The Coffee Show with Kirk Pearson
Episodes
Let's keep specialty coffee special
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This morning, World Barista Champion Jack Simpson took to Instagram, rebuking the idea of pre-batched espresso.The post came as a complete surprise to...
Human Tobasco: Coffee's Funniest Personality!
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James Coburn is the man behind one of the most hilarious coffee content creations currently going. You might know him as Human Tobasco, and after near...
Flat White Or F*ck Off! The Worlds Most Controversial Coffee Shop!
01 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Can you imagine going to a coffee shop and getting told to fuck off by the server? Well, that now exists thanks to a whimsical bunch of lads in the Un...
Football To Coffee: Life After Professional Football For Zac Smith
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Zac Smith is a former Aussie Rules player who played for both the Gold Coast Suns and Geelong Cats. In the final years of his football career, Zac beg...
Pre Batched Espresso: Destroying Coffee Or Hope For The Industry? With Hany Ezzat
15 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Project Zero 2.0 has opened which has captured attention globally. There are really only two camps of people on this, those who are open to new ideas ...
Lucia Solis: Beginners Guide To Coffee Processing
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lucia Solis is a fermentation and coffee processing specialist who is now based in Guatemala. Lucia is also hosts an award winning coffee podcast call...
Lucia Solis: Beginners Guide To Coffee Processing
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lucia Solis is a fermentation and coffee processing specialist who is now based in Guatemala. Lucia is also hosts an award winning coffee podcast call...
Christopher Feran: Post Harvest and Green Bean Specialist
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Feran is coffees is the author of coffees most detailed and forensic blog. Chris has many years of experience working as a post harvest an...
Smallbatch Founder Andrew Kelly: Why Ethical Sourcing Matters
25 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Though he would never own up to it, Andrew Kelly is one of the Four Horseman of Melbourne's specialty coffee industry. Andrew is the Founder of Sm...
How To Roast Coffee With Scott Rao
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Rao is the most recognised coffee roasting expert in the world. Through his consulting work he has helped countless coffee roasters to improve t...
Why Are Pokemon Cards Surging In Value Right Now?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
WARNING! This podcast has nothing to do with coffee. Pokemon is the most successful game/movie/merchandising franchise in the world by a long way, and...
Are We Making It Too Expensive To Compete In Coffee Competitions?
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The World Coffee Championships recently unveiled their new sponsors, with Ceado now being the grinder sponsor for the barista category and Option O fo...
Venezuela Crisis Could Be Catastrophic For Coffee!
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On the weekend US President Donald Trump and his administration captured Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela and his wife, sparking international outcry and ...
Furure Of Taste: Toby Weedon Of Oatly
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our recent tour of Europe, we touched down in Berlin to attend the launch of Oatly's 'Look Book' they formulated to help cafes and home...
The Prince That Was Promised: Gabrel Tan is Australia's Newest Barista Champion!
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The prophecy foretold that one day Gabrel Tan would become Australian Barista Champion, and alas! Here we are!! Gabrel Tan of Veneziano Coffee Roaster...
Pre Made Espresso Revolution Coming? With Matt Perger and Jeremy Challender of Barista Hustle.
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Perger and Jeremy Challender run Barista Hustle, an online coffee education provider that make comprehensive courses for people of any skill leve...
Washed Coffees Are Back Baby!!! With Alex Moore
30 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Moore is the runner up of the Australian Brewers Cup and staff member at Project Zero Coffee. Alex was trained by Kirk and overachieved in his fi...
Matt Winton and Sierra Yeo: Specialty Coffees Power Couple!
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Winton a World Brewers Cup Champion now residing in Switzerland. Sierra Yeo is a National Brewers Cup Champion (previously representing the UK) a...
Nicole Battefeld and Vladyslav Demonenko: Home AI Coffee Machines and Germanys #1 Coffee Shop
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nicole Battcefeld is Germany's most awarded barista with multiple national championships to her name. These days she works as a consultant to Nunc...
Pitch Of The Century: How Paul Ross Sealed The Deal To Open Special Guests Coffee in London
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Ross is a UK barista champion and founder of Special Guests Coffee in London.On our recent Euro tour, Kirk stopped by Special Guests Coffee and w...
Most famous coffee bar on the planet, how did they do it? Patricia Founders Bowen Holden and Pip Heath
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you ask most coffee professionals: What is the most famous specialty coffee place in the world? Most of them will answer Patricia Coffee Brewers in...
Noma, Worlds Best Restaurant, Opens A Cafe! With Carolyne Lane
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As part of our recent tour or Europe, Kirk stopped by Copenhagen where he discovered that the #1 Restaurant in the world has opened a coffee bar! Kirk...
Don Jose and Sofia Luttrell: The Father-Daughter Dream Team
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jose Luttrell (or Don Jose as Kirk likes to call him) is the Patriarch of the Luttrell Family that owns Panamanian coffee farm 'Abu Coffee.' Sofia Lut...
Jack Simpson Wins World Barista Championship
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Simpson of Australia has won the World Barista Championship. About an hour after his victory we sat down with Jack, his roaster Matt Crowley and...
Jamison Savage: World Barista Champion Coffee Producer
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jamison Savage is a Panamanian coffee grower who has produced coffee for multiple World Barista Champions. Jamison is unique in his approach with his ...
Chris Baca: 9 Years of Cat and Cloud. Good Company Culture Makes Life Easier for Everyone!
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Baca is one of the founders of Cat and Cloud Coffee in Santa Cruz, California. Chris is also a previous winner of the USA Barista Championships ...
James Hoffmann: How Coffee Shops Can Thrive In 2025
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Hoffmann is the most recognised face in all of coffee. From winning the World Barista Champioship, his detailed coffee videos and the World Atla...
How To Open A Cafe On A Shoestring Budget: Fabian Brito of Officer Coffee
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you want to open a cafe but don't think you have the money? This story is something you want to hear. Fabian Brito together with his business ...
The Key To Good Coffee? Good Water! Simon Gautherin and Nemo Pop (The Waterboys).
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Gautherin and Nemo Pop from Apax Labs are reshaping the way coffee is made world wide. Apax Labs make mineral concentrates to enhance the qualit...
Kat Melheim (Roaster Kat): How To Become A Coffee Roaster
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kat Melheim is a veteran coffee roaster who has developed a large online following for her roasting content. In this podcast Kirk and Kat go through h...
Julijan Markovic: Esmeralda Aftermath & Why You Shouldn't Start A Business In Coffee
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Julijan Markovic is the founder of Brew Methods in Melbourne Australia and is one of Australia's most talented coffee brewers of the last few year...
Morgan Drinks Coffee: Your Friendly Internet Barista!
31 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you introduce those who need no introduction? Like this: Morgan Eckroth is the most recognisable face in the coffee industry today! With nearly...
Dr Dean Miller & Pete Licata: Coffee Doesn't Ruin Your Sleep!
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Dean Miller is a sleep and circadian scientist based in Adelaide who studies sleep and works with high performance athletes advising them on sleep ...
Lucy Ward: Why Food Security Is Something The Coffee Industry Should Focus On
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy Ward is green coffee buyer for one of Australia's biggest and most influential coffee brands, ST ALI. Kirk and Lucy are former colleagues and...
Kirk's Take: This World Barista Championship Will Be The Most Competitive Ever
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The upcoming World Barista Championship will be the hardest ever to win! There are three returning baristas that are all former podium winners that ha...
Rachel Peterson: Producer Of The Worlds Greatest Coffee
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Peterson is one of the family members that own Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, which has a claim to being the most recognisable coffee farm in...
Australian Specialty Coffee Association: Dropping The Elitism In Coffee Competitions
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Todays guests Bruno, Jennifer and Emiline of the Australian Specialty Coffee Association discuss with Kirk their new change in approach to competition...
Best of Panama Reaction: The Most Expensive Coffee Of All Time!
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterdays auction shattered every record possible and was predicted almost to the dollar by Kirk. This is our reaction to what went down at the Best ...
Kirk's Take: I Think Esmeralda Will Sell For $30,000/kg, Here's Why:
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Best Of Panama Auction will take place and it is the most anticipated auction ever. Since the competition took place, the industry has b...
Lance Hedrick: Do Home Baristas Make Better Coffee Than Cafes?
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lance Hedrick is a respected coffee content creator with a massive Youtube and Instagram following. Lance is known for his long form breakdowns of equ...
David Flood and Sam Keck: He Brought a Knife to a Gun Fight, And Won!
27 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Keck is a co-founder of Commonfolk Coffee in Australia and helped build Zukukubora, a social enterprise in Uganda that's purpose is to empower...
Coffee Show Q&A #1
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kirk answers listeners questions sent in. What is the best cafe in the world? Who is in his Pokemon party at the moment? How to watch the UFC when you...
Mason Salisbury: How Tariffs Are Affecting US Coffee Businesses and Relentlessly Pursuing Quality
20 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mason Salisbury is the founder of Luminous Coffee operating out of Las Vegas Nevada. In this podcast Mason outlines the uncertainty of trade policy in...
