infuse your organic tea like this
Nifty huh? TEAZE Infuser is the perfect way to brew Cafe Virtuoso Organic Teas. Click here and on the HOW button to see it in action. It’s simple, BPA free, super durable, and dishwasher safe. My favorite part is the sensor that is activated when you set it on a cup… When its ready, set it on your cup, and out comes your tea!
…And guess what!? We now have them right at the shop or Saturdays at the farmer’s market.
hands-free coffee?
1.) Coffee Cup holder for your bike.
2.) Coffee Cup holder for traveling.
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3.) Coffee Cup holder when you need an extra hand.
(these last two are my favorites because they’re based on a project called Pop Up Lunches: a development of mobile eating tools designed for the sidewalks of NYC. )
These are the lengths one will go to enjoy good coffee.
a day roasting with Steve
Steve, co-owner and head roaster, graciously let me shadow him on a roasting day. With business growing, “roasting days” have become most days to keep up with orders and make sure we are putting out the freshest coffee. On this particular day he was doing batches of most of our coffees so it was a perfect day to peer over his shoulder.
I have to say, as he dumped in a huge batch of Ethiopian Amaro Gayo (my favorite coffee of the moment, quickly being rivaled by our Kenyan) I was eager to see the magic behind roasting this bean. There Steve stood staring at the screen with all of its gages, levels, temperature readings, and details way over my head. I watched as he allowed for more heat, less heat, changed pressure, and simultaneously talked to me about each change he made. Our conversation included things like, percentages, rate of change and I think then I even said, “Oh you mean like rise over run?”. (Clever Ashley.) Really as I said that I thought to myself, “Oh no! I am horrible at math and science!” (Not to mention Cafe Virtusoso is an internationally certified organic roasterie so they take extra steps to uphold the highest standards… but that’s another story.)
As I continued to watch and listen, near the end of a batch I noticed Steve pull out samples of beans every few seconds; checking their color, the “wrinkliness” of their skin, and even smelling the beans most times. The last few seconds are crucial to the outcome of the coffee because temperatures are increasing rapidly and tons of changes are occurring within the bean. Two seconds at this point could be the two seconds that make or break the batch. (This is the part where I’m surprised he’s even still talking me through what he’s doing.)
Even as he taught, every batch came out just as they should: Mexican Chiapas, Columbia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Peru French Roast, Guatemala… all of them. Usually, without staring at all the gages and temperatures, Steve would nodd approvingly after one last visual look at the beans and say, “Yeah they’re ready”, and then release the piping hot beans out of the roaster to cool. I couldn’t believe how intricately he knew each bean, from every country, and even exactly how they should look before he released them from their hot tumbling drum.
When it came down to it, the roasting was a science, one that will take a lot of time for me to understand. But knowing the beans by their aroma, shape, texture, and color because you crafted these “recipes” for roasting was indeed an art. The roaster has to understand the science behind it all to be able to play and create the bean that makes your perfect cup of coffee. Then comes the skill of being consistent so that you can always expect the same quality. How would any roaster be different from one another if roasting just meant pushing a button? I will be the first to tell you, as an intimidated apprentice, it takes much, much more than just pushing a button and that’s why the coffee here is what it is.
industrial cafe meets organic roasterie
Cafe Virtuoso, an organic roasterie tucked in the up and coming Barrio Logan neighborhood, is now pulling shots and serving up our organic coffee in our new cafe right amidst the all the action. After roasting coffee in San Diego for a few years and providing organic beans for local restaurants, coffee shops, and markets we decided it was time to invite people in to enjoy coffee with us.
Come have a seat in our new cafe, (use our free WIFI), smell some beans roasting and revel in a cup of coffee produced sustainably, using organic cultivation methods and Fair Trade Practices.
OPEN Mon.-Fri.
San Diego, CA 92113
This cold brew iced coffee is my 90 degree November favorite.
