Your grinder could be making a bigger difference to your coffee than you think.

This week we are getting granular. Literally. We’re breaking down coffee grinder burrs, what they actually do and why choosing between flat and conical can completely change what ends up in your cup.

Why do conical burrs create more body? Are flat burrs always better for filter coffee? What are fines and boulders? Does a bigger burr automatically mean better coffee? And when is upgrading your grinder actually worth the money?

From particle size and burr geometry to heat, retention, seasoning and choosing the right grinder for your café, this is our Coffee Grinder Burrs 101. We definitely don’t claim to have settled the debate, so grinder nerds, please tell us what we missed.

Plus, APAX LAB introduces us to Conflux, and Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly coffee market report.

COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered café reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why Grinder Burrs Matter
01:26 What Is a Coffee Grinder Burr?
04:08 Flat vs Conical Burrs
06:24 Fines, Boulders and Particle Size
08:33 How Burrs Change Coffee Flavour
11:23 The Best Burrs for Espresso and Filter
12:59 Heat, Speed and Grinding Coffee
15:14 Body vs Clarity
16:57 APAX LAB
17:35 Does Burr Size Matter?
18:43 Retention and Angled Grinders
20:16 Burr Coatings and Durability
21:44 Should You Season New Burrs?
22:55 When Should You Upgrade?
26:12 Coffee Market Report
28:41 How Much Grinder Does a Café Need?
31:16 What Coffee Science Still Doesn’t Know

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Onyx Coffee Lab was just voted the best coffee shop in the world!

Not in New York, Copenhagen or Melbourne. In Arkansas.

Andrea Allen and her husband Jon opened Onyx in 2012 with a wildly ambitious idea: one day, they would serve the best coffee in the world. At the time, success meant paying the bills, the staff and the rent.

Fourteen years later, Onyx sits at number one on the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list and has become a James Beard nominee for Outstanding Bar.

Andrea joins us to unpack how they built a hometown coffee company into one of specialty coffee’s most influential brands, without losing the point of view that made it special.

We talk about creating destination cafés, why every Onyx venue is completely different, the failed ideas nobody sees on Instagram and how their newest location, The Preserve, evolved from the slightly unhinged idea of building a bike path through a café.

Andrea also shares how a cold DM eventually led to working with Jimmy Butler and BIGFACE, why Doyenne grew far beyond expectations and what genuine transparency should look like across the coffee supply chain.

Plus, Hugh Grant, Elon Musk, broken robot baristas and Andrea’s defence of the humble mocha.

If you’re opening a café, building a brand or trying to create something people genuinely care about, this one is packed.

CHAPTERS!

00:00 Meet Andrea Allen
01:56 Winning World’s Best Coffee Shop
04:19 Hugh Grant, Elon Musk and George Howell
07:04 Building the Onyx Brand
09:13 Why Arkansas?
12:36 Opening a Café Outside a Major City
14:58 Teaching Customers About Specialty Coffee
18:23 Working With Jimmy Butler and BIGFACE
23:47 Why Every Onyx Café Is Different
26:10 The Onyx Ideas That Failed
29:28 Inside Onyx at The Preserve
33:11 Coffee as an Accessible Luxury
36:05 How to Create Better Hospitality
39:49 Doyenne and Women Coffee Producers
47:17 Onyx Becomes a James Beard Nominee
50:24 Changing the World Through Coffee
51:28 What Coffee Transparency Really Means
59:34 Andrea’s Advice for New Café Owners
01:02:06 Andrea’s Favourite Coffee Shops
01:04:31 Hot Take: The Mocha Is a Pro Move
01:07:31 Industry Shout-Out: Niki Weegens

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves that at the end of the day, it’s just coffee!

Find Andrea and Onyx here:

Onyx Coffee Lab:
https://onyxcoffeelab.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/onyxcoffeelab/

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Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by

APAX LAB:
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Condesa Co.Lab:
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Does better espresso require more gear, or just better puck prep?

Reigning World Barista Champion Jack Simpson is back. This time, we’re skipping the victory-lap interview and putting the world champ to work.

