IT’S JUST COFFEE!

Does better espresso require more gear, or just better puck prep?

Reigning World Barista Champion Jack Simpson is back. This time, we’re skipping the victory-lap interview and putting the world champ to work.

Jack reveals the most common mistake he sees baristas make, why distribution is king and how he dials in espresso by taste instead of blindly chasing the perfect shot time.

We break down coffee machines versus grinders, conical versus flat burrs and when freshly ground coffee from a café might actually beat using a bad grinder at home.

Then it’s espresso smash or pass.

Naked portafilters. RDT. WDT. Blind shakers. Puck screens. Spring-loaded tampers. Single dosing. Co-fermented coffee. Extract chilling. Jack rates the lot before walking us through his own puck-prep routine, including the vibrating table sitting in his house.

Plus, what coffee influencers get wrong, which World Barista Championship trends are coming to cafés and why coffee farmers shouldn’t be blamed for rising café prices.

If you want to make better espresso without buying every tool you see on the internet, this one’s for you.

COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered café reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Reigning World Barista Champion Jack Simpson01:39 The Biggest Espresso Mistake04:33 Coffee Grinder vs Espresso Machine06:45 Conical vs Flat Burr Grinders08:26 When Should You Upgrade Your Grinder?11:12 How to Dial In Espresso17:38 Coffee Market Report19:51 Espresso Gear Smash or Pass22:35 Jack Simpson’s Puck Prep24:58 RDT and Water-Damaged Grinders27:38 Coffee Influencers and Bad Advice31:30 WBC Trends Coming to Cafés33:16 Why Coffee Prices Are Rising34:44 Iced Coffee Trucks?

Find Jack Simpson here:

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jacksimpson32/

Axil Coffee Roasters:https://www.instagram.com/axilcoffeeroasters/

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Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, comments or hot takes.

Proudly sponsored by:

APAX LAB:https://apaxlab.com/

Riverina Fresh:https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

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For 15 years, Patricia Coffee has done less than almost everyone else and made it mean more.

Standing room only. Black, white or filter. No sprawling menu, no kitchen and no trying to be everything to everyone. Somehow, that tiny Melbourne laneway shop became one of the city’s most iconic cafés.

Now, Bowen Holden and Pip Heath have finally opened Patricia number two.

We unpack the systems behind a tiny café, why saying no can still feel like great hospitality and how a wildly profitable affogato called Clouds Mountains went viral and got killed anyway.

Bowen and Pip also share what it really costs to open a café in 2026, what kept their business partnership going for 15 years, why they waited so long to expand and when roasting your own coffee actually makes sense.

If you’re opening a café, running one or wondering why Patricia still feels like Patricia after all these years, this one is packed.

CHAPTERS!

00:00 Patricia’s 15-Year Formula01:45 Why Black, White or Filter?04:16 Can You Still Order a Cappuccino?10:21 Designing a Tiny Café Menu12:01 Clouds Mountains Goes Viral15:51 What Small Venues Should Cut18:08 Saying No Without Losing Hospitality21:13 What Made Patricia Iconic?25:30 Thirteen Years on the Floor27:32 What Does a New Café Cost?33:39 Location, Staff or Coffee?36:16 Why Open a Second Café Now?43:39 Making a Business Partnership Last48:55 When Should a Café Start Roasting?54:09 Extra Hot Take: Measure Your Milk59:30 Industry Shout-Outs

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves that at the end of the day, it’s just coffee!

Find Patricia here:

Patricia Coffee Brewers: https://patriciacoffee.com.au/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcoffeebrewers/

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE:https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems:https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab:https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab:https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh:https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

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Melbourne is famous for having some of the best coffee in the world - but is that reputation built on quality or just really good marketing?

A fiery opinion piece has taken aim at Melbourne’s coffee culture, calling Australian coffee bitter, burnt and overpriced while arguing that Italy’s cheaper, simpler espresso culture does it better.

So, is this a fair reality check? or a badly researched takedown of an entire industry?

Melbourne café owner and coffee professional Dan Dick joins us to unpack the article’s biggest claims. We compare Australian specialty coffee with traditional Italian espresso, break down what it actually costs to serve a cup of coffee and ask why cafés and baristas continue to be targeted in conversations about rising prices.

Plus, Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly coffee market report.

COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered café reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Melbourne Coffee Under Attack01:27 Welcome to Coffee Break01:59 Dan Dick Reacts02:30 Australia vs Italy07:10 Is a $6 Coffee a Rip-Off?11:32 Why the Media Targets Coffee14:37 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report17:16 What a Cup of Coffee Really Costs21:08 The Impact on Baristas24:14 Opinion vs Accuracy27:12 Standing Up for Australian Coffee

Find Dan Dick here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielpeterdick/Paperboy: https://www.instagram.com/paperboy.surreyhills/

Want more coffee content?

IT’S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, comments or hot takes.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

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Why has Dan Dick stepped back from the cafe industry? After over a decade of operating successful Melbourne venues Nigel and then PaperBoy, Dan has called it quits. Our conversation was had in the midst of handing the reins over to new operators; an equally emotional and practical decision that has catapulted Dan into a new chapter of his career. We discussed the problems facing cafe owners today… and why it has become so much harder to run a profitable cafe.

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Dan Dick: https://www.instagram.com/danielpeterdick/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why Running a Café Is Harder Than Ever
01:48 Why Dan Is Leaving the Café Industry
05:17 Are There Too Many Cafés?
10:40 How to Open a Successful Café in 2026
14:12 When Should You Sell Your Café?
18:31 Are There Too Many Coffee Roasters?
20:04 Why Direct-to-Consumer Coffee Is Growing
25:43 Why Dan Didn’t Build a Roastery
31:44 How to Sell Coffee Online
35:40 Why Co-Fermented Coffee Is Selling
42:19 Should Your Café Start Roasting?
47:35 The Mistakes That Nearly Broke the Business
49:30 A Public Holiday Café Meltdown
52:55 Wages, Coffee Prices and Café Closures
57:27 What’s Next for Born and Raised

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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Fresh from the 2026 World Brewers Cup in Brussels, Ben breaks down the coffees, brewers and techniques used by the competition’s top six finalists.

We look at how World Champion Nas Jaafar, Australia’s Simon Gautherin and the rest of the finalists approached their routines, from the rise of hybrid brewers and fast-flow filter papers to shorter ratios, lower temperatures and coarser grind sizes.

Plus, we unpack Bavis Kwong’s wild “sandwich extraction”, Simon’s two-coffee brewing method, the continued dominance of Panama Geisha and whether these competition techniques can actually improve the coffee you brew at home!

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on-the-fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered café reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gatekept coffee secrets.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Back From Brussels02:04 The Top Six Brewers06:24 Is Brewers Cup More Accessible?09:38 Hybrid Brewers Take Over11:05 Modern Filter Coffee13:53 Is Percolation Dead?14:42 Fast Filter Papers15:03 Panama Geisha Dominates18:25 Natural vs Washed Coffee21:48 The Sandwich Extraction24:43 Simon’s Two-Coffee Brew26:10 What Home Brewers Can Use28:20 Are These the World’s Best Coffees?30:13 The Future of Pour-Over

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE:https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems:https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab:https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab:https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh:https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices