Shows / IT’S JUST COFFEE!
IT’S JUST COFFEE!
Whether you’re a world barista champion brewing a $150 rare coffee from the hills of Panama, or you’re stirring a spoon of instant coffee in boiling water, at the end of the day, It’s Just Coffee! It’s Just Coffee! is a podcast for all those coffee lovers out there and we're endeavouring on a journey to find the perfect cup. Not only will we be talking to the world’s best coffee makers and roasters, we’re going to be talking to athletes, comedians, celebrities and anyone that just loves a great…
Episodes
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Does Mineral Fermentation Actually Taste Different? (Blind Test) | COFFEE BREAK!
This week, we’re exploring whether using mineral-adjusted water during fermentation can influence coffee flavour. Now we’re at Toby’s Estate in Fitzroy, where…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Fermenting Coffee With Minerals: Does It Actually Work? | TOBY’S ESTATE
How do decisions made on the farm show up in the cup? Today we’re joined by Nicholas Rae, Head of Coffee at Toby’s Estate, who has been working to answer that…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!China Just Won Its First World Barista Championship | COFFEE BREAK!
History in Panama. Pan Wei has taken out the 2026 World Barista Championship, the first ever win for China, and Acaia’s Susie Kealy was on the floor for all of…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Why Every Cafe Looks the Same (And How to Fix Yours) | Cosimo Libardo, Ceado
Good coffee isn't a point of difference anymore. It's the price of entry. Joining us to unpack what comes next is Cosimo Libardo. We trace Cosimo's path from…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Is 17 cafes too many? | Axil's DAVE MAKIN!
Does a second café really double your money? And what about the seventeenth? Following his Main episode, Dave Makin of Axil Coffee Roasters sits back down with…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!WBC Panama - The Contenders & Predictions | w Axil’s DAVE MAKIN!
Get excited, the World Barista Championship is almost upon us! And joining us to discuss the upcoming event is Founder and Managing Director of Axil Coffee…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!What Makes a Great Café in 2026? | COFFEE BREAK!
Can a faster coffee machine make your café feel more human? Following their deep dive into matcha, Rohan and Jai Lott sit back down for a Coffee Break on where…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Can Matcha Save the Australian Café? | JAI LOTT!
Jai Lott was the man behind iconic US coffee brands Bluestone Lane and Blank Street. Now he’s changed course, moving back home to Australia to start a matcha…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Roasting Advice That Actually Changes Your Coffee | COFFEE BREAK!
What actually helps you become a better coffee roaster? We asked experienced people across the coffee world for the one skill, tool or habit that made the…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!An Astrophysicist Explains Your Coffee Grinder | JONATHAN GAGNÉ!
Do bigger burrs make better coffee? Are flat burrs cleaner than conical burrs? And why can two grinds that look the same brew completely differently?…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Our Coffee Highlights of 2026 | International Coffee Day
In the past year of coffee: What are our favourite coffees, cafes, podcast episodes, and coffee culture moments? We also unpack our mixed experiences with…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Book Every Café Owner Should Read Before Expanding | COLIN HARMON!
What do you know about growing a coffee business? Not much? Well Colin Harmon knows a bit, in fact he’s written another book about it! The 3fe Founder shares a…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!James Hoffmann’s Cappuccino Index - Is Australia Really Winning? | COFFEE BREAK!
An Australian barista can earn enough for a cappuccino in about 10 minutes. In India, James Hoffmann’s Cappuccino Index puts it at nearly three hours. But what…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Why a Busy Café Can Still Lose Money | ERICA ESCALANTE!
A queue out the door doesn’t mean there’s money in the bank. Café consultant Erica Escalante joins Rohan and Ben to unpack why busy cafés can still struggle to…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!How a World Barista Champion Prepares Milk for Coffee | 3 Methods with ANTHONY DOUGLAS!
What if the secret to a better milk coffee was changing the milk itself? World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas is back to show us how freezing, freeze-drying…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!World Champ Anthony Douglas, Won't Call his Bar a Cafe | HOMEBODY UNION!
No matcha. No hot chocolate. No signature drinks. So what happens when a World Barista Champion opens a space entirely dedicated to coffee? Anthony Douglas is…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Thurman Wise Takes On Coffee in Good Spirits | COFFEE BREAK!
In our latest episode, bartender and beverage innovation specialist Thurman Wise taught us what coffee professionals can learn from the cocktail world. Now…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Bartender’s Guide to Better Coffee Drinks | THURMAN WISE!
