How does that coffee cherry actually get reduced down to just the coffee bean?  And how does that affect the ultimate question…how does my coffee taste? 

In arguably one of Coffee 101's most important episodes to date, Kenneth and Stefan are joined by Elika Liftee of Onyx Coffee Lab.  They take a deep dive into the 2 main coffee processing methods: washed processed coffee and dry (or natural) processed coffee.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Farmers are getting better at having final cup taste in mind when processing their coffee.  Alot of times they're processing in the manner they have access to and the way that will give them the most money to support their farm and their family. 

• The world of coffee processing methods is changing though. There’s more awareness of how processing method impacts cup taste and more and more companies out there like Onyx and Umble who are communicating directly with the farms. 

• The two main ways of processing coffee are natural (or dry) processing and wet processing.  Other methods include honey processing, pulped natural, wet hulled (giling basah), and anaerobic - these four will be covered in the next episode.

• Natural (Dry) processing is the oldest method for processing coffee; therefore, it makes sense that it’s still the most common method used in African growing regions since that’s where coffee originated.

• Washed processed coffees are the most common coffees (and what you expect ‘coffee to taste like’).  They tend to be a little more acidic and some would argue more complex.  Kenneth and Elika discuss further how complexity is related to 'a clean cup'.

BEST MOMENTS

“Washed process, this is basically what people expect coffee to taste like”

“I would say that I prefer a natural most of the time”

“There’s some data behind the slower it’s dried the longer it will retain some of those good quality flavors when it’s stored”

GUEST RESOURCES

Elika Liftee

@elikaliftee

@onyxcoffeelab

https://onyxcoffeelab.com

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Award-winning single-origin specialty coffee: https://umblecoffee.com/

You’re disciplined and high achieving. You never settle. Shouldn’t the fuel that helps you reach your goals be held to those same standards? Instead of a crash-inducing cup of jo, you need coffee with optimal antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. A coffee so good that you can drink it black.

At Umble Coffee, we only roast specialty-grade arabica coffee from around the world with cupping scores 84 and above. Don’t sabotage yourself in pursuing your goals - drink coffee that tastes better and is better for you. No crash, great taste, and better long-term health benefits. That’s Umble Coffee.

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ABOUT THE HOST

As a coffee lover, physician, chemical engineer, serial entrepreneur, competitive runner, writer, and family man, Kenneth knows what it’s like to push yourself to achieve goals very few accomplish. He’s one of the best specialty coffee roasters in the United States as he’s a multi-year US Coffee Roasters’ Competition Finalist. He created Umble Coffee Co with the belief that, if sourced and roasted right, coffee can taste phenomenal and be good for you.

“Life’s too short to drink bad coffee.”

CONTACT METHOD

Want to reach Kenneth? Have questions, show ideas, or want to just let us know you’re enjoying the show? The best way is to leave us a great review and put your thoughts in the comment section - Kenneth reads all of them! The second-best way is through DM on social media.

Podcast Description

Coffee 101 is an educational show on all things coffee. The host, Kenneth Thomas, starts with the most basic questions about coffee and builds your knowledge from there. If you love coffee, are curious about coffee, or you’re a business just looking for a resource to train your team, Coffee 101 is without question the show for you!  Season 1 is all about coffee's journey from seed to shelf.

BUY COFFEE!: https://umblecoffee.com

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