Coffee Basics

Last Updated: April 24, 2022

A few have asked about the keys to great coffee. It’s quite simple. Start with a durable and functional automatic coffee machine. Add water and quality beans. Press Start. Voila. Each of the beans below has a story. Liminal is a small-batch roaster that I discovered at the local (San Mateo) Farmers’ Market. IKON has a stand at the same market and also at Burlingame Farmers’ Market, which I visit on Sunday mornings for the mandatory my post-soccer iced coffee. I worked a block or two from a Blue Bottle coffee store more than ten years ago. It was a hole-in-the-wall on Ritch Street, SOMA, San Francisco, right next to a fabulous chicken-and-waffles joint. Verve is based in Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, Surf City, U.S.A., although the residents of Huntington Beach, CA might disagree (vociferously). Usually, I stop by after my morning run, from Santa Cruz to Capitola and back. I stumbled upon Stump Town during a business trip to Portland. Cartel Coffee Lab was discovered at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, while Single Speed came about during a visit to the iconic Williams, Arizona. Atlas Coffee Club was a birthday present, a coffee of the month club gift. I discovered Counterculture in Washington, D.C., in a coffee shop (of course) close to the White House. I will update this list from time to time. Be sure to check in and enjoy.

So, here are the basics:

Coffee Machine: Jura A1 Super Automatic

[Whole] Beans:

• Liminal Coffee (San Francisco, CA)
• Blue Bottle Coffee (Oakland, CA)
• IKON Coffee (South San Francisco, CA)
• Verve Coffee (Santa Cruz, CA)
• Stump Town Coffee (Portland, OR)
• Cartel Coffee Lab (Tempe, AZ)
• Single Speed Coffee Roasters (Flagstaff, AZ)
• Atlas Coffee Club (Austin, TX)
• Counterculture Coffee (Durham, NC)

Tips: Best to experience these at in-coffee shop locations or mail order (2-3 days shipping is usually available). If you find any of these on supermarket shelves, there’s a good chance that they have been there for a while. Ideally, you’ll want to get your beans 7-10 days from roasting.

Suggestions on additions to the list above welcomed.