The 2026 World Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Roasters Champions

✉️ This story was featured in this week’s Coffee News Club👋 Get the Coffee News Club newsletter in your inbox weekly—sign up. Last week, the finals of the World Brewers Cup, World Coffee in Good…
by Fionn Pooler | July 6, 2026

A Chinese Study Finds Fungus Can Take Coffee From Commodity- to Specialty-Grade

Scientists from the Kunming Institute of Botany isolated more than 650 fungal strains from five arabica cultivars grown in Yunnan—and found one that can improve coffee quality.
by Fionn Pooler | July 2, 2026

As Brazil Begins To Harvest a Record Crop, Farmers Are Holding Back Their Coffee

Brazil’s coffee harvest is in full swing. Analysts predict a record crop, with estimates ranging from 66 million 60kg bags to more than 75 million bags.
by Fionn Pooler | June 30, 2026

The 2026 US Barista Champion Has Been Named

The United States Barista Championship took place last weekend in Denver, Colorado. It was a stacked lineup: Eight of the competitors had competed in previous finals.
by Fionn Pooler | June 29, 2026

A New Single-Use Pod Claims To Reduce Waste. But Does It?

A new machine from Lavazza uses plastic-free tabs to make coffee. But is the machine actually more sustainable if you have to buy a new machine to use the tabs?
by Fionn Pooler | June 25, 2026

Deforestation Rules Could Hamper Small Farmers. A New Mapping Tool Can Help.

Last week, Fairtrade International launched a tool called Plot Insights that aims to help its members manage, analyze, and share geolocation data.
by Fionn Pooler | June 23, 2026

Researchers Figured Out You Can Use Sound Waves to Brew Espresso

A team of Australian researchers used ultrasonic soundwaves to brew espresso. They claim the it reduces energy consumption during brewing by 75%.
by Fionn Pooler | June 18, 2026

Twenty Years of the Coffee Barometer

Since 2006, the Coffee Barometer report has monitored and critiqued the coffee industry. After two decades, the latest edition asks: Has anything in coffee changed for the better?
by Fionn Pooler | June 17, 2026

New Report Points to Farmer Inequity, Value Extraction As Critical Coffee Issues

This year's Coffee Barometer report notes that despite a rise in corporate sustainability commitments, structural and systemic problems remain.
by Fionn Pooler | June 16, 2026

Caffeine Is Intolerably Bitter. Why Doesn’t It Ruin Coffee?

Most coffee contains between 1 and 1.5% caffeine, the chemical compound responsible for keeping us awake. This might seem obvious, but caffeine is very bitter. Some have described caffeine as tasting “alkaline,” “slightly soapy,”…
by Fionn Pooler | June 11, 2026