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An Urgent Matter

I published the post below on Substack via the Coffee Curmudgeon site there, but I wanted to include it here as well, as part of the permanent record, so to speak. Kerri Goodman, Editor and Publisher of Coffee Talk also…

Read more

The Coffee Curmudgeon Goes Live?

Hello Reader - After ten+ years the Coffee Curmudgeon is going live and will try not to hide in as much obscurity. From now on I plan to mention the Coffee Curmudgeon at least once a month (if only to…

Read more

Thinking in Waves About Coffee’s Third Wave (Tea & Coffee Asia, Dec’99/Jan’00)

I am not sure why I've waited until now to post this here ("The Coming Third Wave of Coffee Shops - Dec99/Feb00 - Tea & Coffee Asia"). The term Third Wave Coffee caught on in the 2000s, but I was…

Read more

Who? Us.

During a recent visit to Portland (20-23 April’23) for the 2023 SCA Expo, a barista, fifty or so years younger than me, asked what was the last thing that surprised me in the world of Specialty Coffee — that’s how…

Read more

Good Coffee vs Great Coffee

“Coffee drinkers in the U.S. don’t know how much work it is to produce our coffee — how much more work it takes to grow a great coffee, if they did they’d want to pay more for our coffee, they’d…

Read more

A: Possibly A Bottle, A Cork and A Label for Coffee Q: What is Blockchain?

Blockchain is a technology in search of work, or more work, and it will get it because it aids people in archiving and managing data. It does so while protecting that data and people seem to especially like that part.…

Read more

Who? You.

There has been an ongoing conversation regarding the U.S.A.’s pending candidacy for Failed State Status. I am sure that this goes back further than 2006, when Noam Chomsky wrote a 240 page indictment in the shape of a book, nominating…

Read more

Who’s In Charge?

After my last post the world seems to have reversed in its orbit.  This is what it’s like to live in a time when no one is in charge and everyone else is to blame (except the ones that are supposed…

Read more

Organically Flawed

In the sense of its first meaning (1509, according to Merriam-Webster), the word organic described something intrinsic to the whole of a thing, and not incidental.  As someone who has traveled to certified organic coffee farms, I have known for…

Read more

Coffee Meme’s Rant Points to a Larger Problem

OK, alright, it had been a while since we spoke directly with COFFEE (see previous post), but we usually just have a cup of the stuff, so to speak, and get on with our day. So it was a little…

Read more

COFFEE, in Exclusive Interview, Steams, then Preens, over Cancer Label

Someone wrote to me a few weeks ago and suggested that I write an “Onion” inspired piece for April Fool’s Day on some coffee-related topic. In the meantime, though, I had the opportunity to actually speak with COFFEE about the…

Read more

Many (Most?) SCAA Past Presidents Support SCAA/SCAE Unification

It has been some time since I have posted anything here. I have "thought I should" many, many times. I am now moved to say something when, ironically, I feel my voice, un-voiced for so long, was being misappropriated. Some…

Read more
TC-bw-Filter-1b2

TIM CASTLE

About the Coffee Curmudgeon…
The CoffeeCurmudgeon wants to stimulate thoughtful conversation among consumers and members of the coffee industry. In an effort to start that conversation, the Coffee Curmudgeon will, at times, take on the role of devil’s advocate or put forth a contrarian point of view in the hope of engendering constructive dialog. With any luck, that interchange will occur over a great cup of coffee. (Whether or not it is person-to-person or keyboard-to-keyboard.) The Coffee Curmudgeon is where you’ll find an intentionally provocative look at coffee by someone who has been working with and writing about the stuff for over thirty years. Topics are divided into those addressed to the coffee drinker and to those who work with coffee. (But you are allowed to read both!) Some future topics may cover… Is espresso bad for coffee? Do chefs hate coffee? Is Fair Trade fair? The language of coffee… The limits of cupping… WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?
TC-bw-Filter-1b2

TIM CASTLE

About the Coffee Curmudgeon…
The CoffeeCurmudgeon wants to stimulate thoughtful conversation among consumers and members of the coffee industry. In an effort to start that conversation, the Coffee Curmudgeon will, at times, take on the role of devil’s advocate or put forth a contrarian point of view in the hope of engendering constructive dialog. With any luck, that interchange will occur over a great cup of coffee. (Whether or not it is person-to-person or keyboard-to-keyboard.) The Coffee Curmudgeon is where you’ll find an intentionally provocative look at coffee by someone who has been working with and writing about the stuff for over thirty years. Topics are divided into those addressed to the coffee drinker and to those who work with coffee. (But you are allowed to read both!) Some future topics may cover… Is espresso bad for coffee? Do chefs hate coffee? Is Fair Trade fair? The language of coffee… The limits of cupping… WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?

