I used to think coffee was just a means to an end. It seemed like a simple trade-off: you put up with the bitter taste in order to feel more awake.

Then came an eye-opening moment: someone bought me a well-made flat white. I couldn’t believe the difference: it was all light and smooth and didn’t even need a sweetener. “Wait,” I thought. “Coffee can taste like this?”

That discovery sparked a journey of learning: I wanted to know why people make coffee one way and not another.

This path opened up a world of information that seemed both mind-bogglingly complex and yet ridiculously simple.

I started learning different coffee-making techniques to better understand all the variables involved: the roasting process, the water, the temperature and texture of the milk, the brew time, the brewing ratios, and the grind size of the coffee itself.

I started attending barista competitions: a surreal subculture where people prepare coffee as if it’s an Olympic event – watched by a panel of judges – as their performance is streamed online.

I even began a quest to find the perfect coffee – an absurd task that has taken me to over 200 specialty cafés.

Along the way, I realized that coffee has a serious image problem: it’s often perceived as snobby, pretentious, and inaccessible.

In reality, the coffee industry is full of passionate people – from all sorts of backgrounds – who want others to enjoy it as much as them.

So what do you need to know in order to have your own “aha!” moment before enjoying coffee on another level? The answers lie in Part 2...