NOTE: I've been deep in the weeds for the past week so I'm behind schedule. That said, let's get it on!

This is part of an ongoing series of quick interviews with coffee professionals I've run into who were kind enough to participate.

Today's victim is Benjamin Zeman of Mocha Joe's Roasting Co.

[Me] Before we get started, what's your name, company, and title?

[Ben] Benjamin Zeman, Mocha Joe's Roasting Co., Equipment Tech, Consultant and Projects Manager.

1. What do you do, how long have you done it, and how did you get started?

My role in the company is primarily an equipment tech for 100+ wholesale accounts and a consultant. I'm also a projects manager who organizes and oversees tasks within the company and solves everyday problems outside of just equipment. I've been working in the Industry for about 7 years now.

I got started working for Mocha Joe's when the roasting shop hit its busy season and they were looking for some part-time help packaging coffee. I put in a few shifts to help out a friend who was managing the company at the time and also make some extra cash. On my last day of packaging the owner asked me a question, “Can you fix things?” I immediately thought he wanted help fixing his computer because that’s what most people ask me to fix because I've been doing it on the side since I was a teenager. So I said, “Yes, I can fix things.”

Turns out he was looking for someone to fix coffee equipment and espresso machines. He brought me over to a machine on the counter and asked me a couple of questions. I took a quick look and the machine made basic sense to me so we talked about how I might go about fixing it. I guess I did alright because he offered me a job.

2. What's your favorite bean right now and how are you brewing it?

This is a hard question to answer because I'm doing a lot of QC and trying a lot of different coffees through a lot of different brew systems. One of my favorites at the moment is our Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Borboya brewed at home with a Chemex and Kone filter. I use 205 F water from a Bonivita Variable Temp Kettle and 19.8g of coffee for 12oz of water. I'm also really enjoying our Cameroon Oku which is a really special project for us. I prefer that through a pour over like a Hario with a paper filter or a Bonavita brewer.

3. What do you like most about the coffee industry right now?

I like that companies are getting more and more involved at origin and building up new, mutually beneficial relationships with people. I also like that companies and industry people are sharing knowledge more freely than in the past.

4. What do you like least about the coffee industry right now?

Even though people seem to be sharing more frequently there is a still a lack of resources for things like roasting techniques. I'd like to see larger databases of free information and more scientific testing and experiments.

5. What would you like the average end-consumer to know about what you do that you don't think they know already?

This is more for businesses than people brewing at home but if you don't clean your equipment and call in a tech for regular maintenance, your equipment won't last as long and will produce an inferior product. It's like bringing your car in to a mechanic. You can wait until it breaks and end up paying a lot more or you can bring it in for preventative maintenance regularly and things will be much better.

Ben is Equipment Tech, Consultant and Projects Manager at Mocha Joe's Roasting Co.: http://mochajoes.com.