jittrthe journal.
Field guides, opinions, and the occasional argument about coffee, cafés, and rating. Written for people who log every cup.
Written by Sam Inden, founder of Jittr, the coffee rating app.
every post.
Coffee guides, brewing references, café-finding tips and notes on the Jittr app, written by Sam Inden. Choose a category to filter the list.
guides.
How-to coffee guides for choices you make every week: which brew method fits a rushed morning, which beans are easier on a sensitive stomach, and how to find new coffee worth a second visit.
reference.
Coffee facts with sources: caffeine content by drink, how Swiss Water decaf is made, what a moka pot brews, how altitude changes extraction, and what studies say about coffee when you are sick.
product.
How the Jittr coffee rating app works, from scoring a drink on a 1 to 10 scale to the local café rankings those scores build, plus what to compare when you choose a coffee rating app.
field guides.
Notes for ordering at cafés, starting with how to find a latte worth paying for when you are new to a neighborhood.
seasonal.
What cafés are pouring this season and how drinkers score the seasonal menu.
news.
Jittr app updates and release notes, with what changed in each version.
Why log coffee in Jittr? It helps great local cafés get found
A Jittr log scores one drink, pins it to the café and city, and feeds local rankings, which gives small cafés with good coffee a way to get found.
Is the Bialetti Moka espresso or coffee?
A moka pot brews with steam pressure far below the 9 to 10 atmospheres in the espresso definition. What the Bialetti makes, how it works, and how to care for it.
What is the Swiss Water Decaf Process?
Swiss Water decaf uses water and activated carbon to remove 99.9% of caffeine from green coffee, with no chemical solvents. How it works and how it compares.
Should you drink coffee when you're sick?
What studies show about coffee with a cold, flu or stomach bug: hydration, hot drinks, medicine interactions, sleep, and when water is the better choice.
Coffee for sensitive stomachs: what to drink and how to brew it
What research says about coffee and stomach acid: dark roasts, cold brew, caffeine and low-acid brands, plus a two-week test to find what your stomach handles.
Why coffee tastes different at altitude (and how to fix it)
Water boils near 202°F in Denver and below 196°F in Bogotá. What lower boiling points do to coffee extraction, and how grind and brew time make up for it.
The fastest ways to make coffee that still tastes good
Instant, pods, AeroPress, French press and drip compared by time and hands-on effort, plus what studies say about brew temperature and paper filters.
Why logging your coffee makes you a better drinker
What research on memory and self-monitoring says about keeping a coffee log, what to record for each cup, and how long it takes for logging to stick.
How much caffeine is in your coffee?
Measured caffeine in brewed coffee, espresso, cold brew, instant and decaf, why the same order can vary by double from day to day, and the FDA's 400 mg guideline.
Fall latte flavors for 2026: what's on the menu
What Starbucks, Dunkin' and Dutch Bros launched for fall 2026, why spice and caramel aromas make a latte taste sweeter, and how to read a maple syrup label.
How to find new coffee without wasting a morning
Why café star ratings mislead, how much the same coffee varies from day to day, and a method for finding new coffee you'll want to order again.
What makes the best coffee rating app useful
How to judge a coffee rating app using research on habits and online reviews: logging speed, drink-level scores, rating counts and how the app makes money.
Finding lattes worth ordering
How to tell a good latte from a bad one: the espresso standard behind it, the milk temperature that keeps it sweet, and how to use ratings to find one nearby.
