Dear Coffee Buyer

CONTENTS Foreword vii Preface ix Introduction xiii PART 1 1 Coffee Buying What is coffee buying? What is a coffee buyer? 2 Your Offering Philosophy How do you decide what should be on your menu? What would you like your selection of coffees to accomplish? 3 The Long-Term Value of Investing in Relationships How do you build meaningful working relationships with your suppliers? 4 The Importance of Being Responsive and Crystal Clear How do you avoid miscommunication and confusion when working with suppliers? 5 Making Nice with Your Suppliers How do you keep your suppliers informed and eager to do repeat business with you? 6 When to Give Advice to Suppliers How do you communicate your broad learnings to your valued suppliers? 7 Forecasting How do you determine how much coffee to buy? Is it better to err on the side of buying too much or buying too little? 8 Samples What are the different types of coffee samples? What do they represent? 9 Processing Samples How do you manage and prepare samples? 10 Taking Notes and Sharing Results How do you communicate the cupping results with your coworkers and suppliers? 11 Pricing How much should you charge for your coffee? 12 Negotiating Price with Suppliers How do you proceed to purchase a selection? 13 Direct Trade What is direct trade? What should it mean to you and your coffee buying? 14 Exporting How do you deal with exporting and shipping? 15 Quality Control How do you ensure that you will receive your coffee in its proper condition and set your roasters up for success? 16 Storytelling How do you communicate important details to customers about your coffees? PART 2 17 Processing Methods and Their Cup Characteristics How do various processing methods affect the flavor of coffee? 18 Cultivars and Their Cup Characteristics How do the various cultivars affect flavor? 19 ECG Which coffee-producing origins rise above the rest? 20 The Best of the Rest What are the other standout coffee-producing origins? 21 Seasonality What is seasonality all about? When is a coffee in season? 22 Storing Coffee How should you store green coffee? 23 Packaging What is the best way to package and move green coffee? 24 Defects What’s wrong with your coffee? 25 Decaf How do you handle decaf in your coffee buying? PART 3 26 From Scratch What if you’re just getting started as a coffee-buying business? 27 Learn from the Best What can you learn from experienced buyers? Glossary Acknowledgments