However, this entry is about the Coffeevine brew guide for the February 2025 editon that features seven talented roasters from around Europe. Selecting these coffees was a real joy and trust that I’ve been brewing them with intention for the past weeks. I really hope you will enjoy this fine selection of coffees and that they will be your companions as we – hopefully – make our way towards spring. I really miss that sun!!!

Basic Setup

As in any good kitchen or bar, you want to be sure to have a few key items at your disposal that will aid you in preparing a delicious cup of coffee.

These include:

• • Scales (with or without a timer – you can use your phone or your watch)
  • A good quality burr grinder such as the Comandante Grinder
  • Your favourite brew method (Origami, Kalita Wave, V60, AeroPress etc)
  • A clean vessel for brewing and decanting
  • A ladle or stirrer for agitating the grounds
  • Water for brewing. I mix my own using the Lotus mineral drops. I’ll share a recipe soon!
  • A pouring kettle but a regular kettle will also do, however, it requires more precision

It’s very important to always freshly grind your coffee just before preparation because coffee is very volatile and quickly loses its full aroma in a matter of minutes.

You can also vacuum pack your coffee in portions, name and number each batch and then keep it in a dry cool place or put it in the freezer.

For espresso, I use my home espresso machine, a Profitec Pro600 espresso machine and a Profitec ProT64 grinder.

Lucid’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: Orea V4 Dosage: 18g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 300g Temperature: 95°C

Use a flat paper filter. Start your bloom with a circular pour of 75g of water and wait for 0:35 seconds. Then add another 75g of water. At 1:30 minute, add another 50g in a circular motion and then finish it off with another 100g of water poured into the center. Give it a quick swirl and wait for the drawdown to finish. Enjoy!

Lucid’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 18.5g Grind size: Fine Yield: 40g Extraction time: 0:28 – 30 seconds

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Kafferäven’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 12g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 200g Temperature: 95°C

Start with a bloom of 0:45 seconds using 30g of water. Continue with one long pour making sure the grounds are wet at all times. Aim for a total brew time of around 3 minutes.

Kafferäven’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 19g Yield: 38g Extraction time: 0:30 seconds

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Ineffable’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 17g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 280g Temperature: 94°C

Ideally, use specially mixed water for brewing; BWT Bestmax 0, GH 107 (ppm as CaCO3) KH 30 (ppm as CaCO3). Bloom with 50g of water and then continue with two pours. Finish drawdown at 3:50 minutes.

Ineffable’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 18g Yield: 46g Extraction time: 0:32 seconds

Metric’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 22.5g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 400g Temperature: 92°C

Use a traditional pour-over method for this. Start with a 0:30 second bloom using 70g of water and then continue adding your water in 3 pulses using 110g of water each. Total brew time should be around 3:30 minutes.

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What did you think of these recipes and and the coffees themselves? Feel free to leave a comment down below to share your own recipes and favourite brew methods. Find all of our current offerings.

James Hoffmann has done many great things in the coffee world. From winning the World Barista Championships to setting up Square Mile Coffee and starting his famed YouTube channel. This man is never resting, never sitting back. Most recently, he launched a global Decaf Project that aimed to highlight just how far decaffeinated coffees have come in the past years. Thanks to this, I discovered a bunch of new micro roasters like D stands for Decaf from Vienna. I can only say ‘thank you, Sir’.

Ever since launching this new category of Coffeevine coffees, decaf sales have steadily grown. It seems that I am not the only person who is really developing an interest in low-caf or decaf coffees. Everywhere I go lately, I see decaf take a more prominent place on shelves, in grinders and on menus.

For me, it was simply a way to appeal to a broader customer base. For Miriam Boubachta it was a necessity during and following her pregnancy. It was then that she understood the effect that caffeine has on your body and it sparked a curiosity in her. Could caffeine-free specialty coffee taste just as good? She had to investigate.

