All posts by CoffeeNerd

Copa Vida San Diego

I got called in for Jury Duty.  Ugh

There’s a new coffee shop 3 blocks from the court house.  Yippie!

Copa Vida, based in Pasadena has 2 locations in San Diego now.  The newest is on Broadway very close to Santa Fe Depot (for you Trolley and Coaster riders) and 3 blocks from the county courthouse.

The cafe is HUGE and very nice inside.  There’s also a very nice open counter facing Broadway to sit and enjoy the breeze blowing up Broadway from San Diego Bay.  The bar has some very nice gear including a big Alpha Dominiche Steam Punk machine which makes watching the preparation after ordering fun.

The coffee is good, not great, but good.  I had both a Flat White and the cold brew.  Both the espresso and cold brew had a typical 3rd wave flavor profile of high fruit acidity bordering on too tart.  Unfortunately, I find this to be a disturbing trend in the coffee world.  Some places keep it mostly in check (like Copa Vida) and others are just way out of bounds.  As, I said, the coffee is good, not great.  But, considering nearly across the street is Starbucks, this is definitely where you want to hang in this neck of the woods.

The staff was friendly and happy to talk about their shop and roasts.  They also have some nice small bites in the cafe which makes this a nice place to hang  on Jury Duty breaks for sure.

VST Precision Filter Baskets

VST Espresso Filter Baskets

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything.  But, this is worth the time.  I’ve read about VST Precision Filter Baskets before and finally decided to see what this was all about.  I just picked up the 18gr VST STD Ridged filter basket and the difference it makes is crazy.

You can read all about the fancy holes and quality control elements of the VST Precision Filter Baskets on their site.  But, the main take away is that it’s not just a marketing gimmic.  The design of the VST baskets is superior to most stock filter baskets and the result is sweeter, better tasting espresso.  The main thing I notice instantly is that the side walls of the basket are not really tapered at all (like my stock Bezzera or Gaggia baskets).  There is a small curve near the bottom, but mostly, they look nearly straight by comparison.  This means that the coffee puck is a uniform depth all the way around.  This matters because even before you get to the precision holes at the bottom, the coffee is uniform leading to even saturation.

Now, this design also has the side effect of showing even the slightest error in your distribution and tamping technique.  So, be prepared to reset what you think you know how to do a little.  Also, I had to actually adjust my grind finer to deal get the same timing with my standard 18.5gr dose.

The result in the cup is a sweeter, more complex espresso.  Same beans, same grinder, same machine…just changing the filter basket made the espresso taste significantly better.  If you are serious about your espresso, it’s well worth the $30 for the VST basket.

FOOTNOTE:  For most home machines, you probably want the STD Ridged model.  This “ridge” is a small bump on the outside that catches the “spring” in the portafilter and locks the basket in.  The “ridgeless” models don’t lock like that…they rely on simple friction fit.  If you DO NOT have a bottomless portafilter, you might need to get one if you get the 18gr or larger basket.  They have the dimensions on their site so you can measure your gear for compatibility.

For Five Coffee Roasters

For Five Coffee Roasters roast in Queens, but have opened their first shop in the Times Square area at 117 West 46th Street, New York.  Their shop is very sharp looking and their custom ModBar espresso bar is super slick.  But, how does it taste?

The coffee is very good here.  For Five Coffee Roasters are focusing on flavor and not fads.  The coffee had all the right notes and was very balanced.

Costa and George were happy to talk about the philosophy of For Five and all things coffee.  Their customer service was excellent and it was a welcome stop to get out of Times Square.  If you are in the area, stop in to For Five Coffee Roasters for a well crafted coffee.

St. Kilda Coffee New York

You’ll walk right by it and never know it’s there.  St. Kilda Coffee in New York is just across 8th Ave on 44th St. from the Majestic (Phantom…probably never closing) and St. James (Something Rotten as of right now) theaters.  It’s down under a residential building with the street level sign, literally at street level…as in..your feet.

St Kilda Coffee

With a plethora of Starbucks in the vicinity, it’s nice to have an indie joint so close to the theater district.  They are open 7-7 most days, and are serving up the a pretty standard drink menu crafted from beans roasted by Birch Coffee (local NYC company).

The Flat White I ordered was decent enough, but the espresso didn’t really hold up to the milk.
wpid-wp-1480731528990.jpgThere was a pretty typical 3rd wave aroma to the drink, but the flavor of the espresso was totally drowned by the milk.  I don’t know if the fault was drink assembly, or just that the shot was off near the end of the day.

However, if you want to support an indie spot, and get something infinitely better than Starbucks, and are near 44th St., check out St. Kilda Coffee.

Trader Joe’s Cold Brew Review

Cold brew has passed the “fad”phase.  It is now almost its own food group.  Places like Stumptown, Bluebottle, La Colombe, etc are all touting their cold brew these days.  So, what about low cost competitors?  Trader Joe’s has 2 variants, “black” and a flavored variety (vanilla I think).   Note, I’m not talking about their Cold Brew Concentrate.  I’m talking about the little 8oz Trader Joe’s Cold Brew cans that look like this.

wpid-wp-1479059013022.jpg

The good news is Trader Joe’s Cold Brew tastes like coffee.  The bad news is it tastes like their “brew in bag” coffee only cold.  The can claims to be 100% Arabica, but I’m probably not far off when I say it’s likely 100% cheap Brazilian Arabica.  If you like Dunkin coffee, you will like this.  If you like coffee…not brown dirty water…you won’t like this cold brew.

It was worth the experiment, but cold brew is so easy to make at home.  If you really like cold brew, you should find a local roaster, buy fresh beans, and make it your self.