Name: Michael Phillips
Age: 31
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Why We Care: Forget Olympic triumph and World Cup victories. This summer, Michael Phillips represented Team USA at the World Barista Championships. He pitted his espresso-making stuff against baristas from 52 nations - and won (relive the glory here), becoming the first American to take the title in the competition's 10-year history. When he's not in competition mode, he's the Director of Education at Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee, which has been included in "best" lists by Food and Wine, Zagat and Roast magazine.

How long have you been in the coffee business?

Professionally, I've been working for Intelligentsia for about four and half years, but I've been a coffee nerd for about eight years. I got interested after encountering a coffee shop that had a roaster inside and the person working there showed me the ropes.

What do you mean by coffee nerd?

Coffee nerds see making a cup of coffee like a science. It's being aware of what you're consuming, knowing the farm your coffee comes from and what it takes to get it to your cup.

Oh, wow. Were you always into coffee?

Well, I went to school for digital cinema and I worked in that field for three years until I realized how passionate I was about coffee.

Some people see working at a coffee shop as either a part-time job or a job they do while looking for a new job. Did you know you could actually have a career in it?

Once you realize that that there's another side to coffee than the fast food job at Starbucks, you see that it's a highly involved industry. There's agronomy involved and there's different roasters whose job is to develop different flavor profiles. There's high-end production. It's not just a part-time job.

But one of the reasons people don't consider a career as a barista is because the pay is so low.

That view certainly hinders the US barista scene and is in most cases accurate. At Intelligentsia, we're attempting to change that. Currently, along with offering full benefits, fully qualified baristas can make $20,000 to $45,000 a year, depending on location. We feel that these things are a really good first step at turning being a barista into a position that can truly be sustainable.

Did you have to invest any money to get started?

I sold all my film equipment for about $3,000 and invested another $2,000 of my own money to get a home roaster and semi-professional grinder and traveled a lot to get as much information as I could about what I needed to do.

You did this out of your home?

Yeah, in my own apartment. The neighbors loved it. It's really aromatic. I'd make them drinks and get feedback. Once you get into it, you become really evangelical. You start making coffee that doesn't taste like coffee. It tastes like mandarin, chocolate, nuts. There are all these different textures. And you want to make drinks for friends and show them what it's all about.

How did you get onto the competition circuit?

It has a fairly high profile. It's not just a competition, it's a chance for people to see a lot of the innovation that's happening on every front of the industry. It's about what coffee you're choosing and what drinks you're making and what's different that you're bringing to the table. People are watching to see what farms are producing very good coffee, what roasters are doing with it, and what techniques baristas are using. Intelligentsia is a fairly well-regarded company so we have people in-house who go to regionals, national and to represent the U.S. at the world championships.

Did you have to take time off work to train?

No, not really. You're practicing all year long while you're working. You just have to take a few days off to compete. This year, nationals were in Anaheim, California, and the world championship was in London. If you win, the prize money will cover your airfare and hotel.

What do you think people should think about when they buy coffee?

You can't just tell someone to go buy Colombian coffee, because that could be good or bad. For a consumer, it's really about information. If you're buying coffee from a store or a coffee shop you should be looking for a roast date. One of the biggest shams in the food industry is that coffee has an indefinite shelf life. We won't sell coffee more than seven days after it's been roasted. Would you buy bread that's been sitting there for a week?

Interesting! I didn't know that!

The second best thing is to ask your roaster what country the coffee is from, what region, and if they have information about the farmers. All of that stuff matters. It shows that they've actually developed a relationship with a grower, and because of that, there's an inherently higher quality.

Well, I'm probably buying the wrong coffee. Actually, now that you're telling me this, I know I am.

You should also be be looking for the seasonality. Coffee is a fruit. It comes from a cherry in a tree, and like any other produce, there's a harvest time. For example, coffee from Guatemala will be good for eight months or six months. Once the cherry is picked, the quality doesn't increase, it'll drop. Consumers should know if what they're buying is within 10 months of harvest. Anything after that is really cheap, old coffee.

You have no idea how much I'm learning right now.

The coffee market is a really strange beast. When prices are down, places will hold coffee for 14 months until the price is up or there is high demand. It's about getting a deal. Roasters may be getting this coffee that's been sitting there for more than a year and consumers won't know it in the slightest. There's so much deception. They'll take this old coffee and make a blend, and then they'll sell it to you as, say, a "rise and shine" blend.

Amazing. It sounds like we've got coffee covered! What do you think is the best coffeemaker out there?

The best coffeemaker is someone who cares about what they're drinking. Every cup we make at Intelligentisia is made to order and we just use a simple cone paper filter that we pour hot water into. Making coffee should be affordable. I will say that coffee grinders can get a little pricey - $100 or more, but you're investing in something for the long run. Having a good grinder means you're getting a nice consistent grind. Anyone who buys those cheap little $10 blade grinders is better off buying pre-ground coffee. But buying whole bean coffee and grinding it yourself is like buying local bread vs. pre-sliced bread. If you really care about flavor, its really worth taking the extra step.

You know, people always say, "stop going out to buy a cup of coffee and save money by making it yourself!" What do you think about that?

If you think about it, coffee is the most affordable luxury that people have on hand. You can get coffee that rivals the best of the other luxuries - the best wine, beer or food out there - for $5. It's ridiculous. You can spend a little bit of money and treat yourself extremely well. You can find a good shop that produces good coffee and prepare the coffee at home.

What can you get at a coffee shop that you can't reproduce at home?

Espresso drinks. Don't make espresso coffee drinks at home. It's very difficult to duplicate. Find a shop that makes a proper espresso or cappuccino, and you'll find you won't need to add sweeteners or milk. Baristas in our shop spend one-and-a-half years learning how to make proper espressos with the proper equipment. The equipment you need to make good espresso drinks costs more than $1,000, and there's a high learning curve. But a really good black coffee can be made at home.

On Bundle, we've had intense discussions about tipping at coffee shops. What's the proper etiquette?

I am personally a fan of people tipping per cup. It's frustrating for a lot of coffee professionals because people don't think it's a job. These are people who have specialized skill sets and are providing you a service. If you go to an actual coffee shop where the barista has to go through a ton of training and can explain to you everything you want to know about what you're drinking, that's worth something. You'll pay a bartender a dollar just for opening a bottle for you. Sure, there are baristas who are just working because it's a side job and they don't really care about what they're doing, but if you're appreciating a good level of service, that deserves a tip.

How much coffee do you drink in a day?

In reality, it's rare that I'll sit down and have a cup of coffee. But I'm tasting coffee all day, which might be the equivalent of eight cups a day.

Enough about coffee. What do you like to spend your money on?

I like mid-century modern furniture. Every now and then I'll buy a nice chair. I also love spirits and have a really great whiskey collection. The official whiskey of the 2010 World Barista Championship for Team USA was a George T. Stagg strengthened bourbon. We had to smuggle it to London because of the high proof.

Do you think you'll ever do something besides work in coffee?

I plan to be in coffee for the rest of my life. This is what I want to do, and I love the variety that it offers. Intelligentsia is an amazing company to work for. They set trends. And the coffee they make gets better and better.

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