Keep in touch!
- Follow FRSHGRND on twitter! Don’t be shy, say hi.
- Click “Like” on the Facebook box over there on the right to join our Facebook community. Had a surprisingly great coffee? Share it there! Also a good place to post snapshots, news, and interesting links.
- For all inquiries, e-mail me: aaron [at] frshgrnd [dot] com
Why make a coffee blog?
Coffee is everywhere, but great coffee is a rare combination of farmer, roaster, and barista each building on each other’s work in a transnational process fraught with potential for failure. When you taste great coffee, it’s the result of a chain of people doing their jobs with great skill and attention to detail. That’s unfortunately rare. My goal with this blog is to find the people making great coffee all around the world, and tell you how to get there, while sharing the experience.
Check out the world map of all the cafes I’ve reviewed by clicking ‘Best Coffee in the World‘ above.
Who am I?
I’m from Los Angeles originally. Then I lived in Seoul, South Korea working for a couple years as an English teacher at a public school. Now I’m living in Malmö, Sweden working toward a master’s degree in applied cultural analysis. Update: I just moved to NYC and I’m currently doing research for my thesis on the cultural practices surrounding micro-blogging & image sharing, with an eye towards consumer culture and reflexive modernity.
I started this blog as an exploration of the specialty coffee scene in Seoul, Korea. In the process of making this site, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many great people in the coffee business. Even after two years, there are still many good cafes that I never had a chance to visit. Korea has great coffee if you know where to look, and I hope this blog will get you started in the right direction.
Now that I’m living outside Korea, keep an eye out for an exploration of the European coffee scene.
Lastly, all images and reviews are copyright protected, unless otherwise noted, and may not be republished or used for any purpose without my written permission.
46 comments
David Carruth says:
Sep 29, 2010
Hello!
This is David Carruth with 10 Magazine. We’re preparing an article on coffee shops in Seoul and were wondering if you’d like to give us some more specific recommendations. Could you send me an email at dc at 10magazine dot asia?
Thanks!
David
Nick says:
Nov 11, 2010
Do you have an rss feed? Would love to follow the blog but don’t see a way to subscribe. Thanks.
Aaron Frey says:
Nov 11, 2010
Good question, let me figure that out!
Aaron Frey says:
Nov 11, 2010
I’ve added a link at the bottom of the main page now.
You can directly access the feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/frshgrnd
Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Marbie says:
Jan 12, 2011
I happened upon your blog while surfing the internet and I’m glad I did! I really enjoy hearing about cafes in other places other than my hometown of Vancouver, Canada. I’ll definitely be following!
Aaron Frey says:
Apr 14, 2011
Glad you like it!
Dustin Cole says:
Jun 28, 2011
Aaron! Hey man. I’m glad you’re still updating this blog frequently. Your pictures are awesome. I’ve been working hard on my own blog… check it out and let me know what you think.
Phillip Dyhr Hobbs says:
Aug 1, 2011
Nice site, I have just moved here myself, and am looking forward to working in the nice cafés here, maybe we may meet one time :)
Phillip Dyhr Hobbs says:
Aug 10, 2011
Thanks mate!
BTW if you ever need help with your site I can help you :)
JN says:
Aug 15, 2011
Hey,
Have you heard about any Specialty Coffee shops in Malmo, looking for non-Swedish-speaking baristas by any chance? Solde and Lilla Kafferosteriet are not down. I’m moving over there at the end of the month. I’ve got a solid background in coffee… I’m going to come over on Wednesday with CVs and poke around, but I thought you may know someone…
Tack!
Love the blog, love the pictures.
TM says:
Jun 30, 2013
Hey JN, I would like to meet and talk with you about the idea I have to add a new cafe in Malmö’s cafe scene.
I guess its never too late. I f you read this then just write me a message. Hope to hear from you
John says:
Sep 23, 2011
I am from Beijing. From some angle, I am pretty similar to you. Have been being a English teacher, not offically working in coffee industry, but in coffee~ I have been viewing your blog, which opened my eyes about coffee world outside China. I am sorry, to hear about your experience in Beijing International Airport, I know the coffee there, sucks, so does many other stores in China. That is the reason why i rarely order coffee when i was in cafe in China, even any international chains, also sucks. Then i got my own roaster, start to roast by my own~
Anyway, So glad to know you~ Here is a favor, may I ask. Since i am a crazy geek about coffee, I want to share everything i got about coffee, with my guys in China. My i transfer some of your blog’s articles to my blog, to share, of course i would like to translate it first, and link it to the original address. I hope you would not mind.
