In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Matt McLaughlin of Starved Rock Coffee Company to talk about the cost of good quality coffee. Their discussion provides “behind the scenes” insight into what it takes to source the best beans from sustainable sources. Then roast them in a way that keeps as much goodness as possible in the product and do so consistently, so the customer always enjoys the taste they are expecting.They also share low-cost ways to get started with making good quality coffee at home. When you use their approach a great tasting cup costs under $1 to make!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Right now, the price of good coffee is lower than it should be.
• Some grocery stores are charging less per Ib than specialty coffee producers are paying for the green beans they buy.
• Growing and processing high-quality beans simply costs the farmer more.
• Specialty coffee tends to be far fresher than that available from commercial producers.
• You can make fantastic-tasting coffee at home for less than a dollar. Matt and Kenneth explain how in the podcast.
• If farmers can find uses for some of their waste products e.g., the mucilage, prices will not have to rise. There are several promising ideas being explored right now.

BEST MOMENTS‘Why does it (coffee) cost what it does? And is it on the opposite end a steal, and people really just don't know it?!'‘Shipping costs right now are the highest they've ever been… the cost of propane to roast with is very high.’

EPISODE RESOURCESKenneth interviews Professor William Ristenpart, who is the director of The UC Davis Coffee Center

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/engineering-a-better-cup-of-coffee/id1616624229?i=1000578688324

GUEST RESOURCESWebsite / https://starvedrockcoffeecompany.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/starvedrockcoffeecompany/Twitter - https://twitter.com/rock_starved

VALUABLE RESOURCESAward-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 of 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. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umblecoffee/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umblecoffee/Twitter:  https://mobile.twitter.com/umblecoffee

ABOUT THE HOSTAs 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.”

Podcast DescriptionCoffee 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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