced coffee is quickly growing in popularity and especially amongst Gen Z. With summer around the corner, sometimes an iced coffee is refreshing however it often lacks the nuance and flavor profile we like in hot coffees. In this episode, we share how to get the best out of your iced coffee, the kinds of coffees we found that work well, and how to make cold brew taste even better.Pick up our coffe
189 | How World Class Coffee For Competitors Is Sourced with Juan Diaz
Juan Diaz, owner of Know Where Coffee, is always on the search for the best coffee in Colombia. Over the last several years, he has not only competed in the national competitions but also sourced coffees used by some of the top competitors in the country. We chat with him about what he's doing with Know Where Coffee and his approach to sourcing incredible coffees from the best producers in Colombi
188 | How To Master Your Milk Steaming at Home
You bought an espresso machine for home. Your espresso tastes good, but you can't get your milk steaming and texturing right. It's something we commonly hear and that's why this episode is all about nailing your milk steaming at home. This podcast episode addresses common milk steaming issues, how to get the right texture, how milk affects your steaming, and more.Pick up coffee here: https://bit.l
187 | How To Grow Your Coffee Shop and Get Unstuck! With Chris Deferio
We sit down with Chris Deferio from Keys To The Shop to give you clear, practical tips on how to grow your coffee shop business. Ideally, your coffee shop is growing 10-20% year over year and if that's not happening, we break down how to make that a reality. Chris shares so many valuable insights on how to scale your coffee business. Boasting more than two decades of widespread coffee experien
186 | Avoiding stale coffee & how to keep coffee fresh at home
How you store roasted coffee at home can have a huge impact on its flavor. Coffees should be rested off of roast, especially if they're roasted light, however, how you rest coffee matters! It's the difference between a vibrant, juicy cup and a cup that tastes subdued and leaves you hoping there was more. In this episode, we dive into how to store coffee and some ways we've found that p
185 | Guide to Coffee Flavor Profiles by Varietal
We wrap up our series on coffee flavor profiles by diving into varietals. There are many coffee varietals in the world with nearly all coffees being under two main categories: arabica coffee and robusta. Within arabica coffee, you find many different varietals and each have their unique characteristics. When combining varietals, processing, and origin, you start to build the bulk of what each sing
184 | Guide To Coffee Flavor Profiles by Processing Methods
Coffee processing plays a huge role in flavor. It's one of the biggest variables that impacts the end flavor profile. We have already covered the core three processing methods, washed, honey, and natural, however, in this episode we dive into a few of the experimental processing methods. We cover thermal shock, carbonic maceration, and mosto process in coffee.Pick up coffee here: https://mirro
183 | Guide To Coffee Flavor Profiles by Origin
Coffee is grown in about 70 countries where most are located in the coffee belt. This is where climate and terrian meet to create the necessary conditions for coffee to grow. Each origin comes with it's unique flavor profile. In this episode, we share some of the common flavor profiles you can expect in countries around the world.Pick up coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Ins
182 | Introduction to coffee roasting and what you need to start
This is an introduction to coffee roasting. We go through the tools you need to get started outside of a roaster, how to approach your first 20 roasts, and how you can improve after those initial coffee roasts. We tried to go very practical in this episode and help those who are thinking about starting a coffee roasting operation or are getting into home roasting as a hobby.Pick up coffee here: ht
181 | Coffee, Tariffs, and Shipping
Coffee reddit threads and facebook groups erupted with talks of the new tariffs. On one side, tariffs can increase the cost of a roasted coffee bag significantly and even more so on large quantities of imported green coffee. In this episode we talk about the impacts of these tariffs.
180 | Are home coffee setups the death of the coffee shop?
Have home coffee bars and setups become the death of the coffee shop? With the rise of interest in better coffee gear, more education online around coffee, and accessibility to coffee from around the world, will cafes struggle to pull those interested in higher end coffees if they can brew it at home?
We talk about the dynamics between brewing at home and getting a cup of coffee as well as what m
179 | How to make the most of 100g bags of coffee
High scoring coffees in 100g cans or bags are becoming increasingly popular. They're oftentimes delicious and pricy so making the most of that limited amount is always a struggle. In this episode, we break down how to limit waste, what you can try to dial in those coffees quicker, and our approach to getting the most out of those coffees.
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178 | How to grow in 2025 and Learning From Our Mistakes
Running a coffee roasting company for the last 5 years has taught us a lot about business, coffee, and ourselves. As we evaluate the past, we've realized there are handful of things that need to be addressed for us to continue to grow and take on our goals for 2025. In this episode, as we processes these things out loud, we hope you can take our approach to growth for the goals you've set for your