As she discovered during her journey of discovery, the answer is yes. In the last few years, decaf has made huge strides out of the shadows. Previously, decaf was something only pregnant women, people with heart problems or those with sensitive stomachs would drink. It was never something to be proud of or that was proactively being promoted by roasters.

But as techology and science have advanced, so has decaf. The fact that she could get access to so many interesting lots from different origins was the reason Miriam felt emboldened to launch her own roastery with a sole focus on caffeine-free coffees. She set up shop in Vienna and roasts on an environementally friendly S7 Stronghold roaster.

After discovering her company through the Decaf Project, I reached out to Miriam and invited her to be our decaf partner for February. She sent me a few different options to consider but the results of the blind cupping were pretty clear. The washed sugarcane decaf lot from El Vergel stole the show. This coffee was so good, I mistook it for a regular lot. It is vibrant, fresh and really clean.

If all decaf coffees could taste like this, I would say this category has a bright future. And luckily, all signs are pointing in the right direction!

To order this extraordinary coffee, visit the decaf product page.

Paul Ross is always up to something. The two-time former UK Barista Champion has a tendency to not sit still. Whether he is practicing for and winning competitions or travelling the world in search of exceptional coffees, Paul is continuously striving to learn and improve. After leaving Watch House coffee in 2023, he set up Special Guests coffee, a boutique roastery that showcases the world’s most exceptional coffees.

Initially only available via its webshop and via retail café partners, Special Guests opened its own flagship café in London’s Maryleborn neighbourhood late last year. It is the physical manifestation of what Paul has been working towards and a place to taste the many incredible coffees that Special Guests sources throughout the year.

The first time Special Guests was featured as a GEMS partner was in 2023. After so many years of work with Paul while he was with Origin Coffee and Kiss the Hippo, this was a great opportunity for us to take this years long partnership to the next level. Paul has always been a great supporter of The Coffeevine and I was glad I could return the favour.

Now, for its second feature, Special Guests returns with a stunning natural processed Gesha from Auromar. This very coffee was used by Paul to win the 2019 UK Barista Championships.

It hails from the Brenes-Eleta family project in Chiquirí province. Auromar is widely known as one of Panama’s leading producers of elegant and delicious Gesha coffees alongside more unusual varieties like the Tekesik, Pacamara and Lupao.

Its Geshas have come in 1st place in the Best of Panama competition several times and are widely sought after by many roasters from around the world. The coffee is a very delicate and floral natural-processed Gesha that tastes like walking through a field with spring blossoms. Paul personally sourced this fresh lot when he was last in Panama.

For me, it’s a really great opportunity to showcase such coffees via the GEMS selection that features a brand new lot every other month. These coffees are the best of the best and are best enjoyed during special moments and with, special guests.

To order this extraordinary coffee, visit the GEMS product page.

This edition is jam-packed with extremely tasty coffees from six different roasters. All hand-picked and freshly roasted for you, of course. So, whether you’re a pour over lover or prefer your coffee as espresso, this brew guide is for you.

Basic Setup

As in any good kitchen or bar, you want to be sure to have a few key items at your disposal that will aid you in preparing a delicious cup of coffee.

These include:

• • Scales (with or without a timer – you can use your phone or your watch)
  • A good quality burr grinder such as the Comandante Grinder
  • Your favourite brew method (Origami, Kalita Wave, V60, AeroPress etc)
  • A clean vessel for brewing and decanting
  • A ladle or stirrer for agitating the grounds
  • Water for brewing. I mix my own using the Lotus mineral drops. I’ll share a recipe soon!
  • A pouring kettle but a regular kettle will also do, however, it requires more precision

It’s very important to always freshly grind your coffee just before preparation because coffee is very volatile and quickly loses its full aroma in a matter of minutes.

You can also vacuum pack your coffee in portions, name and number each batch and then keep it in a dry cool place or put it in the freezer.

For espresso, I use my home espresso machine, a Profitec Pro600 espresso machine and a Profitec ProT64 grinder.

