For a little over three months in 2025, Brazilian coffee arriving in the United States paid a 50% tariff. Brazil is the biggest single supplier of coffee to the US, and the US grows almost none of its own; Hawaii and Puerto Rico produce a tiny fraction of what Americans drink. So the tariff landed on the price of a cup. Here's what happened, and where things stand now. The … [Read more...] about US Tariffs on Brazilian Coffee: What the 50% Duty Did to Prices Before Coffee Was Exempted
Coffee Break
Brazil’s Coffee Crop in 2026: A Record 67.6 Million Bags From an On-Year Harvest
Brazil grows more coffee than any other country, and this year it grew more than ever. In its September survey, Brazil's crop agency, Conab, put the 2026 harvest at a record 67.6 million 60-kilo bags, up 19.6% on 2025. Arabica did the heavy lifting, up 34.8% to 48.2 million bags, about 70% of the total. Conilon, Brazil's name for robusta, fell 6.6% to 19.4 million … [Read more...] about Brazil’s Coffee Crop in 2026: A Record 67.6 Million Bags From an On-Year Harvest
Milk Pitcher Size for a Cortado: A 12 oz Jug Beats a 20 oz One for Small Drinks
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Most espresso machines come with a milk pitcher, and it's usually the wrong one for a cortado. It's often a 20 oz jug, built for lattes. A cortado needs about 60 ml of milk. Pour that into a big pitcher and it barely covers the bottom. The steam wand tip can't stay under the surface, and you get loud, bubbly, dry foam … [Read more...] about Milk Pitcher Size for a Cortado: A 12 oz Jug Beats a 20 oz One for Small Drinks
Rancilio Silvia Pro X vs Lelit MaraX3: Dual Boiler or Heat Exchanger at Around $2,000
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. At around $2,000, two well-known Italian home machines take different routes to the same goal: good espresso and strong steam at the same time. The Rancilio Silvia Pro X is a dual boiler. The Lelit MaraX3 is a heat exchanger with some clever temperature control. Here's how they compare, built from the makers' specs and US … [Read more...] about Rancilio Silvia Pro X vs Lelit MaraX3: Dual Boiler or Heat Exchanger at Around $2,000
DF64 Single-Dose Grinder: 64mm Flat Burrs and Near-Zero Retention for Under $400
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. A few years ago, flat-burr single-dose grinders were expensive and rare. The DF64 changed that. Made by G-iota and sold in the US under the Turin brand, it put 64mm flat burrs on the counter for well under $400, and it became one of the most talked-about home grinders around. What Single Dosing Means A normal grinder … [Read more...] about DF64 Single-Dose Grinder: 64mm Flat Burrs and Near-Zero Retention for Under $400
Gibraltar Coffee: San Francisco’s Cortado, Named After a 4.5-Ounce Glass
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. A Gibraltar is a double shot of espresso topped with warm, lightly steamed milk and served in one particular glass: the Libbey Gibraltar, a small, heavy-bottomed rocks tumbler that holds 4.5 ounces, about 130 ml. The name comes from the glass. Serve the same drink in a ceramic cup and most baristas would call it a … [Read more...] about Gibraltar Coffee: San Francisco’s Cortado, Named After a 4.5-Ounce Glass
Liberica and Excelsa: Why the Coffee Species That Failed a Century Ago Is Back
Almost all the world's coffee is arabica or robusta. A third species, Coffea liberica, makes up less than 1.5% of commercial production. It had its chance in the late 1800s and lost. Now researchers and roasters are looking at it again, mostly at one of its forms, excelsa. A Big Tree With Big Beans Liberica is native to western and central Africa, from Liberia to Uganda and … [Read more...] about Liberica and Excelsa: Why the Coffee Species That Failed a Century Ago Is Back
Rancilio Silvia V6: A Single-Boiler Machine With No PID That Still Teaches Home Espresso Best
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Rancilio Silvia looks almost old-fashioned next to newer machines. No screen. No temperature setting. No pre-infusion. It costs about $1,000 in the US, and it's still one of the machines enthusiasts recommend most often to people who want to learn espresso properly. Clive Coffee calls it the best introduction to home … [Read more...] about Rancilio Silvia V6: A Single-Boiler Machine With No PID That Still Teaches Home Espresso Best
Why Your Espresso Comes With a Glass of Water or a Biscuit
In a Naples bar the glass of water often lands on the counter before the coffee does. In a Brussels café the extra is a biscuit in a red wrapper, sitting next to your cup. Neither one costs you anything, and neither one is an accident. What comes with a coffee is one of those small things that tells you where you are. Some of these extras are old habits of hospitality. Others … [Read more...] about Why Your Espresso Comes With a Glass of Water or a Biscuit
Buenos Aires Cortado: Argentina’s Most Ordered Coffee and the Lágrima That Reverses It
In Buenos Aires the cortado is the default coffee. It's the most common order in Argentine cafés, the one you'll hear from the next table again and again, and it comes as a small cup of espresso cut with steamed milk and often a little foam. How much milk depends on the café. Some pour a splash, others nearly as much milk as coffee. How to Order One Start with size. A plain … [Read more...] about Buenos Aires Cortado: Argentina’s Most Ordered Coffee and the Lágrima That Reverses It