Jack reveals the most common mistake he sees baristas make, why distribution is king and how he dials in espresso by taste instead of blindly chasing the perfect shot time.

We break down coffee machines versus grinders, conical versus flat burrs and when freshly ground coffee from a café might actually beat using a bad grinder at home.

Then it’s espresso smash or pass.

Naked portafilters. RDT. WDT. Blind shakers. Puck screens. Spring-loaded tampers. Single dosing. Co-fermented coffee. Extract chilling. Jack rates the lot before walking us through his own puck-prep routine, including the vibrating table sitting in his house.

Plus, what coffee influencers get wrong, which World Barista Championship trends are coming to cafés and why coffee farmers shouldn’t be blamed for rising café prices.

If you want to make better espresso without buying every tool you see on the internet, this one’s for you.

COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered café reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Reigning World Barista Champion Jack Simpson
01:39 The Biggest Espresso Mistake
04:33 Coffee Grinder vs Espresso Machine
06:45 Conical vs Flat Burr Grinders
08:26 When Should You Upgrade Your Grinder?
11:12 How to Dial In Espresso
17:38 Coffee Market Report
19:51 Espresso Gear Smash or Pass
22:35 Jack Simpson’s Puck Prep
24:58 RDT and Water-Damaged Grinders
27:38 Coffee Influencers and Bad Advice
31:30 WBC Trends Coming to Cafés
33:16 Why Coffee Prices Are Rising
34:44 Iced Coffee Trucks?

Find Jack Simpson here:

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jacksimpson32/

Axil Coffee Roasters:
https://www.instagram.com/axilcoffeeroasters/

Want more coffee content?

IT’S JUST COFFEE:
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Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at [email protected] with your questions, comments or hot takes.

Proudly sponsored by:

APAX LAB:
https://apaxlab.com/

Riverina Fresh:
https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

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For 15 years, Patricia Coffee has done less than almost everyone else and made it mean more.

Standing room only. Black, white or filter. No sprawling menu, no kitchen and no trying to be everything to everyone. Somehow, that tiny Melbourne laneway shop became one of the city’s most iconic cafés.

Now, Bowen Holden and Pip Heath have finally opened Patricia number two.

We unpack the systems behind a tiny café, why saying no can still feel like great hospitality and how a wildly profitable affogato called Clouds Mountains went viral and got killed anyway.

Bowen and Pip also share what it really costs to open a café in 2026, what kept their business partnership going for 15 years, why they waited so long to expand and when roasting your own coffee actually makes sense.

If you’re opening a café, running one or wondering why Patricia still feels like Patricia after all these years, this one is packed.

CHAPTERS!

00:00 Patricia’s 15-Year Formula
01:45 Why Black, White or Filter?
04:16 Can You Still Order a Cappuccino?
10:21 Designing a Tiny Café Menu
12:01 Clouds Mountains Goes Viral
15:51 What Small Venues Should Cut
18:08 Saying No Without Losing Hospitality
21:13 What Made Patricia Iconic?
25:30 Thirteen Years on the Floor
27:32 What Does a New Café Cost?
33:39 Location, Staff or Coffee?
36:16 Why Open a Second Café Now?
43:39 Making a Business Partnership Last
48:55 When Should a Café Start Roasting?
54:09 Extra Hot Take: Measure Your Milk
59:30 Industry Shout-Outs

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves that at the end of the day, it’s just coffee!

Find Patricia here:

Patricia Coffee Brewers: https://patriciacoffee.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcoffeebrewers/

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE:
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Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems:
https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab:
https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab:
https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh:
https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

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Melbourne is famous for having some of the best coffee in the world - but is that reputation built on quality or just really good marketing?

A fiery opinion piece has taken aim at Melbourne’s coffee culture, calling Australian coffee bitter, burnt and overpriced while arguing that Italy’s cheaper, simpler espresso culture does it better.

So, is this a fair reality check? or a badly researched takedown of an entire industry?

Melbourne café owner and coffee professional Dan Dick joins us to unpack the article’s biggest claims. We compare Australian specialty coffee with traditional Italian espresso, break down what it actually costs to serve a cup of coffee and ask why cafés and baristas continue to be targeted in conversations about rising prices.

Plus, Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly coffee market report.

COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered café reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Melbourne Coffee Under Attack
01:27 Welcome to Coffee Break
01:59 Dan Dick Reacts
02:30 Australia vs Italy
07:10 Is a $6 Coffee a Rip-Off?
11:32 Why the Media Targets Coffee
14:37 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report
17:16 What a Cup of Coffee Really Costs
21:08 The Impact on Baristas
24:14 Opinion vs Accuracy
27:12 Standing Up for Australian Coffee

Find Dan Dick here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielpeterdick/
Paperboy: https://www.instagram.com/paperboy.surreyhills/

Want more coffee content?

IT’S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] with your questions, comments or hot takes.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/
Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/
Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/
Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

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Why has Dan Dick stepped back from the cafe industry? After over a decade of operating successful Melbourne venues Nigel and then PaperBoy, Dan has called it quits. Our conversation was had in the midst of handing the reins over to new operators; an equally emotional and practical decision that has catapulted Dan into a new chapter of his career. We discussed the problems facing cafe owners today… and why it has become so much harder to run a profitable cafe.

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Dan Dick: https://www.instagram.com/danielpeterdick/ 

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why Running a Café Is Harder Than Ever

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Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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Fresh from the 2026 World Brewers Cup in Brussels, Ben breaks down the coffees, brewers and techniques used by the competition’s top six finalists.

We look at how World Champion Nas Jaafar, Australia’s Simon Gautherin and the rest of the finalists approached their routines, from the rise of hybrid brewers and fast-flow filter papers to shorter ratios, lower temperatures and coarser grind sizes.

Plus, we unpack Bavis Kwong’s wild “sandwich extraction”, Simon’s two-coffee brewing method, the continued dominance of Panama Geisha and whether these competition techniques can actually improve the coffee you brew at home!

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered café reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Back From Brussels
02:04 The Top Six Brewers
06:24 Is Brewers Cup More Accessible?
09:38 Hybrid Brewers Take Over
11:05 Modern Filter Coffee
13:53 Is Percolation Dead?
14:42 Fast Filter Papers
15:03 Panama Geisha Dominates
18:25 Natural vs Washed Coffee
21:48 The Sandwich Extraction
24:43 Simon’s Two-Coffee Brew
26:10 What Home Brewers Can Use
28:20 Are These the World’s Best Coffees?
30:13 The Future of Pour-Over

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE:
https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems:
https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab:
https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab:
https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh:
https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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Ultra-light roasting might have pushed coffee forward, but has it now become more about flexing than flavour?

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Tasting espresso is one of the most important skills in coffee, but it is also one of the least clearly taught.

In this episode, we break down how espresso is evaluated using the World Barista Championship sensory framework.

Ben Bicknell, World Barista Championship judge and Q Grader Instructor, explains how to assess sweetness, acidity, bitterness, flavour, body, texture, finish and balance, while separating personal preference from actual quality.

Then we put the framework into practice by tasting four very different coffees and scoring them in real time.

A practical episode for baristas, roasters, competitors, café owners and coffee drinkers who want to taste espresso with more structure, clarity and confidence.

Because “I like it” is a preference. Knowing why it works is a skill.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Learning How To Taste Espresso

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

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What does it take to become the second-best brewer in the world?

Fresh from the World Brewers Cup stage in Brussels, Australian Brewers Cup Champion Simon Gautherin joins us alongside coach Carlos Escobar to unpack the routine, strategy and tiny details behind their world runner-up finish.

Simon and Carlos take us inside one of coffee’s most technical competitions: the compulsory round that can decide a championship, the enormous logistics behind bringing coffee and equipment across continents, and the clarity-focused routine that earned them perfect tasting note accuracy from every judge.

If you’re new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It’s Just Coffee!

CHAPTERS

00:00 World Brewers Cup

Find Simon here:@simon_gautherin

APAX LAB:

@apaxlab

https://apaxlab.com/

Find Carlos here:

@carlos.esco.bar

Differente Coffee:

@differentecoffee

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