PasoPaso’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 15g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 255g Temperature: 96°C

Start the bloom with 30g of water and wait for 0:30 seconds. Then add 70g of water wait until your timer reaches 1:15 minute then top up to 175g. At 1:55 pour up to 255g, swirl the brewer gently to dislodge any grounds and allow to finish extracting.

PasoPaso’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 19g Grind size: Fine Yield: 38g Extraction time: 0:27 seconds

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Miche’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 32g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 500g Temperature: 96°C

Start with a bloom of 0:30 seconds using 60g of water. Continue with a second pour up to 200g and then wait one minute. Then pour up to 300g and in shorter cycles of 0:30 seconds, add 50g more until you have 500g in total.

Miche’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 19g Yield: 60g Extraction time: 0:30 seconds

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Rush Rush’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 16,5g of coffee Grind: Fine Water: 250g Temperature: 94°C

Start with 60g bloom for 0:30 seconds. Then add 100g grams to your brewer and after another 0:30 seconds, add the remaining 90g.

Rush Rush’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 19g Yield: 40g Extraction time: 0:25 – 28 seconds

OneHalf’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 15g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 240g Temperature: 92°C

You can use this either with a cone-shaped or a flat bottom brewer. Use a 1:16 ratio of cofee to water. Start with your bloom using 40g of water for 0:30 seconds. Then, add 100g at each additional 0:30 interval. Give the coffee a light swirl and wait till it has drawn down

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What did you think of these recipes and and the coffees themselves? Feel free to leave a comment down below to share your own recipes and favourite brew methods. Find all of our current offerings.

Hello coffee lovers!

As we embrace the chilly January days, I’m reminiscing about an inspiring trip to Mexico and Guatemala, where I enjoyed some truly exquisite coffee. Back in the cozy European winter, I’m thrilled to share with you the February Coffeevine box—a carefully curated selection featuring seven outstanding roasters from across the globe.

Dive into this month’s lineup, meet the roasters, and secure your box of exceptional coffees today!

European Roasters for February

Lucid – Belfast, Northern Ireland

Stephen Houston, a celebrated name in the coffee industry, is back for his second Coffeevine feature with Lucid, his Belfast-based roastery launched in 2023. Stephen, known for his kind spirit and expertise, is a former Irish Brewers Cup Champion and secured second place in the UK Roasting Championships 2023.

For February, Lucid presents two delightful coffees:

•Filter: A vibrant Pacamara from Finca Las Brisas, Colombia.

•Espresso: A sweet and complex Peaberry from Mio Nodrudo, Brazil.

Each coffee is roasted to perfection, showcasing Stephen’s mastery and commitment to quality.

Kafferäven – Gothenburg, Sweden

Founded by Per Nordby, Kafferäven combines a passion for sourcing exceptional coffees with deep-rooted relationships with trusted partners. Named after the Arctic fox, known for its acute sense of smell, this roastery is also an importer of fine coffees.

Making its first appearance in a Coffeevine box in years, Kafferäven returns with a Nicaraguan coffee that’s bound to impress.

•Profile: A versatile roast suitable for both filter and espresso.

Welcome back, Kafferäven—it’s great to have you!

Ineffable – Sevilla, Spain

Since 2019, this trailblazing roaster has transformed Sevilla’s coffee scene with innovative brews and a fresh personality. Despite Spain’s traditional coffee culture, where low prices dominate, Ineffable continues to elevate expectations with premium specialty coffees.

For February, Ineffable brings us a natural-processed Ethiopian coffee from Bookkisa—a true standout.

•Profile: Perfectly roasted for both filter and espresso lovers.

Global Roasters for February

Metric – Chicago, USA

When we launched our Global Selection, Metric was one of the first names on my wishlist. This Chicago-based roastery caught my eye with its sleek branding, vibrant Instagram presence, and exceptional coffees. After pitching the idea to co-founder Xavier Alexander, he enthusiastically joined the journey.

