I’m currently sitting at a coffee shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and am surrounded by dozens of people each either on Zoom calls, working on schoolwork, or meeting up with an old friend. I myself am doing two of the three. The pandemic has made people watching rare but I’m now remembering the appeal of jamming on a paper while consuming too much coffee, listening to my favorite music, and drinking some “fine coffee.”
I’ve interviewed coffee shop owners for my podcast and discussed for hours on end the nuances of coffee. Each country I’ve been to has its own variation or way of brewing. Every ritual is influenced by efficiency, physical restrictions, or cultural influence and each one is special and appropriate in its own way.
What I’ve learned about coffee is that it’s rarely about the coffee itself but the experience one pairs with it. As I sit at this coffee shop across from a friend visiting from Austin, Texas, I now see that coffee brings people together to share stories and life. So here are some coffee blogs that I hope will bring you some joy and ideas on how to experience the world through a cup of java.
There seems to be a generational difference in how people brew or experience coffee in the United States. We can view the world through an endless variety of lenses. The Way To Coffee uses those lenses to look at coffee. The content on this site gives perspective from a variety of cultures, how they do coffee, and great places to visit.
One of my favorite things from this blog is the guidance from coffee professionals. You won’t feel as if there’s a wrong way to do coffee, because there isn’t. You merely get guidance on how to make and experience coffee differently.
Some people just want a cup of black drip coffee and are met with a medley of questions on the type of roast, different terms for cup sizes, and the region of the world from which they prefer their beans. This can get overwhelming. The Bean Ground blog is a great way to start learning what to ask for and whether it’s good or not.
Bean Ground lays out in-depth information on how to taste espresso along with theory regarding a variety of movements in the coffee world. If you want to learn more, Bean Ground is the best place to start.
A couple relevant reads: A Beginners Guide To Tasting Espresso and What Is Third Wave Coffee?
Follow @BeanGroundBlog on Twitter.
Have you ever wanted to sit down at the coffee bar and ask the barista all the questions but feel pressured by the long line behind you? If the answer is yes then the Barista Institute blog is the resource for you. You’ll even get answers to some of the questions you didn’t know to ask.
There are blog posts guiding readers on how to get creative with making coffee without some of the expensive tools. The most fun part is that there is a brew calculator that serves as a tool to determine how much caffeine we are extracting from the beans.
I recommend reading Simple Coffee without Fancy or Expensive Equipment and Latte vs. Flat White – What is the Difference?
Follow Barista Institute on Instagram.
The Your Dream Coffee blog is a great resource for those that want to replicate the seemingly complicated beverages that their favorite coffee shops make. It could be items like mochas or saffron lattes. Making these at home may sound impossible but Your Dream Coffee has step-by-step guides that walk you through how to make your favorite drink.
Your Dream Coffee is always following the trends in coffee pop culture. It is a fun and trendy blog that is worth subscribing to.
Check out these posts: Espresso vs. Americano: All the Differences You Need to Know and The Best Coffee Beans for Latte (Make Better Lattes at Home).
Follow @YourDreamCoffee on Twitter.
Oscar Duran works as Global President of the EMBRACE Employee Resource Group at Cision as well as an Associate Account Executive. Check out his previous posts for Beyond Bylines and connect on Instagram. When he’s not working, Oscar can be found producing content for his podcast, being an advocate for the underprivileged, or traveling.