this is my blog, www. blog.sina.com.cn/johnly615 which is only about coffee and my coffee life. I admire that you can travel around the world to have coffee or cafe view~ hee hee, this is my dream, i hope i can make it some day in the future.
again, so glad to know you, I hope i can hear from you soon.
p.s. next time, if you are in Beijing, of course, for several days spare, you can enjoy my coffee, no matter for espress blend, or single, i believe i would not let you down~ hee hee
john ly says:
Sep 26, 2011
HI there, i can not see my comment in your blog, i really don’t know what’s wrong with that~ did you get them?
i am a coffee geek in Beijing~
really in about you blog, and pics
jasmine says:
Nov 12, 2011
hi! thank you for your great blog! i understand you are out of seoul now but i was wondering if you knew of any good barista training schools in korea for the everyday average person?
Aaron Frey says:
Nov 14, 2011
There are lots of barista training academies, but I was never impressed by any that I encountered (at Seoul’s annual Fine Food expo). Can you speak Korean? If so I’d pursue training from one of Korea’s barista champions. Lee Jong Hoon, @baristahoon on Twitter, used to offer a variety of different educational programs for a reasonable fee – though I’m not sure if he’s still doing that now that he opened his cafe, Republic of Coffee. He placed 5th in the World Barista Championship in 2009 and is a real nice guy. Some of the more recent barista champions might also offer occasional lessons at their shops.
Rich 'Tricks' says:
Jan 26, 2012
Yo, Tricks from Shadowness, not sure if you remember me, anyway I find it a little funny that two Shadowness members have got into the food/drink blog universe.
Remember Adam at all? he started http://www.alifewortheating.com/ and you started this :D
You should get in contact with him ;)
Aaron Frey says:
Jan 27, 2012
Interesting! I didn’t realize that was Adam from shadowness. I don’t remember talking to him much back then, though. I’ve definitely seen the blog though, lots of great articles.
It’s been a long time since then, how’s it been? :)
Alex says:
Jan 30, 2012
Hey man
how you doing? Love the blog. As a coffee afficionado like yourself I am always looking for that small shop that makes its own roasts, the barista who knows his shit and the cup that you wish would never go empty.
I would love to hear more about your motivation etc.
I am currently thinking of setting up a business around coffee and would appreciate your thoughts.
Take care
shilman says:
Mar 11, 2012
I found your site researching Tokyo cafes and it’s such a fantastic resource. BRAVO.
I’m living in Seoul now and the coffee scene here is absolutely off the charts, and I say this as a coffee snob who has lived in Seattle and SF until recently. If you haven’t been back to Seoul in awhile, you should definitely come check it if you have the chance – first cup’s on me.
Aaron Frey says:
Mar 11, 2012
Glad you find the reviews useful, if you come across any new spots I should include, do share!
cherii says:
Aug 13, 2012
Hey! Stumbled upon your site looking for recommended cafes for my trip to Seoul, loving it! Your site is so well organized and the pictures are great too.
If you’ll happen to return to Europe I recommend you check out the growing cafe culture in Finland :)
Pavel Vasilik says:
Aug 21, 2012
Hi my name is Pavel, and i think its great how have the same goals. I also want to research and let people know about the best coffee and coffee products. I recently started a business called PVCoffee.com and we are transforming our business and i was wondering if you could offer us some visibility through your blog, and please let me know what kind of contributions we can make in return. Thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon.
beirut says:
Aug 27, 2012
Hello.
I read your post all day long, especially revie about Asian cafes.
http://goo.gl/s8oAM <- it is one of the best post!
I also reviewed lots of korean cafes and want to share information and news about cafes of seoul.
Hope you to visit my blog but I wrote everything in Korean.
Anyway, It's very plesure for me to find nice blog.
Thanks, a lot ;)
beirut says:
Aug 30, 2012
hello. I read your post vert interestingly, especially korean cafes.
Most interesting post is “Three rules of thumb…”, I agreed your opinion
I live and work in Osan, nearby seoul and reviewed many seoul cafes on my blog.
I want to share information about interesting cafes, thought of korean cafe culture. If you can read korean, please visit my blog. There’s ‘커피견문록’ tab in the menu :)
John says:
Oct 7, 2012
Hey Aaron!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon this website via Jim Seven. Anyway, I have a question for you: do you know anything about Grace Street? It’s a L3C company based out of Korea and they’re setting up shop in NYC. Any info will help.
Shameless plug but might as well :P I work at Gregorys Coffee and maybe it can be a shop you can check out while you’re here in NYC.
Thanks and I look forward to digging through your blog!
