This is Joe Marrocco and he’s gonna guide us through basic concepts of roasting coffee. On this YouTube series brought to us by the folks over at Cafe Imports, we dive deep to learn that the craft of coffee roasting can be broken down into 3 major segments The Seed, Machine, and Taste. As the series goes on, these 3 topics get broken down further in the different episodes that are packed with information. We can really appreciate their team’s commitment to coffee education, that they pour out into the making of these videos.
For someone who is already equipped with some basic idea of coffee science, or for those who have already been a part of a coffee cupping, then this series is recommended for you.
We give this series a 4 out of 5 stars.
Like any video series that is information-heavy, the topics unpacked here are quite technical for anyone who is a self-proclaimed “newbie.” Having said that, all episodes have intelligent graphic design elements to act as visual support to the technical jargon Joe uses. Some of the images come at the right time and match the exact moment a certain subject matter needs that form of support. It’s an attempt to be playful and serves as a welcome disruption to the monotony of watching a guy talk for 10 minute.
This is generally true, except for in a couple of the earlier episodes where the use of some images just seem to be floating symbols that are put up on the screen for effect or as fillers without really aiding the discussion we are already hearing from Joe. This use of graphic icons and animation does, however, improve in later episodes and utilization of the icons is better as more technical terms which need visual assistance get that much needed support.
It’s still a pleasant way to learn about roasting and this series does give the proper introductory knowledge one would need to enhance their own journey towards discovering more about coffee.
Watch the “Roasting Concepts” Series here:
Note: This is a playlist of multiple episodes
This review is part of “ROAST,” Part 4 of 6 in the 2020 Mini Coffee Film Fest. See the other part, “Roasted: A Coffee Documentary” here: