A Table in the Corner of the Cafe is not the be-all, end-all source for all things coffee. I know it’s surprising, but it’s true. When it comes to coffee blogs, there are all sorts of resources out there that are very beneficial – some sites focus on coffee or cafe reviews, some focus on hardware reviews, some focus on industry news, and others focus on coffee culture.
But coffee is a vast subject and the Internet is an enormous place – isn’t there an easier way to find really great content without sifting through pages and pages of Google search results?
Below is a small collection of just some of my favorite coffee blogs that the Interwebs have to offer. I visit some of these sites on a daily basis, and I think that you should too.
“I graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2010 and, a mountain of debt later, I find myself working as a barista, as most artists do at some point in their lives. Working in coffee is a wonderful, awful, hilarious, frustrating, disgusting, rewarding, degrading, challenging and exhausting way to earn a living. For every moment you hate as a barista, there is a moment you love, that makes you want to brew coffee forever; for every polite and sweet old lady at the counter, there’s a middle-aged man on a cell phone, throwing his money on the counter at you.
“Life is a balancing act as a barista. Life’s a bottomless cup of coffee.
“Life’s a grind.”
“The Daniel of Arabica blog describes, communicates and extends my love of fine coffee. I developed a connoisseur’s affinity for coffee’s inherent possibilities while working for Peet’s Coffee & Tea. Throughout my time there, I never tired of the aroma of coffee – induced by any number of activities, from brewing to grinding, etc. – or of learning more about the beans themselves. I carried that love affair with me even after I left and shortly realized that the experience and education I received were only the beginning – an introduction to a wider world of coffee connoisseurship. From the processes involved in growing coffee beans, to those that bring them across the thousands of miles to the major ports of this country, to those involved in their preparation, I’ve remained fascinated by every aspect of their production and preparation. Daniel of Arabica gives me the opportunity to express my love of the bean and to occasionally communicate with people with the same affinity.”
“Dear Coffee, I Love You is where coffee, culture, creativity & design intersect. Love coffee, live well, give back & inspire others.”
“smdlr is a web-magazine in photo essay and blog post form documenting two coffee shops a month over a four-day period, and one roasting facility a month with a regular profile and one week dedicated to a new coffeetography™ photo slider and blog posts. Below, learn about the sections of smdlr and what you can expect each day of the week to introduce you to the coffee places and spaces that bring you community in and out of the cup.”
“The Coffee Adventures is my journey into the coffee world. I am just your average jane who has a serious addiction to coffee, but more so has a bigger love for the art, and the heart that is put into growing, processing, roasting, and anything else coffee related. With this site, I am bringing YOU along for the ride as I learn about coffee, its culture, roasting, and much more. More importantly, this isn’t just a blog about my journey into the coffee world, but a blog where you will be able to take out useful information to use in your coffee journey.”
“Welcome to Sprudge.com, your daily source of coffee news, rumor, innuendo and intrigue. Started in 2009 by longtime friends Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman, Sprudge seeks to be an ever-expanding clearinghouse of international coffee culture, a crossroads for the coffee-minded, and a rumpus room for coffee professionals and enthusiasts this world over.
“We want to be a part of your daily routine, your new favorite cafe conversation starter, something you can laugh about with your fellow baristas and erstwhile coffee comrades. We’re Sprudge.com – The World’s Most Trusted Coffee Tabloid.”
“This is where we collect and discuss the musings of critical importances, i.e.: bikes, whiskeys, single-digit bit gaming, erstwhile electronics, wholesome nearby eats, hyperspatial travel (travails), and, naturally, the coffees and the exquisite manipulations that we attempt to do upon them. Anything else, of course, will likely be analyzed and distributed forthwith, as well. Particularly, the pertinent advancements we’re making in the realms of Wormland, Fritz, and all future conquests and/or disturbing cataclysms which we’d certainly hope to sidestep, or sharpen to fit our insidiously tasty desires.”
“There’s much to be said about coming together over coffee. The Italians stay put for a while, there are no to-go cups there. They take that moment to enjoy, to chat with others, to sip. Even here in America, we meet for coffee to discuss our woes, our joys, our relationships — to share part of ourselves with others. In Ethiopia, they have a rich coffee ceremony in which they invite their neighbors, friends, and visitors to show their warm hospitality. To be invited into this ceremony evokes great honor and respect. A major part of their culture relies on this, and they take great care in the preparation. It is a universal way in which we connect. Through travel, I wish to explore this art and its various expressions, its ways in which it brings us pleasure and joy, its varieties and rituals. I wish to see the world through a coffee cup, a fresh perspective that can illuminate our commonalities and celebrate our differences. Coffee enthusiasts, coffee shop owners, travelers, eaters, drinkers — come follow me on this journey.”
“Coffee is everywhere, but great coffee is a rare combination of farmer, roaster, and barista each building on each other’s work in a transnational process fraught with potential for failure. When you taste great coffee, it’s the result of a chain of people doing their jobs with great skill and attention to detail. That’s unfortunately rare. My goal with this blog is to find the people making great coffee all around the world, and tell you how to get there, while sharing the experience.”
“Howdy. I’m Randy and I dig coffee. I love the flavors, the aromas, the whole experience. Even more than that, I love sharing this experience with others. Whether it’s here on the blog, in other social media outlets or face-to-face, I will talk about coffee all. day. long. And then most of the night. And then I’ll make you coffee willingly, without asking for a thing in return. It’s my pleasure.”
“A fine diversion for your Wednesday afternoon: Cappuccino Sandwich, ‘a daily documentation uploaded in real-time of the ubiquitous coffee-drinking/book-reading routine’ from Melbourne-based barista Amy May Stuart. Ms. Stuart – formerly of Melbourne’s St. Ali, now of Melbourne’s Auction Rooms – is quite the literary aesthete, with a voracious reading habit that includes authors like Tom Wolfe and David Foster Wallace, both certified points of obsession for the publishers of this website.
“This Tumblog is presented in never-ending scroll style, and features a contribution page called ‘Your Mate‘. Tweet to @capsandwich and send your contributions to cappuccinosandwichblog@gmail.com.” – Sprudge.com
“My name is James Hoffmann, and this is my personal blog about coffee. I am the World Barista Champion 2007, having won the UK Barista competition in both 2006 & 2007.
“I currently focused on Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and working with our wholesale clients on training, education and business development takes up much of my working day. However I still continue to be involved in various aspects the industry.”
“Hi, I’m Lisa!
“It all started with 2 passions: coffee and people.
“Coffee is a major part of my day so I knew it had to be a big part of other busy, creative and entrepreneurial people I would love to get to know more.
“I used my coffee obsession as a way to introduce myself to people who I admire.
“Quickly, Mugshot Monday’s word got out and now I am introduced to the most colorful people ever. Designers, writers, stylists, bloggers, comics, dancers, accountants — you name it, it’s been mugged.
“I’m happy to say that this website has been the liaison for job-searches, networks and even dating! (Wild, I know!) So feel free to introduce yourself, follow or Like any of my featured peep’s!”
“This site is about coffee, people, travels, and about the shared experiences that take place over a cup of coffee. In addition, you can check out coffee shops in your area, add your favorite cafes to our world map, learn about different coffee cultures all over the world, and even browse our own coffee shop on our site! We welcome you to our community of people who appreciate the smaller details in life and the connections we make over a simple cup of coffee.”
“I am here to write about a career in coffee, life after divorce in your 20′s, surviving myself and the general public, as well as living in the middle of a really good life, that happens to take place between the sky and the earth and, of course, always with an excellent cup of coffee.”
Alexandra Littlejohn is also the host of the podcast, Coffee Uncut – a podcast dedicated to the goings on of the specialty coffee industry and the musings of industry professionals.
“When he isn’t gallivanting between cities finding and reviewing the best cafes, Thomas spends his days in his Silverlake bungalow procrastinating and cursing the hot afternoon sun. As head writer of NeedCaffeine and Content Creator for Capacitr, Inc he takes on any writing assignment as a subject to be conquered. Find more of his musing through Twitter and Facebook.”
“Love coffee? Love Chicago? So do we.
“The idea of this site came about when I left the coffee industry to work at a corporate office and lost touch with all that was happening in the local shops. There was no good place to reference these events and I was confident that coffee lovers out there were wishing for the same thing I was.
“The coffee places that I follow and highlight here are often termed “third-wave” in the industry, but I like to think of them as people in specialty coffee who are still innovating and always learning new things. They often give back to their community, support local businesses, and focus highly on customer service.
“Some of these places are cafes who source from local roasters, others are only roasters, a few are roastery-cafes, and one serves as a coffee lab. These are the best of the best in Chicago.”
“The popular website Reddit has always been a favorite of ours. In July 2012, we discovered a comprehensive user generated guide of Chicago’s independent coffee shops. With the coffee shop guide in hand (er, Bookmark) we devised a plan to create an online home for Chicago’s coffee shop scene where we would feature informative blogs, on-site videos, directions and other helpful links. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive review of coffee available in Chicago, with the recognition that coffee becomes way better served outside of the corporate chains.
“Instead of writing a narrative and steering the content in one direction, we began visiting coffee shops (some new, others familiar) and spending time getting to know the baristas, owners and locals. With our visits captured on video, we were able to highlight common as well as unique themes throughout the shops. Our wish is that the coffee crazed citizens of Chicago find this website useful and informative. We encourage you to get out there and start exploring—you never know what you might find!”
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12 comments
Moses says:
May 15, 2012
Any coffee chatrooms?
Drew Moody says:
May 15, 2012
Ii don’t know about chat room, but I think there’s aforum. Meet Over Coffee maybe?
Moses says:
May 15, 2012
Are you referring to the facebook page?
Drew Moody says:
May 17, 2012
I found it – it’s actually called Over Coffee: http://over-coffee.com/
You should also look at http://coffeegeek.com!
Moses says:
May 18, 2012
Thanks, Drew!! Much appreciated.
Jessica says:
May 22, 2012
Hey Drew & Moses,
There is a forums section to Over Coffee, but I’ll be the first to admit it’s not the most user-friendly. We’re slowly working on site improvements. Moses, I saw you made an account there (yeahhh!) – you have a friend request from yours truly, but it likely went to your spam. Anyway, would love to hear ideas on what kind of forum you are looking for. Feel free to friend me on Over Coffee or facebook (Jessica Jaffe).
Drew – glad your site’s back up from yesterday! Looking good!
Moses says:
May 24, 2012
Thanks, Jessica. I surely do appreciate your response.
Friday Feature: An Open Letter to Josh Ozersky says:
Sep 28, 2012
[...] Other Great Coffee Blogs [...]
CoffeeLuver says:
Dec 17, 2012
Great list. I love all the coffee ‘equipment’ that DailyShotOfCoffee reviews.. and of course THIS blog! I will definitely take a look at some of the others suggested here. Thanks
dodávateľ kávy says:
Mar 26, 2013
Thanks for the great collection, some I know but most are new to me
Yuting says:
May 20, 2013
Great post! Only just began drinking coffee regularly, but can’t wait to read through the blogs!
Maverick says:
Jun 18, 2013
Nice list of coffee blogs, now I am following all of these.
I am a huge coffee fan, just can’t live without having it!
Blogging about coffee while having a coffee even makes it better.