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IT’S JUST COFFEE!

IT’S JUST COFFEE!

By: Ben Bicknell & Rohan Cooke
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Summary
 Whether you’re a world barista champion brewing a $150 rare coffee from the hills of Panama, or you’re stirring a spoon of instant coffee in boiling water, at the end of the day, It’s Just Coffee! It’s Just Coffee! is a podcast for all those coffee lovers out there and we're endeavouring on a journey to find the perfect cup. Not only will we be talking to the world’s best coffee makers and roasters, we’re going to be talking to athletes, comedians, celebrities and anyone that just loves a great cup of coffee. The coffee community around the world is engaged and passionate (sometimes to a fault), and we want to explore some of the biggest debates that happen across the Internet, and in the local cafe around the corner from you. Questions like: • Which country has the best coffee in the world? • Should it be illegal to mix milk in black coffee? • Is Starbucks actually coffee? We’ll dive into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day, that It’s Just Coffee! Art Cooking Economics Food & Wine Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • How One of Kyoto’s Best Cafés Built 23 Shops With Zero Investors | YOZO OTSUKI of KURASU

    How One of Kyoto’s Best Cafés Built 23 Shops With Zero Investors | YOZO OTSUKI of KURASU
    Nov 9 2026
    What does it take to grow a coffee brand across Asia and the Middle East without giving up a single share? Fresh off the plane for Coffee Weekend, Kurasu founder Yozo Otsuki came straight from the airport to the studio to tell us. With Rohan out sick, Ben holds the chair solo. We go back to Yozo’s first sip of light roast at Single O in Sydney (his verdict: “these Aussies don’t know anything about coffee”). Then we get into how a Kyoto kid raised around his family’s kissaten turned an online gear store into 23 shops, mostly through licensing. Why does he refuse to raise capital? What’s the one thing a licensing partner can never change? And when partners want to go all in on matcha, how much do you bend? We also get into Japan’s convenience-store coffee glow-up, what Blue Bottle’s path tells the rest of us, and why the matcha boom could be a lifeline for a struggling tea industry. From Kyoto kissatens to licensing deals in Dubai, this is your masterclass in growing a coffee brand on your own terms. Plus a hot take that might ruffle a few feathers: “specialty coffee doesn’t really mean anything.” If you’re new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It’s Just Coffee! CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:54 Japan’s convenience-store coffee glow-up 06:02 First sip in Sydney: “These guys don’t know coffee” 11:28 Is Japan really coffee heaven? 15:27 How tourism built Japan’s specialty scene 21:33 Inside Kurasu: 23 shops, one roastery 23:37 Why licensing beats raising capital 33:18 The Blue Bottle question 42:52 What can you compromise on? 46:48 Quickfire round 55:32 Is matcha helping or hurting a Japanese coffee brand? 58:42 Matcha’s revival and why it needs a shared language 1:03:40 Hot Take: specialty coffee doesn’t mean anything 1:09:05 Shoutout 1:11:09 Where to find Kurasu Find Yozo & Kurasu here: https://www.instagram.com/kurasu.kyoto/ IT’S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments. Proudly sponsored by Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Does Mineral Fermentation Actually Taste Different? (Blind Test) | COFFEE BREAK!

    Does Mineral Fermentation Actually Taste Different? (Blind Test) | COFFEE BREAK!
    Nov 5 2026
    This week, we’re exploring whether using mineral-adjusted water during fermentation can influence coffee flavour. Now we’re at Toby’s Estate in Fitzroy, where Nicholas Rae guides us through a taste-test: coffee fermented in mineralised water, tasted blind against a control. Will the mineralised coffee come out on top…especially in the eyes of our resident World Barista Championship judge, Ben Bicknell? Plus! Condesa Co.Lab delivers the weekly green coffee market report. And! Coffee Weekend is happening November 7th-8th at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne - don’t miss out. Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets. Want more coffee content? IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share
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    20 mins
  • Fermenting Coffee With Minerals: Does It Actually Work? | TOBY’S ESTATE

    Fermenting Coffee With Minerals: Does It Actually Work? | TOBY’S ESTATE
    Nov 2 2026
    How do decisions made on the farm show up in the cup? Today we’re joined by Nicholas Rae, Head of Coffee at Toby’s Estate, who has been working to answer that question through specialised coffee research. Toby’s is one of the few roasters to have a research plot, almost a hectare of land at Daterra Coffee Farm in Brazil. It’s here they investigate coffee processing, specifically how water composition during fermentation impacts coffee flavour. So… What happens when you treat coffee with minerals, does it increase the cup score, and ultimately, do these findings have the potential to change the industry? Much to consider! If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee! Toby’s Estate: https://www.instagram.com/tobysestatecoffee/ Want more coffee content? IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share
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    44 mins
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