The publication of the new Coffee Sensory and Cupping Handbook by Dr. Mario R. Fernández-Alduenda, Technical Officer at the Specialty Coffee Association, and Peter Giuliano, Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation and Chief Research Officer of the Specialty Coffee Association is now available for print and digital purchase in the SCA Store.

In any system where steam is generated, there is always a possibility that over-pressurization can cause a catastrophic failure of the pressure vessel. This could result in destruction of property, injury, and loss of life. This is a bad day no matter how you cut it.

Learn about the good old pressure relief valve, and how it can save you and your espresso machine a whole load of bother.

PETER GIULIANO, Chief Research Officer of the SCA and Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation, interviews lead author SARA YEAGER, Coffee Scientist at Toddy, about the newly published article, “Acids in coffee: A review of sensory measurements and meta-analysis of chemical composition,” authored by Sara E. Yeager, Dr. Mackenzie E. Batali, Professor Jean-Xavier Guinard, and Professor William D. Ristenpart.

The 2019 SCA Board of Directors elections will open Friday, November 1, and close on Saturday, November 30, 2019. 

It’s exciting to see so much interest in the testing and reporting of water quality among technicians these days. Let’s talk about what a TDS meter actually is, what is measures, what it doesn’t measure, and how to make the most of yours.

SCA Board Vice President Juan Luis Barrios, Second Vice President Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos and CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos will host a conversation with the six professionals who were chosen after an extensive interview process to fill the final ballot in the 2021 SCA Board of Directors election.

“In my day-to-day you’ll often find me on the phone helping techs in the field figure out what’s going on with the piece of equipment they’re in front of. We’ve all been there. After having dealt with traffic, circling the block several times looking for parking, only to be confronted by a frustrated café manager who needs their business-critical piece of equipment back in operation so they can get back to bringing in the monies. In those types of situations, it can often be a challenge to take a step back, gather information, and work toward sussing out the root cause.

It’s times like these where having a mantra comes in handy.”

For International Coffee Day on October 1, doors of coffee shops, coffee roasters, and training centers were opened throughout Italy for an amazing new event: Coffee Boom.

As a coffee technician, some of your accounts will need equipment that is able to grind large amounts of coffee at a time. The million dollar question, though: how do you decide which grinder works best for them?

This week, LAURO FIORETTI, Knowledge and Education manager, tells us about the Simonelli Group’s Premier Training Campus in Belforte del Chienti, Italy.

Even the simplest communication requires two parties for a message to truly “transmit”: a sender and a receiver.

Sociolinguist ANDRE JOSEPH THENG explores what the application of semiotic theory—the study of signs and symbols—to specialty coffee spaces can tell us about how we construct and identify them (and at what cost). Photos by NIKKO PASCUA.

Lead author Dr. MACKENZIE BATALI outlines findings from a recently published paper, “Titratable Acidity, Perceived Sourness, and Liking of Acidity in Drip Brewed Coffee,” that illuminate a key specialty coffee flavor attribute.

ANDREW COTTER considers the results of recent scientific publications focused on the impact of coffee’s brewing temperature on consumer preferences of brewed coffee.

ELISA CRISCIONE examines the digitalization in coffee and suggests a shift in the current data collection model that could help it become a tool for more equitable value distribution.

New Orleans is today a thriving coffee city, with a world-class specialty coffee scene. But New Orleans also has a deep history, and its coffee legacy makes it one of the most important places for coffee culture in the world.

Issue 15 sponsor, Pacific Barista Series, shares its approach to developing and delivering community support programs.

The Ratio Six Coffee Maker has been awarded the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Certified Home Brewer mark. In a crowded and competitive market, the SCA Certified Home Brewer mark helps consumers find and choose the best coffee makers, backed by the science and experience of the Specialty Coffee Association. Certified Home Brewers are thoroughly tested in the laboratory and must meet the SCA’s quality standards for brewing specialty coffee at home.

For 2021, the Sustainability Award Individual Model Category winner is Michael Sheridan. Over the past 17 years, Michael Sheridan’s work has helped to shape the way coffee professionals are understanding and engaging with sustainability issues. His many and varied contributions, from writing and speaking to innovations in project and supply chain management, have been instrumental in the drive to create a more inclusive and equitable industry.

The 2021 NCDT Market Research Series is an exclusive compendium of the most in-depth coffee industry market research currently available. The SCA is partnering with the NCA to help deliver key insights to coffee professionals.