In your quest for that perfect cup of joe, I’m sure you’ve felt like I have. Where do I start? Since I’m fairly certain I’m not the only person who has felt overwhelmed about what makes a coffeehouse better than another, I thought I’d compile a list of a few traits you might want to think about when making the epic choice of which coffeehouse will be getting your money.
Atmosphere
What’s the atmosphere like? Is it dark and brooding, or more sleek and corporate feeling. I’m not here to bash corporate style coffeehouses, but they’re not my thing. When I look at a coffeehouses’ atmosphere, I ask myself if I could see myself being creative in this space. Occupationally, I’m a graphic designer, so I need a space that caters to my creative side and the modern feel of corporate coffeehouses don’t help me with that. Another thing you might want to keep in mind about the atmosphere is whether or not it’s too loud to actually have a conversation. What’s the purpose of going into the coffeehouse you’re about to enter? If you want to have a conversation, you may want to pay special attention to the noise level.
Friendly Staff
I think it’s important to know the person behind the counter isn’t going to spit in your coffee, so friendly staff is a must. Does the barista get ticked off when you ask if they could change something about the drink, or do they kind of go with the flow? If your barista is too rigid to be spontaneous and fun while making your drink, you may want another coffeehouse. Keep in mind though, that people do have bad days so unless the barista is being an absolute jerk, cut them some slack. While working as a barista, I’ve had several customers come up and simply say, “Surprise me.” You should try it sometime if you haven’t. Most baristas will follow that up with questions like, “Do you like vanilla?”...or “Do you like strawberry?” Honestly, the “surprise me” customers were some of my best because that’s a person who has full confidence in my abilities and is willing to try something different than their regular drink. This works best if you’ve gone to the coffeehouse for a while because it’s essentially a fun type of quiz for your barista to take to see if they’ve pinned your tastes.
Coffee is Roasted On-Site
Personally, I love going to coffeehouses that roast their own coffee. It adds a level of expertise that you don’t often see in corporate coffeehouses because corporate is all about getting the coffee to you as fast as possible, which isn’t a bad thing...especially when you’re late for work or a class. I’ll admit, I’m such a coffee freak that I have stopped for coffee on the way to class even though I was already a little late. Two coffeehouses that are local to Upstate, South Carolina that I know roast their own beans are Coffee Underground in Greenville, SC and E-City Java in Anderson, SC.
Food is Served
Nowadays, people are looking for something more than a cup of coffee and a pastry from their local coffeehouse. Something you may want to look at is whether or not they serve sandwiches or other food. This one isn’t a deal breaker because especially in these economic times, people have had to cut back and choosing between a sandwich or a coffee, I’d go with the coffee. It’s a little hard to be a coffeehouse without your namesake.
Automatic Vs. Hand-Tamped Espresso
For me? Hand-tamped all the way! Automatic espresso machines tend to break down a lot, which could leave you lacking your cup of coffee when you desperately need it. I’ve also noticed that the quality of the espresso with an automatic is lacking the flavor of hand-tamped espresso. Mind you, you’ll have to rely on your friendly neighborhood barista when it comes to pulling a great shot of espresso if it’s hand-tamped, but the flavor is so worth it. Hand-tamping does take a little longer than using an automatic machine, so you need to be a little more patient. You know what your reward is for all that patience? A flavor explosion in your mouth rather than that bitter aftertaste that automatic machines tend to give the espresso. Overall, while automatic is faster, I still prefer hand-tamping for the overall flavor of the espresso.
Wi-Fi
In this technological age, we always have our cellphones, or computers with us. Can’t wait to send that email and don’t want to use a wireless network? No problem, just make sure your local shop has wi-fi. I’ve gone to coffeehouses numerous times to work and study for school, as well as to complete numerous online tests, so you don’t want to just check that they have wi-fi. Ask yourself is it a reliable network? This is another trait that isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. Sometimes people like going to coffeehouses to simply unplug, but the great thing about wi-fi is that you can choose to go online or not.
These are just some of the things that I look for in a great coffeehouse, but the decision is ultimately yours. The purpose of this blog isn’t to persuade you away from your choices, but to allow you to objectively look at your local coffeehouses so you can make the best choice for you. If you’re a single mom juggling a kid and need a fast pick me up, go for a coffeehouse with an automatic espresso machine and possibly wi-fi so your kid can play their favorite online game while you chill for a few minutes. Big coffee snob? It’s not a bad thing, I’m one. For all my fellow snobs, I’d recommend going to a coffeehouse with hand-tamped espresso and one that roasts their own beans. The different variances of flavor is always a treat. At the moment, I’m steadily working through the bean menu of a local coffeehouse. Just a thought.
