2018-09-06 09:22
I’m very excited to announce that there will be a second edition of The World Atlas of Coffee, and it is released in all good bookshops on October 4 2018.
There are a few things I want… Read More
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James Hoffmann's writing on coffee
2018-01-08 17:53
The UK coffee industry has been in the news recently, as a group of politicians that make up the Environmental Audit Committee have come up with several proposals, but this is by far th… Read More
2017-12-24 12:52
For a few years, I ran an annual predictions post. I was often wrong, or right a year too early (which is still wrong, despite my urges to claim otherwise). You can see previous predictions… Read More
2017-12-12 21:25
The time has come to formally shutter the short-lived publication that was Longberry Magazine. We started it as “an occasional journal of coffee”, with some strange ideas ab… Read More
2017-12-06 13:30
I’ve enjoyed working on how-to guides for coffee brewers, but one particular brewer gave me a headache: the Aeropress.
There are just too many different ways to use it, too many potent… Read More
2017-11-28 17:23
The thinking in specialty coffee has long been: quality doesn’t scale. There’s plenty of evidence that this is true but I’ve become increasingly interested in the why, beca… Read More
2017-11-24 12:26
Note: A few years ago, I wrote a post addressed to grinder manufacturers. I was frustrated by the lack of innovation, and I think my complaints resonated with a lot of people. I bring this p… Read More
2017-10-23 09:40
Price is the best-known shortcut for quality. Pay more, get better stuff. Speciality coffee has long battled pricing, for the most part, fearful of putting people off for something that tast… Read More
2017-07-18 13:30
A few updates on various things:
The Jimseven Book
We closed the IndieGoGo backing page today, and won’t be taking any more pre-orders for the book. The good news is that the physical… Read More
2017-07-07 17:32
I enjoyed being a guest on The Coffee Podcast. I think I got a little ranty in places, and so this is part one of two of the interview.
I talk a lot about writing, blogging, the early days o… Read More
2017-07-03 09:34
I don’t post every video I make on this blog, but this one seemed relevant. It’s a bit of an experiment at this stage, but it felt like a fun way to do a Q&A. This round used… Read More
2017-06-07 14:45
Work continues apace at Coffee Jobs Board, and I thought I’d post a quick summary of what’s going on with four key new features:
Training Directory
For baristas or other coffee p… Read More
2017-06-05 13:38
I went into this survey to test a hypothesis: the industry buys coffee in a different way than its consumers. No one would be particularly shocked by this, but I wanted to just scratch the s… Read More
2017-05-24 12:10
I’m hoping that you’ll take 2 minutes to answer the questions on this survey.
It’s a survey about the last bag of coffee you bought, the bag you’re drinking at home r… Read More
2017-05-16 14:14
I know what you’re thinking: this title seems a bit rich coming from someone who has benefitted from being a barista champion. There’s been a good amount of conversation spurred… Read More
2017-05-16 14:14
I know what youâ€re thinking: this title seems a bit rich coming from someone who has benefitted from being a barista champion. Thereâ€s been a good amount of conversat… Read More
2017-05-15 10:19
I made a quick video about getting rid of static when you’re grinding coffee. I hope you try it and like it, but I do want to talk quickly about attribution of ideas.
I think it is imp… Read More
2017-05-02 10:18
It’s easy to let an idea take root in your thinking. It feels, for a moment, insightful and perhaps even useful. What happens then is most likely a case of confirmation bias – yo… Read More
2017-03-20 11:45
I thought I’d try a little video review of a grinder I’ve been using at home for about 3-4 months now Read More
2017-03-11 17:20
A little over a year ago I asked on here if people were interested in a best of jimseven.com book. Enough people said yes that I thought it was worth pursuing and over the last year I’… Read More
2017-03-10 13:32
We’re running a little competition over at Coffee Jobs Board
What you can win
The World Atlas of Coffee (signed)
The Coffee Roasters Companion (signed) – Scott Rao
The Professio… Read More
2017-02-09 10:00
I had high hopes for London. You might claim they come from a place of misguided optimism, and I’d probably struggle to argue with you. The city and much of the UK seems to be at… Read More
2017-02-01 10:00
We’ve rolled out a few new features on Coffee Jobs Board this month. I want to talk about where we are going with it, because I hope it will be something valuable and useful.
