What Is Third Wave Coffee? The Three Waves Explained

Third wave coffee, often written 3rd wave coffee, is the idea that coffee can be treated like wine or craft beer: a product with a traceable origin, a known farm or cooperative, a variety and a processing method, roasted to show those differences rather than to hide them. The phrase describes a shift in how coffee is bought, roasted and served, mostly in independent cafés and small roasteries, that grew from the late 1990s onward.

The label is useful, but it is also loose. Below you will find where the term came from, what each wave actually changed, and why many people in the coffee trade think the wave model is too neat.

Key takeaways

• Roaster Trish Rothgeb is generally credited with popularizing the term in an article for the Roasters Guild publication The Flamekeeper, usually dated to spring 2003 (some sources say 2002).
• A broker, Timothy Castle, used the phrase “coffee’s third wave” a few years earlier, in a 1999–2000 trade magazine piece.
• The first wave made coffee a cheap, convenient staple; the second popularized espresso drinks and origin names; the third focuses on traceability, lighter roasting and careful brewing.
• The waves overlap and have no official dates, and “fourth wave” has no agreed definition.

In this article

1. Where the term came from
2. The three waves at a glance
3. What 3rd wave coffee changed
4. What third wave coffee roasters do differently
5. Is there a fourth wave?
6. The critiques
7. FAQ

Where the term came from

The name borrows its structure from the history of US feminism, which is commonly described in first, second and third waves. Trish Rothgeb, a roaster now known for Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, described coffee history in three waves. Her article, titled “Norway and Coffee,” ran in The Flamekeeper, the newsletter of the Roasters Guild. Most accounts date it to the spring 2003 issue, though a few give 2002, so treat any single date you see quoted with some caution.

She was not the very first to use the phrase. Timothy J. Castle, a specialty coffee importer and author, wrote a piece called “Coffee’s Third Wave” for Tea & Coffee Asia in its December 1999/January 2000 issue. Rothgeb’s framing is the one that stuck, partly because she gave each wave a clear character. By 2005 the term had reached national radio in the US, in an NPR piece on barista competitions, and food writers were using it to describe cafés that named the farm on the menu.

The idea of specialty coffee itself is older. Importer Erna Knutsen is credited with using “specialty coffee” in 1974, a story told in our article on Erna Knutsen and the birth of specialty coffee. The third wave did not invent quality coffee; it changed what quality meant to a café customer.

The three waves at a glance

The waves are best read as broad tendencies, not eras with start and end dates. All three still exist side by side in most cities.

First wave: volume and convenience

The first wave turned coffee into a household product. Vacuum-packed cans and, later, instant coffee meant you could keep coffee in the pantry for months and make a cup in seconds. Big brands competed on price and consistency, and very few shoppers knew or cared which country the beans came from. If you want the details, our articles on the history of Folgers and the history of instant coffee cover this period.

Second wave: the café experience

The second wave is usually linked to Peet’s Coffee & Tea in Berkeley, which from the late 1960s sold fresh, dark-roasted whole beans and inspired the founders of Starbucks. Its legacy is the Italian-style espresso drink menu, the idea of the café as a place to spend time, and origin names such as Kenya or Sumatra on the bag. Our article on Alfred Peet and dark roast explains why that roast style dominated.

Third wave: the farm and the method

The third wave narrows the focus further: from country to region, from region to farm or washing station, and from “espresso” to how that specific shot was dialed in. Food writer Jonathan Gold summed it up in a 2008 LA Weekly column by noting that beans were now sourced from farms rather than countries.

What 3rd wave coffee changed

Several habits that now feel normal in good cafés became mainstream through 3rd wave coffee shops:

• Lighter roasting. Roasters stopped aiming for one dark house flavor and roasted each coffee to show its acidity, fruit or florals.
• Roast dates on the bag. Freshness became something you could check, instead of a vague best-by date.
• Brew methods on the menu. Pour-over, siphon and batch brew made with a precise recipe sat next to espresso. Our V60 pour-over guide shows the kind of recipe these cafés use.
• Quality scores and competitions. Cupping scores and programs such as the Cup of Excellence gave farmers a way to be paid for exceptional lots.