Enzo Tiano says:
Oct 18, 2012
Greeting from LA, CA!
I read that you’re base outside Korea and will be updating us with the European coffee scene. If ever you decide to jump back here in LA, check out Klatch Coffee http://www.klatchroasting.com
They have 3 stores located in San Dimas, Rancho and Ontario and will be launching an LAX branch in early November 2012. They also just won the title “America’s Best Coffeehouse”, giving most coffee fanatics something to Klatch about!
Ron Tan says:
Jan 30, 2013
Nice work, Aaron, I appreciate the global view on coffee.
I run an export development company that supports growers and producers in Southeast Asia – especially Thailand, Myanmar and Laos where the producers just don’t have the scale to do it effectively for themselves.
I’m original a SoCal (Long Beach) native so I’m relieved to see that specialty coffee is on the rise here my new home, Bangkok. If you want a good story about a region in transition both in terms of production and consumption, please feel free to reach out!
Braden Lenny says:
Jan 30, 2013
Greetings,
Here at MiiR we’re spreading the word about our newest addition to the hydration line, the Tumbler. With double-wall insulation, this coffee and tea cup is ergonomically designed to keep your hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold – perfect for the morning commute! Help us reach our $10,000 goal to launch the Tumbler as the newest MiiR product line. Regardless of how much we raise, we will give $1 of every Tumbler purchased to One Day’s Wages, which provides one person with clean drinking water for a year. Drink up and give back by purchasing your MiiR Tumbler here: http://www.indiegogo.com/miir. Thank you for your support!
B says:
Feb 23, 2013
Just returned from Miz Moren cafe, was awesome. Great coffee and great service. Thanks for highlighting the cafe.
Rachel Northrop says:
Apr 24, 2013
Saludos Aaron,
This is a stellar coffee blog! I’m in my 7th month of living/researching through Latin American origins for the book When Coffee Speaks (my odyssey narrated via whencoffeespeaks.com. There’s lots of new stuff there in the name of fielding NPR’s “Coffee Week” from the field). I’m much more knowledgeable about the production side, so I love your narrations of all things preparation/consumption. When I finally make my way back to NYC in June I can’t wait to check out Little Skips- Brooklyn coffee gems are the best.
All the best in your own coffee odyssey,
Rachel
Caleb says:
Aug 15, 2013
look up ona coffee in australia, amazing coffee and own direct trade company
Joe says:
Jan 25, 2014
Hello,
My name is Joe Kolb. I really like your blog, it has a lot of good content. I have a blog and would like to do a link swap – I link to your blog, you link to mine. Take a look at my blog, and let me know if it’s something you are interested in doing.
http://espressooutlet.blogspot.com/
Kind regards,
– Joe Kolb
Lee Parkin says:
May 6, 2014
is there any way I can contribute to this site.. I am currently in Seoul and would like others to know of my finds.
Dean says:
Feb 26, 2015
Another coffee roaster for you to check out is RAVE coffee. Specialty coffee roasters who have roasteries in both Canada and the UK.
Dietmar Vogelmann says:
Jun 4, 2015
Great work. Why did u leave out Vietnam? I am on a mission at the moment to spread the word about Vietnamese Coffee. Would be great if you could support my a little by spreading my indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Its super important for me and would appreciate all help and support. Thanks already and have a great cup of coffee….Cheers Didi
http://igg.me/at/farmersblendcoffee/x/10883162
jordon says:
Mar 2, 2015
Hey this is an awesome site! A lot of excellent content I really enjoy reading your articles. I was wondering if you would like to do a link exchange with me? I have a blog that has great information on coffee makers and coffee in general. If it is something you would be interested in you can email me or use my contact page on my site. Thank you,
http://topcoffeecentral.com
Jordon
Craig Martin says:
Jul 8, 2015
Hi There
Wonder if you would be kind enough to help me?
I have had a love for coffee for sometime now and have been working in the wholesale coffee market for a few years however i have always wanted to created a subscription based business model similar to those that are out there already…
The difference that i want is to produce or release a subscription service that people actually want, most subscription websites out there just allow the UK public to subscribe to that particular brands coffee
What I’m getting at is to speak to people like yourselves to see if you have any knowledge or insight into what people might want, heres a few examples of what some bloggers have suggested…
1) Flavoured Coffee only subscription (fresh)
2) As above but fresh and instant for the consumer option
3) Mixture of different brands being sent each month for variety
I really want to do this in the interest of the consumers and want to get it right and hopefully you may be able to help me out..
Thank you in advance
Kind Regards
Craig Martin
Maria says:
Sep 29, 2015
Hi,Aaron! I admire your coffee blog and the way you started and developed your idea into such an amazing and super helpful website! I’m just wondering if you have spare time and could give me an advice?
I’m living currently in China and working as an English teacher( even if I’m from Russia, Russian people can still speak pretty decent English and teach:)), so I’m trying to do the same what you have started in 2009, but only for Russian audience , so mostly I’m looking for the great cup of coffee in China and write in my Russian coffee blog for Russian people. I have found your web site accidentally this morning and I was so happy when I read the story how you started. So anyway could you tell me your e mail address, so I can ask you couple of questions there? Or if you re super busy I would understand :)
Anyway you are doing a great job and I will follow your blog from now on !
Great respect and apprecitaton from me
Best wishes, Maria
Phil La Rosa says:
Jan 28, 2016
Hi,
My name is Phil La Rosa and I work with Espresso Works in Perth, Australia. We specialise in the maintenance and sales of the finest coffee machines and associated products in Australia. As part of my work I enjoy keeping up to date with content relating to the coffee industry.
Like many people, I have always been curious about the production of coffee – what needs to happen in order for us to enjoy our favourite brew? With this in mind, I thought it would be interesting to create an infographic-http://www.espressoworks.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Coffee-from-seed-to-cup.jpg entitled ‘’Coffee: From Seed to Cup’’.It looks at the different stages of coffee production while also giving some coffee industry facts.
While scrolling through your site, I noticed that you seem to publish similar content so I thought you’d like to see it. If you wish to publish this on your page, I would really appreciate it if you could please credit our site using this URL http://www.espressoworks.com.au/tiamo-cold-drips/
Let me know what you think, I would be delighted with your feedback or to answer any questions you might have. Also let me know if you require an introduction as I can send that on to complement the infographic for one of your posts.
Many thanks,
Phil
Kieran says:
Feb 3, 2016
Hi there, I was hoping I could contact you to do a quick interview with you about coffee for beginners? If you would like to check it out in advance it’s http://www.beansforcoffee.com. Would really appreciate it!
Greg Heap says:
Feb 17, 2016
Hi Aaron!
I’ve recently launched a custom bicycle store & coffee shop in Birmingham (UK), and just wondered if you’d be interested on doing any coverage on it?
Hope to hear from you soon!
Warm regards,
Greg,
Owner/Director @ Cranked Custom Cycles Birmingham.
Neil says:
Feb 28, 2016
Hi,
I just wanted to share my kickstarter project with you that is launching on Tuesday. Its the ‘Origin Coffee Brew Stand’ which is a specialty coffee brew stand that has the strength for Aeropress and poetic poise for pour over.
Here is the Preview Link to the Campaign
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neilmacqueen/347514821?token=3f07a414
Facebook Event for the Launch
https://www.facebook.com/events/1683226305268660/
I’d love to know what you think about my project and if you have any feedback prior to my launch.
Thanks Neil
Balazs Oltvai says:
Jul 13, 2016
Hi,
Meet the HocuSpoon – Magic Spice Spoon.
The Hocuspoon is the ideal solution to creating instant and professional looking detail and décor on
food. With the Hocuspoon you can amaze your friends and delight your family by easily decorating almost
any foods from cappuccinos through mashed potato to crème Brûlée and much more. Anyone can easily create
a smiley face, teddy bear, or multitude of images from the provided templates.
The Hocuspoon comes hot off the heels of the hugely successful CinniBird Spice Pen and it now needs to
get to the market. This is why we are running a crowdfunding campaign at Indiegogo:
https://igg.me/at/hocuspoon
Have a great day!
Best Regards,
Balazs Oltvai
HocuSpoon Team Leader
http://www.hocuspoon.com/
Hugh Malkin says:
Oct 27, 2016
something new
http://www.baristaverde.com
would be good to connect with you and let you know more about our ambitions and direction
Best Regards Hugh
Haris says:
May 1, 2018
Hi FRESHGRND,
Just reaching out to say great website and coffee! I made a little video guide on using a moka pot! I thought may enjoy it as a genuine coffee lover.
Have a lovely day and keep up the great coffee :)
https://youtu.be/aeC4WzxAZXk
Kindest regards,
chafii says:
Jun 2, 2020
Hey, !
I was browsing your website and your page in google. I love what you’re posting, This is a fantastic list of resources
I actually just wrote a guide on coffee en general: https://wirwal.com/coffee-culture/
It might make a great addition to your page. and I hope that really
Either way, keep up the great work!
Cheers,
Chafii