Picture this: you're at the supermarket, perusing the wine aisle (after checking out the coffee one, of course), trying to choose between a £8 Spanish Rioja and a £10 French Merlot. Sound familiar?!

In this episode, we’re decanting the secrets of the wine world with Susie and Peter, creators of the Wine Blast podcast!

Scott and Jools don’t know much about wine but realise their biggest questions about it are the same ones they get about coffee. I.e. is really expensive wine is worth it? How much cash should you splash to get the tastiest tipple without breaking the bank? And of course… what's the best way to store wine?! Susie and Peter tell all!

However, a simple wine tasting could never be enough for Scott and Jools. Instead, they throw the gastronomy gauntlet down as they challenge the Masters of Wine to tell the difference between cheap coffee and the really good stuff. But Susie and Peter return the battle, testing our hosts' pallets with super expensive wine and supermarket plonk!

How will AIC vs Wine Blast turn out in the duel of the drinks?

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Join Susie & Peter on a wine adventure on their Wine Blast podcast: https://bit.ly/3Gc7aKw

Take this survey to tell what you want to hear in Series 3! https://bit.ly/3lEZisx

Come join our Patreon Community to support the show: https://bit.ly/3vrispx

Discover how much CO2 is produced in each litre of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a rating on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3JYduHY

Follow us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Coffees and wines featured in this episode:

Supermarket coffee - Sainsbury's Fairtrade Colombian Coffee, Taste the Difference, 227g for
£3.50
https://bit.ly/33iFPaJ

Mid-priced specialty coffee - Origin Coffee Coffee Roasters, Los Altos, Washed coffee from Nicaragua, 250g for £9.00
https://bit.ly/3tiT9H4

Best of Nicaragua coffee - Origin Coffee Roasters, Washed Casona Geisha from Mierisch family in Nicaragua.
No longer for sale.


£5 wine - Viña del Cura Rioja 2020, 13% (was £5 at time of recording, now £6.75, Tesco).
https://bit.ly/3qYLjQd

£12 wine - Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2016, 14.3% (from £13.99, Majestic)
https://bit.ly/3q9TASh

£30 wine - López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva 2009, 13% (From £26.50, Majestic)
https://bit.ly/3nbF22x

You’re at the supermarket and you’re looking at coffee bags. You read “Fruity Organic Single Origin” but the one next to it reads “Creamy Fairtrade Colombia Blend”...which should you choose??

But worry not! In this episode, we’re helping you figure out which coffee to buy and, more importantly, where! (Hint: it ain’t the supermarket).

Jools speaks to Andrew Pautler of Pull and Pour Coffee to get the basics squared away: blend or single origin? Supermarket, online or in a cafe? How fresh from roast?

Scott then speaks with Jenn Rugolo who works at the Specialty Coffee Association to help us navigate the thorniest of all questions: what's the most ethical coffee I can buy?

Get ready to never buy coffee the same way ever again!

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Take this survey to tell what you want to hear in Series 3! https://bit.ly/3lEZisx

Come join our Patreon Community to support the show: https://bit.ly/3vrispx

A map of UK specialty coffee roasters: https://bit.ly/3rDvb8G

Discover how much CO2 is produced in each litre of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

Check out Pull & Pour on Instagram! https://bit.ly/3DDlGJc

Follow us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Every high street now has at least five great looking coffee shops. But chances are only one or two actually make a truly great coffee. But how are you supposed to know which without trying them all out first?

In this episode Scott, Jools and James are quite literally putting in the work to help you understand how to identify a good coffee shop, and hack your way to café nirvana!

Self-crowned King of Caffeine Scott has what he believes is the ultimate hit-list of what to look for when trying out a new place for the first time: 1) beans 2) milk and 3) service.

Scott swears by this framework, but Jools and James aren't going to just take his word for it. So where better than a mystery tour of East London to see just how well Scott’s framework holds up?

Will our favourite Coffee Snob come out on top or will Scott have to eat (or should that be drink) his words on this one?!

