It appears that I have been slowly and unwittingly elevating my boyfriend’s coffee standards. After three years of dating and being exposed to the specialty beans I invest in, he’s finally becoming more concerned and vocal about the quality of his home brews and drink purchases. Recently, he even started documenting each new coffee that […]

A look through my iPhone photos from my recent visit to Istanbul provides a narrow glimpse into my trip. A few touristy snapshots of ancient monuments and various places of worship reveal the city’s historical and geographical peculiarities—as the gateway between Europe and the Middle East—but say little about my personal time spent there. On […]

While it can be tough relying on tips for a living, working as a barista also has the potential of being a tolerable, decently paying, and possibly even enjoyable part-time or transitional job. With specialty coffee companies on the rise and major chains still making solid profits, the occupational opportunities and benefits of barista-ing have actually never […]

While not a new concept, carbonated iced cold coffee drinks do seem to be in vogue right now. From espresso tonics to nitro cold brews, expect more cafes to offer bubbles with your coffee. Adding carbonation to drinks is both refreshing on the palate and pleasant for the stomach, since it helps cut the acidity of coffee. […]

I don’t totally dislike the horror film genre. I just prefer not to be incredibly disturbed and grossed out while watching a movie because, honestly, I’m good at traumatizing myself in real life. Although I’m not afraid of the dark and I prefer to live alone, I’m also kind of a jumpy and paranoid person. I […]

When I was a barista in Brooklyn, I remember a customer asking for the café’s unwanted coffee grounds for his home composting. We had tons of it—leftover from the espresso grinder and from making drip coffee—filling up our trashcans so we were happy to pass some on to him. Recycling coffee grounds into your compost […]

Despite the ridiculous snowfall last week, it is officially iced coffee season here in Colorado. While I prefer hot coffee, I do occasionally thirst for a refreshing iced coffee on hot and sunny days. Because I usually drink iced coffee the way I drink regular coffee—with no milk or sugar—I find most conventional iced coffee […]

I celebrated the start of Spring with family and friends in Los Angeles, where I grew up. The sunny overcrowded metropolis that I often can’t stand but do ultimately love has an amazing coffee scene. Whenever I’m back in the sprawling suburban city, I’m eager to check out new coffee shops and revisit old favorites. […]

Women in various countries, from different backgrounds, are working to sustain the global coffee industry. Unfortunately but not surprisingly, female coffee farmers and retailers face the same gender inequality and wage gap that exists in every workforce. From farm to shop, the commodity of the bean too often trumps the livelihood of the employees, especially […]

Last month, Starbucks began serving flat whites. The espresso based drink originated in Australia and is widely popular there and in New Zealand. Over the past few years flat whites have garnered a decent-size following here in the States, thanks to Australians ordering them at obliging third wave coffee shops. Starbucks adding flat whites to […]