Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries

Guatemala's Inconvenient Truth, Part 2: Who does specialty serve?

Specialty coffee changes the story for the indigenous people of Guatemala. Coffee as a tool of oppression finally offers hope....and then something a bit more complicated.
 
This episode explores the tension between the values of the Mayan communities who grow coffee, and the values that drive the specialty coffee movement.
 
Many of the signals we typically look for in our coffees - super-specialty flavours, Fairtrade certification, “5th generation family farm” - might actually exclude coffee grown by indigenous Guatemalans. 
 
This episode might change what kind of Guatemalan coffee you buy. 
 
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
 
Follow us on Instagram - James (@filterstoriespodcast)  and Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) - and tag us in an Instagram story. 
 
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
 
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
 
 
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Mahlkönig, manufacturers of world-leading coffee grinders for 100 years for your home and cafe. 
 
 
Read Jonathan’s book, Coffee: A Global History
 
Support James’ work directly by buying him a coffee at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Read James’ article on Dieseldorf, the famous German plantation owner, in Standart 
 
Pick up a copy of Prof. Ted Fischer’s excellent book Making Better Coffee: How Maya Farmers and Third Wave Taste Makers Create Value
 
Follow Juan Jose on LinkedIn to keep up with his PhD on coffee farming in Jacaltenango exploring how ecology, generational memory and ritual all shape how Jacalteco farmers tend the land. 
 
 
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Guatemala's Inconvenient Truth, Part 1: Whose land is it anyway?

When you buy a bag of coffee labelled fifth-generation family farm, it feels like a good choice. 
 
But in Guatemala, that label might actually be a signal for a more uncomfortable truth.
 
This episode explores how land has been understood, used, and eventually fought over in Guatemala for centuries between indigenous people, Europeans and those in-between.
 
It’s a story of what happened immediately after Guatemala won independence from Spain. This pivotal period of history gets less attention in the history books, but the suffering of the indigenous people of Guatemala gets arguably even worse.
 
Fair warning: it's a dark story, and it will make you think twice about what you're really choosing when you pick up a bag of coffee from Central America.
 
 
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
 
Follow us on Instagram - James (@filterstoriespodcast)  and Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) - and tag us in an Instagram story. 
 
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
 
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
 
 
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Mahlkönig, manufacturers of world-leading coffee grinders for 100 years for your home and cafe. 
 
 
Read Jonathan’s book, Coffee: A Global History
 
Support James’ work directly by buying him a coffee at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Read James’ article on Dieseldorf, the famous German plantation owner, in Standart 
 
Pick up a copy of Prof. Ted Fischer’s excellent book Making Better Coffee: How Maya Farmers and Third Wave Taste Makers Create Value
 
Follow Juan Jose on LinkedIn to keep up with his PhD on coffee farming in Jacaltenango exploring how ecology, generational memory and ritual all shape how Jacalteco farmers tend the land. 
 
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Surrogates: Anything but the coffee

What happens when coffee disappears?
 
This is not a thought experiment! It’s happened many times in history: War, blockades, tariffs, ideology, health panics, sanctions, supply shocks. 
 
When coffee is not around, people still need something warm, comforting, and familiar. And throughout history, people have reached for coffee surrogates: roasted plants and grains engineered to look like coffee…but do they actually taste like coffee? 
 
In this episode, Jonathan and James time-travel by taste testing a truly alarming number of coffee substitutes. 
 
Spoiler: you will hear a lot of spitting! 
 
Which leads to the bigger question: can anything actually replace coffee—or will we always come crawling back?
 
 
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
 
Follow us on Instagram - James (@filterstoriespodcast)  and Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) - and tag us in an Instagram story. 
 
Write a review on Apple Podcasts
 
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
 
 
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Mahlkönig, manufacturers of world-leading coffee grinders for 100 years for your home and cafe. 
 
 
Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’
 
Support James’ work directly by buying him a coffee at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Read James’ article on the history of decaf technology in Standart
 
See Colin Smith’s amazing coffee museum at Smith’s Coffee in Hemel Hempstead, UK
 
Get nerdy about the intersection of AI and the occult on Karin’s Subtack, Mercurial Minutes
 
 
Do your own surrogate taste test!
 
Postum
Atomo
Orzo
Fig
Dandelion root
Dateseed
Acorn
Chickpea
Chicory Root
Camp Coffee
 
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Mother Coffee: The history and heritage of Ethiopia's wild coffee forests

Most coffee is grown on vast plantations using machines, pesticides and fertilisers. 
 
But in Ethiopia, coffee grows wild in humid forests surrounded by birds. 
 
And that wild coffee matters more than most of us realise. It is the genetic ‘library’ we can turn to find new varieties to help us keep coffee thriving in the face of climate change. 
 
