IT’S JUST COFFEE!

Jai Lott was the man behind iconic US coffee brands Bluestone Lane and Blank Street. Now he’s changed course, moving back home to Australia to start a matcha business! Join us as we discuss his incredible career, why he decided to make the switch, and what we should expect from his latest venture, Kissako Matcha.

00:00 Meet Jai Lott

02:15 From Bluestone Lane to Blank Street

07:02 Why matcha, and why now?

08:11 Matcha sourcing and transparency

10:52 Matcha culture in Japan

12:03 What matcha quality really means

16:44 APAX LAB sponsor message

17:23 How to taste and compare matcha

21:45 Should cafes batch matcha?

23:18 Batching methods and freshness

28:15 Matcha drinks beyond the latte

31:04 Simple ways for cafes to start serving matcha

33:17 Matcha pricing and cafe margins

34:39 Can matcha help cafes stay open longer?

37:07 Jai’s hot takes on batching and coffee

39:19 Shout-out to Project Zero

40:22 Closing thoughts and where to find Jai

Thank-you Jai for joining the show!

Find Jai at: https://www.instagram.com/coffeewithjai/

Kissako Matcha: https://www.instagram.com/kissakomatcha/

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

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What actually helps you become a better coffee roaster? We asked experienced people across the coffee world for the one skill, tool or habit that made the biggest difference.

Rohan and Ben unpack their answers: tracking time through a roast, measuring bean colour, matching the roast to the way a coffee will be brewed, and trusting what’s in the cup over a perfect looking curve. They add a few tips of their own on sensory calibration, roaster maintenance and sharing knowledge with other roasters. Plus, Condesa Co.Lab brings us the weekly green coffee market report.

COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from barista tips and honest café conversations to the coffee knowledge people don’t always share.

CHAPTERS!00:00 What Makes a Better Coffee Roaster?00:58 Track Time Through the Roast04:18 Why Roasters Measure Coffee Colour09:12 Match Your Roast to the Brew13:15 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report15:25 Taste the Coffee, Not the Curve18:28 Calibrate Your Cupping20:10 Keep Your Roaster Clean21:31 Share What You Know23:11 Colin Harmon’s Coffee Business Books

Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Got a roasting tip we missed? Send it to hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com.

Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

#CoffeeBreak #CoffeeRoasting #SpecialtyCoffee
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Do bigger burrs make better coffee? Are flat burrs cleaner than conical burrs? And why can two grinds that look the same brew completely differently?

Astrophysicist and Coffee Ad Astra author Jonathan Gagné joins Rohan and Ben to unpack what grinders actually do to coffee. They get into particle size distributions, fines, burr seasoning, freezing beans and espresso flow, then tackle the coffee claims that sound certain even when the science isn’t.

If you’re new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we’ll always remind ourselves that at the end of the day, it’s just coffee!

CHAPTERS!00:00 Why grinders became coffee’s big obsession02:04 Meet Jonathan Gagné03:11 APAX LAB03:53 From astrophysics to Coffee Ad Astra07:22 Are bigger burrs actually better?12:08 Burr heat, extraction and grinder myths16:24 Flat, conical and burr seasoning17:45 Static, freezing beans and keeping coffee fresh23:20 What particle size distribution really means32:04 Why some coffees produce more fines37:00 Should you grind coarser for filter coffee?43:11 What the 300 grind tests revealed48:49 How water moves through an espresso puck58:34 Filter coffee claims that don’t hold up1:01:58 Tamp pressure and puck preparation1:06:53 Does “high clarity” mean better flavour?1:13:23 What we still don’t know about coffee and water1:18:43 How to question confident coffee claims1:21:49 Where to find Jonathan

Explore Jonathan’s work: https://coffeeadastra.com/Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgagneastrocoffee/

Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/

Thanks for listening!

#ItsJustCoffee #JonathanGagné #CoffeeAdAstra #CoffeeGrinders #CoffeeScience
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In the past year of coffee: What are our favourite coffees, cafes, podcast episodes, and coffee culture moments? We also unpack our mixed experiences with pre-batched vs fresh espressos, and discuss the fermentation process by Lohas Beans that challenged us on what fermentation can be!

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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What do you know about growing a coffee business? Not much? Well Colin Harmon knows a bit, in fact he’s written another book about it! The 3fe Founder shares a taste of the stories and lessons you’ll find in his book: like the scoop mix-up that wiped out a cafe's profit, why he turned down a half-million-euro deal, and how potato bags changed his roastery.

Plus! Colin runs us through real numbers on what scaling costs, the second-shop trap, and why growth might just mean more time with your family.

00:00 Is Growth Actually the Goal?

04:37 What Does Growth Really Mean?

06:52 Should You Open a Second Cafe?

10:35 The Problem With Scaling

14:24 Business FOMO

18:25 What Makes a Good Leader?

22:59 You’re Not a Bank

25:55 Outthink, Don’t Outspend

32:28 Getting More From a Small Cafe

36:58 Does Staying Small Work?

43:16 Keeping Personality as You Scale

50:10 When Is Enough, Enough?

53:20 Fixing Barista Competitions

58:16 Where to Get Colin’s Books

Massive thank-you to Colin for joining the podcast. Make sure you check out his book at https://3fe.com/products/what-i-know-about-growing-a-coffee-business/

Connect with Colin here: https://www.instagram.com/colinharmon/
3fe Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/3fecoffee/

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/


Thanks for listening!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices