A Conversation with a Coffee Connoisseur and Roaster—Mackenzie Wells—Professional Coffee Roaster

Mackenzie Wells has always had an interest in the science behind flavors and aromas, which led her to take a job right out of high school in the coffee roasting business. Over the past four years, she’s refined her skills and knowledge set in the world of coffee roasting and become quite the expert. She joins the podcast today to discuss the details of the roasting process, different coffee roasting techniques, three primary heat sources used in roasting, three methods of coffee decaffeination, how a coffee bean’s flavor profile is affected by the location in which it’s grown, the rising popularity of barrel-aged coffees, what it means to say that a coffee bean is of a “single origin” and so much more. In this episode, you will learn:

Why you shouldn’t grind and brew your coffee right after it’s been roastedHow different roasting styles create light versus medium versus dark roastsWhat’s meant by first and second “crack” in the world of coffee roasting