Field notes

Stories from the trade

Reading, watching, and rabbit-holing on coffee culture.

The journey of a single cherry
Story

The journey of a single cherry

From flowering branch to roasted bean, a coffee cherry passes through more hands than almost any agricultural product. We follow one lot from a Yirgacheffe wash…

Why altitude matters
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Why altitude matters

Cooler nights at altitude slow cherry development, concentrating sugars and acids. The result is the bright, articulate cup geeks chase across the equatorial be…

The honey process, explained
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The honey process, explained

Strip the skin, leave the mucilage, dry the bean. Honey processing splits the difference between washed clarity and natural sweetness — and the variations matte…

Reading a roast curve
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Reading a roast curve

A roast curve looks like a heart monitor. Read it right and you can predict the cup before grinding. We break down the four phases that matter.…

Water is 98% of your coffee
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Water is 98% of your coffee

Mineral content shapes extraction more than any other variable you control at home. A short field guide to building water that lets the bean speak.…