What third wave coffee roasters do differently

In the US, three companies were often grouped as the “big three” of the movement: Intelligentsia in Chicago, Stumptown in Portland, Oregon, and Counter Culture in Durham, North Carolina. All three promoted direct relationships with producers, often called direct trade, rather than buying only through anonymous commodity channels.

The movement also showed how quickly craft becomes business. In 2015 Peet’s acquired both Stumptown and Intelligentsia. Larger chains opened roastery-style flagship stores and reserve menus aimed at the same customers. That does not make the coffee worse, but it blurs the line between “independent craft” and “chain,” a tension discussed in our look at independent vs chain coffee shops.

How to spot third wave practices on a bag

• A roast date, not only an expiry date.
• A named farm, cooperative or washing station.
• The variety (for example Typica, Bourbon, SL28) and the process.
• Tasting notes that describe fruit, sugar or floral notes rather than just “bold.”

None of these guarantee a great cup, but together they tell you the roaster expects you to care about origin. For the formal grading behind the word “specialty,” see what specialty coffee means.

Is there a fourth wave?

You will see “fourth wave coffee” used in articles and marketing, but there is no shared definition. Some people use it for a science-led approach: water chemistry, extraction measurements and grinder technology. Others use it for the business side, from café design to coffee as a lifestyle brand, and some apply it to sustainability, farmer income and transparency about prices paid. Because each writer picks a different focus, it is safer to describe what a café actually does than to assign it a wave number.

The critiques

Even people who use the term admit its limits:

• No fixed dates. A town can have first, second and third wave cafés on the same street, so a timeline is misleading.
• It depends on where you live. Something considered old news in one city can feel new in another.
• Overuse. As “third wave” became a marketing phrase, many in the trade felt it lost meaning.
• What it leaves out. Critics point out that the wave story is told from the consumer’s side in rich countries, and says little about the income and working conditions of the people who grow coffee.
• Perceived snobbery. Very light roasts and long brew rituals are not to everyone’s taste, and darker, comforting coffee is not a lower form of coffee.

Taste the third wave idea at home

You can try the core idea, comparing origins side by side, with two very different African coffees. Ethiopia Natural from the Sidama zone is sun-dried in the cherry and roasted medium-light, with milk chocolate, ripe fruit and caramel notes. Kenya from Nyeri is grown from SL28 and SL34 varieties and tastes bright and juicy, with orange, lemon and floral notes. Brew both with the same recipe and the difference that origin and process make becomes obvious. Every Feel Espresso coffee is roasted 1–5 days before delivery, and you can browse more in our single origins collection.

Third wave coffee FAQ

Who coined the term third wave coffee?

Trish Rothgeb is generally credited, through an article in the Roasters Guild publication The Flamekeeper usually dated to 2003. Timothy Castle used the phrase slightly earlier in a 1999–2000 trade article.

What is the difference between second and third wave coffee?

Second wave coffee popularized espresso drinks, café culture and country-of-origin names, usually with darker roasts. Third wave coffee goes further into traceability, lighter roasting and precise brewing.

Is third wave coffee the same as specialty coffee?

Not exactly. Specialty coffee is a quality grade based on defects and cupping scores. Third wave describes a cultural approach to roasting, serving and selling that coffee.

Is third wave coffee always light roast?

No. Lighter roasts are common because they show origin flavors, but many third wave roasters also sell medium and darker roasts, especially for espresso.

What is fourth wave coffee?

There is no agreed definition. The phrase is used for science-driven brewing, for the business and design side of coffee, or for a stronger focus on sustainability and farmer income.

Compare origins the third wave way. Shop Feel Espresso single origins

Sources

1. Third-wave coffee, Wikipedia (origin of the term, Castle and Rothgeb, NPR 2005, Jonathan Gold 2008, Peet’s 2015 acquisitions), accessed October 2026.
2. Thinking about the “Waves of Coffee”, Coffee BI, 2018.

Facts checked in October 2026.

Keep reading: What Is Specialty Coffee? · Erna Knutsen and Specialty Coffee · Single Origins