Founded in 2013 in Chicago’s West Fulton, Metric has evolved from a small café to a major player in the specialty coffee scene. Known for its collaborations with fashion brands, creative ventures, and its in-house magazine, Metric embodies the art of coffee culture.

For February, Metric offers a honey-processed Costa Rican coffee from Don Eli—a delightful treat for filter coffee fans.

•Profile: Filter roast.

Quietly Coffee – Stirling, Canada

Quietly Coffee makes its much-anticipated return for the February edition! First featured in 2019 as part of a Canadian special, this Ontario-based roastery has been on our radar for a comeback ever since.

Founded by Lee Knutilla, Quietly Coffee operates from a serene countryside setting where Lee and his team meticulously source and roast exceptional coffees. After upgrading their equipment last year, they’re back in action with a stunning Honduran coffee from Las Faldas. Sweet, juicy, and elegant—this coffee is a crowd-pleaser.

•Profile: Filter roast.

GEMS Roaster for February

Special Guests – London, United Kingdom

Paul Ross, a two-time UK Barista Champion and World Barista Finalist, has been a staple of the British specialty coffee scene for years. With stints at Origin Coffee and Kiss The Hippo, Paul has now built something truly special with his own brand, Special Guests.

Initially launched as a boutique project focusing on exceptional coffees, Special Guests has since opened a flagship café in London and gained fans worldwide. For February, Paul presents a natural-processed Gesha from Auromar, Panama, delivering unparalleled flavor and elegance.

•Profile: Filter roast.

Decaf Roaster for February

D Stands for Decaf – Vienna, Austria

Decaf drinkers, rejoice! Introducing D Stands for Decaf, a Vienna-based roastery founded by Miriam Boubachta. Inspired by her own caffeine intolerance during pregnancy, Miriam turned her quest for great decaf into a mission. Roasting fresh, high-quality decaf lots on her Stronghold roaster, Miriam has set a new standard for decaf coffee.

For her first Coffeevine feature, D Stands for Decaf offers a surprisingly delicious Colombian decaf from El Vergel, proving that decaf can be every bit as satisfying as regular coffee.

•Profile: Filter roast.

We bring you one step closer to the world’s best roasters.

Find the complete selection of coffees for February in our shop now.

You can order this selection until 15.02.2025 / All February boxes will ship on 20.02.2025

Greetings and happy new year!

I hope you are as excited about the year 2025 as I am. I feel like this will be a good one. So many great things in the pipeline. So many ideas waiting to be turned into reality. And what better way to kick off the new year than with an expertly selected batch of super yummy coffee from six brilliant roasters? Exactly. The January 2025 edition will be your special treat during the first weeks of this year. It will keep you warm and comfortable and it will take your senses to far away places.

Let’s discover who our roasters are and what they’re going to roast for you.

EUROPEAN ROASTERS FOR JANUARY

PasoPaso from Hanover, Germany

Over the past decade, countless roasters and importers have been working hard to build transparent and fair supply chains. Coffee is famously a murky business. I vividly recall watching a documentary some years ago in which a Guatemalan farmer told the interviewer that he had no idea what happened to his coffee. Let alone for how much his coffee was being sold to European consumers. These days producers are much more involved and present but PasoPaso from Hanover took matters a step further by setting up a producer-owned roastery.

Co-founded by Bram de Hoog and Jasper van Gils together with five coffee growing families from around the world, PasoPaso aims to bring producers into the entire supply chain and offer them a seat at the table on all matters regarding the final product. This unique approach really attracted my attention. It’s innovative initiatives like this that are truly pushing the industry forward.

I invited Bram to send over some coffees for our cupping last month and I was pleased to see that one of the lots came from Diego Baraona of Finca Los Pirineos fame. He is also a co-owner in the business and his rare Bourbon washed lot made the cut for this edition.

Available with a single profile for filter and espresso.

