2008 U.S. Barista Champ Kyle Glanville

An interview with 2008 US Barista Champion Kyle Glanville, of Intelligentsia Coffee in Los Angeles. He ruminates on what makes a perfect cappuccino, the challenges of making good coffee, and what the third wave is all about.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• cappuccino
• espresso
• coffee
• intelligentsia
• barista
• third wave
• documentary

[DavidBarista]

"2008 U.S. Barista Champ" that shows he knows what he is talking about.

What exactly is it that you know about coffee that he doesn't?

[blueddha]

yeah kyle used to work at carmel valley. he then went on to become the U.S. Barista Champion and one of the biggest names in coffee in the entire world.

[tmcthree]

He dropped out of college to make coffee for a living? What a colossal dickheads.

[thenutellatheif]

many people have their own ways when it comes to making coffee. (different techniques) you actually can improve the coffee. you just experiment with different ways and ingredients.

[GoHawks4]

But success in business and pursuit of quality are not mutually exclusive! You can have both. Starbucks was once at the hight of quality when compared to Maxwell House and Folger's. Look now. You can say what you want about "snobbery" or "nerds", but Starbucks is willingly ignoring a large market segment. And for what? In a coffee shop, the price difference per double shot between crappy coffee and premium coffee is eight cents. EIGHT CENTS. "Snobbery".

"Wine? It's just grape juice, bro".

[evelsteev]

@GoHawks4 I wasn't talking about "quality." I was talking about success in business. Nice ideals don't pay the bills. Starbucks is VERY successful, thanks to, what you call, "ignorance."

[GoHawks4]

@evelsteev You're setting up a false dichotomy. While places like Intelligentsia (or Metropolis, or Stumptown) are pushing the envelope in the pursuit of quality, Starbucks is cutting as many corners as they can to maximize profits. Starbucks would lose ZERO customers by using coffee that wasn't burnt and having their shots come out in 25-30 seconds instead of ten. Their business is inherently flawed because quite simply, you can't make a good beverage out of low-quality espresso.

[evelsteev]

@GoHawks4 The "failing" was hypothetical. I'll phrase it differently, so you'll get it. If Starbuck's caters to barista nerds, then they won't keep getting the "ignorant" patrons, you despise so much. Get it? Good. Have a nice day :)

[GoHawks4]

@evelsteev Whose business is failing? Intelligentsia sure isn't. Somebody's stock options are in the toilet...

[evelsteev]

@GoHawks4 And wanting your business to fail, regardless of what idealistic coffee nerds want, is actually MORE ignorant.

[GoHawks4]

@MacoutesGabber The secret to their success is the ignorance of their clientele.

[MacoutesGabber]

@GoHawks4 No, but I know that coffee snobbery/nerdiness, isn't the secret to their success.