Learning coffee in public.

Coffee is one of the most traded farm products on earth, and most of us know almost nothing about it. Why did a bag of grocery-store coffee jump by a third in a year? Who grew it, and what were they paid? Does a $25 bag actually taste better than a $9 one? We started Java Matters to find out, and to write it down as we go.

What we're not

We're not baristas, roasters or importers. We're enthusiasts. That means we cite our sources, say plainly when something is uncertain, and correct mistakes in the open. When a piece changes after publishing, we note it at the top.

What we cover

• The Business: prices, tariffs, climate, regulation and farmer incomes, explained for drinkers rather than traders.
• Origins: where coffee grows and how it got there, starting with the island that gave coffee its nickname.
• The Cup: practical, low-fuss ways to make better coffee at home.
• Notebook: short notes on what we're trying, reading and getting wrong.

Independence

Java Matters has no sponsors and sells nothing today. If that changes, every sponsored post and affiliate link will be clearly labeled, and sponsors will never review what we write.

Get in touch

Have a correction, a question you'd like answered, or a story we should look into? Reply to any newsletter and it comes straight to us.