Miche Brûlerie from Cap Ferret, France

When Californian transplant Mel Taylor moved from the US to France with her young family, she didn’t know that her future career would be as a coffee roaster. Used to getting coffee on every corner in her native Los Angeles, she was shocked to find not a single decent coffee place in her new home in Cap Ferret. To be fair, in her own words, Cap Ferret is a seasonal town that is super hectic in the summer and sleepy off-season.

After a while she came round to the idea that coffee roasting could be a rewarding and exciting carreer move for her. She took a course with fellow Coffeevine partners Moxka in Lyon and set up her roastery in the small industrial part of Cap Ferret. What I found most striking was the stunning packaging. Mel picked a few of her favourite art works from different artists and created really elegant brand identity that makes Miche stand out.

For her debut in a Coffeevine box, Mel will roast a super yummy natural-processed Rwandan lot from Muhondo.

Available with a single profile for filter and espresso.

Rush Rush from Antwerp, Belgium

One of the very first cities I ever visited after starting The Coffeevine blog in 2013 was Antwerp. Already then, Belgium’s second city had an enviable specialty coffee scene that just kept getting better and better over the years. One of its most prominent members these days is Rush Rush. Founded by Simon Derutter and Nanigui Patel who ran a small coffee shop for a couple that was on sabbatical, Rush Rush eventually morphed into a fully-fledged roastery and café.

In 2022 Simon won the Belgian Aeropress Championships and came second in the World Aeropress Championships. That was incidentally also the year Rush Rush was first featured in a Coffeevine box. Now, after welcoming their first child and pushing their business forward for two years, Simon and Nanigui are back with a fabulously floral honey-processed Ethiopian lot from Koke.

Available with separate roast profiles for filter and espresso.

GLOBAL ROASTERS FOR JANUARY

OneHalf from Pelang Jaya, Malaysia

Over the past two years, I’ve championed many South East Asian roasters, from Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. I love that the Global roasters selection allows me to collaborate with so many talented people from around the world and Asia is definitely one of the most exciting places for specialty coffee. When I learned about Onehalf in Malaysia, I had to reach out to them to see if they would be keen to get involved with The Coffeevine. Luckily, their answer was yes!

Founded in 2016 by three-time Malaysian barista champion Keith Koay, Onehalf is known for its exceptional sourcing and expertly crafted coffees. All of the coffees that it submitted for our cupping in December were standouts but only one could make the final cut and that was a elegant washed Ethiopian lot from Nensebo. Onehalf is our first-ever Malaysian roaster!

Available with a filter roast profile.

Modus from Vancouver, Canada

In 2019, I put together a one-off country special that showcased three brilliant Canadian roasters. It was a first attempt at bringing in more global roasters before I made this an official and monthly offering starting in May 2023. One of the roasters featured then was Modus. Incidentally, I then met it’s co-founder Sharif Sharifi in Amsterdam a few months later when he paid a visit to the now defunct Public Space. Since then, Modus has been on a incredible upward trajectory that recently saw it open its brand new roasting space and second café.

I love Modus and wanted Sharif & co to be back in one of our boxes so I reached out to him. He gladly sent over some coffees to consider in our cupping. The one that made it was a juicy Pink Bourbon from Colombian producer Jose Burbano. This coffee is a joy to brew and drink every day!

Available with a filter roast profile.

DECAF ROASTER FOR JANUARY

19 Grams from Berlin, Germany

You might have heard all the fuss about James Hoffmann’s latest giant cupping event. This time, it was all about decaf. If you know me a bit, then you will know that I have been obsessing with decaf for quite a while. After scouring the Decaf Project website, I noticed that our friends from 19 Grams in Berlin were also participating. Thus, I reached out to my friend Sarah Losemann who is 19 Grams’ head of sales and asked if she would be keen to be our decaf partner for January. She said yes but only if 19 Grams could also be a partner for our regular box in 2025. Watch this space.

For this edition, 19 Grams will roast for us their lovely Huila blend decaf that it the ideal coffee to drink when you’ve already had 6 cups and just fancy that one extra cup. You know what I mean.

Available with a filter roast profile.

