Tag Archives: Thermodynamics

Coffee Centre of Specialty Coffee: The Interview

Published October 24, 2018

Brian Clark profiles Alex, a specialty-coffee roaster and educator associated with Esquina de los Cafés in Matagalpa, Nicaragua.

“You go to wine country, you get the best wine. You go to coffee country, you get the worst coffee,” Alex says.

Alex describes coffee roasting as an application of thermodynamics. He recommends maintaining the roasting machine near 300°F (about 149°C) and generally below 330°F (about 165°C). In his account, avoiding excessive heat helps preserve the beans’ distinctive flavors and produces a more interesting sensory experience.

The profile also presents Alex as an educator who leads coffee-farm and milling-facility tours, teaches roasting classes, and guides visitors through coffee tastings, commonly called cupping.