When I think about what distinguishes a great coffee shop, a lot hinges on what I call “the owner effect.” It’s easy to tell when a café is a cash grab from a predatory investor
Category: Stories
Three Coffee Shops in Chicago Pushing the Boundaries
Chicago might be known as America’s Second City, but when it comes to coffee, it’s long been first in class. Industry giants like Intelligentsia may have set the standard in the 90s, but on a r
Şevval Nida Fetullahoğlu Wins Turkish Brewers Cup
Şevval Nida Fetullahoğlu of Tetra N Roastery has won the 2024 Turkish Brewers Cup Championship. The competition was held in Ankara, March 1-3. For her open service, Fetullahoğlu brewed an a
The Coffee Compass Holiday Gift Guide 2023
We’ve now entered the traditional season for acts of consumerism in late capitalism, and what better way to spend your hard-earned cash than on coffee and coffee-related accessories? After al
The Best Coffee Black Friday Deals 2023
Whether you’ve been eyeing a particular piece of coffee gear, or you’re searching for a present for that special over-caffeinated person in your life, there are a lot of great deals to
Will the Cafec Abaca Filter Make Your Coffee Taste Better?
It might be the one piece of coffee equipment you’re overlooking: the filter. After all: paper is paper right? You throw it away at the end of the brew. Well, it turns out that the filter has
Introducing the Transylvania Brewers Cup
At thecoffeecompass.com, we believe the specialty coffee sector is driven by community. Often, when it comes to events, smaller is better. We were intrigued when we heard about the Transylvania Bre
Building a Better Pour-over: a Conversation with Poursteady CEO Stephan von Muehlen
I have to admit, the first time I heard about Poursteady, I hated the idea. As a barista trainer, I was skeptical a machine could do a better job of making a pour-over than a well-trained barista.
Panama’s Elida Estate has Surprise Cameo on Billions
Has specialty coffee finally reached a pop-cultural tipping point? Famed Panamanian coffee farm Elida Estate had an unexpected cameo in season six, episode four of the television series Billions. I
Six Great Budapest Coffee Shops
So many great cafés, so little time. We realized pretty quickly we weren’t going to be able to visit every café on our list during a recent visit to Budapest. The Hungarian capital’s