A new wave of hockey puck-shaped espresso tampers have been all the rage for a couple of years, but it seems there may be more going on than just the latest barista trend. A recently published a
Author: Michael Butterworth
Michael Butterworth is an authorized instructor of the Specialty Coffee Association and the inventor of the Etkin Dripper. He cofounded the Coffee Compass mostly as an excuse to visit more coffee shops. For consulting and training enquiries please visit butterworth.coffee.
Five Lies About Decaf You Probably Believe
There have been few beverage categories as vilified as decaffeinated coffee, and for no good reason. Decaf drinkers, after all, might be considered true coffee purists, who drink coffee not for it&
Faro Luminari del Caffe is Changing the Eternal City
How do you change the most entrenched coffee culture in the world? If you asked us, we never would have thought Third Wave coffee would make inroads into Rome. The Italians, after all, invented esp
Ottoman-era Elegance at Petra Coffee in Nişantası, Istanbul
Istanbul’s Nişantaşı district occupies a unique place in the social strata of the city. Equal parts West Village and Upper East Side, it’s home to the older, upper crust, but also wr
How to Read a Coffee Bag
Most specialty coffee roasters put a lot of information on their bag that few people understand. It might be interesting to know your coffee was grown at 1800 meters above sea level (MASL), but who
Balat Coffee and Guide Offers More Than Coffee in Istanbul’s Jewish Quarter
Coffee shops have long been the cultural informants of their neighborhoods. When traveling, you can usually count on a barista to know the best restaurants, which tourist traps to avoid, and some h
Thousands Flock to Istanbul Coffee Festival
Unseasonably hot weather and freak flash thunderstorms didn’t keep thousands of Istanbullu from flocking to the Istanbul Coffee Festival last week. As avid Turcophiles, we’ve been following t
Three Great Cafés in Upstate South Carolina
South Carolina’s Low Country has been on the culinary map for some time now. The live oaks, Spanish moss, and colonial era houses have captured the imaginations of both chefs and food televis
Is the Knock Feldgrind the Perfect Travel Grinder?
No one has quite perfected the coffee grinder. Here at The Coffee Compass we’re big fans of hand grinders for reasons we won’t repeat here (but you can read here if you’re so inclined), the b
Meet the Youngest Coffee Farmer in Boquete, Panama
Earlier this year we traveled to Boquete, Panama for the Best of Panama competition. While we were there we met a remarkable young coffee farmer named Keith Pech, who manages his family’s far