Review of A Film About Coffee (2014) by Trace P — 05 Jun 2014

I viewed this film at the world premier in Seattle recently. As a fifteen year veteran of the coffee industry as a roaster my expectations were high. I have a vast amount of knowledge but was hoping to see and learn more.

The best part of the film deals with the people who are truly committed to coffee as a culture. So coffee farm footage was great, but too little of it. Showing two different men in Japan who operate little independent shops was awesome.

Talking corporate heads reveal they know little to nothing about coffee. Just what they have memorized from a book or pamphlet. A shop owner in Frisco has a coffee shop that uses the most elaborate equipment to brew nothing more than a cup of coffee.

He speaks of the "theater" involved in his brewing process. If I want to see theater I will go to the theater. I should be able to get a great cup of coffee without having someone hovering about.

I am sure he must charge five bucks for a simple cup of brewed coffee. If in San Fran, check out the Cafe' Trieste or Cafe Roma. No posers, just people who have put in the time and dedication to know what coffee is all about.

They spent considerable time at the Specialty Coffee Associations, National Barista competition. Once again nothing but a bunch of posers. Just shut up and make the dang coffee. And the talking floating corporate head disgusted me.

His statement was "I don't want to drink dark roasted coffee because I don't want to clog up the pores in my mouth. So I drink light roasted coffee." Well sir, you mouth has no pores, that is your skin.

Secondly, a finely roasted bean taken to a darker roast will bring out more of the full flavor potential of the bean. Light roasts are weak and insipid. Dark roasts still deliver good acidity, but with body and as the coffee cools more nuances of the bean come to the fore.

I hope people don't go to this film thinkomg it's a coffee education, because it isn't. It's kind of a bummer because there are so many pretenders and posers in the coffee industry itself.

Want to get the real info? Talk to people who source the coffee and roast it.