After our intense day in Caranavi, the journey continued to El Alto, where the elevation reaches a staggering 4,000 masl. Here, against the backdrop of the Andes, we dedicated the second day to a crucial yet often overlooked step in the coffee production process: packing at the dry mill plant. For the third consecutive year, we took a hands-on approach, personally overseeing this vital stage – a practice that sets us apart in the industry.

Moving back to Switzerland in 2022 marked the beginning of our annual pilgrimage to Bolivia every January. This voyage blends family reunions, work meetings at our sister roastery Elevate Coffee and coffee shop Supersymmetry, and, most importantly, a direct connection with our Bolivian producers. It's a concoction of vacation, family bonding, and work, accentuated by our yearly retreat—a time for reflection, recalibration, and the birth of innovative ideas propelling our business forward and fortifying connections with our customers and stakeholders. This year's visit, captured in this blog post, delves into the challenges faced during the 2023 coffee production, revealing both setbacks and exceptional outcomes.

When looking into getting started on your incredibly fulfilling journey of preparing specialty coffee at home, we often see us confronted with thousands of equipment reviews on which espresso machine to choose over another one. We've been there, and it's madness even for professionals like us. So, we wrote this somewhat unusual guide to help you gain clarity before anything else!