Hello everybody, Chris right here, reporting dwell from the ground of the Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA) Expo in Houston, Texas. I’m thrilled to be overlaying the world’s largest specialty espresso showpiece occasion this 12 months for CoffeeGeek. It seems like a pure convergence of two long-standing pursuits of mine: a deep and enduring love for espresso (to not point out an unhealthy dependence on), and a lifelong obsession with know-how.
For some background on who I’m, my most seen work has seemingly been by the Hiro Report, a weekly e-newsletter I publish beneath a pseudonym. The e-newsletter focuses on surfacing compelling tech, attention-grabbing gear, and thoughtfully curated Apple ecosystem app suggestions. Exterior of writing and the tech world, I’ve been lucky to dwell and work throughout 5 continents. These alternatives have taken form in a wide range of roles, together with a place as a sous chef in a sushi restaurant and a diplomatic posting in Latin America.
I’m additionally an avid images fanatic, and for greater than a decade, I’ve been utilizing Fujifilm and Leica cameras. Images has largely remained a private pursuit, although it has sometimes crossed over into skilled territory. I hope to showcase a few of my reportage model images work within the SCA Expo articles developing.
Regardless of the various instructions my profession and pursuits have taken, one of the vital constant and rewarding components of my day by day routine has been making espresso. Whereas I began consuming it in highschool, my deeper reference to espresso started in school after receiving a Chemex as a present. That have pulled me into the deep rabbit gap of handbook brewing and pour-over strategies, and I’ve by no means regarded again.
Extra lately, I’ve developed a powerful curiosity in espresso. That rising ardour led me to find CoffeeGeek, which I imagine remains to be essentially the most dependable on-line useful resource for exploring espresso gear and studying extra in regards to the finer particulars of espresso.
When Mark reached out to ask if I might be serious about overlaying the SCA Expo this 12 months, I lept on the alternative. A part of the attraction was the chance to spend a weekend immersed within the newest developments in espresso, particularly within the espresso house. It additionally helped that Houston is only a few hours from my dwelling base in Austin, making journey logistics fairly manageable.
For this 12 months’s Expo, my focus in my CoffeeGeek stories will largely mirror the mission of the Hiro Report. I’ll be searching for modern espresso and espresso gear, with a specific curiosity in know-how that has not but reached a broad viewers. A few of this may come from bigger, established manufacturers, however I’m equally keen to find smaller firms and newer entrants to the house. Usually, essentially the most attention-grabbing and experimental work occurs outdoors the highlight.
Along with overlaying the merchandise themselves, I additionally need to communicate with the individuals behind them. I’m interested in what drives them, what challenges they’ve confronted in bringing their concepts to market, and what compromises have been mandatory alongside the way in which. The human tales behind the gear usually present a extra nuanced understanding of the improvements on show.
All through the weekend, I shall be posting same-day and next-day protection right here on CoffeeGeek. These updates will embrace impressions from the present ground, highlights of noteworthy gear, and conversations with the individuals shaping the way forward for espresso. After the occasion wraps, I’ll be following up with extra in-depth reflections and evaluation in a sequence of articles that can seem over the next week.
If you’re in any respect within the newest gear, evolving know-how, and behind-the-scenes insights from the world of specialty espresso, keep tuned right here on CoffeeGeek and on our social channels. We’ll be sharing protection from the bottom and capturing as a lot of the Expo expertise as we are able to.
Wanting ahead to seeing a few of you on the present ground.
