EP 1070 Part 5 of 5 | Can Coffee Quality Ever Be Objective? (Ian Fretheim) Map It Forward
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Episode Description
This is Part 5 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports.
Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim have explored one of the coffee industry's most fundamental questions: What is quality coffee?
The series concludes with perhaps its most challenging discussion.
Can coffee quality ever be objective?
For decades, the specialty coffee industry has presented quality as though it can be measured, scored and compared objectively. But is that really what's happening? Or are we confusing objective measurement with subjective judgement?
Lee and Ian unpack the philosophical foundations behind sensory evaluation, discussing the difference between describing a coffee and evaluating it. They explore whether quality exists within the coffee itself or whether quality only exists once people decide what they value.
The conversation examines why standards are essential for consistency, while also recognising that every standard begins as a human decision. Ian explains how Cafe Imports approaches sensory analysis by separating the subjective process of creating standards from the objective process of assessing whether coffees meet those standards.
Together they explore why this distinction matters, not only for cupping, but for education, buying, communication and the future of coffee quality assessment.
As the series concludes, listeners are left with a deeper appreciation that coffee quality isn't becoming more confusing because the industry is failing. It's becoming more nuanced because coffee itself, and the people who produce, buy, roast and drink it, continue to evolve.
Whether you're a producer, importer, roaster, educator or café owner, this conversation offers a thoughtful framework for thinking differently about quality, standards and the future of specialty coffee.
Connect with Ian Fretheim here: