Depending on several factors as noted in our other training sections below, you can begin to taste different flavors in your coffee. These flavors can range from Smokey to Fruity or Thin to Velvety.

Next time you look at your coffee bag you might see something called the “Notes” of the coffee. This is the flavor profile that should be achieved from brewing your coffee properly. The way that these notes are discovered is through a process called cupping.

The common misconception is that a shot of espresso has more caffeine then a cup of drip coffee. What if I told you that is false. In fact, a double shot of espresso has about half of the caffeine level that a small cup of coffee.

So, how much caffeine is to much caffeine? Well that all depends on the person and their tolerance level. However, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) say “for healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day—that's about four or five cups of coffee—as an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects. However, there is wide variation in both how sensitive people are to the effects of caffeine and how fast they metabolize it (break it down).”

The FDA also estimates “toxic effects, like seizures, can be observed with RAPID consumption of around 1,200 milligrams of caffeine.”

So what two big take-aways from what we have learned. Tolerance is all dependent on the individual person and a shot of espresso has in-fact less caffeine then a cup of coffee.

The coffee bean belt is a region that wraps around the world near the equator. The northern most region of the belt is at the Tropic of Cancer, while the southern most part of the belt is at the Tropic of Capricorn. This region provide the most ideal climate for coffee to be grown in its natural habitat. It includes regions of Central American, South America, Africa, and Southern Asia.

“Single origin” is a term used in the coffee world to refer to coffee that originates from one country or even one farm. “Blends” are coffees with an assortment of coffee from various countries to give the drinker a specific flavor profile; like our Lions Blend.

Ever wondering if you are using the properly ground coffee for your brewing method? Well here is your cheat guide to grinding coffee 101.

1. Super-Fine grind - This is typically used for Turkish Coffee

2. Fine grind - Espresso and Moka Pots

3. Medium grind - This is your most popular grind size and used for your at home drip coffee or Keurig.

4. Coarse - This is the most optimal grind for French Press and Pour Overs.

Typically, when it comes to growing coffee the higher the elevation the more fruity and flavorful your coffee will taste . While on the contrast, the lower the elevation the less flavor and more bland and the coffee may taste. A key factor in this is from the lack of oxygen at higher elevation. This causes the coffee tree to produce more sugar as it grows giving it a sweeter taste.