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Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries
James Harper
Filter Stories is a NPR / BBC-style documentary podcast revealing the hidden side of coffee. We visit a stateless barista stuck on a faraway island, meet an award winning coffee grower earning just $2 profit from 250 espressos, hear from a coffee...
- 2 minutes 3 secondsIntroducing: Season 3 of The Science of Coffee
We’re back with another series of The Science of Coffee—and this time we’re diving even deeper into coffee’s hidden microscopic secrets!
Over the past year, narrative audio producer and coffee professional James Harper has scoured academic journals, ventured deep into coffee farms, and conducted bold tasting experiments.
Now, he’s weaving those discoveries into captivating audio stories that reveal why coffee tastes the way it does—and how we can make it taste even better.
In this new series, you’ll learn about cold brew extraction science, explore innovations in roasting, and follow the shifting business models that shape farmers’ livelihoods. You’ll also take a journey through commodity vs. specialty supply chains and examine the historical, sociological, and philosophical perspectives that define what “specialty coffee” truly means.
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For more coffee science and behind-the-scenes content, follow James on Instagram @filterstoriespodcast.
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The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper’s documentary podcast, Filter Stories.
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Season 3 is made possible by these leading coffee organizations:
The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat
27 January 2025, 5:00 am - 47 minutes 24 secondsFreshness and Grinding, Part 2: How grinders work deep inside
Deep inside your coffee grinder, tiny changes can have massive consequences.
This episode takes you deep inside Mahlkönig’s grinders to show you how coffee is ground and the importance of particle sizes on flavour.
If you’re a home coffee lover, you could easily spend thousands of dollars on your coffee grinder. But after diving deep into the R&D of grinder manufacturing, I learned that after a certain point spending more probably won’t produce a better tasting cup of coffee for you!
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Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter.
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Explore Mahlkönig’s range of world leading grinders, trusted by baristas globally.
Go deeper into the world of grinding
Take Barista Hustle’s Advanced Espresso course
Learn from Lance Hedrick where the sweet spot is for buying a coffee grinder
Get super nerdy with Jonathan Gagne’s writings on grinding
Read up on Samo Smrke’s work on coffee fines
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Arnaldo Rodrigues - LinkedIn
Luca Lange - LinkedIn
Chris Meier - LinkedIn
Dario Burger - Instagram
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories
6 May 2024, 3:00 am - 49 minutes 40 secondsFreshness and Grinding, Part 1: Protecting your coffee’s flavoursFor your coffee to taste its best, it’s crucial you buy fresh roasts and grind fresh.…
.….Or maybe not.
When I began creating this episode, I was convinced that ‘fresh is best’. But, after delving into the science of coffee freshness, I don’t believe that anymore.
This episode goes deep into how diffusion and oxidation changes a coffee’s flavours.
You’ll learn what it takes to store your coffee grounds unbelievably well. So well, that if you do it right, you will struggle to taste the difference between two month old coffee compared to those same beans freshly ground!
But here’s the weirdest thing: Maybe, just maybe, you will prefer old coffee more than the fresh stuff.
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Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter.
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Explore Mahlkönig’s range of world leading grinders, trusted by baristas globally.
Dive deeper into the science of coffee freshness
Do a Certificate of Advanced Studies with the Coffee Excellence Centre
Pick up a copy of the SCA’s Coffee Freshness Handbook
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Samo Smrke - Instagram
19 Grams Coffee Roasters in Berlin - Instagram
Arnaldo Rodrigues - LinkedIn
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories22 April 2024, 4:10 am - 55 minutes 15 secondsWhat Is Good Science? Part 2: How to think like a scientistIn the last episode, I discovered that rinsing my Chemex filter papers was a waste of time! As a result I’ve managed to claw back over seven days of my life left on earth.
But why stop there?
The coffee industry is full of elaborate ways of brewing and savouring coffee: fancy drippers, cold metal balls, “slurp-able” cupping spoons.
These are very fun, but how many of them actually affect the flavour of our coffee?
I fear elaborate coffee gear is wasting our time and money. They're distracting us from the existential crises in coffee that actually require all our attention now. For example, the issue of farmers who grow delicious coffees quitting the business because it’s just getting too hard.
But to figure out whether a popular new coffee tool was actually waste of time or not, I needed to think like a scientist.
This episode is the journey I went on to rewire my brain: I had to learn what good evidence looks like, what to do if I can’t find good evidence, and why it’s important to focus mostly on experimental results while resisting the allure of a compelling theory.
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter.
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Discover this episode’s sponsor BWT’s water filtration products. I use their Penguin magnesium filter cartridges and cafes can use their BestAqua ROC
Dive deeper into the science of slurping, water and Signal Detection Theory
Do a Certificate of Advanced Studies with the Coffee Excellence Centre
Read Georgiana’s paper on soup slurping
Learn more about Signal Detection Theory
Explore BWT White Paper on the effects of magnesium (German)
Browse Christopher Hendon’s book Water for Coffee
Take Barista Hustle's Water course
Watch James Hoffman's water video
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Morten Munchow - Coffee Mind website
Jeremy Nelson - LinkedIn
Samo Smrke - Instagram
Georgiana Juravle - Google Scholar
Young Baek - Instagram
Frank Neuhausen - LinkedIn
Sergio Barbarisi - LinkedIn
Alessandro Genovese - LinkedIn
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories8 April 2024, 3:00 am - 46 minutes 21 secondsWhat Is Good Science? Part 1: How to brew coffee like a scientistShould you rinse your filter paper before making a filter coffee? Almost everybody in coffee internet says you should.
But what if most of coffee internet was wrong?
In this episode, I show you how I try to answer this question like a professional sensory scientist would.
It’s hard. It’s frustrating. But ultimately, it’s worth it because I end up saving seven days of my life left on earth!
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Bring out vibrancy in your coffee with BWT’s magnesium water filters for the home and cafe
Dive deeper into sensory science methodologies
Take Becky Bleibaum's free introductory sensory science course!
Set up a triangulation yourself with DragonflySci’s worksheets
Understand Rose Marie Pangborn’s three step process better with Morten Münchow (“Pangborn’s Razor”)
Do a Certificate of Advanced Studies with the Coffee Excellence Centre
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Morten Munchow - Coffee Mind website
Becky Bleibaum - LinkedIn
Samo Smrke - Instagram
Sophie Vo - LinkedIn
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories25 March 2024, 4:00 am - 41 minutes 22 secondsOrganic Coffee, Part 2: Why don’t we see more organic coffee farms?Farming coffee organically is amazing because soils are more alive, birds and insects are more plentiful, farmers avoid getting sick with agrochemicals.
But, if it’s so great, why is less than 10% of the world’s coffee grown organically?
The fact is, going organic is hard. Much harder than growing coffee conventionally.
In this episode I show you the story of one of Central America’s most successful organic coffee cooperatives, RAOS, and the four big hurdles that stood in the way of their early founders who all dreamed of converting their farms to organic.
This story changed my understanding of farming and is now the reason I choose organic specialty coffee whenever I can.
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Dive deeper into organic coffee
Learn more about Sustainable Harvest’s Most Valuable Producer programme, their cupping app Tastify, and explore their range of certified organic and Fairtrade coffees
Explore RAOS (Cooperativa Regional Mixta de Agricultores Organicos de la Sierra)'s story for yourself
Are you a coffee farmer? Get in touch with Lalo Perez Varaona
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Lalo Perez Varaona - LinkedIn
Jorge Cuevas - LinkedIn
Andrea Futterer - GEPA website
Osman Contreras - LinkedIn
Roberto Rene Gonzales - Farm website
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories13 March 2024, 4:40 am - 38 minutes 49 secondsOrganic Coffee, Part 1: The magic of soilThe world’s farming soils are deteriorating quickly.
Conventional coffee farming where plants are grown using agrochemicals allowed farmers to reap huge harvests these last 70 years. But these agrochemicals have been at the expense of soil health.
I travel to Honduras to explore a potential solution: organic coffee farming.
Come with me as I show you the organic farming tricks of Don Rufino, one of the region’s leading organic farmers.
He nurtures the soil around his coffee trees using mountain microorganisms, a huge diversity of shade trees, attentive tree pruning, and very funky batches of homemade bug spray.
The results speak for themselves: when I pick up a handful of his soil, it is moist, dense and writhing with life.
Could these cultivation techniques be the answer to the coffee world’s declining soil health?
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter!
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Dive deeper into organic coffee
Explore Sustainable Harvest’s range of certified organic and Fairtrade coffees
Are you a coffee farmer? Get in touch with Lalo Perez Varaona
Check out Don Rufino’s organic cooperative, RAOS
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Lalo Perez Varaona - LinkedIn
Tommie Hooft van Huysduynen - LinkedIn
Alison Streaker - LinkedIn
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories26 February 2024, 4:00 am - 46 minutes 20 secondsCoffee Roasting, Part 2: Roasting made easyRoasting coffee can be maddening. Just 4° Celsius is enough to make the same green beans taste distinctly different! And there are so many things roasters can play around with: temperature, time, fan speed, drum speed, types of probes…the list goes on and on.
So, if you want to start roasting yourself, where do you start!?
In the first half of this episode, I interview one of the world's leading roasting teachers who takes me through his published scientific research to give a clear answer. It’s as simple as 80%, 15% and 5%.
