Blog
What Is Arabica Coffee?
TL;DR Arabica (Coffea arabica) is a species of coffee plant, not a variety. It produces approximately 60 percent of the world's coffee ... Read more
How Are Coffee Varieties Created?
TL;DR Coffee varieties are created through three mechanisms: natural mutation, natural hybridisation, and deliberate breeding. Each ... Read more
What Is Maragogype Coffee?
TL;DR Maragogype (sometimes spelled Maragogipe) is a natural mutation of Typica discovered in the town of Maragogype in Bahia, Brazil, ... Read more
What Is Catuai Coffee?
TL;DR Catuai is a coffee variety created by crossing Mundo Novo (a natural Bourbon-Typica hybrid) with Caturra (a Bourbon mutation) at ... Read more
What Is Mundo Novo Coffee?
TL;DR Mundo Novo is a natural hybrid of Bourbon and Typica, discovered in the Mundo Novo region of São Paulo state, Brazil, in the ... Read more
What Is Colombian Coffee?
TL;DR Colombia is the world's third-largest coffee producer and arguably its most exciting. The country grows exclusively Arabica ... Read more
What is Pink Bourbon Coffee?
TL;DR Pink Bourbon is a distinctive coffee variety that produces pink cherries when ripe and a flavour profile quite different from ... Read more
What Is Wush Wush Coffee?
TL;DR Wush Wush is an Ethiopian landrace coffee variety named after the Wush Wush area in the Kaffa zone of southwestern Ethiopia. It ... Read more
What Is Pacamara Coffee?
TL;DR Pacamara is a hybrid coffee variety created by crossing Pacas (a natural Bourbon mutation from El Salvador) with Maragogipe (a ... Read more
What is Chiroso Coffee?
TL;DR Chiroso is a coffee variety from the Urrao region of Antioquia in western Colombia. Local farmers have grown it for generations, ... Read more
What is Sidra Coffee?
TL;DR Sidra is a coffee variety that produces tropical fruit, florals, and a wine-like body with layered complexity. Originally ... Read more
What is Typica Coffee?
TL;DR Typica is one of the two original Arabica coffee varieties, alongside Bourbon. It produces clean sweetness, bright acidity, and ... Read more
What Is SL28 Coffee?
TL;DR SL28 is a coffee variety developed by Scott Laboratories in Kenya in 1931. The SL stands for Scott Laboratories, and 28 refers ... Read more
What Is Castillo Coffee?
TL;DR Castillo is a Colombian hybrid coffee variety developed by Cenicafé for resistance to coffee leaf rust. It combines Caturra ... Read more
What Is Caturra Coffee?
TL;DR Caturra is a natural dwarf mutation of the Bourbon variety, discovered in Brazil in the 1930s. It retains much of Bourbon's ... Read more
What is Bourbon Coffee?
TL;DR Bourbon is one of the oldest and most important Arabica coffee varieties. It takes its name from Réunion Island (formerly Île ... Read more
What is Gesha Coffee?
TL;DR Gesha (also spelled Geisha) is a rare coffee variety originally from the Gesha forest in southwestern Ethiopia. It produces ... Read more
Why Is Specialty Coffee Expensive?
TL;DR Specialty coffee costs more because every stage of production demands more care, more sustainability, and smaller scale. ... Read more
How To Choose Specialty Coffee
TL;DR Choosing specialty coffee starts with knowing what you enjoy. Origin, processing method, roast level, and variety all shape how ... Read more
How To Store Coffee Beans
TL;DR Store coffee beans in an airtight container at room temperature, in a cool dark cupboard, away from direct light, heat, and ... Read more
Why Coffee Tastes the Way It Does: A Complete Guide
TL;DR Coffee tastes the way it does because of four main factors: the variety of the plant, how the cherries are processed, how the ... Read more
How Fresh Should Coffee Be?
