We talk with Alec Roig, hardware development engineer at Artly Coffee, as he shares some insight on the company’s barista bot, Jarvis. BY EMILY JOY MENESES BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Daniel Lee of Artly Coffee Introducing a new barista to the team: Jarvis. First launched by Artly Coffee in 2021, Jarvis is a barista bot—an AI barista designed to craft a variety of café drinks by imitating human baristas. Jarvis can even mimic complex actions like pouring latte art. Joe Yang, winner of the 2023 U.S. Brewers Cup Championship and the 2024 U.S. Latte Art Championship, has since hopp ..read more

Discover how Ana Luiza Pellicer, COO of Mió coffee farm, is leading the charge in revolutionizing coffee farming through precision agriculture. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Mió In the heart of Brazil’s coffee country, nestled in Monte Santo de Minas, Ana Luiza Pellicer leads the charge as chief operating officer at the Mió coffee farm. With a family legacy spanning four generations in coffee production, Ana brings a deep-rooted passion for sustainability and innovation to the table. At Mió, a forward-thinking approach to farming is evident, as the farm s ..read more

Join us on a test drive of VSSL’s Java G25 grinder, where we assess its durability, engineering, and integration with other outdoor gear. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Vasileia Fanarioti After recently reviewing VSSL’s Nest Pour Over Kit, today we’re turning our focus to another exceptional addition in their outdoor coffee arsenal: the Java G25 coffee grinder. With a commitment to precision engineering and durability, VSSL is introducing the Java G25 for those seeking the perfect grind in any terrain. Let’s dive in and test it out! The Java G25’s conical b ..read more

We take a look at the classes, parties, show floor activities, and more at this year’s Expo from the service technician’s perspective. BY JON FERGUSON SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Scott Jones According to a recent Specialty Coffee Association communication, the Specialty Coffee Expo in Chicago, which took place April 12-14, had “more exhibitors, attendees, and events than ever before in our 30-year history.“ This came as no surprise after seeing the endless list of available activities, booths, and after-parties to attend during Expo. Whether you are a green ..read more

Busan is the main southern city of South Korea, a vibrant port where old traditions and new trends blend together beautifully. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti Busan is South Korea’s second most populous city, and the unofficial capital of the country’s southern region. Its name is familiar to K-pop lovers (thanks to its close association with the genre’s biggest band, BTS) and movie geeks (as the setting of the well-known Korean zombie film Train to Busan). Home to a vibrant specialty-coffee scene (most famously Momos and 2019 WBC Champ Joo Yeon), Busan’s s ..read more

We chat with coffee-service technician Hope Roberts about ways to improve communication for quick, worry-free outcomes when fixing coffee equipment. BY JON FERGUSON SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Photos courtesy of Hope Roberts As a writer with personal service technician field experience, I always find it refreshing to see other service techs out in the field with solutions to the day-to-day challenges that come with communicating with your customers effectively. And whether you are the service tech or the shop owner, it is helpful to have both parties on the same page and mental headspace ..read more

Tokyo offers some unique and exciting coffee experiences, including the exclusive coffee omakase at Cokuun, which I had the pleasure of attending. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti When making note of all the cafés I wanted to visit in Tokyo, one place jumped to the top of my bucket list: Cokuun and its renowned coffee omakase. Cokuun is accessible only by reservation, with a secret location revealed only once the reservation is confirmed, and a maximum capacity of four people per experience. It was a mystery I wanted to explore. The entrance to Cokuun, which ..read more

The 2024 Amsterdam Coffee Festival, the festival’s ninth edition, featured scores of exhibitors, exciting new products, and much more. BY THOMAS WENSMA SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Coffee Ventures Europe The highly anticipated ninth edition of the Amsterdam Coffee Festival, held April 4-6 at Amsterdam’s cultural district Westergas, was a not-to-be-missed event. The festival brought together many coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals with different exhibitors, such as Slayer, La Marzocco, aillio, and Oatly. “This year, we had 10,380 visitors joining us at the W ..read more

We review the VSSL Nest Pour Over Kit, assessing its durability, convenience, and the quality of coffee it produces. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of VSSL and Vasileia Fanarioti Nestled in the wilderness of Northern Canada, VSSL has earned a reputation for crafting meticulously organized sets of outdoor gear, each seamlessly integrated into a single, durable, and compact unit. From essential supplies to compact storage solutions, VSSL’s offerings are designed to withstand the rigors of outdoor exploration while providing unparalleled convenience and efficien ..read more

Featured photo: The Mahlkönig Modell 4 DSR, circa 1930 All photos courtesy of Mahlkönig SPONSORED POST In the vibrant city of Hamburg, Germany, in 1924, amidst the bustling energy of industrial progress, a legacy began. The port city, still among the busiest harbors for green coffee in the world—you can tell from the intoxicating scent of freshly brewed coffee in the air—was the birthplace of Stawert Mühlenbau GmbH & Co. KG, the foundation of what would become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of coffee grinders: Mahlkönig. From its inception, Mahlkönig was driven by a singular miss ..read more