My name is Joseph Robertson. I kind of accidentally fell into coffee. It was social convention that got me into it...
You go on a date and you have a coffee. You meet for business, you have a coffee. You take a coffee break.
Once you're in, you get up in the morning, you have a coffee.
These are the things that started me on my path.
But, I'm a curious person - always driven by an interest to understand more...
And I like to have the best things. I appreciate well made craft.
I wanted to drink 'the best' coffee. I wanted to drink it without adding sugar and flavorings. I wanted to understand everything about it and make it great myself, every day.
But nothing was clear...
Have you ever wondered why so many places claim to have 'the best coffee'...
How it's 'artisan roasted' and '100% arabica' - it tastes of X,Y,Z
But then you have a cup and all you taste is bitter black water...?
Or the ephemeral description of "it tastes like coffee"
(You might be surprised to learn that not all coffee tastes like 'coffee')
You see, I used to think I was the problem...
That all these places were serving 'amazing' coffee and I just didn't have a taste for it.
This was far from the truth.
I got so frustrated at the beginning of my search, that I just started having coffee from every darn place I could find.
Every place I went, it all tasted the same.
I would hear people talk about the uniqueness and taste of coffee... but I couldn't see it, and I couldn't figure out how to see it either.
Then one day, I happened upon a Barista who understood my plight...
On that day he showed me a great many things about coffee.
I had my first real espresso where I could actually taste fruit, and it wasn't bitter or something I needed to choke down (in fact I was pleased to simply sip this golden nectar).
I realized at that point, I had discovered the magic golden gate of coffee...
This is the point at which everyone who's gotten obsessed with coffee has their eureka moment, and it can be so life changing.
I was driven with a passion for coffee, and for sharing what I had discovered with others.
I founded and published Extracted Magazine. In a space where there were no publications dedicated to regular coffee drinkers who just want to understand and have the best in their lives, I jumped in.
Since that time I've gone from an enthusiastic coffee beginner, to a lifelong obsessed coffee adventurer - I have published over 6 years of Extracted Magazine, I've traveled the world in search of coffee and understanding across cultures, I have met people who produce the most deliciously mind boggling coffee you could ever possibly imagine (to this day their coffee still astounds me, and I've had some really remarkable stuff)...
All in the effort to bring to you your own golden eureka moment.
Here is the feedback of just a few of the people who've followed along with Extracted Magazine:
Just to let you know, your efforts and magazine have opened up a whole world to me, I'm almost 50 yrs old and I'm changed by the chasing of the black cup.
It's amazing , I never knew coffee could or should taste like I can make it now. I was ALWAYS a milk or cream addict. it's straight black for me now.
I'm sitting in my sun lit kitchen breakfast room, with a fresh batch of Stumptown Hair Bender made weighing out 65 gms,med coarse conical burr fresh roast(15 Feb), 40 oz h20, Technivorm KBT 741, 7:45 brew time with love of the
bloom and stirred at 1min post bloom. Awesome flavor in a double wall 10 oz Bodum glass.- by the way seeing your coffee and the color of it helps me determine color profiles as well that change with dosing and grind changes.
1 year ago I didn't know any of this stuff.
I have purchased and amazingly prepared a aero press, and Kalita Wave methods along with my Technivorm. I sold the Bunn trifecta. (I like clean cup)
I'm reading everyday, buying great beans from a lot of your recommended roasters and looking forward to really diving in when I'm retired.
I love what reading and testing has doe for my life with coffee.
Keep up the good work, and now when when I prepare a cup for someone, after they ask me 'Wow what coffee is that?' I try and educate them that coffee doesn't have to taste like gas station tar, and why that is.
Spreading the word and getting others in my life involved in REAL coffee education is really fun.