But the communities who live alongside them and have safeguarded this genetic treasure often don’t earn enough from coffee to make preservation the obvious economic choice.
 
Could a great story be the answer to earn higher premiums for these communities? Could that story be that all the coffee we drink today can actually be traced back to a single “mother tree” in Ethiopia? 
 
This episode is about the history of coffee in Ethiopia, how far back the evidence goes, what counts as evidence, and what we should celebrate (and pay for) when we buy “wild” Ethiopian coffee today.
 
 
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
 
Follow us on Instagram - James (@filterstoriespodcast)  and Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) - and tag us in an Instagram story. 
 
Write a review on Apple Podcasts 
 
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
 
 
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Mahlkönig, manufacturers of world-leading coffee grinders for 100 years for your home and cafe. 
 
Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ 
 
Support James’ work directly by buying him a coffee at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Discover how James makes these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to his Substack newsletter
 
Enjoy James’ Standart article about Avicenna and the earliest (supposed) written reference to coffee
 
Read the scientific paper pinpointing where wild coffee forests are in Ethiopia 
 
Follow Solomon Tselele's work through his Facebook page
 
Learn more about the Ethiopian coffee ceremony on the Adventures in Coffee podcast
 
Series 3 of A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. 
 
Ethiopian forest sounds curtesy of George Vlad. Hear more nature sounds here.
 
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

We Built This City…On Coffee: Hamburg and the making of Europe's coffee trade

On a long walk through Hamburg, somewhere between the fish markets and giant cranes, you might stumble a giant bronze coffee bean looks like its crash landed from space. 
 
But this giant coffee bean represents a staggering fact: one in every three cups of coffee drunk in Europe has passed through Hamburg. 
 
In the first half of this episode, we explore the many profound ways coffee shaped one of Europe’s most important cities. 
 
But then the story flips because, once coffee changed Hamburg, Hamburg began to change coffee.
 
Series 3 of A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. 
 
 
Please spread the word about A History of Coffee!
 
Follow us on Instagram - James (@filterstoriespodcast)  and Jonathan (@coffeehistoryjm) - and tag us in an Instagram story. 
 
Write a review on Apple Podcasts 
 
Leave a 5 star rating on Spotify
 
This free educational content for the coffee community was made possible by Mahlkönig, manufacturers of world-leading coffee grinders for 100 years for your home and cafe. 
 
Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ (https://amzn.to/3dihAfU)
 
Support James’ work directly by buying him a coffee at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Pick up a copy of Margrit Schulte Beerbühl’s book, Kaffee Ist Fertig! 
 
Read James’ article on Frederick the Great’s attempt to ban coffee in Standart
 
 
Go on your own Hamburg coffee tour!
 
Giant bean 
Speicherstadt Museum 
Burg Coffee Museum in the Speicherstadt
Becking, 100 year old coffee roasters
1950s Rebuilt Coffee Exchange - and an Instagram post coming on @filterstoriespodcast
 
 
Go deeper into the story of Mahlkönig’s grinders
 
Early EKs - post coming on @filterstoriespodcast
DK (aka Donkey Kong Dreiphasen Kaffeemühle)
Grind-by-Sync espresso grinders
EK Omnia
Guatemala
Matt Perger WBC routine demonstrating the EK
Filter Stories episode on grinding curves
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Introducing: Series Three of A History of Coffee

We’re back with more stories about the tiny psychoactive seed that changed the world and continues to shape our lives today.
Is it possible to follow the story not just to Ethiopia, not just to a single town, but all the way back to one tree?
We’ll uncover the uncomfortable history of Guatemala — a story about who inherited the rich volcanic soil, and who was forced to work it.
We explore what happens when our worst nightmare comes true: coffee disappears from the shelves. What did people brew instead? Was any of it actually drinkable?
And we tell the story of how coffee can shape the massive port city of Hamburg, and how Hamburg then went on to shape the global coffee world.
If we want to make coffee a more equitable industry that’s also kinder to the environment, a place to start is understanding the stories and systems that put the coffee into your cup this morning.
 
Press the ‘Subscribe’ button so you don’t miss future episodes.A History of Coffee is a collaboration between documentary maker James Harper of the Filter Stories coffee podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’. Follow us on Instagram! Jonathan Morris @coffeehistoryjm and James Harper @filterstoriespodcast.This free educational content was made possible with the support of Mahlkönig, manufacturers of world-class grinders for 100 years. Subscribe to The Science of Coffee podcast
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Coffee Quality, Part 3: When the “quality” myth hits the farm

For twenty years, the 2004 cupping form profoundly shaped the specialty coffee world.
 
