IT’S JUST COFFEE!

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

Benjamin Brassart has just been crowned the 2026 World Coffee Roasting Champion, becoming the first Belgian to win the title, on home soil and in his first appearance at the World Championships.

In this episode, Benjamin takes us behind the scenes of one of coffee’s least understood competitions. We unpack how competitors assess unfamiliar green coffees, build a three-coffee blend, create a roast plan and predict what judges will taste in the final cup.

We also explore what everyday roasters can take from competition, including how to identify vegetal, woody and baked flavours, why cupping is a roaster’s most important skill, and how different machines shape the final result.

Plus, Benjamin shares how he launched Boo Coffee Roasters, what it’s really like working on a fluid-bed roaster and why the perfect profile means nothing if you cannot taste what needs to change.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Roasting Championships
01:47 Meet Benjamin Brassart
05:14 Starting Boo Coffee
07:41 Fluid-Bed Roasting
10:50 How the Competition Works
14:17 APAX LAB
15:10 Skills Every Roaster Needs
19:35 Fixing Problem Coffees
20:44 Roasting Defects
24:20 Lessons from Competition
29:00 Are Ultra-Light Roasts Dead?
31:05 Building a Winning Blend
35:40 Advice for New Roasters
38:05 Roasting Automation
41:05 Riverina Fresh
41:45 Benjamin’s Hot Take
43:05 The Person Behind the Win

Find Benjamin here:
Instagram: @benj.brassat

Find Boo Coffee Roasters:
Instagram: @boocoffeeroasters
Website: boocoffeeroasters.com

APAX LAB:
@apaxlab
apaxlab.com

RIVERINA FRESH:
@riverinafresh
riverinafresh.com.au

Want more coffee content?

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linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, hot takes or guest suggestions.
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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
03:27 — Why Espresso Tasting Matters
09:01 — Quality vs Preference
13:07 — Building A Shared Coffee Language
20:21 — The WBC Espresso Scoresheet
24:16 — Flavour Notes vs Accuracy
28:28 — Body, Texture And Finish
30:44 — How Espresso Gets Scored
37:55 — Ben’s Espresso Tasting Framework
39:28 — Tasting Coffee One
47:53 — Tasting Coffee Two
54:06 — Tasting Coffee Three
59:56 — Tasting Coffee Four
1:06:06 — What The Scores Mean
1:10:21 — Using Feedback To Improve Coffee
1:14:56 — Final Takeaways

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 hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com 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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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
01:21 Coming Second
05:49 What Wins
11:45 Clarity
16:05 Competition Logistics
18:14 Café Clarity
29:38 APAX LAB
37:45 Brew Better
41:50 Riverina Fresh
44:03 Coffee Freshness
53:02 What’s Next
58:03 Underrated or Overrated
01:01:03 Hot Takes
01:07:19 Future of Brewers Cup

Find Simon here:@simon_gautherin

APAX LAB:

@apaxlab

https://apaxlab.com/

Find Carlos here:

@carlos.esco.bar

Differente Coffee:

@differentecoffee

Want more coffee content?
IT’S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch?
Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com 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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To crema or not to crema, that is the question. We run a taste-test to reveal the impact crema has on espresso’s taste, and you might be surprised by the results! Plus we explore tools designed to extract a ‘naked espresso’, like the crema separator and Squeaky’s ‘Esplorer Cup’. 

00:00 Should We Remove Crema?

01:25 The History of Crema

05:48 Stirring vs Removing Crema

08:31 Coffee Market Report

11:15 Taste Test: Does Removing Crema Improve Espresso?

16:13 The Verdict & Final Thoughts

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

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 hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by -  

Eco Barista: https://www.ecobarista.com.au/  

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ 

Thank you for listening, love ya! 

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This week we're joined by World Barista Champion Raul Rodas for a conversation about what actually makes great coffee! We chat about dialling in espresso, building your palate, why better equipment doesn't always mean better coffee, and the realities of coffee production today. Join us for a practical, thoughtful conversation packed with insights for baristas, coffee professionals, and anyone who wants to better understand what's in their cup.

00:00 Are We in the Golden Age of Coffee?

01:24 Meet Raul Rodas

02:13 How a World Champion Drinks Coffee

05:26 Winning the World Barista Championship

07:59 Lessons From a Career in Coffee

10:32 Why Isn't Espresso Better?

16:23 How to Dial In Coffee Better

23:06 Sponsor Break

24:08 Espresso Recipes & Brew Temperature

26:23 Building Better Sensory Skills

34:09 The Reality of Coffee Production

46:35 The Future of Coffee Careers

49:15 Promoting Coffee Origins

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!

Find Raul Here: https://www.instagram.com/raulitobarista/

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 hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by 

Eco Barista: https://www.ecobarista.com.au/  

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ 

Thanks for listening!

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