"Coffee is so complex, much more than wine. I've had to sift through countless websites just trying to stay on top of what's going on in the specialty coffee world. Extracted Magazine simplifies it all, it's my go to read to get the latest on anything coffee. Want to take your coffee to the next level? Extracted Magaizine is the perfect reference for novice or pro, I highly recommend it. I especially love the "This month in coffee" section, it's both informational and entertaining. I got great information on buying my coffee grinder, selecting a brewing method, and even complete info on my coffee scale (acaia). Brew a cup of fresh specialty coffee, pull up Extracted Magazine, and you're all set!" "Coffee Lovers' Dream
Even though I'm only a new subscriber of Extracted Magazine what I've seen so far tells me it was a great decision. But it's not just the magazine. My wife and I met Joseph at the Los Angeles edition of CoffeeCon and at first really weren't interested in another magazine subscription.
But just talking to him for about 10 minutes was all it took for us to change our minds. He never even actually asked us if we wanted to sign up. His passion, knowledge and love of coffee combined with his professional demeanor alone make a great pitch. I continue to be impressed by this as well as his excellent follow though. His magazine shows great attention to detail and I am so enjoying all those back issues." "Great for those taking that next step
I've really been enjoying Extracted Magazine. I've always liked coffee, but in the last several years I've been on a journey from drip to French press to aeropress and pour over, and have found this magazine a fascinating resource along the way. There's always more to learn, and Joseph manages to keep going places I've never been before.
BTW I also recommend the Coffee Lovers Radio podcast which offers additional insights. " "More than I expected
I have a deep interest in coffee and everything there is to know about coffee. This magazine connects me to the people that make coffee possible, and through this connection instills a deeper appreciation for what it takes to put an amazing cup of coffee in my hands.
I also enjoy the reviews of coffee and brewers/techniques from the author through the available videos within the magazines. There is much to discover and learn! " Make Coffee a Hobby with Extracted Magazine
First it starts with a curiosity.
What is coffee like without sugar?
Then without milk?
Then you start to wonder why people talk so passionately about it like it's wine.
Before you know it, you are hunting down better and better coffee, brewing it at home, and on a search to fulfill a desire that many others don't get...
Because for you, coffee is more than a drug, more than just a routine every day thing.
So many people in the world drink coffee - but much of your fellow coffee drinkers do so out of necessity, or habit.
Maybe that's where you started. But I'm willing to bet you got curious and figured there had to be more to it …
Because of that, you followed your curiosity, and discovered one undeniable fact.
Coffee is an amazingly awesome hobby.
There is so much you can do and enjoy with coffee. It's an entire world unto it's own - supporting generations of lives around the globe.
You can dig into the entire system of how it works - how it's grown, who grows it, why they grow it, how they get it from there to here, how the roaster plays a part, all the way to the coffee being made for you by a barista, or you getting a bag of that coffee from the store and making it at home.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Coffee is delightfully complex - the unique nature of flavor that comes from each roast is one of the main things that drives all of our passions for coffee.
We can create powerful perception altering experiences in a cup, and then spend the rest of our lives trying to find that again; all the while discovering even more similar experiences in taste and aroma.
You don't need to be a professional to do this either - heck you don't need to know anything except that you have a passion and interest.
There are fantastic resources out there, like my Extracted Magazinee. We work hard to connect people like you with amazing experiences, and the folks in the industry who share our passion.
Of course there's the exceptional delight in creating amazing coffee at home - part of that is the fun of collecting amazing brewing equipment - I personally have on hand a Chemex, an Aeropress, a French Press, a V60, a Kalita Wave, multiple espresso machines, several other hand breweres, and a couple grinders...because why the heck wouldn't I?
But I've only tapped the surface of what I would personally like to have in my brewing station. I also take enjoyment in collecting delightful coffee mugs - you will likely see some of these in the videos that I do.
The ultimate hobbyist goal is the Coffee Connoissuer.
Yes coffee is indeed complex enough to adorn individuals with a title originally claimed by wine experts.
Many would argue coffee is more complex. But whatever your opinion there, it is undeniable that coffee the most complex and delightful things we consume.
Dive deep into the world of coffee connoisseurship with Extracted Magazine, you'll never look back.