Opposites Extract: A Debate Podcast About Coffee

Opposites Extract: Episode 2 features a debate about the role of “Educating the Consumer” and features Amanda Byron, the director of coffee for Joe Coffee Company in New York City and Philadelphia. Question 1. Should baristas focus on educating guests about specialty coffee? Question 2. Should we be training baristas to be educators and communicators as much as we train them on things like brewers and extraction and customer service? Question 3. Should baristas regularly discuss the plight of the farmers as it regards café pricing structure? Question 4. Should baristas offer guests guidance about how to best enjoy their beverage experience? Amanda has been in the specialty coffee industry for longer than she’d like to remember, and was the first employee of Joe when the original West Village location opened in 2003. Follow Joe Coffee Company on Twitter @JoecoffeeNYC and Instagram @joecoffeecompany, and find them on Facebook.

In our pilot episode, Meister and Joe debate Wilbur and Curtis Co.'s director of communication and innovation, Brant Curtis, over the following questions: 1. Who brews better coffee, human or machine? 2. Ideally, should machines try to emulate human brewing styles, or should humans try to emulate brewers? 3. What is the single most important characteristic a coffeemaker (whether human or robot) should have? 4. Are design flaws easier to forgive in brewing equipment than poor technique is in a human barista? Brant Curtis is the director of communication and innovation at the multigenerational family company Wilbur Curtis Co., manufacturer of super-sturdy coffee and tea brewing equipment, and a longtime booster of specialty coffee. Track him down at any major coffee event and get him to brew you something delicious on one of the sleek Curtis Seraphim machines, or simply follow him on Twitter @brantcurtis.

Roaster Joe and Meister start this debate podcast about coffee debating whether they should have a debate podcast about coffee. Over coffee.