Specialty coffee · Worth knowing

Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters offers a comprehensive lineup of classes for specialty coffee enthusiasts, including Introduction to Specialty Coffee with focus on the coffee flavor wheel, processing and roasting methods, Brew School covering French press, Hario V60, and Aeropress techniques, World of Specialty Coffee exploring geography's influence on flavor, formal cupping sessions with grading instruction, Perfect at Home Coffee covering brewing methods and equipment optimization, and Amazing Iced Coffee demonstrating multiple cold brew techniques with brew science explanation. The roastery also provides customizable private classes for groups and businesses.

The article provides a comprehensive guide to coffee filters for specialty coffee enthusiasts, covering the engineering and performance characteristics that impact final cup quality. It explains how pore size determines the trade-offs between clarity and body, with paper filters (10-20 microns) producing the cleanest cup, metal filters (hundreds of microns) delivering more body and oils, and cloth filters landing in between. The piece debunks the bleached versus unbleached debate, clarifying that oxygen-bleached white filters from reputable brands are the standard in specialty coffee and that taste differences are negligible when filters are properly rinsed. A key technique highlighted is pre-rinsing filters with hot water to remove papery flavor and pre-heat brewing equipment. The guide ranks popular specialty coffee filters including Chemex bonded squares for maximum clarity, Hario V60 filters as the specialty coffee benchmark, and Kalita Wave filters for forgiving, consistent results, while offering practical alternatives like metal and cloth reusable filters for different flavor profiles and the context of brewing traditions.

Achilles Coffee Roasters is committed to meticulous roasting techniques and precise brewing methods, sourcing beans from global partners through direct trade relationships where possible. The roastery publishes detailed guides for specialty coffee enthusiasts covering topics like Gesha coffee varieties and their processing methods, pour-over agitation techniques including pour height and flow rate effects on extraction, and coffee acidity beyond pH measurement including titratable acidity and professional tasting precision.