There&rsq&hell…Read More
2017-01-09 10:30
If you’ve started a business, or have thought about starting a business, then you’ve probably created a very specific spreadsheet. It’s the one that tells you how much prof… Read More
2016-12-30 15:55
I quite enjoy writing these end of year posts. They’re more fun than the predictions posts I used to make in the past, sort of…
Words written on the blog: 15,575 (2016) Vs… Read More
2016-12-15 12:18
Ordering the pâté in a restaurant is an interesting thing to me. It tells me a lot about a chef and the empathy within the business. This has nothing to do with ingredients… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-11-07 09:30
While I’ve been playing around learning to make videos over the last few months, I haven’t really posted them here. I thought sharing this one would be fun. I spent 5 days in Chi… Read More
2016-10-17 11:51
The historical data for coffee pricing causes me some headaches. The C-Market price for coffee is currently about $1.55 per lb. Looking at historical data, you can see that in February 1982… Read More
2016-10-06 12:05
The coffee industry is unusual. Over the years, for a variety of reasons, the supplier/customer relationships between roasters and cafes (and also consultants and cafes) has grown deeper and… Read More
2016-10-03 09:30
The old french press guide from 8 years ago is one of my most viewed videos. However, it doesn’t really reflect the way I would brew one now. I tend to use the method described in &ldq&hell…Read More
2016-09-19 10:40
Coffee is a dead end job, but it doesn’t have to be. The boom in speciality coffee has created a crisis in employment in many parts of the world, but it has also created an opportunity… Read More
2016-09-15 18:22
This is a project I’ve been working on for a quite a long time, and I want to share it now. This is the process to turn cascara into something like chocolate. It’s fun, deliciou… Read More
2016-08-24 14:30
I love restaurants. I love sitting in them, especially at the bar, and watching. I love a very, very long lunch. I also love food, which is one of the reasons I go to restaurants.
It isn&rsq&hell…Read More
2016-08-24 10:47
The second episode of the podcast is now up, and I think it is well worth a listen. Doing these has been challenging and interesting, and I’m grateful for the positive feedback so far… Read More
2016-08-18 08:45
Today is the start of a new podcast I’ve been working on. It’s called the Coffee Jobs Podcast and is a weekly show that will run for the next three months or so. Each episod… Read More
2016-08-09 13:58
We’ve done a pretty good job of communicating the importance of freshness with coffee. No one reading this would disagree with the idea that, generally, the fresher the better.
Listeni… Read More
2016-08-08 14:00
Opportunity costs are, perhaps, the most ignored costs in a busy business. That may be a coffee shop, coffee roastery, or a restaurant. In fact, they apply to every business and I think dese… Read More
2016-07-27 13:00
Countertops are precious space. It’s a beautiful, effective point to merchandise a product. Close to the till, a great moment for a last minute impulse purchase. What we’ve chose… Read More
2016-07-25 14:30
Growth is always considered a good thing, and it is impossible to escape the good news that speciality coffee is growing. Its dollar value continues to swell, especially at the retail level… Read More
2016-07-18 16:11
The World Barista Championship, and the World Brewers Cup in Dublin this year produced two worthy champions. They also produced a lot of discussion about one particular variety: Ge… Read More
2016-07-04 11:13
I’ve brought up the idea previously of needing to grow the number of customers choosing to drink coffee at independent businesses. The growing number of business aren’t bringing… Read More
2016-06-20 08:17
What we see today as the role, or the definition, of a barista is going to change completely. This isn’t wishful thinking, this isn’t fear mongering. The impending role of automa… Read More
2016-06-09 14:01
I read the piece in Eater, by Matt Buchanan, titled “Maybe Just Don’t Drink Coffee” because quite a few people were joyfully sharing it on twitter. My reaction is perhaps d… Read More
2016-06-08 10:41
Coffee often looks to fine dining for inspiration. It’s not a surprising source of ideas, because they seem to have overcome a few challenges that coffee faces:
They seem to have overc… Read More
2016-06-01 08:00
Over the last few years I’ve struggled with defining this blog. More recently it has been a place for longer form pieces, and I’m happy writing this way here.
