Coffee Break: 5 Beans We Love
If there’s one thing that’s going to help you survive—and thrive—this year, it’s coffee. But forget Folgers: Locally roasted beans are the best part of waking up. Read on for some of our favorites, plus easy but effective home-brewing tips.
Anadem Signature Blend
PRICE $14
PURCHASE: Kingdom Coffee Roasters, 305 Iron Point Road, Folsom, 916-287-0240, kingdomcoffeeroasters.com
TASTING NOTES: This well-rounded blend highlights the subtle nuance yet big flavors that coffee has to offer. It’s deeply fruited with notes of chocolate and nougat plus a rich, sweet finish.
COFFEE-BREWING TIPS:
• Use only filtered water.
• Make sure your water is hot (traditionally between 195-205 degrees).
• Grind fresh before brewing.
Oh My Darling Blend
PRICE $16
PURCHASE: Clementine Coffee Bar, 813 Sutter Street, Suite G, Folsom, 760-331-773, clementinecoffee.com
TASTING NOTES: An organic blend of beans from Peru and Guatemala, it’s full of chocolate and nutty undertones, flavors of caramel, cinnamon, and almond, with a sparkling acidity and lasting body.
COFFEE-BREWING TIPS:
• Always use fresh, whole bean coffee; pre-ground coffee only lasts a few days.
• Invest in a burr grinder; uniform grind and size makes a huge difference.
• Measure in grams. For a pour over, start with 21 grams of coffee and 300 grams of water.
Ethiopia Gugi
PRICE $17.95
PURCHASE: World Traveler Coffee Roasters, 106 North Sunrise Avenue, Suite C7, Roseville; 603 East Bidwell Street, Suite A, Folsom, 916-212-3177, worldtravelercoffee.com
TASTING NOTES: A light and refreshing naturally processed coffee with a fruit-forward profile and flavors of apricot, grape, and mandarin. It’s ideal for lazy afternoons and weekends where a great sipping coffee is called for.
COFFEE-BREWING TIPS:
• Choose fresh beans to capture the true flavor of the brew; the longer the beans sit on the shelf, the quicker they lose complexity, flavor, and aroma.
• Coffee starts to degrade 15 seconds after you grind it, so best results come from fresh-roasted and fresh-ground beans.
• Store beans in an airtight, stainless steel, double-walled coffee container that has a Co2 valve on the lid and where you can set the date when purchased.
Organic Guatemala
PRICE $14
PURCHASE: Totem Coffee Co., 312 Main Street, Suite 104, Placerville, 530-903-3280, totemcoffeeroasters.com
TASTING NOTES: These beans come from a small farm in Guatemala called Finca El Tambor, where producer Victor Calderon— a fifth-generation coffee grower—uses organic and biodynamic practices alongside environmental stewardship and social equity. The coffee itself exhibits notes of milk chocolate, caramel, almond, and plum.
COFFEE-BREWING TIPS:
• Use filtered water and heat to about 200 degrees.
• Store beans in an airtight container, out of sunlight, and at room temperature; never refrigerate or freeze them.
• Measure coffee by weight, not volume, to get proper brewing ratios.
Guatemala Finca La Chucita
PRICE $17
PURCHASE: Mast Coffee, Rocklin, 916-751-8694, mastcoffeeco.com
TASTING NOTES: This Guatemalan coffee is beloved for its complex sweetness, balance, and round body. It appeals to the everyman, as well as the discerning coffee drinker and tastes of milk chocolate with a hint of raspberry on the finish.
COFFEE-BREWING TIPS:
• The right ratio is paramount. We recommend 16 parts water to 1 part coffee (a scale is the easiest way to perfect this every time).
• Use a grinder to ensure a consistent grind size; we love the line of burr grinders made by Baratza.
• Use good soft water (35-85ppm). This is usually the culprit if you can’t get your coffee to taste like the pros.
—Compiled by Megan Wiskus