Jack Simpson: Can He Win Finally Win The World Barista Championship?
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Simpson has won the Australian Barista Championship for the past three years. At the world level he has placed 3rd and 2nd in consecutive years a...
Rhys Woods: 10 Things You Should Know Before Opening A Cafe
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you thinking of opening a cafe or wanting improve your current one? Then this podcast is an excellent resource for you. Kirk is joined by Rhys Woo...
Aston Utan: Building The Indonesian Specialty Coffee Scene
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aston Utan is one of the founders of Common Grounds in Jakarta Indonesia. Common Grounds are hugely responsible for the development of the Indonesian ...
Kai Janson - Pana-drama! What Makes Coffee From Panama So Special?
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kai Janson is a world leading coffee producer from Panama operating Janson Family Estates. Coffee from the Janson family is internationally applauded ...
Mikael Jasin: World Barista Champion, Cafe Owner, Coffee Exporter
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mikael Jasin is the reigning World Barista Champion, cafe owner and coffee exporter. Mikael took the world by storm winning the World Barista Champion...
Boram Um: World Barista Champion, Coffee Producer, K-Pop Star?
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boram Um is the 2023 World Barista Champion, a coffee producer and contender for worlds most handsome barista! In this podcast Kirk and Boram discuss ...
Daryanto Witarsa: How Jakarta Cemented Itself As a Global Coffee City
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Daryanto Witarsa is a well known coffee entrepreneur in Indonesia who now works as high ranking government official overseeing food security. Hosting ...
Jay Kim: Why Hospitality Will Always Be The Secret Ingredient To Great Coffee!
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jay Kim is the co-founder of the UFO dripper and growing personality in the specialty coffee space. Jay's public profile has grown enormously in recen...
Savina Giachgia: Why Sustainability Is More Important Than Ever In Coffee
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Savina Giachgia is a runner up in the World Brewers Cup competition of 2023 and passionate advocate for sustainability in coffee. In this discussion K...
Jordy & Herru of Ombe Kofie
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jakarta's specialty coffee industry is booming! With more cafes opening than anyone can keep track of, Ombe Kofie has remained adored in a hyper compe...
Yoshua Tanu: Jago Coffee, The New Indonesian Coffee Start Up Taking Indonesia By Storm!
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yoshua Tanu is an icon in the Indonesian Coffee Industry. A former Indonesian Barista Champion and co founder of Common Grounds Coffee, he has founded...
Yannis Apostolopolous: Specialty Coffee Association CEO Explains Controversial Changes To Coffee Scoring System
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recently it was announced that the system coffee quality graders (Q graders) have been using to score coffees for decades will radically change, causi...
Hide Izaki: How a Coffee Legend Sees the Future of Consumerism and AI in Coffee
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hidenori Izaki — 2014 World Barista Champion and one of the most influential voices in specialty coffee — joins Kirk to explore the evolving lands...
Gabriel: How Daterra’s Product Development Director Sees the Coffee Drought in Brazil
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with Gabriel Agrelli, Product Development Director at Daterra Coffee, one of Brazil’s most innovative farms. Gabriel sh...
Carlos Escobar: My Dad Stopped Growing Coffee Because Farmers Have Been Undervalued for Too Long.
17 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deeply personal episode, Brewing Champion Carlos Escobar shares the story behind the cup — one rooted in sacrifice, injustice, and unshakabl...
Brydon Price: How the World Brewers Cup Head Judge Scores the Best in the World
11 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
World Brewers Cup Head JudgeEver wondered what it takes to impress the Head Judge of the World Brewers Cup? In this episode, we sit down with Brydon P...
Dave Makin: How Axil Coffee Built a Roasting Empire — Growth, Grit, and Lessons Learned
04 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Coffee Show with Kirk Pearson, we sit down with Dave Makin — founder of Axil Coffee Roasters, Australian Barista Champion, an...
Orlando Marzo: Lessons from the World’s Best Bartender for the Coffee Industry
27 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into the world of Orlando Marzo, the Italian-born, Melbourne-based mixologist who clinched the title of Diageo World Class G...
Osoi's Founder's Playbook For Creating A Viral Cafe In Melbourne
20 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build a café that captures the internet’s attention and the city’s heart?In this episode of The Coffee Show with Kirk, we si...
Ross Quail: Everything You Know About Big Coffee Might Be Wrong.
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the cupping table to global coffee competitions, our guest today has seen it all. Ross Quail isn’t just a name in the Australian coffee scene—...