Specialty coffee guides
Learn.
Guides on specialty coffee — from the basics to the technical, for curious drinkers and independent roasteries.
28 articles across 6 topics. New pieces published weekly.
What's inside
Six topic areas. New articles published weekly.
Getting started
6Everything you need to understand specialty coffee — before you pick up a bag.
- What Is Specialty Coffee?
- Every Coffee Drink Explained
- Flat White vs Latte: What's Actually the Difference?
- +3 more
Browse getting started →
The bean
5Origins, processing, varietals — what actually determines the flavour in your cup.
- Washed vs Natural vs Honey: Coffee Processing Explained
- How to Read a Coffee Bag
- How to Build a Coffee Taste Profile
- +2 more
Browse the bean →
Brewing at home
5Practical guides for the equipment you already own — or the kit worth buying.
- Coffee Brewing Methods: The Complete Guide
- How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home
- How to Use an AeroPress
- +2 more
Browse brewing at home →
Equipment
2What to buy, what to skip, and what actually makes a difference to your cup.
- How to Choose a Coffee Machine for Home
- Best Espresso Machines Under £500
Browse equipment →
Finding good coffee
3City guides, roastery lists, and how to navigate the specialty scene wherever you are.
- Specialty Coffee London: A Taste Profile Guide
- Five London Roasteries Worth Going Out of Your Way For
- London Roasteries That Ship Online
Browse finding good coffee →
For roasteries
7Practical guides for independent specialty roasteries — pricing, retail, subscriptions, and growth.
- How to Price Your Coffee for Wholesale
- Should Your Roastery Open a Cafe?
- The Real Cost of Opening a Specialty Cafe
- +4 more
Browse for roasteries →
Getting started
Everything you need to understand specialty coffee — before you pick up a bag.
What Is Specialty Coffee?
The term gets used loosely. Here is what it actually means — and why it matters for what ends up in your cup.
Every Coffee Drink Explained
Flat white, cortado, long black, filter — what each one is, how they differ, and which to order when.
Flat White vs Latte: What's Actually the Difference?
They look similar. They taste different. Here is the breakdown — including the one that most people miss.
What Is a Cortado?
The most underrated drink on any specialty menu. What it is, where it comes from, and why you should order it.
Espresso vs Americano: What's the Difference?
Same beans, very different drinks. The extraction science and the practical difference in your cup.
Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee: What's the Difference?
Not the same drink. Here is how they are made, why they taste so different, and which to order in summer.
The bean
Origins, processing, varietals — what actually determines the flavour in your cup.
Washed vs Natural vs Honey: Coffee Processing Explained
The three main processing methods and how each one shapes the taste, acidity, and body of a coffee.
How to Read a Coffee Bag
Origin, altitude, process, variety, tasting notes — what each piece of information on a specialty bag tells you.
How to Build a Coffee Taste Profile
You already have preferences — you just haven't mapped them yet. Here is how to do it systematically.
Is Specialty Decaf Actually Good?
The honest answer, with the best decaf processing methods explained and the roasters worth trying.
How Late Can You Drink Coffee?
The caffeine half-life question, answered properly. And what to drink if you want something good after 3pm.
Brewing at home
Practical guides for the equipment you already own — or the kit worth buying.
Coffee Brewing Methods: The Complete Guide
Every major home brewing method compared — espresso, filter, AeroPress, French press, moka pot. Which to start with and why.
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee at Home
The exact ratio, steep time, and grind size. No special equipment required.
How to Use an AeroPress
The most versatile brewer you can own. A practical recipe that actually works, plus how to adjust it.
How to Make Great Iced Coffee at Home
Not just pouring hot coffee over ice. The flash-brew method that preserves flavour and avoids dilution.
How to Use a V60
The pour-over brewer that rewards patience. Ratios, water temperature, pour technique — the full setup.
Equipment
What to buy, what to skip, and what actually makes a difference to your cup.
How to Choose a Coffee Machine for Home
The honest framework: what type of machine suits your habits, your budget, and the coffees you want to drink.
Best Espresso Machines Under £500
The machines actually worth considering at this price point — ranked by what matters: consistency, temperature stability, and ease of use.
Finding good coffee
City guides, roastery lists, and how to navigate the specialty scene wherever you are.
Specialty Coffee London: A Taste Profile Guide
Which London roasters suit which taste profiles — matched by processing style, origin preference, and flavour intensity.
Five London Roasteries Worth Going Out of Your Way For
Not a generic list. Five roasters where the visit — not just the coffee — is worth the journey.
London Roasteries That Ship Online
The best London specialty roasters with strong online ordering — with notes on what to buy from each.
For roasteries
Practical guides for independent specialty roasteries — pricing, retail, subscriptions, and growth.
How to Price Your Coffee for Wholesale
The fully-loaded cost model, tiered pricing structure, and lot-based differentiation framework that independent roasters actually need.
Should Your Roastery Open a Cafe?
The decision framework — taproom vs full cafe model, financial reality, and a 7-question self-audit before you commit.
The Real Cost of Opening a Specialty Cafe
Equipment, fit-out, staffing, working capital — the numbers most people underestimate, with the items most often forgotten.
How to Set Up a Coffee Subscription That Actually Retains Customers
Platform setup, curation models, the pause vs cancel mechanic, and the churn drivers that kill most roastery subscriptions.
Running Tasting Events: A Practical Guide for Roasteries
Event formats, logistics, communication cadence, and how to turn a room of tasters into repeat customers.
How Specialty Roasters Build Communities
The roasteries that have built loyal communities around their coffee — and the specific mechanics behind each of them.
How to Get Wholesale Coffee Accounts
The outreach process, the cafe criteria worth targeting, and what separates roasteries that grow their wholesale book from those that stall.
Put your knowledge to work.
Log every coffee you drink, build a taste profile that learns over time, and find what to drink next — in London, Lisbon, and beyond.