Grinding it out, one cup at a time
By GINA DVORAK
CONSIDERING how much coin I’ve dropped at any Starbucks within shouting distance of, well, anyplace I am... this column is totally biting the hand that feeds me.
But based on the price they’re charging for triple-shot nonfat lattes — my control drink of choice — something tells me they’ll survive.
To give a fair glimpse of some of the IE’s choice coffee hangouts, I continued my chain-store habits for another 10 days to give Starbucks a fair crack at impressing me.
They didn’t.
I even forced myself to try one of those McDonald’s "coffee drinks" everyone was buzzing about several months ago. I was right to avoid them.
My hot-fudge sundae tasted more like coffee than my vanilla "coffee." FAIL. Next latte...
I also threw in a smattering of visits to several Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf establishments, in case they had upped their game since I last swore them off for not carrying brand-name Equal.
They hadn’t.
Big surprise, the local coffeehouses are the way to go.
After talking to local coffee expert and "Roastmaster General" Cliff Young, who founded I.E. Coffee (which likely rings a bell if you’ve been to a Kaiser location recently), it’s easy to understand why.
These stores are run by folks who really love coffee — and the Inland Empire. They’re experts, with passion.
"I actually travel to every country I buy from," Young said, explaining that the trips help him ensure quality and fair pricing.
Know who goes with him? Mike Perry, founder of the Coffee Klatch locations in Rancho Cucamonga and San Dimas, where you’ll also find two- time national champion Barista Heather Perry high in the ranks.
How’s that for passion? Not that Young never sets foot in a "green mermaid" store, as he calls them.
But generally, he said, he wishes he’d taken a detour to someplace like Augie’s in downtown Redlands. (Here, here!)
Sounds like a winner
Young’s yardstick of a great coffeehouse is hinged on sound: If you hear a grinder kick in after every order, you’re in the presence of greatness.
I heard that sound at Cuppy’s Coffee in Rancho Cucamonga and went back for seconds even though their name and logo are so cute, I didn’t need a cookie.
Other experts suggest the true test of a quality coffee shop is the ristretto shot. Technically defined as a 0.75- ounce shot of espresso pulled over 25 seconds, this request will stump green aprons but will definitely aid in your quest to upgrade your morning ritual.
Personally, I prefer to save myself the hassle of a "yes, I can really tell it’s not nonfat just by looking at it" showdown and pull my own shots, grind my own beans — unless they’re Illy, which I’ve only found in stores pre-ground.
(Incidentally, Illy is probably the best stuff you’ll find at a Ralph’s, and occasionally on sale. Not that the checker didn’t balk at its price anyway.
Good thing he wasn’t with me when I bought the Konas.)
Crazy for Kona
Kona coffee beans are supposed to be top-of-the-line, and generally are priced to ensure that expectation.
So I tried the "best" and was not impressed. Worried I was merely confirming my status as a relative coffee novice, I asked the expert.
"Kona’s nothing great. Same goes for the Jamaican Blue Mountain (blends)," Young said.
He wasn’t even impressed with kopi luwak, lauded by many as a delicacy and a big "talker" due to the origin of the coffee berries, which are first consumed by civets in Indonesia before they, um, pass muster for the high-end brew.
It’s all just hype, he said.
"A good Guatemalan (coffee) will beat them every time." That’s good news to me, since I blew my budget on those high-priced Kona beans, which are now going to have to last me a couple months.
No scoffing from the experts, please.
See how local coffee shops stack up on Gina’s blog, www.insidesocal.com/girls_with_glasses.