We bring you one step closer to the world’s best roasters.

Find the complete selection of coffees for January in our shop now.

You can order this selection until 15.01.2025 / All January boxes will ship on 20.01.2025

When you work or run a franchise café of a major chain, then you might not get access to the most exclusive lots or have time to brew them for that matter. Most of the time, these cafés teach you the basics that you need in order to run a successful business.

They offer you a chance to build your operational skills and create a loyal customer base and act as a spring board to the next chapter in your life. This is what happened to Loïc Perneau of Datura Coffee in Paris.

After successfully owning and running a Terres de Café franchise for four years, Loïc realised that he needed something else to further advance his developement and curiosity as a coffee professional.

From major chain to small boutique roastery

Taking a step back from processing big volumes and working with more mass-friendly coffees, Datura Coffee is on a quest to champion rare and unique microlots.

Loïc has always been fascinated by coffee’s incredible diversity of flavours. There are so many unique characteristics that can be found in coffees from around the world.

In particular, he loves the impact that nature itself can have on any given coffee. From the weather to the soil and from the altitude to the other plants in the viscinity, there are so many external factors that will impact your cup even before the cherry is picked.

At Datura Coffee, the sourcing is done with meticulous attention to detail, chosing only coffees that really have a story to tell. That is why for me, it was almost impossible to choose only one of the three coffees that Löic sent for our cupping.

It ended up being two. I keep saying that France is probably one of the most exciting places for specialty coffee right now and Datura Coffee is yet another example of a fine roaster that stands out.

In the medium-term, Loïc also wants to have his own branded Datura Coffee shop, something that would allow him to combine his love for direct customer interaction with serving the best coffees.

He still works as a barista next to his new day job as the head roaster for Datura, something that he says keeps him connected to the community he serves.

A Datura Coffe shop is in the works for the near future

Since launching in April of this year, Datura Coffee has won a lot of fans in many places and I am glad that it joined us as the GEMS partner for the final Coffeevine box of 2024.

As I alluded to earlier, I chose two of its coffees for this GEMS edition, which normally only features one. The reason is that I simply loved the coffees that Loïc sent me too much and couldn’t choose one.

The two picks that made it are a gorgeous and elegant Gesha from El Socorro in Guatemala and a sweet and beautiful Gesha from Gesha Village in Ethiopia.

The first is from Diego De La Cerda who runs the El Socorro farm in Palencia. This coffee offers light fruity notes and florals. The second is from the Oma block in Gesha village and is a natural processed coffee offering sweet and juicy notes with a floral finish.

Both of those coffees will offer a first-hand taste of Datura Coffee’s commitment to quality and passion for the beverage we all love. No surprise then that they were quickly sold out. You can find Datura Coffee’s current offerings on its website.

One of the things that is such a strange contradiction about America and its recent re-election of Donald Trump is just how xenophobic much of the country is when it was, in fact, built by immigrants. I know, I know, it’s all about those illegal immigrants but let’s not kid ourselves, with Trump back in the White House soon, everyone who does not have an American passport is shaking in their boots. Lucky for her, Melania is an American citizen. Can you imagine what would happen if she wasn’t?

New York of all places benefited the most from its immigrant population. Wherever you go in the Big Apple, you find countless businesses with foreign names, streets that are named after Amsterdam and former mayor Robert Anderson Van Wyck and the most diverse food scene in the world. It’s what makes the place so rich, what gives it its flavour. That’s also where Driftaway Coffee fits into the picture.

Started as a coffee subscription, now roasting its own coffee

Founded by Anu Menon and Suyog Mody, Driftaway Coffee is an immigrant-owned and female-led coffee roastery from Brooklyn that started operations in 2014. I first became aware of them after Suyog sent me a little taster package in the mail with the goal of letting me taste some of Driftaway’s finest seasonal coffees of the moment. I love it when roasters send me unexpected packages and I get to discover new potential Coffeevine partners who I might otherwise not have come across.