But on the hillsides of coffee farms, some of the form’s byproducts have been disadvantaging producers. 
 
In this episode, we follow two producers whose lives collided with the myth of universal quality. These stories reveal how a single idea of “quality” can close doors for the people with the least power in the supply chain. 
 
The new coffee evaluation form, the CVA, is still young, and with any luck it will keep evolving. I hope for a form that can empower even the smallest producers. 
 
Please support my work directly at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Other ways you can help:
Leave a 5 star rating on SpotifyFollow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple Podcasts
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter
 
Go deeper into the story of quality:
The original Filter Stories episode about Murray Cooper in Ecuador, Firefly
Specialty Coffee Association's new Coffee Value Assessment
2004 cupping form from the Specialty Coffee Association of America
SCAA Coffee Cuppers Handbook (4th edition, 2011)
Kenneth Liberman's book, "Tasting Coffee: An Inquiry into Objectivity"
SCA's video series on the CVA presented by Peter Giuliano
 
 
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Coffee Quality, Part 2: How “quality” became a myth

If you ask two specialty professionals what makes a high-quality coffee, you’ll likely get a surprisingly consistent answer: clean, sweet, juicy, bright. To an outsider, they would be forgiven for thinking coffee quality is universally defined.
 
But the truth is more sober.
 
In this episode, we examine how a simple cupping form helped create a universal idea of quality. We then look at the evidence that, in fact, it’s just the personal preferences of a small group of people masquerading as universal quality. 
 
Please support my work directly at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Other ways you can help:
Leave a 5 star rating on SpotifyFollow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple Podcasts
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter
 
Go deeper into the story of quality:
2004 cupping form from the Specialty Coffee Association of America
SCAA Coffee Cuppers Handbook (4th edition, 2011)
Cup of Excellence cupping form
Kenneth Liberman's book, "Tasting Coffee: An Inquiry into Objectivity"
SCA's video series on the CVA presented by Peter Giuliano
 
 
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

Coffee Quality, Part 1: The birth of specialty coffee flavours

For the longest time, coffees were dull and bitter. But then a small group of pioneers changed the world. 
 
In this episode, we travel back to the 1960s and ’70s to meet the trailblazers who realised coffees could taste distinctive: sweeter, brighter, cleaner. 
 
We discover how their personal preferences became a movement, then a form, and eventually a global definition of “quality”.
 
Please support my work directly at Ko-fi.com/FilterStories
 
Other ways you can help:
Leave a 5 star rating on SpotifyFollow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple Podcasts
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter
 
Go deeper into the story of quality:
Specialty Coffee Association's new Coffee Value Assessment
2004 cupping form from the Specialty Coffee Association of America
SCAA Coffee Cuppers Handbook (4th edition, 2011)
Michael Sheridan of CQI discussing the inter-organisational politics behind the Houston Expo announcement on Lee Safar's Map It Forward podcast
 
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.

How specialty coffee woke up to water’s role in flavour

For the longest time, the coffee community only cared about water’s impact ruining espresso machine boilers and kettles. But what about water’s impact on coffee flavour?
 
In this episode, I tell the story of how the specialty coffee community came to understand water chemistry: the pioneering work of the computational chemist Christopher Hendon and British roaster Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, the genesis of the SCA’s Water Quality Handbook, and where we are today understanding the impact of minerals on our water.
 
I strongly recommend listening to the two episodes before this one first Getting great water for coffee, step-by-step & The two ingredients in water that ruin your coffee, and the ancient story behind them
 
Please spread the word about The Science of Coffee!Leave a 5 star rating on SpotifyFollow me on Instagram and tag me in an Instagram storyWrite a review on Apple Podcasts
Discover how I make these Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to my Substack newsletter
 
Want to go deeper into water chemistry?
Read the SCA’s Water Quality HandbookBWT White Paper on the effects of magnesium (German)Christopher Hendon’s Instagram where he’ll announce his new version of his book, Water for CoffeeDo an online Certificate of Advanced Studies at the Coffee Excellence Centre
 
Season 3 of The Science of Coffee is made possible by these leading coffee organisations:
 
The Coffee Quest | BWT | TODDY | Algrano | Probat
 
Note: this is a reworked version of my 2022 episode Water for Brewing Coffee, including portions of my 2024 episode How to think like a scientist, part 2.
Check out Standart, the award-winning coffee magazine. Get a free magazine and a free bag of coffee by clicking here.How does Perfect Moose detect what kind of milk is in the pitcher? Click here to find out. See the Mikafi countertop roaster at the Thermoplan stand (6637) at World Of Coffee Brussels. Not attending? See it here.What does the Marco MilkPal look like to you? WALL-E? Something Steve Jobs would be proud of? Check it out here.