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Come join our Patreon Community to support the show: https://bit.ly/3vrispx

Discover how much CO2 is produced in each litre of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

Follow us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Pods promise the seductive smoothness of an espresso, just minus the faff! But is this for real? And should you buy a pod machine for your relatives this Christmas?

We look at the case for pods from every possible angle. We cut them up, time them, try to recycle them and taste them!

Jools is open to the idea of pods, but can she convince Scott, the planet’s biggest pod-hater, that pods might actually have a place in our kitchens?

To help settle the bickering, James speaks to Nathan McCarley-O'Neill (Assistant Food and Beverage Director and co-author of Claridge's The Cocktail Book) and carries out a taste-test experiment between a pulled shot vs pod coffee.

We pick up the phone with sustainability journalist David Burrows and try to untangle the massive recycling mess us poor consumers face every time we puncture one of these small capsules.

And to cap things off, we decamp to Casa Bentley for an especially ridiculous espresso drag race!

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Come join our Patreon Community to support the show: https://bit.ly/3vrispx

Discover how much CO2 is produced in each litre of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

Click to buy Claridge's The Cocktail Book by Nathan McCarley-O'Neill and Denis Broci: https://bit.ly/3qiKFOM

Try the Volcano coffee pods we tasted on the show for yourself. Nespresso compatible, and commercially compostable: https://bit.ly/3H0RryE

Read David Burrows’ writing on sustainability here: https://bit.ly/3qqBnQK

Follow us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Elevator Muzak: Royalty Free Music from Bensound.com

We’re quite literally firing on all cylinders in this episode, as we show you how to brew incredible coffee at home with an Aeropress!

Like many of us, Jools loves filter coffee but isn’t sure how to get that cafe quality at home - or how ro recreate it when she’s away from her kitchen. We're using the Aeropress because it has infinite brewing possibilities, and it'll transform your coffee making experience forever.

Starting with their classic Espresso Style recipe, Scott guides Jools on how to make an Aeropress tailored to her tastes, by tweaking three simple elements: dose, heat and time.

You’ll be amazed at the differences they make!

Come join our Patreon Community to support the show: https://bit.ly/3vrispx

Click here to buy The Lady, the delicious coffee roasted by our friends Girls Who Grind Coffee: https://bit.ly/3pePrwq

Follow Aeropress’ colourful Instagram channel: https://bit.ly/3jbbSi2

Discover how much CO2 is produced in each litre of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

Follow us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

You’ve definitely bought “single origin” coffee before, and probably spent extra for it too. But what if you’ve been wasting your money this whole time?

We’re going to take you on a fun and bewildering journey back in time and through philosophical loop-the-loops to understand where on earth our obsession with the term “single origin” comes from.

This episode has more layers than a tiramisu! We start off unwrapping the story of coffee blends, but, the deeper we go, we realise that it’s actually a story about language and the very specific yet highly questionable principles that hold a community together.

Strap in!

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Discover how much CO2 is produced in each liter of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

Follow us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

And our wonderful guests:

François Knopes: https://bit.ly/2YpWdV0
Victor Robelo: https://bit.ly/3Be69z9
Laura Meunier: https://bit.ly/3mtNbOP
Akshay Dashrath: https://bit.ly/3A5Qctq

Prepare to make milk magic in your kitchen ... we're taking you on a journey towards becoming a latte art pro at home!

The best bit? You won't need loads of fancy equipment to achieve this - the tools you have in your kitchen right now will get you there... even a bottle of dishwashing detergent is your friend on this one!

First, Jools hops on the line with ‘friendly internet barista’ and coffee social media megastar Morgan Eckroth (aka @Morgandrinkscoffee) to get the lowdown on how to froth your milk to microfoam perfection.

Then, Scott calls up Heidi Philip-Smith, a four-time UK Latte Art Finalist, to find out how to pour your now perfectly frothed milk into simple yet stunning patterns.

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Discover how much CO2 is produced in each litre of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

Follow us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

And our lovely guests:
Morgan Eckroft on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3nuXO6e
Heidi Philip-Smith on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3CdnqZn

Coffee tastes like coffee.

...or does it?

Scott, our resident “flavour-naut”, takes us on a journey into the world of coffee flavours and where they come from.

How can we actually 'taste' coffee? And what does it mean if you’re not getting the flavour of strawberry that is written on your coffee bag?

Scott starts off by calling up his very own dad - Ian “coffee-tastes-like-coffee” Bentley - and tries to convince him that coffee doesn’t just taste like coffee using a special trick.

We then hop on the line with Freda Yuan - Head of coffee at Origin Coffee Roasters and UK Cup Tasters Champion to give us a framework for identifying flavours.

And we finish with Diana Johnston Ledezma, Head of Quality Control at DRWakefield and UK Roasting Champion, who explains where coffee flavours actually come from and how they make their way into our coffee beans.

We're giving you a toolkit for your tastebuds and helping you crank up your confidence in coffee tasting... so prepare yourself for a tasty trip!

******************

Discover how much CO2 is produced in each litre of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

Pick up a copy of Freda Yuan’s book to learn more about coffee tasting: https://bit.ly/3sYq0Pj

Use the SCA’s Flavour Wheel next time you’re enjoying a coffee: https://bit.ly/2Wuyd2b


What are the craziest coffee flavours you ever tasted? Tell us on Instagram!

Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Diana Johnston Ledezma on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3mPa9Sa

Freda Yuan on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3ytzfbE

It’s time for the Adventures in your Kitchen mini-series!

This first installment aims to help YOU make better coffee at home by asking: should you splash the cash on an espresso machine?

Jools decides she wants that amazing coffee-shop espresso at home, and Scott, our seasoned espresso veteran (and dork), guides Jools on her journey.

How much money should you set aside for your new favourite toy? Do you really need three-phase power? What on earth is the “God Shot”… and how long will it take you to achieve it?!

We’ll be offering you practical advice on the timeline, cost and sustainability of having a home espresso machine, and guiding you on how to level-up your coffee game at home.

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Discover how much CO2 is produced in each liter of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk


What’s your home espresso set-up like and what would you recommend for Jools? Tell us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Want to read a transcript of this episode? http://bit.ly/2MoTbdn

We're back, and our series two opener asks a very bold question: is my coffee killing me?!

For personal reasons (discussed in this episode*), Jools has longed to find an answer to this. She takes Scott on a journey which ventures deep into the science, history and psychology of coffee consumption.

We get the basics on the science by speaking with Dr Charlotte Mills, Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Reading. But, it opens up a bigger question: why does coffee get so much hate?

We hop on the line with Professor Jonathan Morris, Research Professor in Modern History at the University of Hertfordshire, to learn the origins of anti-coffee marketing.

But why were these marketing gimmicks so effective? We hear from Chartered Psychologist Kimberley Wilson, author and Governor of the Tavistock & Portman NHS Mental Health Trust. Thankfully, she leaves us with a sane and healthy way to approach nutrition and coffee!

*Trigger Warning: this episode includes discussions on disordered eating, thoughts and behaviours.

Discover how much CO2 is produced in each liter of Oatly compared to cow's milk: http://bit.ly/3aidSA3

Help other people find the show by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/39iTRdk

How much coffee do you drink a day? Tell us on Instagram!
Scott Bentley / Caffeine Magazine: https://bit.ly/3oijQ91
Jools Walker / Lady Velo: http://bit.ly/39VRGew
James Harper / Filter Stories: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Read Kimberley Wilson’s book ‘How to Build a Healthy Brain: Reduce stress, anxiety and depression and future-proof your brain’: https://amzn.to/3rNbwkS

Read Jonathan Morris’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfU.

Listen to his podcast series, A History of Coffee, made in collaboration with our producer James Harper here: http://bit.ly/2NArChO

Want to read a transcript of this episode? http://bit.ly/2MoTbdn