Signature coffee drinks are everywhere. But are they actually balanced, or are cafés piling on syrups, foams, layers and garnishes until the coffee disappears?…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Are Cafes Still Our Third Place? | COFFEE BREAK!
re cafes still the place where community happens, or have laptops, rising costs and grab-and-go culture completely changed the role they play? Rohan Cooke and…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Italy Called the Police Over His €2 Espresso | FRANCESCO SANAPO!
Would you call the police over a €2 espresso? It actually happened to Francesco Sanapo. Francesco is a three-time Italian Barista Champion and the co-founder…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Deep-diving Gen Z Coffee Culture | COFFEE BREAK!
We discuss if Gen Z is actually ‘too anxious’ for cafés, why matcha and iced signatures are exploding, and how specialty shops can embrace customisation…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Reimagining the Role of the Barista | ALICIA FENG!
Today we're joined by the incredible Alicia Feng. She owns Calēre in Fitzroy, co-founded Chiaki in Collingwood, which just won Age Good Food Guide's Cafe of…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Hidden Levers Every Cafe Owner Should Know | COFFEE BREAK!
Why does one cafe boom while another goes bust? We asked some of the top cafe operators (Hugh Kelly, Beta Coffee, Onyx Coffee Lab, and Carlos Escobar) to…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Is It Even Specialty Coffee Anymore? | ROHAN COOKE & BEN BICKNELL!
What actually makes coffee “specialty”? Is it an 80+ cup score? A traceable farm? The flavour, the barista, the ethics, the hospitality, or is it all just…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Your Cafe Has More to Sell | COFFEE BREAK!
How can cafes generate additional revenue beyond selling coffee? We discuss leveraging existing assets like knowledge and physical space to offer products…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Ultrasonic Espresso - A New Way to Brew Coffee | FRANCISCO TRUJILLO!
Can you make espresso with room-temperature water and sound waves? Dr Francisco Trujillo and his team at UNSW have developed an entirely new brewing process…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Flat vs Conical Burrs - Which Grinder Is Right for You? | COFFEE BREAK!
Your grinder could be making a bigger difference to your coffee than you think. This week we are getting granular. Literally. We’re breaking down coffee…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!How Onyx Built the #1 Coffee Shop in the World | ANDREA ALLEN!
Onyx Coffee Lab was just voted the best coffee shop in the world! Not in New York, Copenhagen or Melbourne. In Arkansas. Andrea Allen and her husband Jon…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The World’s Best Barista Plays Espresso Smash or Pass | COFFEE BREAK!
Does better espresso require more gear, or just better puck prep? Reigning World Barista Champion Jack Simpson is back. This time, we’re skipping the…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Why Patricia Waited 15 Years to Open Café #2 | PATRICIA COFFEE!
For 15 years, Patricia Coffee has done less than almost everyone else and made it mean more. Standing room only. Black, white or filter. No sprawling menu, no…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Is Melbourne Coffee "Undrinkable"? | COFFEE BREAK!
Melbourne is famous for having some of the best coffee in the world - but is that reputation built on quality or just really good marketing? A fiery opinion…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Are Cafés Still a Good Business in 2026? | DAN DICK!
Why has Dan Dick stepped back from the cafe industry? After over a decade of operating successful Melbourne venues Nigel and then PaperBoy, Dan has called it…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!What the World’s Best Brewers Are Doing Differently | COFFEE BREAK!
Fresh from the 2026 World Brewers Cup in Brussels, Ben breaks down the coffees, brewers and techniques used by the competition’s top six finalists. We look at…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The World’s Best Coffee Roaster Says Ultra-Light Roasts Are a Flex | BENJAMIN BRASSART!
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…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!How To Taste Espresso Like A WBC Judge | COFFEE BREAK!
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…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The 2nd Best Brewer in the World Says You’re Extracting Too Much | SIMON GAUTHERIN & CARLOS ESCOBAR!
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…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Crema Debate: Does Your Coffee Taste Better Without It? | COFFEE BREAK!
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…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!World Barista Champion Explains the Perfect Espresso | RAUL RODAS!
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…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The SCA Just Created a 'Master of Specialty Coffee' | COFFEE BREAK!
Specialty coffee has a new title … Master of Specialty Coffee. The SCA has just announced a new accreditation for people at the very pointy end of the…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Make Filter Coffee Like a Champion | ELYSIA TAN!
With the 2026 World Brewers Cup just around the corner, we wanted to ask: What should we (the non-competitors and regular coffee people) be paying attention…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Taste-testing Viral Drink Recipes with a WBC Judge | COFFEE BREAK!