And then, in the second half, I show you why roasting coffee consistently batch-after-batch is so difficult. But these problems are finally being solved with smart technologies.
I visited the ROEST engineering team in Oslo and cracked open their innovative prototype P3000 roaster to show you the technology that allows anybody to roast coffee consistently and fully automatically.
I am so impressed with these innovations, I believe they’re going to change the coffee industry.
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Dive deeper into the science of roasting
Explore ROEST’s innovative products for the coffee industry.
Learn more from Morten Münchow and his coffee roasting courses
Read Morten’s paper in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen on Roasting Conditions and Coffee Flavour
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Sverre Simonsen - LinkedIn
Callum Gilmour - LinkedIn
Veronica Balduc - LinkedIn
Morten Münchow - Coffee Mind website
Scott Rao - Instagram
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories12 February 2024, 4:00 am - 37 minutes 42 secondsCoffee Roasting, Part 1: How heat transforms coffee beansWhat flavours do you want from your coffee?
Every coffee bean begins its life green. And if you brewed it up without first roasting it, you’d get a yellow-green cup of grass-flavoured water.
But, as soon you apply heat to a bean, the flavour can morph to from something quite vegetative to a very acidic unripe fruit, then a very sweet fruit, and eventually dark roasted flavours.
This is the magic of coffee roasting!
In this episode of The Science of Coffee, I show you a full roast in action on the ROEST P3000, taste how coffee flavours evolve from acidic to bitter, and speak to leading coffee roasting scientists to reveal the mind-bending chemical and physical transformations taking place.
See for yourself Roest's innovative P3000 fully automatic roaster.
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Mark Al-Shemmeri - LinkedIn
Callum Gilmour - LinkedIn
Veronica Balduc - LinkedIn
Anja Rahn - LinkedInIldi Revi - LinkedIn
Samo Smrke - Instagram
Morten Münchow - Coffee Mind website
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories29 January 2024, 4:00 am - 39 minutes 19 secondsSmell and Taste, Part 2: Are you and me tasting the same flavours?Ever wonder why you and your friends can taste the same coffee, but you can’t agree on the flavour notes?
Join me as I explore this metaphysical mystery! I speak with leading scientists and ask: are the flavour receptors in your nose and mouth the same as mine? How does music and the shape of a cup affect what we taste? What about our different cultural backgrounds and language?
Best of all, I put all these questions to the test in the Athen’s World of Coffee trade show. Many poor unsuspecting Filter Stories spit, splutter and gasp in the name of science!
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See Marco Beverage Systems' SP9 for yourself, and discover their range of consistent and energy-efficient coffee brewers for your cafe.
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Helene Hopfer - LinkedIn
Joel Mainland - LinkedIn
Fabiana Carvalho - Instagram
Janice Wang - LinkedIn
Felipe Reinoso - LinkedIn
Freda Yuan - Instagram
Mandy Naglich - Instagram
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories15 January 2024, 6:35 am - 44 minutes 33 secondsSmell and Taste, Part 1: How to be a better coffee tasterSo you’ve just taken a sip of a very rare coffee, and flavours of passion fruit explode in your mouth.
But here’s the thing: that flavour of passion fruit is not coming from your mouth. It’s not even coming from your nostrils. It’s being picked up behind your eyes!
In this first episode of The Science of Coffee's second series, I unravel how our sense of smell and taste works to help you be a better coffee taster.
I shrink us down microscopically and we dive into your tongue to show you why good black coffee tastes sweet, even though there’s no sugar in it.
We then travel up into our noses and get stuck in a lot of mucus. This slime might be disgusting, but we need it to be able to smell well.
And finally, with the help of tasting expert and author Mandy Naglich, I show you three effective ways you can train yourself to be a much better coffee taster without having to go on any expensive courses. The trick is to train our internal flavour prediction models!
This episode will help you deepen your appreciation of coffee and its delicious complexity.
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See Marco Beverage Systems' SP9 for yourself, and discover their range of consistent and energy-efficient coffee brewers for your cafe.
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram story
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
Become a better coffee taster!
Pick up a copy of Mandy Naglich’s book “How To Taste”
Sign up for the Specialty Coffee Association’s Sensory Skills courses
Do an online sensory course with CoffeeMind
Connect with my very knowledgeable guests
Mandy Naglich - Instagram
Linda Bartoshuk - Website
Joel Mainland - LinkedIn
Fabiana Carvalho - Instagram
Janice Wang - LinkedIn
Peter Giuliano - LinkedIn
Bram De Hoog - Instagram
The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
BWT Water and More
Marco Beverage Systems
ROEST
Sustainable Harvest
Mahlkönig
The Science of Coffee is a spin-off series from James Harper's documentary podcast Filter Stories8 January 2024, 6:20 am - More Episodes? Get the App
About Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries
Links
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