It’s safe to say that Oatly, the one-time plant-based milk darling of the specialty coffee community, has officially gone mainstream with their recent Super Bowl commercial. The commercial fe
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 Coffee Resolutions for 2021
Unless you were already a billionaire when 2020 began, this last year was probably a rough one for you. Nothing has magically changed now that the calendar has reset, but that doesn’t mean the sy
Behind the Scenes with Chris Deferio of Keys to the Shop
I first met Chris Deferio in Madison Square Park at the original Shake Shack kiosk. I had just arrived in New York with my friend Kenny Smith to compete in the World Latte Art Open Championship at
How to Make Coffee with A Clever Dripper
The Clever Dripper might be the most underrated coffee brewer. The device is a sort of hybrid brewer that offers elements of both immersion and gravity drip methods. It’s easy to use, and most im
Double Dutch: an interview with World Aeropress Champion Wendelien van Bunnik
Just over a year ago I traveled to Den Haag to take a course to become an authorized SCA trainer. Sitting across from me in the class was the reigning Dutch barista champion, Wendelien van Bunnik.
A Farewell to Fresh Cup
I remember realizing this spring that coffee shops I knew and loved would not survive the pandemic. It especially hit home when Quills Coffee shuttered their U of L café— a shop where I had logg
Science Says Brew Temperature Doesn’t Matter — Sort Of
Time to re-write that Brewers Cup competition routine. According to a new study, coffees brewed at different water temperatures are indistinguishable at the same extraction percentage and concentra
Baratza Announces Acquisition by Breville Group
For years, when it’s come to consumer coffee grinders and espresso machines, we’ve had one recommendation in both categories: Baratza and Breville respectively. Perhaps it’s fitti
Should Coffee be Saved? An interview with Lucia Solis
Among the voices calling for change in the coffee industry, none ring clearer than Lucia Solis’s. As a trained oenologist who studied at UC Davis, Solis uses her expertise as a winemaker to h
Why Latte Art is Still Important
Latte art used to be overrated. When I first got into coffee culture, circa 2007, latte art was my sole metric for determining a good coffee shop. Of course, at the time my favorite drink was a car