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SCAA

Meet Reza Kosar, Iran’s First Q Grader

February 23, 2016 By Michael 1 Comment

Reza_Kosar

Recently, I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to take the Q Grader Exam. I expected to be challenged in my coffee knowledge and abilities as well as make a few new friends in the Turkish coffee scene. I didn’t anticipate  meeting a dynamic young coffee professional from Tehran, Iran. Reza Kosar quickly impressed me with acute sense of smell, thorough knowledge of SCAA cupping protocols, and his enthusiasm for all things specialty coffee. By the end of the week he proved to be Iran’s first Q Grader, a feet which involves passing 20 very difficult exams. We caught up with Reza to ask him what it means to be Iran’s first Q grader and what’s next for him. 

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, I’m 24. I work at Sam Cafe as a manager of R&D and the director of coffee. …

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Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: CQI, Iran, Q Grader, SCAA, Turkey

The Best New Coffee Products You Missed At SCAA

May 12, 2014 By Michael Leave a Comment

best new coffee productsThe annual trade show of the Specialty Coffee Association of America can cause even the more seasoned coffee professional to have an existential crisis. Do I watch the Barista Competition or Brewers Cup? Do I check out the single group Slayer or the nine group Synesso? Do I try to get my photo taken with James Hoffmann or Tim Wendelboe? Can I get my photo taken with James Hoffmann and Tim Wendelboe? The questions go on, and they’re overwhelming.

Lucky for you, our friends and partners at Prima Coffee shot plenty of video footage and captured some of the best new coffee products you might have missed at SCAA 2014. …

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Filed Under: Coffee Product Reviews Tagged With: Acaia Coffee Scale, Alpha Dominche, Blossom Brewer, Curtis, SCAA, Seraphim, Steampunk

Barista Interview: Kenny Smith of Sunergos Coffee

June 12, 2013 By Michael 2 Comments

Kenny Smith pouring latte art

Kenny Smith pouring latte art. Photo by Brian Moats

Long-time readers of the Compass know all about Kenny Smith. He works for Sunergos Coffee, which has been featured in multiple posts. We’ve also utilized his well-defined palate for several reviews, including our only non-coffee post. But perhaps Kenny is best known for being really awesome at latte art.

So far in 2013, Kenny has …

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Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: barista, Boston, Cabell Tice, Kenny Smith, latte art, Latte Art Exhibition, SCAA, Sunergos

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