Coffee is traded or sold in very different ways.  In fact there are basically two coffee markets: commodity coffee or non-commodity coffee (specialty coffee).  Specialty coffee consumers value a variety of factors like origin, growing and processing techniques, roast level, etc.  But with commodity coffee only one thing matters: price.  

Commodity coffee is like any other commodity, the only differentiating factor is price.  And the price for commodity coffee is set on the Intercontinental Exchange in New York city.  

As a financial asset, commodity coffee has had a pretty terrible year in 2018.  Coffee prices decreased about 20% over the year, to lows that haven’t been seen since 2006.  This price collapse occurred due to a number of factors in the market that have lead to oversupply.

Tis the holiday season.  If you have some last minute holiday shopping this gift guide for the fellow coffee lover on your list might help.  

Mr. Green Beans is a one-stop shop for coffee lovers in Portland, Oregon.  This shop sells a great selection of green coffee beans and supplies for home coffee roasting and coffee brewing.  Their staff is knowledgable and extremely helpful.  So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Mr. Green Beans has become my favorite place to buy coffee and coffee-related supplies.

During this episode Trevin Miller, the owner of Mr. Green Beans, shares his expertise and experiences in the industry.  Trevin and I discuss what you really need to start home roasting, what many home roasters get wrong, some major trends in the coffee world, and more.

Mr. Green Beans has a website.  So if you’re looking for coffee supplies or green coffee beans to roast at home check out their website www.diycoffeeroasting.com.  

Fine Line Roasting is a small startup coffee roaster from Boise Idaho.  Their founder and roaster Josh Webb started listening to the Roast and Reason podcast when he was researching coffee roasting.  So I’m honored and extremely excited to share this conversation with Josh.

During this conversation Josh candidly shares his experiences starting a small coffee roasting company.  He talks about his successes like his thrill when people actually liked his coffee as well as the struggles he has encountered.  

Kudos to Josh and Taylor for all they have accomplished so far as a new coffee company.  I look forward to hearing and tasting much more from them moving forward.

To learn more about Fine Line Roasting or try their coffee for yourself. check out their website www.finelineroasting.com.  

Odds are you have tried or heard of Jamaican coffee, specifically Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.  But how much do you know about the history of coffee growing on the island?  What makes Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee so popular and sought after?  By the end of this episode you will know all of that and more.

Jamaica’s coffee growing history dates back to the early 1700s.  The island was a leading coffee producer in the early 1800s, but then the coffee industry suffered and coffee quality decreased.

The Jamaican government launched several programs to increase coffee quality and created a very successful marketing program.  These changes stimulated demand for a specific designation of Jamaican coffee, Jamaica Blue Mountain.

This episode will discuss the history of Jamaican coffee further, what makes Blue Mountain coffee unique and in demand, what Jamaican coffee tastes like, and more.

Home roasting coffee was the thing that really sparked my interest in specialty coffee and eventually led to this podcast.  I have been home roasting for about a year and a half and very much enjoy it.  Home roasting is a great hobby that is part science, part creative, and totally delicious.

Previous episodes in the home coffee roasting series have discussed DIY methods for roasting coffee including roasting in the oven or on the stovetop and also dedicated home roasting coffee machines.

This episode will cover some excellent options where you can find and purchase green coffee beans that you can roast at home.

Home roasting coffee was the thing that really sparked my interest in specialty coffee and eventually led to this podcast.  I have been home roasting for about a year and a half and very much enjoy it.  Home roasting is a great hobby that is part science, part creative, and totally delicious.

The last episode discussed the DIY methods for roasting coffee using the oven, on the stovetop, and using an electric popcorn popper.  This episode will focus on dedicated home roasting coffee machines.  These devices come in a variety of sizes, designs, and costs.

Home roasting coffee was the thing that really sparked my interest in specialty coffee and eventually led to this podcast. I have been home roasting for about a year and a half and very much enjoy it. Home roasting is a great hobby that is part science, part creative, and totally delicious.

This episode will focus on the different manual and do-it-yourself home coffee roasting methods. Roasting coffee doesn’t need to be expensive or require a dedicated home roasting device. Learn how to roast coffee using some cheap, DIY methods like roasting coffee in the oven, on the stovetop in a skillet or wok, and using an electric popcorn popper.

The next episode will focus on more automated, dedicated coffee roasting devices.

Home roasting coffee was the thing that really sparked my interest in specialty coffee and eventually led to this podcast. I have been home roasting for about a year and a half and very much enjoy it. Home roasting is a great hobby that is part science, part creative, and totally delicious.

This episode will focus on why I like home coffee roasting. My goal is to provide you will some pros and cons to allow you to decide if this something that you might enjoy.

Future upcoming episode will focus on different home roasting techniques and devices as well as where to purchase unroasted green coffee beans.

If you listen to this podcast I am willing to bet that you enjoy drinking good coffee. But there’s a problem. There are literally hundreds of coffees, coffee shops, and coffee roasters out there. So where do you even start?

To help you I will occasionally recommend coffees to try. In this episode we will discuss two recommendations for delicious, can’t miss coffees.

For the complete list of 5 Can’t Miss Coffees and to be the first to hear future coffee recommendations and special news from Roast and Reason be sure to sign up for the email list on roastandreason.com.

Kenya is one of the most important coffee producing countries in the world. There are many unique features of Kenyan coffee including a unique grading system, several unique coffee varieties, and a characteristic flavor.

In this episode we will discuss the history of coffee growing in Kenya, the unique grading system and what it actually means to you as a coffee consumer, several special varieties of coffee that are grown in Kenya, and the unique flavor characteristics that can be found in Kenyan Coffee. I will also share a few Kenyan coffee recommendations.