Coffee University: A Journey Through Four Levels of Coffee
Hi, I’m Pak Kopi, and this is Coffee University. I have just returned from a two-week trip to the Philippines, which was, to be frank, a very difficult journey from a coffee perspective. On the entire trip, I did not have one good cup of coffee. The Philippines is a developing nation, and when it comes to coffee, the landscape is stark: most of the coffee consumed there is instant, which is often the only option available. While one could drink it, the experience is profoundly unsatisfactory. However, this trip made me realize something important, and I wanted to share those insights with you in this edition of Coffee University.
The Four Levels of Coffee
To better understand the current state of the coffee market and how we can improve it, I created a chart outlining four distinct levels of coffee quality and convenience.
Level 1: Instant Coffee
The first level consists of instant coffee. This is the type of beverage I consumed during my trip. From a quality standpoint, it is terrible and bad. However, it excels in convenience. All you have to do is heat water, and the coffee dissolves instantly. It is a quick solution, but it is lousy on quality. I do not recommend drinking instant coffee if you can help it.
Level 2: Pre-Ground, Freshly Brewed Coffee
The second level moves to cafes serving freshly brewed coffee. While this is not instant, it is often pre-ground in cans or bags where the roasting date is unknown. Because the beans are ground before brewing, they have already begun to oxidize. Although this is better than instant coffee, it is still not good quality.
This level represents the market segment targeted by companies like Keurig and Nescafé. They offer capsules that brew coffee quickly, providing a convenience factor similar to instant coffee but with marginally better quality. However, the quality is still poor. These products rely heavily on marketing—featuring celebrities like George Clooney and displaying pictures of rich crema—to convince consumers that this is a premium coffee, when in reality, it is not.
Level 3: Freshly Ground, Freshly Brewed Coffee
Level 3 coffee represents a significant step up. Here, the coffee is ground just before brewing. When you buy pre-ground coffee, it has already oxidized; by the time it reaches the cup, much of the flavor is gone. If you grind your own beans right before brewing, the coffee retains more flavor and energy, though it requires new equipment and is less convenient. This level offers a better quality-to-effort ratio than the previous two, but for those seeking the absolute best, it is still not the final choice.
Level 4: The RGB Standard (Roast, Grind, Brew)
Level 4 is the pinnacle of coffee quality. This is achieved by roasting the beans, grinding them, and brewing the coffee all fresh. This is what I call the RGB Standard: Roast, Grind, Brew.
This process takes about 20 minutes every morning. It is not as convenient as instant coffee, but the quality factor is off the charts and cannot be compared to any other coffee in the world. Once people experience this level of coffee, they cannot believe the difference. The vitality and energy felt after drinking it can last for six hours. Many people who used to drink coffee all day find that with this high-quality brew, a single morning cup is all they need.
The Future of Coffee: Pot Coffee
My goal is to make this Level 4 experience as convenient as possible. This is the direction of “Pot Coffee.” We aim to create a system where a roaster, grinder, and brewer are combined into an economic, affordable, and accessible unit available to everyone.
Once people try coffee made this way, they will not want to go back to the lower levels. If it is slightly less convenient than instant coffee, that is an acceptable trade-off because the quality has vastly surpassed it. This approach has the capacity to change the entire outlook of the coffee business.
This concludes this version of Coffee University. You get three credits for this lesson. I’ll see you next time.