TL;DR Coffee is at its best between 7 and 28 days after roasting. Before that window, excess carbon dioxide makes the cup taste gassy ... Read more
Why Does Coffee Taste Bitter?
TL;DR Coffee tastes bitter most often because of over-extraction. Other common causes include too fine a grind, water that is too ... Read more
Coffee Brewing Calculators: Ratios, Extraction & Espresso Tools
TL;DR Routes Coffee has three free brewing calculators to help you make better coffee at home. The Pour-Over Ratio Calculator works ... Read more
The Future of Specialty Coffee: Why the Next Decade Will Look Like Wine
TL;DR Climate pressure is shrinking the land we can grow great arabica on, while more drinkers than ever are learning to taste the ... Read more
How to Brew Better Coffee at Home: The Complete Guide
TL;DR Brewing great coffee at home comes down to four core variables: coffee quality, grind size, brew ratio, and water. Furthermore, ... Read more
Why Do Some Coffees Taste Floral?
TL;DR Some coffees taste floral because of specific aromatic compounds inside the bean. Moreover, four factors shape these compounds: ... Read more
What Makes Coffee Sweet?
TL;DR Coffee tastes sweet because of natural sugars in the bean and aromatic compounds developed during roasting. Moreover, sweetness ... Read more
Why Does Coffee Taste Sour?
TL;DR Coffee tastes sour most often because of under-extraction. In other words, not enough flavour has been pulled from the grounds. ... Read more
What Is Thermal Shock Coffee Processing?
TL;DR Thermal shock coffee processing uses rapid temperature changes during and after fermentation to shape flavour development. ... Read more
What Is Carbonic Maceration Coffee?
TL;DR Carbonic maceration ferments whole coffee cherries in a sealed tank filled with carbon dioxide. Borrowed from French ... Read more
What Is Anaerobic Coffee Fermentation?
TL;DR Anaerobic coffee fermentation ferments cherries in sealed, oxygen-free tanks. Because oxygen is absent, different microbes ... Read more
What Is Honey Process Coffee?
TL;DR Honey process coffee removes the outer skin of the cherry but leaves some or all of the sticky mucilage on the bean during ... Read more
What Shapes Acidity in the Cup?
TL;DR Acidity in coffee is shaped by where the beans are grown, how they are processed, and how they are roasted. African coffees ... Read more
What Is Coffee Acidity?
TL;DR Coffee acidity is not sourness, it is the quality that makes specialty coffee bright, complex, and alive. It comes from organic ... Read more
How to Start Home Roasting
TL;DR The machine matters less than you think. Your green beans matter more than almost anything else. Buy from a roaster who knows ... Read more
What Makes Coffee Truly Ethical? A Roaster’s Honest Take
What Makes Coffee Truly Ethical? A Roaster's Honest Take - Most coffee brands call themselves ethical. Very few can prove ... Read more
Mastering Coffee Cupping Part III: From Sensory Memory to Brewing Mastery
Part III Mastering Coffee Cupping: From Sensory Memory to Brewing Mastery 8. From Sensory Memory to Pattern Recognition Expert cuppers ... Read more
Mastering Coffee Cupping Part II: Roast Chemistry and Processing Signatures
4. Understanding Roast Development Through Cupping Cupping is the clearest method for detecting roast issues because brewing often ... Read more
Mastering Coffee Cupping: Part 1
Part 1 Part 1: Mastering Coffee Cupping: Foundations of Sensory SciencePart 2: Mastering Coffee Cupping: Roast Chemistry and ... Read more
Limescale: The Silent Flavour Changer in Your Coffee
TL;DR Limescale is the chalky mineral deposit that builds up inside kettles, coffee machines, and espresso boilers. Furthermore, it ... Read more
Pressure Profiling in Espresso: A Modern Barista’s Guide
TL;DR Pressure profiling is the practice of varying the water pressure during espresso extraction to shape flavour. Furthermore, ... Read more