An Urgent Matter

I published the post below on Substack via the Coffee Curmudgeon site there, but I wanted to include it here as well, as part of the permanent record, so to speak. Kerri Goodman, Editor and Publisher of Coffee Talk also…

Read more

The Coffee Curmudgeon Goes Live?

Hello Reader - After ten+ years the Coffee Curmudgeon is going live and will try not to hide in as much obscurity. From now on I plan to mention the Coffee Curmudgeon at least once a month (if only to…

Read more

Thinking in Waves About Coffee’s Third Wave (Tea & Coffee Asia, Dec’99/Jan’00)

I am not sure why I've waited until now to post this here ("The Coming Third Wave of Coffee Shops - Dec99/Feb00 - Tea & Coffee Asia"). The term Third Wave Coffee caught on in the 2000s, but I was…

Read more

Who? Us.

During a recent visit to Portland (20-23 April’23) for the 2023 SCA Expo, a barista, fifty or so years younger than me, asked what was the last thing that surprised me in the world of Specialty Coffee — that’s how…

Read more

Good Coffee vs Great Coffee

“Coffee drinkers in the U.S. don’t know how much work it is to produce our coffee — how much more work it takes to grow a great coffee, if they did they’d want to pay more for our coffee, they’d…

Read more

A: Possibly A Bottle, A Cork and A Label for Coffee Q: What is Blockchain?

Blockchain is a technology in search of work, or more work, and it will get it because it aids people in archiving and managing data. It does so while protecting that data and people seem to especially like that part.…

Read more

Who? You.

There has been an ongoing conversation regarding the U.S.A.’s pending candidacy for Failed State Status. I am sure that this goes back further than 2006, when Noam Chomsky wrote a 240 page indictment in the shape of a book, nominating…

Read more

Who’s In Charge?

After my last post the world seems to have reversed in its orbit.  This is what it’s like to live in a time when no one is in charge and everyone else is to blame (except the ones that are supposed…

Read more

Organically Flawed

In the sense of its first meaning (1509, according to Merriam-Webster), the word organic described something intrinsic to the whole of a thing, and not incidental.  As someone who has traveled to certified organic coffee farms, I have known for…

Read more

Coffee Meme’s Rant Points to a Larger Problem

OK, alright, it had been a while since we spoke directly with COFFEE (see previous post), but we usually just have a cup of the stuff, so to speak, and get on with our day. So it was a little…

Read more

COFFEE, in Exclusive Interview, Steams, then Preens, over Cancer Label

Someone wrote to me a few weeks ago and suggested that I write an “Onion” inspired piece for April Fool’s Day on some coffee-related topic. In the meantime, though, I had the opportunity to actually speak with COFFEE about the…

Read more

Many (Most?) SCAA Past Presidents Support SCAA/SCAE Unification

It has been some time since I have posted anything here. I have "thought I should" many, many times. I am now moved to say something when, ironically, I feel my voice, un-voiced for so long, was being misappropriated. Some…

Read more

An Urgent Matter

I published the post below on Substack via the Coffee Curmudgeon site there, but I wanted to include it here as well, as part of the permanent record, so to speak. Kerri Goodman, Editor and Publisher of Coffee Talk also…

Read more

The Coffee Curmudgeon Goes Live?

Hello Reader - After ten+ years the Coffee Curmudgeon is going live and will try not to hide in as much obscurity. From now on I plan to mention the Coffee Curmudgeon at least once a month (if only to…

Read more

Who? Us.

During a recent visit to Portland (20-23 April’23) for the 2023 SCA Expo, a barista, fifty or so years younger than me, asked what was the last thing that surprised me in the world of Specialty Coffee — that’s how…

Read more

Good Coffee vs Great Coffee

“Coffee drinkers in the U.S. don’t know how much work it is to produce our coffee — how much more work it takes to grow a great coffee, if they did they’d want to pay more for our coffee, they’d…

Read more

Who? You.

There has been an ongoing conversation regarding the U.S.A.’s pending candidacy for Failed State Status. I am sure that this goes back further than 2006, when Noam Chomsky wrote a 240 page indictment in the shape of a book, nominating…

Read more

Who’s In Charge?

After my last post the world seems to have reversed in its orbit.  This is what it’s like to live in a time when no one is in charge and everyone else is to blame (except the ones that are supposed…

Read more

Organically Flawed

In the sense of its first meaning (1509, according to Merriam-Webster), the word organic described something intrinsic to the whole of a thing, and not incidental.  As someone who has traveled to certified organic coffee farms, I have known for…

Read more
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