Obsessive’s Guide to Coffee

The American Barista & Coffee School has partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line to create trips for coffee fanatics, with onboard java experts (from $900; 800-655-3955 or coffeecruises.com). At Selva Negra, an eco-resort on a Nicaraguan organic coffee farm, travelers can help harvest beans (doubles from $30; 404-577-8673 or selvanegra.com). Participants in Global Exchange’s nine-day trips to Nicaragua live and work with Fair Trade farmers during harvest ($650; globalexchange.org).

TOP U.S. COFFEE BARS

La Colombe Torrefaction
Great pastries and people-watching; silky cappuccino (130 S. 19th St., Philadelphia; 215-563-0860).

Ritual Coffee Roasters
Mission District hipsters love the French-press coffee here (1026 Valencia St., San Francisco; 415-641-1024).

Ninth Street Espresso
Owner Ken Nye pulls some of New York’s best espresso at this East Village spot (700 E. Ninth St., New York; 212-358-9225).

Aloha Island
All Kona coffee, all the time, from the owners’ Big Island plantation in Hawaii (153 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills; 310-786-8257).

Ruta Maya
Terrific coffee exclusively from Chiapas, Mexico, plus great live music (3601 S. Congress Ave., Austin; 512-707-9637).

Murky Coffee
This Capitol Hill spot is a hangout for politicos and staffers (660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, D.C.; 202-546-5228).

Blue Bottle Coffee Co.
A 10-by-10-foot space that’s more a stand than a shop, it grinds and brews terrific beans to order (315 Linden St., San Francisco; 415-252-7535).

Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee
Owner Jack Mazzola has invented a coffeemaker that stirs the coffee grinds as it brews, giving each cup an even, smooth taste (138 W. 10th St.; New York City; 212-929-0821).

Gimme! Coffee
Ithaca, New York-based coffee fanatic John Gant air-roasts his beans so the roast level is perfectly uniform (495 Lorimer St.; Brooklyn, New York; 718-388-7771).

Café du Monde
Housed in a French Quarter landmark building, founded in 1862, it is still known for its coffee-chicory blends (1039 Decatur St., New Orleans; 504-587-0835).

Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company
Zoka’s head barista, Phuong Tran, is the current United States Barista Champion (2200 N. 56th St.; Seattle; 206-545-4277).

Espresso Vivace Roasteria
Husband-and-wife owners David Schomer and Geneva Sullivan started Vivace with a single street-side cart; now they’re a Seattle institution. Their espresso is known for its gorgeous crema (901 E. Denny Way, Seattle; 206-860-5869).

Victrola Coffee Roasters
The friendly neighborhood vibe and flawless espresso drinks here are augmented by a wide menu of panini (411 15th Ave. East, Seattle; 206-325-6520).

Metropolis Coffee Company
Father and son owners Jeff and Tony Dreyfuss run a virtual entertainment center at their coffee house with rotating art displays, music and a film series (1039 W. Granville Ave.; Chicago; 773-764-0400).

THE BEST DRIP MACHINES

MACHINE Technivorm KB471 Clubline $230
WHY WE LOVE IT This Dutch import heats water rapidly to exactly 200°, the perfect coffee-brewing temperature.

MACHINE Capresso MT500 $170
WHY WE LOVE IT It’s superfast, brewing 10 cups in under eight minutes. An internal water filter is a nice extra.

MACHINE Cuisinart Coffee on Demand DCC-200 $150
WHY WE LOVE IT This ingenious model dispenses a cup at a time so coffee doesn’t scorch as it sits on a burner.

MACHINE Bodum Santos Electric Vacuum Coffee Maker $130
WHY WE LOVE IT An unusual design uses pressure differences to mix hot water directly with the coffee in a transparent chamber.

MACHINE Braun Impressions KF600 $80
WHY WE LOVE IT A big one-touch switch makes this very user-friendly; the stainless steel carafe keeps coffee warm for hours.

MACHINE Rowenta Morrison Coffee Machine $150
WHY WE LOVE IT We loved this model’s streamlined concept from famed British design group Jasper Morrison. A hidden storage compartment holds filters and a measuring spoon.
HOW TO FIND IT unicahome.com

MACHINE Chemex Filter Drip Coffeemaker $36
WHY WE LOVE IT Invented by a German chemist in the 1940s, this low-tech, nonelectric, hourglass-shaped glass carafe has a wooden collar around the middle. We loved its foolproof simplicity: A cone-shaped paper filter fits in the top of the pot and boiling water is poured through the coffee grinds.
HOW TO FIND IT amazon.com

MACHINE Saeco Incanto Sirius $1,500
WHY WE LOVE IT This fully automated Italian import grinds the beans then brews them, and it has easy-to-use touch-screen controls.
HOW TO FIND IT williams-sonoma.com

Check out F&W’s staff picks for the Best Boutique Roasters.

GO-TO GRINDERS

Instead of blades, burr grinders use discs, which experts prefer. The KitchenAid Pro Line works as well as some models twice the price ($200; kitchenaid.com).

Mazzer Mini Espresso Grinder
Minutely adjustable grind settings make this super high-end grinder perfect for espresso fanatics who like to experiment until they find their ideal grind. Has a powerful 250 watt motor and a mechanism that dispenses the ground coffee directly into any espresso machine portafilter.
Details: $430; 1st-line Equipment; 1st-line.com; 888-933-5947 OR wholelattelove.com.

Which of the Best Big Roasters did we prefer? Find out now.

THE BEST ESPRESSO MACHINES

MACHINE Olympia Cremina $2,195
WHY WE LOVE IT This Swiss manual-lever machine has a cult following; only 40 come to the U.S. each year.
HOW TO FIND IT 1st-line.com

MACHINE Ala di Vittoria La Valentina $1,295
WHY WE LOVE IT This features a professional-quality heat-exchange boiler. We liked the semiautomatic model best.
HOW TO FIND IT 1st-line.com

MACHINE Nespresso D290 $500
WHY WE LOVE IT The top pod machine we tested; takes the guesswork out of making espresso.
HOW TO FIND IT williams-sonoma.com

MACHINE Breville Espresso Maker $400
WHY WE LOVE IT The best value in quality espresso makers, this compact unit has sturdy construction and simple controls.
HOW TO FIND IT williams-sonoma.com

MACHINE Moka Espresso Pot $16
WHY WE LOVE IT A staple in every Italian house, this compact stovetop brewer (first introduced in 1933) is incredibly easy to use: fill the base with water, fill the filter-funnel top with finely ground coffee, then screw everything together and set it all on a stovetop.
HOW TO FIND IT bialettishop.com

CHARACTER STUDY

Experts can often tell a coffee’s origin from a single sip. Here’s a quick guide to local character.

Africa
Top-quality beans, mostly from Ethiopia or Kenya, are known for floral and chocolaty notes as well as vibrant acidity.

Central America
The best producers are Costa Rica and Guatemala; their coffees tend to be lighter-bodied and fruity.

Indonesia
These coffees are usually full-bodied with low acidity and earthy flavors.

December 10, 2007 | Filed Under News 


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