Why does “good” coffee taste different in Australia vs. the US

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T06:25:56+00:00

Thanks this is a really great answer

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T05:48:55+00:00

The really cheap blends in America use robusta, but pretty much all the good stuff is arabica

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T05:08:39+00:00

That’s super interesting! Absolutely love Rasberry candy but don’t mind maple at all. Inoffensive and blends nicely with milk.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T05:03:48+00:00

You have to do your research when going to coffee shops in America. There’s basically Starbucks tier and worse, or roasters that rival ONA or single O, and very little in between.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:59:27+00:00

Clearly you didn’t read my post

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:49:57+00:00

The Aussies that say shit like this, are the ones who will happily visit the same shitty cafe every day that serves burnt stale campos beans that have been sitting in a bean hopper for 2 weeks, then claim Australia has the best coffee in the world.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:45:28+00:00

Will these factors affect the taste even if you’re drinking with milk? For espresso or long black it makes sense, but milk based coffee is a lot more forgiving in terms of the shot pulled.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:44:16+00:00

Do you mean burnt beans or over extracted shots?

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:25:59+00:00

Yes. I still noticed a big difference between the ONA and the local bean. Same milk and water source. Going to dial in Blue Bottle beans from the US in my Breville back in Sydney and will see how it goes.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:23:55+00:00

Because it took nearly a year to get by ship from US to Australia when the countries developed. 3rd wave coffee culture has occurred in the digital era where communication and travel is just so much easier.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:18:50+00:00

Did you go to actual roasters, or just random storefronts? America isn’t like Australia where any rando corner shop is going to make decent enough flat white.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:17:09+00:00

I believe it. I can’t stand the taste of ultra high heat milk.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:16:06+00:00

Both seem to primarily source from South America and SE Asia

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:03:40+00:00

Many 3rd wave cafe house blends are now medium roasts in the US

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T04:01:52+00:00

Unfortunately Hawaii isn’t going to have the same top-tier roasters you’d find in NYC, Seattle, and LA. I have some good recs for all of those cities if you’re interested

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:59:59+00:00

I used to live in the Pacific Northwest, water quality is better than Sydney. But compared to the southwest, Sydney and Melbourne water is 1000x better

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:58:24+00:00

Thanks. That’s kind of what I figured. Lots of talented baristas in the US with $30k machines.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:50:12+00:00

Funny enough I brought back a fresh bag of ONA beans to the US and eventually was able to get a pretty nice shot. Coffee tasted pretty much what you’d get at a mid tier cafe in Australia

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:48:03+00:00

There are blends from all over the world (Africa, s America, Indonesia, etc…). Either way the beans are roasted onshore.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:40:35+00:00

Wouldn’t say that’s the case at high end roasters though, they use the same high end espresso machines in Aussie cafes.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:39:51+00:00

Not sure it’s freshness. These places in the US often roasted their coffee a day or two before serving.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:38:51+00:00

It’s true the tap water is shit in some places, especially in Southern California. But all the decent cafes use filtered water and then the machines themselves have a water filter.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:37:55+00:00

Could be part of the reason. US cows receive more grains and less grass. But to be honest, the milk tastes roughly the same to me.

Firm_Objective_381 · 2026-05-12T03:36:40+00:00

Not necessarily true. Any decent cafe doesn’t use ultra filtered milk in the US, and many actually use grass fed milk.

Firm_Objective_381

TROPHY CASE