Coffee Extraction Calculator | TDS & Yield Estimator
TL;DR This Coffee Extraction Calculator estimates TDS, extraction yield, and flavour balance based on four key variables: grind ... Read more
Pushing Our Agenda
Pushing Our Agenda - I used to be upset when I made a coffee and someone did not like it. Not angry, just quietly disappointed. That ... Read more
Roast Profiles and Bean Quality
Knowing when to hold back and when to let go must be determined in roast profiles and this determination comes down to bean ... Read more
By Appointment Only: The Future of Coffee Worth Waiting For
By Appointment Only, that sounds crazy right, but perhaps this is the future of coffee worth waiting for. Imagine this: instead of ... Read more
When Coffee Costs $200 Per Kilo
When Coffee Costs $200 Per Kilo Every so often, a coffee arrives that makes you pause. Not just because of how it tastes in the cup, ... Read more
Why Funky Coffees Taste the Way They Do
Why Funky Coffees Taste the Way They Do We’ve talked about what funky coffee tastes like, let's get to the bottom of why funky coffees ... Read more
Lessons from London Coffee Festival
We had an incredible time pouring at this year’s London Coffee Festival, and as always, we walked away with some fresh insights from ... Read more
Why Are Barista Champions Considered the Best Purveyors of Coffee?
A question that’s been on my mind for a long time: Why are barista champions considered the best purveyors of coffee? After spending ... Read more
Coffee Packaging
Coffee Packaging - Let’s start with the basics: freshly roasted coffee releases CO₂. That gas needs somewhere to go, which is why we ... Read more
Send Help! Why It’s So Hard to Find Great Coffee
Why is it so hard to find Great Coffee! My daily ritual is simple: make a coffee, reflect on yesterday, plan the day ahead… and ... Read more
Away Game Coffee: Brewing Excellence on the Road
Introduction: The Search for a Good Cup While Traveling Away Game Coffee: Brewing Excellence on the Road - If you’ve spent years ... Read more
Rising Green Coffee Prices
Rising Green Coffee Prices: What It Means for Your Daily Brew If you’ve noticed your daily coffee getting more expensive, you’re not ... Read more
The Growing Specialty Coffee Market
Specialty coffee isn't just a trend, it's a movement. Across the UK, coffee drinkers are shifting away from mass-market blends in ... Read more
Collaborative Coffee Cultures
Our collaborative coffee cultures journey to Japan began in Australia, where we met Masa, a fellow coffee enthusiast in the specialty ... Read more
Coffee Community: A Quiet Luxury
The other day, I found myself in the city, wandering past a Rolex boutique. A man stood outside, gazing through the window, perhaps ... Read more
Guide to Coffee Tasting at Home: Master the Art of Cupping
TL;DR Coffee cupping at home is simpler than it looks. Use a 1:17 ratio (8 to 10g coffee per 150ml water), a medium-coarse grind, hot ... Read more
Interactive Espresso Calculator
TL;DR This espresso calculator identifies your shot style (ristretto, normale, lungo), estimates TDS and extraction yield, and ... Read more
Evolving Espresso Brewing Techniques: How Modern Espresso Has Changed
TL;DR Espresso has evolved significantly. Traditional rules (a 1:2 ratio, 25 to 30 seconds, 9 bar pressure, dark roasts) are being ... Read more
Mastering Espresso: Key Parameters Every Barista Should Know
TL;DR Every espresso shot is shaped by seven key parameters: dose, yield, brew ratio, extraction time, water temperature, brew ... Read more
Discover how a Coffee Detox can Reset your Palate
Coffee is more than just a drink—it’s a ritual, a passion, and for many of us, a daily source of joy. But even the most dedicated ... Read more
What Is Natural Coffee Processing?
TL;DR Natural coffee processing dries the whole cherry with the bean still inside, rather than removing the fruit first. As a result, ... Read more
What Is Washed Coffee Processing?
