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Intelligence.
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Perspective.

Essays, analysis, and long-reads on coffee, technology, sourcing, and the future of the industry.

Featured

Technology5 min read · March 2026

The Machine That Knows Your Coffee

Introducing the Espretto Robot Barista & App

Introducing the Espretto Robot Barista — a precision kiosk with a 2.5m² footprint, a companion iOS/Android app, and an AI that prints any photo onto your coffee in twenty seconds. Always at least 30% below the high street.

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The Machine That Knows Your Coffee

All Articles

Technology3 min read

The 50-Second Cup

Why Speed and Quality Are No Longer a Trade-Off

For decades, the received wisdom in specialty coffee was simple: great espresso takes time, skill, and a human touch. That orthodoxy is being dismantled — one precisely calibrated extraction at a time.

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Sourcing3 min read

Direct Trade Is Broken

Here's How We're Fixing It

Walk into almost any specialty coffee shop in London and you will find the words 'direct trade' printed somewhere — on a chalkboard, a menu, a bag of beans. It has become the industry's most powerful marketing claim. It is also, in most cases, largely meaningless.

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Coffee Science4 min read

Arabica vs. Robusta

The Blend Wars That Shaped Modern Coffee

The history of espresso is, in large part, a history of a disagreement about beans. For most of the twentieth century, the question of whether to use Arabica, Robusta, or a blend of the two was not merely a matter of taste — it was a matter of economics, identity, and national pride.

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Technology3 min read

Latte Art Without a Barista

The AI Behind Your Morning Cup

A skilled barista takes years to master latte art. The ability to pour steamed milk into espresso and produce a rosette, a tulip, or a swan is a genuine craft skill — one that requires an understanding of milk texture, pour speed, and the fluid dynamics of a moving surface. It is also, increasingly, something a machine can do better.

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Origins4 min read

Four Origins, One Blend

A Journey Through the Farms Behind ORO No.01

Every cup of ORO No.01 begins in four different places, on four different continents, at four different altitudes. The blend is the result of a deliberate decision: that no single origin, however exceptional, can deliver the full range of characteristics that a great espresso requires.

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Industry4 min read

Why the Best Coffee Shops in London Are Getting Smaller

The Rise of the Micro-Format and What It Means for the Future of Coffee

There is a counterintuitive trend running through London's coffee scene. As the major chains continue to open large-format flagship stores, the most interesting — and often the most profitable — new coffee concepts are getting smaller. Much smaller.

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Brew Guide6 min read

The Best Brew Methods

From Espresso to Pour-Over — A Definitive Guide

There is no single best way to brew coffee. There is only the best way to brew the coffee you have, for the cup you want, with the equipment in front of you. What follows is an honest assessment of five methods that between them cover almost every scenario.

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Coffee Science4 min read

What is Volcano Coffee?

The Science, the Story, and Why Altitude Changes Everything

Grown in the shadow of active volcanoes, at altitudes above 1,500 metres, on soils enriched by centuries of eruption — volcano coffee is not a marketing term. It is a geological and agronomic reality that produces some of the most complex, mineral-rich coffee on earth.

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Private Collection8 min read

The Private Collection — Editions No.02 & No.03

Jamaican Blue Mountain & Panamanian Geisha. The World's Absolute Finest. April 20, 2026.

Two limited editions. Two extraordinary origins. ORO No.02 — Jamaican Blue Mountain. ORO No.03 — Panamanian Geisha. Available once. Join the waitlist for early access on April 20, 2026.

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Feature18 min read

The History of Coffee

From an Ethiopian Hillside to the World's Most Transformative Beverage

From an Ethiopian goat herder's chance discovery in 850 AD to the global obsession that fuels modern civilisation — the complete story of the world's most transformative beverage. Ten chapters. Ten images. One thousand years.

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Coffee Science5 min read

How Old Is Supermarket Coffee, Really?

The Hidden Truth About Freshness, Roast Dates, and Why It Matters

Many consumers assume the coffee they buy in supermarkets is relatively fresh. In reality, that's often not the case — and the difference is measurable in every cup.

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Industry4 min read

The Cracks in the Coffee Giant

And Why Espretto Is the Future

Starbucks is a labor-heavy, high-cost, slow-service model struggling in a fast, convenience-driven world. Here is what the numbers say — and why the future of coffee looks very different.

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Events3 min read

We're Exhibiting at World of Coffee Brussels 2026

Come and see the Espretto AI Robot Barista brew live — 25–27 June, Brussels Expo

For the first time in its history, World of Coffee comes to Belgium. We'll be on the show floor with the full Espretto AI Robot Barista kiosk — live demos, ORO No.01 tastings, and latte art printed to order. Here's everything you need to know.

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Competitive Analysis8 min read

The Machine That Wins Every Round

Why the Espretto Kiosk Outperforms Every Rival in the Coffee Industry

A forensic breakdown of why Espretto's AI-powered latte art printing kiosk with three serving hatches outperforms every other robot barista, high-street chain, and vending machine — with real data, sourced quotes, and a definitive comparison table.

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Espretto · Coffee Intelligence

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