EP1650 Part 5 of 5 | Can Coffee Quality Ever Be Objective? ( Ian Fretheim ) Map It Forward

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This is Part 5 of a five-part series with Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports.

Throughout this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, Lee Safar and Ian Fretheim have explored one of the coffee industry's most fundamental questions: What is quality coffee?

The series concludes with perhaps its most challenging discussion.

Can coffee quality ever be objective?

For decades, the specialty coffee industry has presented quality as though it can be measured, scored and compared objectively. But is that really what's happening? Or are we confusing objective measurement with subjective judgement?

Lee and Ian unpack the philosophical foundations behind sensory evaluation, discussing the difference between describing a coffee and evaluating it. They explore whether quality exists within the coffee itself or whether quality only exists once people decide what they value.

The conversation examines why standards are essential for consistency, while also recognising that every standard begins as a human decision. Ian explains how Cafe Imports approaches sensory analysis by separating the subjective process of creating standards from the objective process of assessing whether coffees meet those standards.

Together they explore why this distinction matters, not only for cupping, but for education, buying, communication and the future of coffee quality assessment.

As the series concludes, listeners are left with a deeper appreciation that coffee quality isn't becoming more confusing because the industry is failing. It's becoming more nuanced because coffee itself, and the people who produce, buy, roast and drink it, continue to evolve.

Whether you're a producer, importer, roaster, educator or café owner, this conversation offers a thoughtful framework for thinking differently about quality, standards and the future of specialty coffee.

Connect with Ian Fretheim here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fretheim-31628323/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:57 Can coffee quality ever be objective?
04:36 Object versus subject
08:15 Does coffee actually have quality?
11:20 Why standards matter
15:32 Subjective standards, objective assessment
20:15 The problem with legacy scoring
24:45 The story behind "FREMMY"
27:05 Building better quality standards
31:13 Standards aren't objective
34:20 Final reflections on quality coffee

If you found this episode valuable, subscribe to the channel and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

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About Map It Forward
The Daily Coffee Pro is produced by Map It Forward, supporting coffee professionals globally across the supply chain.

You can help us grow this podcast by subscribing, liking, commenting, and sharing this episode with a café owner who needs to hear it.

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Видео EP1650 Part 5 of 5 | Can Coffee Quality Ever Be Objective? ( Ian Fretheim ) Map It Forward канала Map It Forward