What I love the most about their story is that Driftaway was origially founded as a coffee subscription service to fill a gap in the market. Anu and Suyog were going through a phase of changes in their lives and were looking for ideas for their own business and after getting gifted an espresso machine and grinder for their wedding, they started to look at coffee from a completely new angle than purely as the conveyor of caffeine.

In those days, Brooklyn didn’t have many places to get freshly roasted beans and this got them thinking and doing. Since then, Driftaway has become a vibrant and pioneering specialty coffee brand that employs a diverse mix of people, sources its coffees from underrepresented minorities and then roasts them to bring out all the best flavours. For example, it works with former US Cup Tasters Champion Julien Grey Langevin to offer coffee education classes.

After getting my first taste of Driftaway’s coffees, I jumped on a call with Suyog and we hatched a plan to get them featured as one of our Global coffee roasting partners in the December box. As a mixed-race and gay immigrant myself, I always champion companies that represent minorities because diversity makes everything more interesting and there are many people out there who simply don’t have a loud enough voice to be heard.

Employing and supporting a diverse group of people

For it’s Coffeevine debut, Driftaway will roast a truly outstanding Pink Bourbon lot from Colombian producers Luis Enrique and Robinson Cuellar. The brothers have backgrounds in agronomy and coffee processing, perfectly complementing each other during the coffee production process on farm La Pradera where they have 13.000 coffee trees in service. They produce different varieties like the Gesha and Chiroso as well as Caturra, Pacamara and Pink Bourbon.

This coffee is a great example of the extraordinary characteristics that the Pink Bourbon has. It is sweet, juicy and a little bit tart. This is the kind of coffee you want to have when you are showing off your brewing skills to your guests. Absolutely exquisite!

Get this outstanding coffee along with its companion from Rosetta in Cape Town as a one-off order, subscription or as part of our Total Package. View all options in our shop.

Pre-orders close on 15.12.2024 / Ships globally on 16.12.2024

You might have seen or heard that James Hoffman is doing one of his ‘world’s largest cuppings’ again. This time, however, he is taking aim at decaf and with good reason. Decried for many years as a terrible option that was really only suitable for people with a heart condition or pregnant women, decaf largely sat collecting dust in some cupboard below the espresso machine, often preground because why bother grinding it fresh, right?

Well, no more. This is not just because people are generally becoming a bit more aware of their own health and well-being, shunning long-loved staples like alcohol, sugar and caffeine, not, it’s also because decaf itself has gotten really good. Since I introduced our decaf options in the summer, we’ve had a really incredible selection of decaffeinated coffees that taste almost as good as regular ones. And I do say almost because like non-alcoholic beer, you do notice there is a difference, albeit a smaller and smaller one.

A roastery dedicated to coffee mindfulness

For this month’s decaf pick, I reached out to Calm Coffee Roasters, a newcomer based in London that was founded this year by William Whiting. Will, who used to be a civil engineer in his previous life used to always go to Borough Market in London during lunch to grab a coffee while daydreaming about becoming a roaster. One day, he mustered up the courage to walk into London institution Monmouth Coffee to ask for any job they had available.

In a British version of the American dream, Will then basically worked himself up from packer and delivery driver to roaster, getting through an incredible 1 metric tonne of coffee a week. When he and his wife welcomed their first child in 2023, they became more conscious about their caffeine intake and Will began thinking about a way to showcase decaf and low-caf coffees in a fun and approachable way. And so it was that in 2024 Calm Coffee Roasters was born.

Will doesn’t just choose excellent decaf and low-caf coffees but he also makes his own interesting blends that contain decaf and regular coffees. This way, he can really play with flavour, caffeine levels and origins, something that can really add a lot of vibrancy to the cup. I was really interested in getting Will on board for this box because I think people working primarily with decaf should really get a bit more attention.