Where things often… Read More
2016-05-06 08:00
The Coffee Variety Timeline Family Tree posters are now available!
The shop is here: www.jimseven.myshopify.com
A few key things to mention:
These are wholesale only from me at the mom… Read More
2016-04-12 08:53
Just a quick note that Longberry Issue 2 is now widely available. If you want to pick up a copy direct from us, or buy wholesale, then just head over here to the Longberry Store.
As before… Read More
2016-04-05 10:46
Roasting coffee is, put kindly, a fickle affair. On a good day it feels like chasing a dropped piece of paper in the wind. On a bad day it feels both impossible and unknowable.
In recent yea… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
A little less than a year ago I wrote a short piece about the price of coffee in London. For that post I’d used the London Coffee Guide produced by a company called Allegra, (who do a… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
I don’t really like the word hipster, nor do I condone its usage (despite occasional indulgence), but I did spend some time recently trying to work out what it meant and what we mean w… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Today I closed submissions to the January topic and I’ve updated the blog post to show a full list of further reading links you lovely people submitted. Some people’s submitted l… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Maybe I set the bar too high in my own mind, maybe I wasn’t sufficiently clear and maybe (the most likely explanation) it just wasn’t that good of an idea to start with. UPDATE:… Read More
2016-03-15 12:09
Perhaps some of you doubted that Longberry would return for another issue. Perhaps some of you thought that the strap line of “An occasional journal of coffee” was a strange choi… Read More
2016-03-15 12:09
Perhaps some of you doubted that Longberry would return for another issue. Perhaps some of you thought that the strap line of “An occasional journal of coffee” was a strange choi… Read More
2016-03-03 15:30
We released the latest version of Coffee Jobs Board last month, and I thought I’d share a little bit here about what we’ve changed and improved – and also why we did what w… Read More
2016-02-25 11:41
This is a little project I’ve been wanting to complete for a very long time. Working on the World Atlas of Coffee gave me the additional nudge to do the work.
I’m producing a pos… Read More
2016-01-04 11:55
People have often suggested it, and I’ve come and gone with this idea over the years – should I compile a book out of the best bits of this blog. I’ve been writing here for… Read More
2015-12-31 16:19
Last year I wrote a “2014 in review – number edition”, and I thought I’d write a comparative one to see how the year changed and what that means.
Words written on the… Read More
2015-12-16 12:00
The State of Speciality Coffee – Part 3: Implications and Predictions
In the previous two posts (Part 1 & Part 2) I’ve explained how I currently see the market in s… Read More
2015-12-16 12:00
The State of Speciality Coffee – Part 3: Implications and Predictions
In the previous two posts (Part 1 & Part 2) I’ve explained how I currently see the market in s… Read More
2015-12-15 12:00
The State of Speciality Coffee – Part 2: The Bubble
Previous post: Part 1: The Lull
The growth in speciality coffee shops in the last decade has been astonishing. While diffe… Read More
2015-12-14 12:10
The State of Speciality Coffee – Part 1: The Lull
This is the first of three parts, covering how I see the current state of the speciality coffee industry around the world. I… Read More
2015-08-31 11:03
These are the results of the survey I conducted over the last two weeks. I had a great response to the survey – around 1,500 replies. I needed to clean up a little bit o… Read More
2015-08-17 11:05
UPDATE: SURVEY CLOSED
It has been a long time since I’ve done a survey on the brewing habits of the readership of this blog. I figured it was a good time to do it again. (I think the l… Read More
2015-08-13 10:05
We’re launching a new section of Coffee Jobs Board today – a Classifieds section for people who want to sell coffee related things (like espresso machines, grinders or anything e… Read More
2015-08-10 14:00
If you’ve just started working in coffee, chances are you’ve worked out that coffee is:
Really, really interesting
Huge
Complex
As such you’ve turned to the internet to try… Read More
2015-06-25 08:46
I am writing something on the subject of the SCAA announcing an end to USBC regionals with a little hesitation. There’s a tonne of blog posts circulating, twitter is very busy, and it… Read More
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