TL;DR Washed coffee processing removes the fruit from the coffee seed before drying. As a result, it produces clean and bright ... Read more
Pour-Over Coffee Ratio Calculator
TL;DR A pour-over coffee ratio is the amount of coffee to water used for brewing. Furthermore, the standard range is 1:15 (stronger) ... Read more
The Art of Coffee Cupping: A Comprehensive Guide
TL;DR Coffee cupping is the standardised method used in the coffee industry to evaluate the aroma, flavour, acidity, body, and ... Read more
Understanding Taste and Sensory Receptors in Coffee
TL;DR Coffee taste is shaped by your taste buds, sensory receptors, and the five basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, bitterness, ... Read more
The World of Coffee Consumption: Trends, Top Consumers, and Per Capita Insights
TL;DR The world drinks around 166.63 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee a year, equal to over 10 billion kilograms. Furthermore, ... Read more
What is Specialty Coffee and Why is it Important?
TL;DR Specialty coffee is high-quality coffee that scores above 80 points on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) 100-point scale. ... Read more
Why Water Quality is Important in Coffee Brewing
TL;DR Water makes up 98 to 99 percent of brewed coffee. As a result, its mineral content, pH, and purity directly shape how the final ... Read more
Coffee Processing Methods: A Complete Guide
TL;DR Coffee processing is the set of steps that remove the bean from the cherry after harvest. The three main methods are washed, ... Read more
Exploring Coffee Culture: A Global Journey
Coffee culture is a vibrant tapestry of social behaviors, traditions, and practices surrounding the consumption of coffee. It ... Read more
Moccamaster Coffee Ratio: The Complete Brewing Guide
TL;DR For most specialty coffees in a Moccamaster, use a 1:15 ratio: 67g of coffee per litre of water. Furthermore, grind to a ... Read more
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee
TL;DR Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coarse-ground coffee in cold filtered water for 12 to 24 hours. Furthermore, the slow, ... Read more
Latte Art: Heidi Philip-Smith’s 10 Top Tips
My name is Heidi Philip-Smith and I'm a 3x UK Latte Art finalist & 2017 World Latte Art competitor. I have been lucky enough to ... Read more
The Beginning of Routes Coffee Roasters
Coffee Roasters Routes Coffee always dreamt of one day roasting our own beans. Experimenting, learning and developing our skills in coffee and ultimately improving our event coffee service. Read more
Routes Coffee Top 10 Coffee Shops of the World
Back in 2013/14 when dreadlocks and bleached blonde hair was cool, Jim & I found ourselves travelling through the Eastern hemisphere, visiting some of the coolest coffee shops, cafes and coffee roasters we could find. Read more
Becoming a Mobile Barista
When you think of being a Mobile Barista you picture yourself in a small town cafe with a bountiful selection of cakes, freshly cooked ... Read more
Routes Coffee Top 5 UK Festivals
As we head into our fifth festival season as a coffee trader, we thought that there would be no better time to take a look back at our ... Read more
Building a coffee van
Having your own coffee van business - there’s nothing better in life! The freedom of working your own hours, being your own boss, making beautiful coffee every day, meeting new people and flexibility to travel. Read more
What people say
My brothers wedding really benefited from having routes coffee there. The boys who run it are lovely and make splendid coffee! Highly recommend.
Michael G
Routes Coffee guys are without doubt the best mobile baristas we have worked with. 100% positive client feedback on every event. They look great, the product they serve is incredible and they are genuinely passionate about what they do!
Katie S
Routes Coffee are an absolute dream to work with! The team are energetic, friendly, personable and bring a chilled vibe to an otherwise hectic event. The feedback we receive from our attendees is that the coffee is some of the best they’ve tasted which is why we keep asking them back! Silicon Milkroundabout’s events wouldn’t be the same without the Routes team 🙂
Louise S
Lovely guys! Incredible coffee!
Orlando J
Incredible coffee, and lovely guys to work with.
Gabriel R