The coffee that he will roast for us this month is a super vibrant and pleasing natural and sugarcane decaf processed Caturra from Elias and Shady Bayter at El Vergel in Colombia. I have worked with El Vergel before and featured one of its regular coffees, which is why this lot was particularly attractive to me. The coffee has lots of body and stone fruit in the cup, which makes it the ideal companion for those late afternoons when you don’t want to get a full dose of caffeine in your bloodstream. Let’s all be a bit more demure and mindful!

Grab the last few bags of this release on our decaf page or explore our other offerings by visiting our shop.

Pre-orders close on 15.12.2024 / Ships globally on 16.12.2024

As we near the end of the year 2024, I look back and think to myself ‘what a year’, right? WOW! I experienced so many highs and lows, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster for most of the past twelve months. Luckily, I always found a way to get back up and I am happy to end the year on a very positive note.

That’s why I am extra happy to share such an incredible selection of coffees with you this month. The final Coffeevine edition for 2024 really has it all. From old time favourite roasters to brand new names, there is a bit of everything. I hope these coffees will keep you company during the coming weeks and help you get off to a flying start in the new year 2025.

Below you will find the recipes from our roasters. I hope you’ll find them useful. Happy holidays!

Basic Setup

As in any good kitchen or bar, you want to be sure to have a few key items at your disposal that will aid you in preparing a delicious cup of coffee.

These include:

• • Scales (with or without a timer – you can use your phone or your watch)
  • A good quality burr grinder such as the Comandante Grinder
  • Your favourite brew method (Origami, Kalita Wave, V60, AeroPress etc)
  • A clean vessel for brewing and decanting
  • A ladle or stirrer for agitating the grounds
  • Water for brewing. I mix my own using the Lotus mineral drops. I’ll share a recipe soon!
  • A pouring kettle but a regular kettle will also do, however, it requires more precision

It’s very important to always freshly grind your coffee just before preparation because coffee is very volatile and quickly loses its full aroma in a matter of minutes.

You can also vacuum pack your coffee in portions, name and number each batch and then keep it in a dry cool place or put it in the freezer.

For espresso, I use my home espresso machine, a Profitec Pro600 espresso machine and a Profitec ProT64 grinder.

Drop’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: Kalita 155 Dosage: 15g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 250g Temperature: 96°C

Start the bloom with 40 – 50g of water and wait for 30 seconds. Then add up to 100g, wait until your timer reaches 1:00 minute then top up to 150g, wait until 1:30 minute and top up to 200g and at 2:00 minutes, add the rest up to 250g.

Drop’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 18g Grind size: Fine Yield: 40g Extraction time: 0:28 – 31 seconds

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Ernst’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: Aeropress Dosage: 16g of coffee Grind: Medium-fine Water: 230g Temperature: 85°C

Inverted method. Inset the filter intot the lid and rinse. Add your coffee and add 230g of coffee in one go. Stir and wait until 1:45 minute and stir again. Add the lid back on, revert the Aeropress onto a vessel and push the coffee out all the way.

Ernst’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 19g Yield: 40g Extraction time: 0:32 seconds

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Father’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: April Brewer Dosage: 15g of coffee Grind: Medium-coarse Water: 250g Temperature: 94°C

Start with a 50g bloom for 0:30 seconds. Then add 50g more water at every 0:30 second interval. If you don’t have an April Brewer, you can also use a Kalita or an Orea Brewer. Simply adjust grind size to compensate for the flow of water.

Father’s recipe for espresso:

Dosage: 18g Yield: 50g Extraction time: 0:25 – 28 seconds

Driftaway’s recipe for filter:

Brewer: V60 Dosage: 18g of coffee Grind: Medium Water: 280g Temperature: 94°C

Grind your coffee and add to the brewer. Then start with an 80g bloom for 0:40 seconds. Continue with 50g pulses every 0:20 seconds. The total brewing time for this coffee should be between 2:30 minutes and 3:00 minutes.

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What did you think of these recipes and and the coffees themselves? Feel free to leave a comment down below to share your own recipes and favourite brew methods. Find all of our current offerings.