IT’S JUST COFFEE!

Specialty coffee has a new title …  Master of Specialty Coffee.

The SCA has just announced a new accreditation for people at the very pointy end of the industry. To even apply, you need every SCA Skills Diploma, a Q Grader certification, years of experience, professional recommendations… and that is only the front door.

So what is it actually trying to do?

Why is coffee chasing its own Masters of Wine moment? Is this certification genuinely intended to elevate the industry without creating barriers to entry?

also get into the bigger question: who gets to become a recognised voice for specialty coffee, and does this create a better pathway for coffee professionals, or just another very expensive title?

Plus, Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly green coffee market report.

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS 00:00 New Master of Specialty Coffee 01:18 Who can apply? 03:14 Does Ben want the title? 04:44 The exams explained 07:22 What do Masters actually do? 09:25 Is it accessible for producing countries? 11:32 Where is the barista career pathway? 14:21 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report 16:30 Final thoughts on coffee’s new top title

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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With the 2026 World Brewers Cup just around the corner, we wanted to ask: What should we (the non-competitors and regular coffee people) be paying attention to… and how can the competition inform our own coffee and business practices?

Here to help answer these questions is multiple-time Singapore Brewers Cup Champion and two-time World Brewers Cup finalist, Elysia Tan! Along with her extensive competition insight, Elysia shares practical (and golden!) tips for improving brewing, such as using different filter papers to adjust mouthfeel and sweetness.                                   

Tune in to discover just how magical the world of coffee brewing can be! 

CHAPTERS!

00:00 Why Brewers Cup Matters
02:32 Falling for Filter Coffee
08:27 How Brewers Cup Works
12:27 What to Watch on Stage
14:52 Competition Ideas in Cafés
17:10 Blends, Flatbeds & Immersion
23:28 Building a Competition Routine
28:03 Better Café Filter Service
34:02 Sweetness, Body & Balance
39:03 What to Stop Obsessing Over
44:27 Better Brewing at Home
47:38 Filter Paper Changes Everything
49:30 Why the V60 Still Wins
52:44 Hot Take: Hospitality First

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Find Elysia here: https://www.instagram.com/elysiaholmes/ 

World Coffee Championships: https://www.instagram.com/worldcoffeechampionships/ 

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 viral coffee recipes, 1 esteemed WBC Judge. Ben Bicknell put his well-honed sensory skills to the test, judging the “fridge cigarette", “Limoncello espresso”, and “espresso bomb”. 

How do these drinks stack up against the palette of a guy who judges coffee for a living? Which trends are pointing to a genuine demand in the industry, and which are full of air? Tune in to find out!

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly 

barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coffee people love science … but only when it agrees with them.

In this episode, we sit down with Christopher H. Hendon, computational chemist, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oregon, co-author of Water for Coffee, and one of the most recognisable voices in modern coffee science!

We talk about what makes good science, why the coffee industry is so vulnerable to pseudoscience, and how professionals can better separate useful evidence from confident noise.

Chris breaks down everything from freezing coffee beans and the Ross Droplet Technique to water chemistry, coffee extraction, cold brew, co-ferments, climate change, and why one experiment rarely proves what people think it proves.

This one is for the coffee nerds, the science-curious, and anyone who has ever heard a coffee claim online and thought: “Wait… is that actually true?”

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Explore everything Chris here:

Insta @chhendon

https://pages.uoregon.edu/chendon/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71526-5?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3

CHAPTERS

00:00 Coffee Science vs Coffee Myths
03:29 Meet Chris Hendon
05:21 Why Coffee Gets Science Wrong
13:00 Freezing Coffee Beans Explained
14:39 Ross Droplet Technique Explained
17:39 Better Coffee Experiments
21:24 James Hoffmann’s Long Black Theory
29:00 How to Spot Bad Coffee Science
36:46 Can Science Fix Bad Coffee?
41:32 Why Water Chemistry Matters
44:46 Water for Coffee 2
49:33 Why Coffee Tastes Different Everywhere
55:13 The Future of Coffee Education
01:03:33 Coffee Processing and Climate Change
01:08:40 Is Cold Brew Actually Bad?
01:10:02 Rethinking Coffee Equipment
01:12:47 One Coffee Belief to Challenge

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time, specialty coffee has overtaken traditional coffee consumption in the U.S. We unpack this year’s Specialty Coffee Report, including the key trends behind the shift, where people are drinking coffee, who's driving growth, and what drinks are gaining the most momentum. Plus! – How can you apply these findings to your place in the industry?! 

00:00 – The 2026 Specialty Coffee Report

03:00 – Specialty Coffee Takes the Lead

06:10 – America’s Espresso Boom

09:15 – Cold Coffee All Year Round

11:10 – Who’s Driving Coffee Growth?

12:20 – The Flavours Consumers Love

16:20 – The Rise of Home Brewing

17:30 – What Coffee Businesses Should Know

18:50 – Coffee Market Update

21:00 – Final Thoughts

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices