Progress Projects 2024

Each year, Cafe Imports is committed to donating 1% of global net profits to community-oriented causes. Whether it’s a cafe opening their doors to provide hospitality training and a safe space, critical healthcare for those that need it, food and shelter for the most vulnerable, supporting native and Indigenous leadership, or simply taking care of our woodland friends, learn more about the amazing organizations our team has been able to show support for this year.

FUDAM: An Association Founded on Sustainability

A group of seven producers formed FUDAM in 2000 to protect and spread environmentally conscious farming. Learn more about the association’s history and work with two new videos interviewing founding member Raquel Lasso Muñoz.

Common Sensory Errors – Adaptation

In sensory analysis, common physiological and psychological sensory errors should be accounted for when designing cupping protocols. Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis, is diving into the research around these common sensory errors and explaining how we can control for them. Check out the second article of the series here.

Echoes of Coffee: Alto San Juan Micromill

In this episode of Echoes of Coffee, we journey into the world of Diego Abarca Quiros, a passionate fourth-generation coffee farmer, and his extraordinary work at the Alto San Juan Micromill. Diego inherited his love for coffee and three hectares of land from his father. Today, his dream is a vibrant reality, and he shares his story of perseverance, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence. Learn more about his story here.

Podcast: Keys to the Shop with Ian Fretheim

If you’re always absorbing the latest podcasts on coffee news and happenings, then we’ve got a new one for you. Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis, was recently on Keys to the Shop to discuss the Coffee Rose and the importance of context, transparency, and accessibility in sensory analysis. If you’re a Coffee Rose user, Coffee Rose curious, or just want to learn more about coffee evaluation, check this one out.

ed+u Class 2 – coffee is: agriculture

Join us for the launch of our brand-new ed+u class, coffee is: agriculture, part 2 of a six-part series that examines the industry in broad strokes. This class is all about coffee as an agricultural product, diving into the tasks of coffee production. Coming July 8th.

A Special Congratulations to Andrew on his Sprudge Twenty Nomination

We’re excited to congratulate Andrew on his nomination into The Sprudge Twenty Class of 2024. Each year, Sprudge and Pacific Barista Series recognize those in the industry who helped build the coffee culture of the 21st century. We’re proud to see Cafe Imports founder Andrew Miller made the shortlist.

World of Coffee Copenhagen Roundup

Find us on the World of Coffee show floor in Copenhagen June 27-29. We’ll be brewing alongside our friends from several guest roasters, holding a cupping, and hosting a happy hour. Check out our full schedule of events here. It’s sure to be a busy and fun weekend!

Watch our latest webinar, Meet the Coffee Rose

Check out our recent Coffee Rose webinar! Hear from our own Ian Fretheim (Director of Sensory Analysis and lead creator of the Coffee Rose) as he dives into the motivation behind the Rose, how it was created, and, of course, shows you how to use it for your own cuppings.

Genesis Coffee Sourcing of Huila, Colombia

Two years ago, Genesis Coffee Sourcing was founded by a coalition of professional cuppers and producers to support producers and associations in three towns: Asociación Los Naranjos in San Agustín, Asociación Primaveral in Acevedo, and a collective of producers in Tarqui. The founders recognized the importance of collective bargaining amidst rising uncertainty and competition after the pandemic. Huila producers needed more oversight of their coffee’s commercialization, and Genesis would create the infrastructure to do so. Genesis developed a company plan, communicated it to the area’s producers, and presented it to Cafe Imports – a plan that would improve the buying we’ve been doing in this area for years. Read more about the history and goals of Genesis here.

A Look at Today’s Coffee Market

Uncertainty in the coffee market is a familiar territory, especially after the past few years of an inverted landscape. However, recent concerns over C-Market prices have sparked many questions and conversations among our team and customers. Arabica prices have rallied to the highest we have seen in just over two years, and we would like to provide some insight into what might be happening in the market. Read on to learn more about the current market from Cafe Imports’s position analyst Shannon Elder.

Meet The Coffee Rose

Last year, we announced the Coffee Rose after three years of designing, developing, and testing it extensively in our sensory labs. Since then, we’ve used The Rose to evaluate every single coffee sample brewed on our lab’s tables, fine-tuning its functionalities, and eager to release it to you.

The Cafe Imports Sensory Team recently released a public version of the Coffee Rose. This release is free to use, optimized for mobile, and easy to learn. It places the Cafe Imports’ coffee language and cupping methodology right in your hands. We hope you take The Coffee Rose and run with it – cup coffees, test its function and features, and then provide us with your invaluable feedback.

SCA Expo 2024 Roundup

SCA Expo 2024 is right around the corner! Check out our round up of all the happenings at our booth and around Chicago. We can’t wait to see you there!

Introducing India, Bolivia, & Flores Origin Pages

As we continue to add exciting new coffees to our offering list, we believe it is equally important to bolster the digital resources we have supporting the countries we source on the ground in. We recently added origin pages for Bolivia, India, and Flores to our site.