Part 5 of 5: Can coffee quality ever be objective? Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim conclude their series by exploring the relationship between standards, sensory evaluation and the human judgements that shape how quality is defined.
Read More
Part 4 of 5: Language doesn't simply describe coffee, it influences how coffee is bought, sold and valued. Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim explore why the evolution of coffee descriptors is changing the way the industry thinks about quality.
Read More
Part 3 of 5: What should quality education look like after the CVA? Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim explore whether today's sensory education is preparing people for real commercial environments, or simply producing more certificates.
Read More
Part 2 of 5: What does "specialty coffee" actually mean in 2026? Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim explore how the industry's defining term has evolved, and why its meaning may no longer be as clear as many people assume.
Read More
Part 1 of 5: How the coffee industry defines quality is becoming increasingly complex. In this opening episode, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim explore why different parts of the supply chain often require different definitions of quality, and why that matters more than ever.
Read More
This is the 5th of a five-part series featuring Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at US-based coffee importer, Cafe Imports, on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar.
In this series, Lee and Ian will explore the question, "What is Quality in the Coffee Industry?".
In this final episode of the series, Lee and Ian take a deep dive into the nuanced world of sensory science and specialty coffee.
This episode explores how science and technology influence coffee tasting, the role of human experience in sensory analysis, and the ethical implications in the coffee industry.
Lee shares her own background in sensory science and critiques the commercialization of sensory expert training.
The conversation also touches on the evolution of sensory machines and the importance of 'by humans, for humans' in maintaining the essence of specialty coffee.
Plus, insights on technology's limitations and potential in preserving human-centered coffee experiences. Don't miss this thoughtful conclusion to an engaging series!
Read More
This is the 4th of a five-part series featuring Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at US-based coffee importer, Cafe Imports, on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar.
In this series, Lee and Ian will explore the question, "What is Quality in the Coffee Industry?".
In this episode of the podcast series, Lee and Ian discuss the concept of quality in the coffee industry, emphasizing the challenges with defining 'distinctive attributes' and the limitations of the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) in resolving transparency issues.
Ian criticizes the CVA for potentially increasing opacity rather than clarity and argues that it fails to address fundamental issues around quality and cupping forms.
Tune in to understand why the industry might not benefit from the CVA and how true transparency can be achieved.
Read More
This is the 3rd of a five-part series featuring Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at US-based coffee importer, Cafe Imports, on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar.
In this series, Lee and Ian will explore the question, "What is Quality in the Coffee Industry?".
In this episode of the podcast series, Lee and Ian discuss the role of coffee competitions in the industry and their relationship to coffee quality.
They delve into the recent Best of Panama auction, where a coffee scored 98 points and sold for $30,200 per kilo.
The conversation touches on the impact of such high prices on the market, the potential for bias in judging, and the pros and cons of these competitions for producers and the industry at large.
They also explore whether the hype around competition-winning coffees detracts from broader industry issues, such as sustainable pricing for farmers.
Read More
This is the 2nd of a five-part series featuring Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at US-based coffee importer, Cafe Imports, on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar.
In this series, Lee and Ian will explore the question, "What is Quality in the Coffee Industry?".
In this episode of the podcast series, Lee and Ian deep into the concept of quality in the coffee industry.
They explore how quality is defined, the subjective versus objective nature of sensory science, and the implications for the coffee industry.
They also discuss the role of industry norms, quality standards, and the influence of human biases in sensory evaluation.
Join the conversation and discover why defining quality in coffee is more complex than it seems.
Read More
This is the first of a five-part series featuring Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at US-based coffee importer, Cafe Imports, on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Map It Forward Founder Lee Safar.
In this series, Lee and Ian will explore the question, "What is Quality in the Coffee Industry?".
In this episode of the series, Lee and Ian discuss the tools used to assess coffee quality, including cupping forms, gadgets, and the essential role of people.
Ian shares insights from his extensive experience at Cafe Imports and highlights the industry's broader issues of defining and measuring coffee quality.
This episode also covers a discussion about the current state and effectiveness of the Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) in the specialty coffee industry.
Ian critiques the CVA for being inadequate in its claims and emphasizes the distinction between specialty coffee professionals and food technologists.
Read More