Looking for something to perk up your podcast routine? There's a whole slew of coffee-related shows out there these days, but it can be hard to know where to start. Luckily, our team at Trade is here to help.
Here's a list of our picks for what to listen and subscribe to right now, before you even finish the cup of coffee you're drinking. (Most of these shows are available on multiple platforms and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, etc.)
Great for Newbies
Listen to: Coffee Lovers Radio
Why We Love it: Single origin vs blend coffee, water quality, coffee pairings (with Hi-Chew candies?), and coffee brewing tips are all fair-game topic ideas for this wide-ranging, accessible, and coffee-novice-friendly show hosted by Joseph Robertson (Extracted Magazine) and Jesse Nelson (Conduit Coffee Company). No need to be a so-called “snob” to dip back into the archives of this show and get hooked on more than just caffeine.
For Coffee Pros (and Wannabes)
Listen to: Keys to the Shop
Why We Love it: Do you dream about owning a coffee shop? Or maybe you dream about letting someone else run your coffee shop for a minute so you could take a break? Either way, this retail-centered podcast by veteran industry pro, Chris Deferio, is a glimpse into the world of espresso bars and small-town coffee shops, geared to inspire the folks who own or work at Third Places around the globe.
Coffee, With Everything
Listen to: No Free Refills
Why We Love it: Friends and coffee professionals Ezra Baker and Tymika Lawrence could just talk about coffee, but why limit themselves? This podcast is a coffee-flavored smorgasbord that touches on pop culture, coffee culture, and whatever else these two brilliant hosts feel like talking about. Perfect for when you need a bit of caffeine, but aren't feeling like putting a laser focus on the cup.
Exploring Coffee Sustainability
Listen to: A Better Table
Why We Love it: Who better to examine the many facets of sustainability than the author of Not Wasting Coffee? Writer, maker, educator, Q grader, and keen critical thinker Umeko Motoyoshi invites guests to discuss what sustainability looks like through a social, financial, and environmental lens. While specialty coffee is a main focus, there are lots of takeaways here for all other areas of this complicated life in modern times.
After-Hours Chatter
Listen to: Coffee's Done
Why We Love it: Ever wonder what baristas and roasters talk about after their shifts? This funny, irreverent show gives listeners a peek into closing-time conversations and features three friends and coffee pros named Jake, Ross, and James as they wax weird about burritos, their worst-ever jobs, and the great wear-a-mask controversy of COVID-19.
Coffee for Wine Lovers
Listen to: Making Coffee with Lucia Solis
Why We Love it: Wine-maker turned coffee-fermentation guru Lucia Solis has taken a previous career's worth of knowledge about fermentation and processing and set out to set the record straight about how to understand, control and appreciate the myriad variables that impact the flavor and quality of specialty coffee. This one's a must-listen for food-science geeks of all stripes.
Wake Up (in More Ways Than One)
Listen to: Boss Barista
Why We Love it: Coffee journalist Ashley Rodriguez hosts this intersectional coffee podcast, which delves into issues of race, gender, hospitality, management, coffee geekery, tipping, competition, and more. Rodriguez is a whip-smart and attentive interviewer, and the conversations open up a whole world of thought and imagination about what a better coffee future would (and could) look like.
For a Deep Dive
Listen to: Filter Stories – Coffee Documentaries
Why We Love it: If you're looking for something like the “This American Life” of coffee, Filter Stories might be it: Host and producer James Harper doesn't just want to interview his subjects, but rather get to know them. You'll feel like you're old friends with folks like blind coffee roaster Gerry Leary and Ecuadorian coffee producer and farmer Murray Cooper. Tune into this podcast as you brew coffee from home.
Dispatches from Origin
Listen to: Coffea Podcast
Why We Love it: Coffee journalist Kellinha Stein has made it her life's mission to consider and celebrate the entire coffee industry and landscape of Brazil. In both English and Portuguese, Stein interviews experts and explores a variety of subjects including coffee pricing, the neuroscience of coffee, and different varieties.
El Mejor en Español
Listen to: La Crema
Why We Love it: This fantastic Spanish-language interview show is based out of Puerto Rico, where hosts Abner Roldán and Karla Quiñones speak with coffee and other service-industry professionals throughout Latin America and the US, who offer their perspectives on the growing and changing coffee industry.
If You Love Coffee People
Listen to: The Coffee Podcast
Why We Love it: “Our focus is people, and our language is coffee,” says host and show cofounder Jesse Hartman at the start of every podcast episode — and it's absolutely evident in this warm, insightful show. Hartman loves coffee people, and is one of the best interviewers in the industry: This podcast is like grabbing a cappuccino with a good friend.
After listening to a few podcasts, you may be in need of a coffee refill.