Coffee 101

Coffee 101

Coffee 101 is an educational show on all things coffee. The host, Kenneth Thomas, starts with the most basic questions about coffee and builds your knowledge from there. If you love coffee, are curious about coffee, or you’re a business just looking for a resource to train your team, Coffee 101 is without question the show for you! Season 1 is all about coffee's journey from seed to shelf! ABOUT THE HOST As a coffee lover, physician, chemical engineer, serial entrepreneur, competitive runner, writer, and family man, Kenneth knows what it’s like to push yourself to achieve goals very few accomplish. He’s one of the best specialty coffee roasters in the United States as he’s a multi-year US Coffee Roasters’ Competition Finalist. He created Umble Coffee Co with the belief that, if sourced and roasted right, coffee can taste phenomenal and be good for you. “Life’s too short to drink bad coffee.” CONTACT METHOD Want to reach Kenneth? Have questions, show ideas, or want to just let us know you’re enjoying the show? The best way is to leave us a great review and put your thoughts in the comment section - Kenneth reads all of them! The second-best way is through DM on social media. HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW Enjoying the show?! We’d love for you to leave us a review. It helps us grow and educate more people about coffee! Here’s how: if you’re on apple podcasts, ‘search’ for us as if you didn’t already follow the show. When you click on the show, scroll down to ratings and you’ll see where you can leave a rating. Spotify is a little easier - follow and listen to the podcast, then you can rate and review it.

Episodes

Season 2 Finale and Look Ahead

December 20, 2023 • 4 mins
In this episode, which is the final one of season 2 which took you from shelf to sip, Kenneth provides you with a taste of what is to come for season 3. Episodes that he plans to fill with great conversations with interesting people and businesses from across the world.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Season 3 is going to be even more exciting than season 2 was. If you have some spare time over the holiday season, treat yourself to some of se...
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Tea Basics - Pu-er, Oolong, Black

December 14, 2023 • 68 mins
In this episode, Kenneth once again sits down with Jeff Champeau who is the President of Rishi Tea and Botanicals to continue their tea basics discussion. This time they are talking about Pu-er, Oolong, and Black tea. They also go into details on English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and Chai. Jeff explains tea processing, brewing, taste profiles, and caffeine content. KEY TAKEAWAYS There are two types of Pu-er.  Pu-er stimulates dige...
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Tea - Green, White, Matcha

December 7, 2023 • 44 mins
In this episode, Kenneth once again sits down with Jeff Champeau / President of Rishi Tea, and Botanicals. Today they discuss Green, White and Matcha teas. Jeff explains the differences and how to prepare each one like an expert. He also explains more about how tea is grown and harvested. KEY TAKEAWAYS What part of the plant is harvested and when depends on the type of tea being made. Tea is harvested on sunny days. Harvesting ...
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Tea 101 - Background and Basics

November 29, 2023 • 48 mins
In this episode, Kenneth switches things up to sit down with Jeff Champeau, the President of Rishi Tea and Botanicals to talk tea. This is the first of several episodes on the subject.  Jeff explains the difference between true teas, spices, botanicals, and herbs and covers cultivars. He also provides insight into the history of tea and how it went from being a food to being enjoyed as a drink.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Initially, tea was...
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Paragon Coffee and Espresso with Sasa Sestic

November 22, 2023 • 41 mins
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with the 2015 World Barista Champion Sasa Sestic to talk about his innovative Paragon brewer. He explains what inspired him to develop this brewing method and why it makes coffee taste better. KEY TAKEAWAYS Most of what we taste is related to what we smell. The more aromas there are, the more complex the taste is. It is possible to enhance certain aroma compounds so that the coffee tastes diff...
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Single Serve Coffee Is Here To Stay

November 15, 2023 • 35 mins
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Mark Modenbach who is the VP of manufacturing at Pod Pack. Pod Pack is a leading co-producer of single-serve coffee and tea pods. Mark provides an insider view on what the single-serve coffee market looks like, where it is likely to go in the future and explains how roasters can enter this market. KEY TAKEAWAYS People are prepared to pay for convenience.  Espresso pods are becoming increa...
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A Moka Pot Masterclass

November 8, 2023 • 47 mins
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Josh Walhain from Alternative Brewing out of Australia .They sell all things coffee and ship worldwide. Today, Josh and Kenneth discuss the iconic moka pot and how to get the best coffee out of one. They also take a look at the Bellman Espresso Steamer, which acts a bit like a Moka Pot but also has a pressure gauge and a full milk steamer. KEY TAKEAWAYS The water heats up below the ground...
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Siphon Pot - the Sexiest Coffee You’ll Ever Make

October 25, 2023 • 66 mins
In this episode, Kenneth & J Rene’ Martinez of J Rene Coffee Roasters discuss one of the sexiest pieces of coffee kit – the siphon pot. Kenneth and Katie start the episode by answering some of their listeners' questions before discussing why siphon pots are growing in popularity and how to get the most out of using one. KEY TAKEAWAYS Coffee is a social beverage. The more you enhance the coffee making process, the more you improv...
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Percolator Coffee - Can it Be Good?

October 18, 2023 • 41 mins
In this episode, Kenneth once again sits down with, Jay Reed, the co-host of the Vittles and Vitals and Guys of a Certain Age podcasts. Today, they are talking about percolator coffee. Kenneth and Jay share the fascinating history of this way of making coffee, as well as explaining how to easily make a great cup of coffee using a percolator. KEY TAKEAWAYS Percolator coffee gets a bad rap….which it definitely does not deserve. ...
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Cowboy Coffee - How to Do It The Right Way

October 11, 2023 • 28 mins
In this episode, Kenneth is once again joined by the very popular Stefan Tribble to talk about making cowboy coffee. If you want to know how to enjoy the perfect coffee even when camping, this light-hearted, funny but very informative episode is definitely for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Traditional cowboy coffee is water and ground coffee made in a pot, without a filter. It is better to get the water up to temperature and bring it off ...
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Top 10 Things That Make a Great Cup of Coffee - Part 2

October 4, 2023 • 17 mins
In this episode, part 2 of Kenneth´s series that looks at the top 10 things that contribute to making a great cup of coffee, he shares the 5 most important factors. If you want to know how to make the best coffee for you, your family or customers, this episode is essential listening. KEY TAKEAWAYS The roast is vital. Start by trying those produced by competition-winning roasters. Grind your own. In the episode, Kenneth shares t...
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Top 10 Things That Make A Great Cup of Coffee - Part 1

September 27, 2023 • 15 mins
In this episode, Kenneth takes a look at the top 10 things that contribute to making a great cup of coffee. This is the first of the two-part series in which Kenneth shares items 10 to 6, for the next episode it will be 5 to 1 that he covers. KEY TAKEAWAYS Temperature has a significant impact on how much flavor you extract, which is why it is on Kenneth´s list. Grind size is especially important when you are doing a pour-over. ...
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Frozen Coffee Concentrate

September 20, 2023 • 31 mins
In this episode, Kenneth once again sits down to speak with his very popular guest Stefan Tribble. This time it is the pros and cons of frozen coffee concentrate that they are here to discuss - including sharing the results of the experiments that they have recently carried out using Comeeter´s frozen coffee concentrate, which at the time of recording was the only large company offering this product across the US. KEY TAKEAWAYS  ...
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Steeped Coffee With Josh Wilbur

September 12, 2023 • 55 mins
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Josh Wilbur of Steeped Coffee to discuss using a single-serving coffee bag and boiled water to make a great-tasting cup. Josh explains what inspired him to create this incredibly easy, convenient, and consistent way of brewing. Josh and Kenneth also discuss the ethos behind Steeped Coffee and their work to support growers, roasters, and others working in the industry as well as the environme...
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The Reality of Instant Coffee With Stefan Tribble

September 6, 2023 • 33 mins
Kenneth is once again joined by Stefan Tribble to discuss instant coffee. A drink that many coffee fans and connoisseurs dismiss as tasting awful. In reality, instant coffee has come a long way, it can taste quite good, provided you choose the brand carefully and make it in the right way. All of which Kenneth and Stefan cover in this episode, as well as sharing details of its history. KEY TAKEAWAYS Instant coffee has gotten a ba...
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Japanese Flash Brew - A Great Way to Brew Coffee

August 30, 2023 • 42 mins
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Marc Marquez, Director of Coffee at Savor Brands, to talk about a highly innovative way of making fresh, chilled coffees – Japanese Flash Brew. They discuss why it tastes so different, ratios, the brewing technique, and share their recipes. Marc also provides an insight into the impact the wildfires in Hawai‘i have had on the coffee growers and processors there.  KEY TAKEAWAYS  Japanese f...
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Nespresso - The Fancier European Version of K-Cup

August 23, 2023 • 57 mins
In this episode, Kenneth is once again joined by his coffee friend, Jay Reed, who is also the co-host of the Vittles and Vitals and Guys of a Certain Age podcasts and the owner of the popular eatsoneate food & drink blog. Last week´s episode was all about the popular K-cup coffee pods. This week, it is the turn of the European-based Nespresso pod system. They look at the differences, share their experience with the system, conside...
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K cups - Everything You Need To Know

August 16, 2023 • 53 mins
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with one of his good coffee friends, Jay Reed, the co-host of the Vittles and Vitals and Guys of a Certain Age podcasts. Jay is also a pharmacist and the owner of the 'Eats One Ate' blog - eatsoneate.com. Today, they are taking an in-depth look at K-cups. Most days, Jay uses his Keurig or Nespresso, both of which he has at home, so he is in a good position to talk about this way of making coffee....
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The Clever Dripper - A Great Way to Make Coffee

August 9, 2023 • 49 mins
In this episode, Kenneth is joined by Josh Hockin - Head of Coffee at Eight Ounce Coffee out of Canada, who import and sale specialty coffee gear across North America, and beyond. They sit down to discuss one of the most innovative brewing tools there is – The Clever Dripper. Kenneth and Josh share how they use it. They include some tips and tricks you can use to make a consistently good cup of coffee and do so without things getti...
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Master Your French Press With @daddygotcoffee

August 2, 2023 • 61 mins
In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Justin Piercy from @daddygotcoffee to talk about the French Press. It's a brewer which is not hard to master, but there are a few things you need to know to get the best out of one. It is those insider tips and tricks that Kenneth and Justin share with you in this episode, while also busting some of those myths.Justin also talks about the benefits of Direct trade coffee sourcing. He also expl...
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