S3: Episode 9: New Year, New Coffee?
Happy New Year! New Year’s resolutions are not for everyone and coffee habits are hard to break. But if you are feeling in a bit of a coffee rut this episode has some actionable tips to help nudge you out of it. This week’s FACQ highlights some unsuspected benefits of taking a fresh look at the coffee you buy.
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Hello and welcome to The Coffee Drinker’s Guide, a podcast for the coffee curious where I explore and explain the world of specialty coffee to make your daily coffee better and more satisfying.
I’m Angela Holder a coffee roaster and writer on a mission to fight back against bad coffee by giving you the knowledge you need to help you get good coffee and a happier (coffee) life in coffee-break sized episodes. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair and take a break…
This week's episode comes out on New Years Day 2025 and as it ’tis the season we are taking the time to reflect on ways to improve your coffee life with some actionable tips…and later I’ll be answering a question about the wider steps you can take to get better coffee and potentially support causes close to your heart, so stay tuned for that…
Happy New Year! I hope that you had a good time over the festive season and feel refreshed and ready for whatever the year brings. So, New Years Day. It is natural and let’s face it, actively encouraged at this time of year, to reflect on your personal situation and consider making changes to improve your life. If you are anything like me this is about as far you get. New Year’s resolutions are not for everyone! But if you are in the mood for taking stock of your life one relatively small area that you can take action on is your coffee habits. It is all too easy to fall into a coffee rut, as I know from personal experience. But it’s a good idea to occasionally step back, take a hard look at what you are doing and perhaps try something different to spice up or enrich your coffee life…so here’s a few ways you could mix things up in 2025…
So firstly your coffee life and the brew
If, like me, you have your set way of brewing your everyday coffee at home, consider varying the routine. Invest in a different coffee brewer, or dig out that bit of kit from the back of the cupboard and give it a go again. You may find that this time you figure out how to get a good brew and it becomes a useful coffee tool. If not, get rid of it and achieve some New Year decluttering: two birds, one stone! It also pays, from time to time, to check how you are brewing your everyday coffee. If you are not one for pulling out the measuring devices every time you brew, take the opportunity to do that now and take a look at your brewing variables. These are the amount of coffee and water that you use per brew, the temperature of the water you use and your grind size. It pays to occasionally check these parameters and address any drift that may be happening. And on that note, also check over your grinder. Maybe it needs a clean and a little light maintenance. Take a look at any parts that can wear out and replace them if they are worn or broken. You may need to recalibrate your grinder to get the right grind size if the burrs have worn down or you may even need new burrs. A little attention to these things can go a long way to a better tasting brew.
Next your coffee life and the taste
You may have fallen into the habit of drinking the same coffee all the time because you know that it is good. I sympathise because I am that person too! The morning brew is too precious to be experimental! But how about ordering a different coffee off a cafe’s menu the next time you are out and about? Or go to a new cafe and try their featured coffee? Or when you buy coffee for home instead of buying one large bag of the coffee you know you like, buy a couple of smaller bags: one you like and the other as different as you can find. You may end this year with a very different favourite coffee in your cupboard…
Finally your coffee life and the bean
Habits are hard to break and coffee habits are arguably particularly hard. We all find a roast level, origin or green bean process we like and then stick with it. However things change pretty quickly in coffee these days as producers and roasters pursue new and interesting flavours in coffee. If you haven’t tried something new for a while, give it a go. If you are a hardcore natural or anaerobic process drinker, try drinking a washed coffee - and vice versa. Challenge yourself to find a great tasting coffee from an origin you haven’t liked in the past - I’m pretty sure you’ll find things have changed. None of this involves doing anything more than selecting a different coffee off a roastery or cafe’s menu. In this way you may surprise yourself - or confirm your preferences! Either way, win:win. Paying attention to the coffee you are drinking will also bring the details of that coffee to the fore: who grew it, how it has been processed, even its environmental impact and other information. If this information or perhaps the lack of it makes you feel uncomfortable or unhappy about your coffee choice, choose better coffee.
And now its time for a Frequently Asked Coffee Question…
And this episode’s question is…
What can I do today to choose better coffee?
Identify the main thing that worries you about the coffee you drink - then do a little research. Which coffees, origins and roasting companies address that problem? Who supplies coffee with the provenance and qualities you want? Give those companies your custom this year to help them make a difference. If you want to drink coffee with a clear conscience, there is likely to be a coffee company that supports a charity or cause you care about. If you are concerned about the environmental impact of coffee you can actively choose coffees and brewing methods to minimise that. It may seem like a small thing but the coffee you choose to drink does impact the world. Not only will you be drinking better coffee, it will be more aligned with your values while putting your money where your mouth is, so to speak!
Thank you for listening to this episode of The Coffee Drinker’s Guide and that was all about improving your coffee life. Has this inspired a New Year, New Coffee resolution this year? Let me know on Instagram @thecoffeedrinkersguide, email me at thecoffeedrinkersguide@gmail.com or leave me a text message using the link in the show notes. In the next episode we’ll be taking a deep dive into an important coffee habit we should all cultivate. If you are intrigued and you haven’t already, be sure to hit follow so that you don’t miss it when it drops. If you like the show please share it with a coffee loving friend and rate and review this podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts to help other coffee curious people find the show too. Thanks to my executive producer Viel Richardson at Lusona Publishing and Media Limited. You can find him at lusonapub.co.uk. Until next time I’m Angela Holder thanks for taking your coffee break with me - the best way to tackle life is one coffee at a time and here’s to better coffee!
The Coffee Drinker’s Guide is a Blue Sky Coffee Project