I’m very happy to announce we’re bringing again a characteristic phase of CoffeeGeek that many have neglected: our Characteristic Guides phase.
For 2024 and past, the Characteristic Guides could have two scopes, either one of which can be designed to teach, tell, and supply you useful gear for making higher espresso and coffee, regardless of your finances, access level, or revel in.
The brand new Characteristic Information phase would be the house to a sequence of compendium articles, every that specialize in very particular espresso and coffee topics. Deliberate for 2024 are the Coffee Compendium, the Siphon Espresso Masterclass, the Pour Over Compendium, and the Amateur Coffee Information.
We will be able to even be doing a sequence of Best possible of Lists, overlaying topics together with coffee machines, amateur tools, multipurpose grinders (in addition to coffee, unmarried dose, and handbook grinders), auto drip espresso makers, pour over gadgets, and all kinds of espresso equipment.
Best possible of LIsts
The web is usually flooded with “Best possible of XYZ Form of Product in 2024” lists. They’re recognized ceaselessly as “click on bait” and for excellent reason why: nearly all of those are AI generated and serve one goal: to get you clicking an associate hyperlink to generate the listing writer some pennies. These kind of lists aren’t in response to precise actual global trying out or critiques. As an alternative, they’re routinely generated (even Amazon has gear for this) to generate source of revenue. Additionally they get auto-updated via AI bots each and every few weeks to stay the search engine optimization ranges up.
The purpose with CoffeeGeek’s Best possible Of Characteristic Guides goes to be very other: the main and riding goal for our lists is to come up with fair, attempted, true and examined recommendation on discovering the most productive tools available in the market. That implies we will be able to most effective listing merchandise we’ve examined, used, or owned. Fortunately, we check a lot of apparatus!
In truth, our first Characteristic Information revealed is the Best possible Finances Coffee Machines for 2024; we provide ten possible choices – all totally examined or owned via CoffeeGeek writers and workforce – that can get you into the coffee pastime with some very good tools. That is the prototype for our long run Best possible Of lists, and it truly doesn’t topic if the product generates click on source of revenue for us or now not – if it’s the most productive of the bunch, we’ll listing it.
Compendium Guides
I’m tremendous desirous about those Characteristic Guides we now have deliberate. We have already got numerous the content material authored, some written and added to right through the previous 10+ years. It’s only a topic of placing it in combination in a cohesive, simple to learn, simple to navigate structure, which we’re nonetheless understanding (the Compendium Guides will glance other from the purchasing guides).
The primary would be the Coffee Compendium, which will likely be a one prevent Information overlaying such things as drink builds, principle, a word list, a amateur’s information, and extra. The true great thing about those guides is that they’re going to be repeatedly up to date and refreshed, providing you with a model historical past, notes on new additions (so that you don’t must learn the entire thing all over again to seek out new content material) and naturally, new content material every now and then.
Subsequent would be the Milk Information, which at the outdated model of the CoffeeGeek web page used to be one in every of our maximum learn Guides. That information fairly actually modified how baristas international steam and froth milk: we presented the idea that of 2 staged frothing (stretching the milk) and heating, to be able to take care of most lactose sweetness within the milk foam. Nowadays, that’s usual follow for a talented barista; in 2003 after we first revealed the information, now not many knew about this.
In fact, so much has modified and developed in how milk works with espresso, together with the proliferation of plant based totally “milks”, one thing that used to be nascent after we first revealed that information. Our new Milk Information will likely be totally up to date to replicate the brand new realities of espresso and “milks”.
Then comes my severe puppy mission: the Siphon Espresso Masterclass. I’m now not positive why, however siphon espresso by no means become “horny” for the quite a lot of social media influencers available in the market, however I like the brewing means. I’ve spent years researching the historical past, amassing dozens and dozens of vintage vacpot makers (my oldest is from 1920), and refining the tactics. In 1998, the primary true espresso factor I ever posted on-line used to be in regards to the Rancilio Silvia, however siphon espresso makers had been the second one matter I embraced. I had a pastime espresso web page that predates CoffeeGeek, and a whole phase on siphon espresso makers (sometimes called vacpots). I additionally had the primary ever “Vacpot FAQ” posted on-line.
Our collective wisdom of siphon espresso makers has grown immensely since that point. The Siphon Espresso Masterclass we’ll put up this 12 months will replicate numerous that shared wisdom and revel in. It’s one thing I’m very a lot having a look ahead to sharing with you.
Our Characteristic Information Historical past
Already I’ve discussed a couple of historic issues in our information historical past on CoffeeGeek. That’s as a result of content material wealthy, deep dive guides had been at all times a part of this web page.
Again in 2001 after we began the CoffeeGeek web page, one of the vital number one portions used to be a “Detailed Information” phase, designed to offer a heavy quantity of espresso data and schooling on very particular subjects. We enlisted the assistance of quite a lot of espresso professionals, and with regards to two guides, hired scientists on the College of British Columbia, to offer our readers with correct and informative details about espresso and coffee.
Two standouts early on had been the aforementioned Milk Information (right here it’s archived), and our Cupping Espresso Information. The previous used to be written with the help of two nationwide barista champions, meals scientists at Island Farms Dairy, and chemical research scientists at UBC. The latter used to be written with the help of two of the most productive recognized espresso evaluators of the early 2000s – George Howell and Geoff Watts.
Guides, like our outdated Detailed Critiques, become a bit of of a monster on account of the impossibly prime usual established with the early analysis initiatives. For instance: we labored on an Coffee Information for neatly over 5 years, soliciting data and contributions from Global Barista Champions, professionals at L. a. Marzocco, Rancilio and Synesso, however ended up by no means publishing it as it become a mission that grew too giant and daunting.
Ultimately, we did put up an Coffee Device Purchasing Information and an Coffee Beverages Compendium, however I by no means did put up our complete blown Coffee Information or Siphon Espresso Masterclass. I am hoping to make either one of those a fact in 2024. Keep tuned!
Mark has qualified as a Canadian, USA, and Global Barista Championship Pass judgement on in each sensory and technical fields, in addition to operating as an trainer in espresso and coffee coaching. He began CoffeeGeek in 2001.