3 viral coffee recipes, 1 esteemed WBC Judge. Ben Bicknell put his well-honed sensory skills to the test, judging the “fridge cigarette", “Limoncello…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Coffee Science vs Coffee Myths | CHRIS H. HENDON!
Coffee people love science … but only when it agrees with them. In this episode, we sit down with Christopher H. Hendon, computational chemist, Associate…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!We React to North America’s Specialty Coffee Report | COFFEE BREAK!
For the first time, specialty coffee has overtaken traditional coffee consumption in the U.S. We unpack this year’s Specialty Coffee Report, including the key…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Testing James Hoffmann’s Insane Americano Recipe | COFFEE BREAK!
James Hoffmann claims that adding steamed water to your long black creates a better drink… so we put his theory to the test. In today’s Coffee Break we conduct…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Café Red Flags We Notice In The First 30 Seconds | COFFEE BREAK!
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That’s why we’re analysing the first 30 seconds of stepping into a cafe: What immediately sets the…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!What Great Coffee Education Actually Looks Like | w DYLAN SIEMENS of CAFE IMPORTS
Hey baristas… how much do you know about your coffee’s journey before it reaches the cafe? Not much? Dylan Siemens is here to change all that. Dylan Siemens is…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!What's Happening in Home Espresso Now | COFFEE BREAK!
More people are drinking coffee at home. For cafes, this doesn’t mean a loss of demand, but a shift in what consumers are demanding. Find out how your business…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!How to Build a Strong Company Culture in Coffee | EQUATOR COFFEES!
Equator Coffees has done something quite remarkable in the coffee space. 32 years in, and they remain steadfast in their values: Female-owned, B corp certified…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Coffee Is Changing, Whether You Like It or Not | COFFEE BREAK!
Ben’s back from San Francisco, Bangkok, Dubai, Thailand and chats about what he’s seeing: producing countries keeping the good stuff, new specialty hotspots…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Woman Who Defined Third-Wave Coffee | TRISH ROTHGEB!
You’ve heard the term “Third-Wave Coffee”... but did you know it was coined by our guest today, Trish Rothgeb! She’s the Founder of Wrecking Ball Coffee in San…
- IT’S JUST COFFEE!
The Global Coffee Price is a Lie | Kenneth Barigye, Ugandan Agribusiness Expert
Kenneth Barigye is the Managing Director of Mountain Harvest Coffee, a business focused on supporting smallerholder farms across Uganda. In this episode he…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Thailand’s Specialty is Flavour! | w Former SCA President Noon Nutrada K
Thailand is redefining specialty coffee through short supply chains, hyper-competitive café culture, inventive signature drinks, and farmers who cup their own…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!What We ACTUALLY Thought About Melbourne’s Most Innovative Cafés | COFFEE BREAK!
Let’s recap! What do the 5 most innovative cafes in Melbourne have in common–(and what can you steal for your own cafe!?). From service experiences to bar…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Top 5 Most Innovative Cafes in Melbourne | CAFE TOUR!
From −85°C cups to the 15 second latte… We’ve found 5 cafes in Melbourne who are doing coffee differently! Join us as we cafe-hop between Aunty Pegs, Regulars…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Power of HR in Coffee | w Eric J. Grimm
Eric J. Grimm has spent years specialising in Human Resources in the coffee industry. He was kind enough to join us on the podcast and share his extensive…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!The Cafe with Intentionally Slow Service | w Gibrán Huerta of LONG PLAY!
Gibrán Huerta, otherwise known as ‘G’, is the owner of Long Play, a cafe and record bar located in San Diego. We spoke with him about his unique approach to…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!What Coffee Was Really Like in the 2000s | COFFEE BREAK!
The Y2K vs 2026 Barista | COFFEE BREAK! Working as a barista in the early 2000s looked different to barista jobs of today. From an influx of specialty coffee…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Finally, a Young Barista’s Point of View | EMILY MAKES COFFEE!
Being a barista in 2026 means more than dialling in espresso.Dialing in from Canada, we’re joined by seasoned barista first, social media personality second -…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Designing Coffee Gear People Actually Use | DOM SYMONS from Subminimal!
What does it actually take to turn a coffee idea into a real product?In this episode, we sit down with Dominic Symons, Founder of Subminimal and designer…
IT’S JUST COFFEE!Processing Coffee Like Beer?! | Edwin Noreña of CAMPO HERMOSO
Edwin Noreña is a fourth-generation farmer and coffee innovator, leading Finca Campo Hermoso in Colombia. The farm is known for its experimental coffees, with…