Knowledge Base
Coffee & Tea Guides
Brew better and explore more — buying guides, how-tos, and explainers for every coffee and tea ritual.
Explainer
What Is White Coffee? From Ipoh Kopi Putih to White Roast
White coffee is not one drink but several: the famous Ipoh style roasted with margarine, a barely-roasted white roast bean, a caffeine-free Lebanese infusion, and plain coffee with milk. Here is how to tell them apart.
Explainer
What Is the Coffea Plant? The Genus Behind Every Cup
Coffea is the tropical plant genus behind every coffee. Here is what the Coffea plant is, the three species that matter -- arabica, robusta and liberica -- and how it grows from blossom to cherry.
Explainer
What Is Sencha Green Tea? Japan's Everyday Green, Explained
Sencha is Japan's most popular green tea — a steamed, full-sun whole-leaf green with a fresh, grassy, umami-rich cup. Here is what it is, the asamushi and fukamushi styles, how it tastes, and how to brew it right.
Explainer
What Is Santos Coffee? Brazil's Classic Grade
Santos coffee, or "Brazil Santos," is a classic trade name for smooth, mild, nutty Brazilian arabica shipped through the port of Santos — a grade, not a variety. Here is what the name really means, where "Bourbon Santos" comes from, how it tastes, and how it is graded.
Explainer
What Is Sanka Coffee? The Original Decaf Brand
Sanka is a pioneering decaffeinated coffee brand whose name comes from the French sans cafeine — "without caffeine." Here's what Sanka coffee is, its history, the famous orange pot, and how the instant decaf is used today.
Explainer
What Is Robusta Coffee? The Bold, High-Caffeine Bean
Robusta coffee is made from Coffea canephora, the hardier coffee species: bolder, more bitter and nearly double the caffeine of arabica. Here is what robusta is, how it tastes, where it grows and why it powers espresso blends and instant coffee.
Explainer
What Is Popping Boba? Bursting Boba, Explained
Popping boba are juice-filled spheres with a thin skin that bursts with flavor the moment you bite them. Here is what they are, how spherification makes them, and how they differ from chewy tapioca pearls and clear crystal boba.
Explainer
What Is Pocket Coffee? Ferrero's Liquid Espresso Praline
Pocket Coffee is Ferrero's foil-wrapped Italian praline with a real liquid-espresso center — an espresso you eat in one bite. Here's what it is, how to eat it, and why it's a seasonal cool-weather treat.
Explainer
What Is Peppermint Tea? The Cool, Caffeine-Free Herbal Cup Explained
Peppermint tea is a caffeine-free herbal infusion of Mentha x piperita leaves. Here is what it is, how fresh, dried and bagged compare, and how to brew a bright, cool cup.
Explainer
What Is Peaberry Coffee? The Round Bean Explained
A peaberry is a single round coffee seed that forms when only one bean grows inside the cherry instead of two. Here is what it is, why it happens, how it roasts, and whether it really tastes better.
Explainer
What Is Nitro Cold Brew Coffee?
Nitro cold brew is cold brew infused with nitrogen and poured from a tap or can for a creamy, cascading, naturally sweet drink served black without ice. Here is how it works and how it compares with cold brew and iced coffee.
Explainer
What Is National Coffee Day? Date, Meaning, and How to Celebrate
National Coffee Day is an annual celebration of coffee, most often held on September 29, when cafes and brands mark the day with deals and free cups. Here's what it means, when it lands around the world, and how it differs from International Coffee Day.
Explainer
What Is Loose Leaf Tea? The Whole-Leaf Guide
Loose leaf tea is sold as whole, unbroken leaves that unfurl fully for a fuller, fresher, re-steepable cup. Here is what it is, the types you can buy loose, how it compares with tea bags, and the simple kit you need.
Explainer
What Is Italian Coffee? Espresso Culture Explained
Italian coffee is less a single drink than a culture built on espresso: the quick shot taken standing at the bar, cappuccino kept to the morning, and the moka pot at home. Here is how the drinks and the unwritten rules fit together.
Explainer
What Is Gourmet Coffee? What the Label Really Means
Gourmet coffee is a marketing label for better-tasting coffee, not a graded standard like specialty. Here is what the word really promises, and how to read past it on the bag.
Explainer
What Is Geisha Coffee? The Prized Gesha Variety
Geisha coffee (also spelled Gesha) is a prized arabica variety famous for a delicate, jasmine-and-bergamot, tea-like cup. Here is its Ethiopia-to-Panama origin story, why it is so rare, and how to spot the real thing.
Explainer
What Is French Roast Coffee? The Dark, Smoky Roast Explained
French roast is one of the darkest roast levels: very dark, oily beans with a bold, smoky, bittersweet flavour and almost no origin character. Here's what French roast coffee is, how it compares to Vienna and Italian roast, and how to brew it well.
Explainer
What Is Dark Roast Coffee? Flavor, Caffeine, and How to Brew It
Dark roast coffee is roasted longer and hotter for a bold, smoky, low-acid cup. Here's what it tastes like, the truth about its caffeine, where it shines, and how to brew it right.
Explainer
What Is Cremora Coffee Creamer?
Cremora is a shelf-stable powdered non-dairy coffee creamer, or "coffee whitener." Here is what it is made of, how to use it, and how it compares to milk and liquid creamers.
Explainer
What Is Cold Brew Concentrate?
Cold brew concentrate is a strong, undiluted cold brew made at a high coffee-to-water ratio and diluted before drinking. Here is what it is, how to dilute it, how to store it, and the best ways to use it.
Explainer
What Is Coffee Mix? 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 Instant Coffee Explained
A coffee mix is a pre-blended instant sachet — usually 3-in-1 (coffee, creamer and sugar) or 2-in-1 — that becomes a quick, ready-sweetened cup with just hot water. Here's what's in it, how to make it, and how it compares to plain instant and freshly brewed coffee.
Explainer
What Is Coffee Cupping?
Coffee cupping is how professionals taste and score coffee under identical conditions. Here is what actually happens at the cupping table, what gets scored, and how to try a simple cupping at home.
Explainer
What Is Cascara? Coffee Cherry Tea, Explained
Cascara is the dried skin and pulp of the coffee cherry, brewed into a sweet, fruity, tea-like drink. Here is what it tastes like, its caffeine, and how to brew it.
Explainer
What Is Cafe Crema? The Long Espresso Drink Explained
Cafe crema is a long, mild espresso drink of about 120 to 240 ml, pulled long in one pass and popular across the Alpine coffee world. Here is what it is, where the name comes from, and how it differs from an americano and a lungo.