MoJo Video: The Perfect Espresso

Are you paying too much for your organic Fair Trade coffee? In search of the perfect cup.

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Traditionally, coffee has been treated somewhat like cotton: It’s a commodity to be bought and sold in bulk. Such a system leaves coffee growers largely at the mercy of middle men and the market, and leaves consumers with beans of dubious quality.

But in recent years, the Fair Trade movement, the Cup of Excellence program, and serious roasters have challenged the status quo. Some are establishing direct relationships with individual growers and co-ops, helping them improve the quality of their beans and paying them significant bonuses to produce high-quality beans.

As prices climb for the consumer, how can a coffee lover tell when they’re getting the best espresso for their recession dollar? We asked Mother Jones‘ own in-house coffee expert, Richard Reynolds, to demonstrate the perfect cup.

 

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Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2024 demands.

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