Shawn Steiman, PhD. Chief Science Officer (and co-owner) of Daylight Mind Coffee Company. Also, owner of Coffea Consulting.

Daylight Mind Coffee Company is a restaurant, cafe, bakery, coffee school, and roasting company located in the heart of Kona, Hawaii. .Daylight Mind Coffee Company speciatly is coffee. The company offers training classes in coffee for everyone from novices to expert barristas.

How do you take your coffee?

Unadulterated- black!

How many coffee cups do you drink on an average day?

2 most days, unless I’m out and about town in which case it can easily be 4 or 5.

Do you enjoy having your coffee with pastry alongside, and if so, what is it?

While I really love pastries (who doesn’t!?), I really just want my coffee by itself. I seek coffees that are worth thinking about. Thus, if I find one, I don’t want my senses to be distracted by something else. I just want to focus on the coffee.

Do you have a favorite Single-origin coffee?

Nope! There are so many fun and complex coffees out there, how could one be better than the rest!

What was the most unusual or experimental coffee you tasted?

I once had a decaf coffee that didn’t handle the decaffeinating process so well. It tasted like my mother’s brisket!

What is your favorite coffee shop and what makes it enjoyable?

My own: the flagship Daylight Mind Coffee Company location. Not only do we make a decent cup of coffee, one can’t beat the atmosphere: on the ocean, in Kona, Hawaii, with nothing but beautiful scenery all around.

From your experience, what is the most important factor when it comes to making good coffee?

There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy coffee. Instant coffee is no better or worse than specialty coffee. It is different. Don’t let someone think that your preference is not just as good as theirs! Find what you like and drink it.