Pu’er Coffee

 Here’s what happened. A while ago, while I was scrolling through short-form videos, I came across a piece of medical-related news about coffee. It said that drinking coffee made without a filtration step—such as coffee brewed with a moka pot or a French press—may raise cholesterol levels in the body, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. I don’t claim any authority when it comes to medical science, but this still made me curious enough to dig a little deeper and see what was really going on. So today, I’d like to talk about this topic with you. The reason behind this has to do with two natural oils found in coffee: cafestol and kahweol . Cafestol is a diterpene compound extracted from coffee beans and is structurally similar to kahweol. Research suggests that cafestol may increase cholesterol levels. Kahweol, also a natural diterpene compound from coffee beans, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-cancer prope...

 We all know that coffee drippers usually come in two sizes—large and small. Some people assume that if a large dripper can handle a big dose of coffee, it should naturally work just fine for a smaller dose as well. So why not just buy one large dripper and call it a day? In reality, that way of thinking isn’t ideal. Today, let’s talk about why using a large dripper to brew a small dose of coffee is generally not recommended. Hopefully, this will be helpful—and if it is, feel free to share it with your fellow coffee friends. First, let’s clarify two concepts: how big is a “large” dripper, and how small is a “small” dose? Let’s use the V60 as an example. A V60 labeled 02 is considered a large dripper, designed for brewing coffee for 1–4 people. A “small” dose, in this context, refers to using around 15 grams of coffee , typically brewed at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio . When a large dripper is designed, it’s meant to accommodate a larger amount of coffee grounds —usually 20–30 ...

 Among La Marzocco’s many coffee machine products, Modbar is undoubtedly one of the most distinctive. In fact, La Marzocco even created a dedicated Instagram account just for Modbar. In the bio, they describe themselves as: “The original undercounter espresso machine and coffee brewing manufacturer made in partnership with La Marzocco.” There’s an important keyword here: coffee brewing . From the very beginning, Modbar has focused on a minimalist undercounter design that supports both espresso and pour-over brewing. The goal is a clean, compact coffee bar that allows baristas to interact more easily with customers while fitting seamlessly into a wide range of interior environments. Modbar is considered one of the most advanced coffee brewing systems in the world. In automatic curve mode, the Modbar pour-over module can store up to 15 different brewing profiles . Each profile allows full customization of water volume, brew temperature, extraction time, and even segmented pouring. ...

 Beginners often say that brewing coffee feels like pure guesswork—that whether it tastes good or not is all about luck. But in my view, once you understand the logic and patterns behind brewing, you’ll realize it’s not complicated at all. It really comes down to identifying a few key variables and using hot water to properly extract the coffee grounds. Do that right, and you’ll end up with a genuinely good cup of coffee. These days, the internet is flooded with brewing tutorials. And yet, many beginners still run into an “unexpected” problem: the coffee they brew tastes harsh, burnt, and unpleasantly bitter. Today, I want to walk you through a process of elimination to help you pinpoint the cause. Reason 1: The Coffee Beans Are Dark Roasted Whether coffee tastes acidic or bitter is largely determined by the roast level. Light roasts tend to emphasize acidity, dark roasts highlight bitterness, and medium roasts sit somewhere in between. For people who enjoy dark-roasted coffee, ...

 The coffee we drink is, at its core, water that has dissolved the flavorful compounds inside coffee grounds. In fact, more than 98% of a cup of pour-over coffee is water. We spend so much time chasing the best origins and growing regions, the most suitable processing methods, the perfect roast profiles, and the most precise brewing techniques—yet all of these efforts ultimately rely on water to carry the coffee’s flavor. If we overlook the foundational role of water, everything else can easily fall apart. **No.1 Water Plays Two Core Roles in Coffee Brewing: Extraction and Flavor** Water is responsible for extracting soluble flavor compounds from coffee grounds, and it also makes up the body of the final beverage itself. The chemical composition of the water directly influences what ends up in your cup. **No.2 The Soluble Compounds in Water: Alkalinity and Hardness** Water contains both negatively charged ions and positively charged ions. The concentration of negatively ...

 There are many reasons why we might fall in love with a cup of coffee. It could be its rare and complex flavor profile, a rich and weighty mouthfeel, layered and evolving notes, or even the story behind where it comes from. Beyond these, there are also some more niche reasons. For example, I have quite a few friends who judge a coffee by one key word: “clean.” Here, “clean” doesn’t mean visual clarity, nor does it mean a coffee with low flavor complexity or “nothing going on.” Instead, it refers to a cup that is free of any unpleasant off-flavors, with flavors that are well-defined and easy to distinguish. It may sound simple, but achieving this level of cleanliness actually places very high demands on coffee quality. From growing and processing to roasting and brewing—in short, every step from seed to cup needs to be handled with great care. Before the concept of specialty coffee became widespread, exported green coffee was often processed in rough, unsophisticated ways by local...

 This was my first encounter with Father’s Coffee . Their full name is Father’s Coffee Roastery , a roasting brand founded in 2018 in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic. They are a family-run business—but not in the traditional sense of just parents and children. Instead, they see “family” as a group of coffee lovers brought together by shared values. They place a strong emphasis on coffee quality and freshness, while also deeply caring about transparency in sourcing. Father’s Coffee actively shares the stories behind each coffee, striving to build long-term relationships with producers. This mutual trust allows them to better oversee the entire process—from harvest and processing to export. Since 2023, they’ve also been involved in several projects that directly support coffee-growing regions. One such project funds a professionally equipped quality control lab in the beautiful Mount Elgon area of eastern Uganda. This initiative benefits not only the coffee pr...

 Whenever I get tired of the coffee sitting in my jars, I like to approach those beans in a more creative way. By “reworking” them through blending, I can give familiar coffees completely new flavors and textures—essentially refreshing the entire drinking experience. Many of you have probably guessed it already: this “creative method” is blending . By combining two or more different coffees, you can create an entirely new cup with a distinct personality. For a long time, blending was mainly associated with espresso. Back when espresso dominated the market, roasters relied on blends to ensure consistency over time. But in recent years, it’s easy to see that more and more brands—and even competition-level brewers—are using blended coffees for pour-over, cold brew, and other manual brewing methods. The reason is simple. Blending isn’t just about consistency. As I mentioned earlier, it can also create something entirely new . A new experience might mean novel flavor combinations, or a...