The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

Best coffee in Seattle (or How much caffeine can I drink?)

By

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

One of the “comforts” I missed while traveling in Latin America is good coffee.

People think that sounds crazy because a lot of the good coffee we drink in the US is from Latin America.  It is possible to find good coffee in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Colombia, but it is difficult because most of the good stuff is exported.

I was thrilled to be going to a city known for its coffee.

Let me first say that I believe it to be a sin to drink Starbucks in Seattle if you are visiting.  You can get that all over the world (it is not my favorite, but I appreciated it immensely in Buenos Aires for being decent and consistent).

Plus there a billion coffee shops in Seattle.  It was the first thing I noticed when I arrived, and I felt this insane compulsion to visit all of them.

I certainly did my best.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Who knows what damage I did to my body from consuming so much caffeine, but I really didn’t care at the time.

I went to at least two different coffee shops each day.

That would be fine if I just had something small, but that was not always the case.

And somehow a damn cookie or muffin always slipped into my order.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Best Coffee Experience in Seattle

My favorite coffee experience was at Seattle Coffee Works.  I had noticed these strange menu items at several cafes, and I realized I missed a coffee trend while I was out of the country.

What does vacuum pot mean?

What is chemex ?

I must know!!

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

I asked the guy at Seattle Coffee Works, and he patiently enlightened me about the different brewing methods.  I told him to decide for me and sat down at the coffee bar.

(Yes, they have a special bar if you order special coffee.  I felt special.)

Chemex

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Read about Chemex on Wikipedia if you want more details.  I’m more concerned about telling you how I liked it.

This was the best cup of coffee I have ever had.

Seriously.  Ever.

 

I normally put a splash of milk and a small amount of Splenda in my coffee.  This I drank black because it was so good, and I didn’t want anything else to affect the flavor.

I don’t know if it was the brewing method, the coffee beans (something from Africa with five or six syllables in the name and starting with a K), or a combination of the two.  But it really was the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.

Best Espresso in Seattle

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Canaan and Kent of NoVacationRequired.com at what they told me is frequently named as the best coffee shop among Seattleites.

Espresso Vivace

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Canaan ordered the Café Nico and realized its magic immediately, telling us we MUST try it.

The Café Nico is smooth with a hint of orange and cinnamon and sugar on the rim. 

Perfection.

 

In addition to the wonderful espresso, they have a tea drink on the menu called Beautiful Stephanie.  Let’s just say that didn’t hurt them at all in the best espresso contest.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

I also managed to hit up

  • Cherry Street Coffee
  • Caffe Vita
  • DeLaurenti
  • and Local Color (at Pike Place Market).

Did I visit one of your favorite Seattle coffee shops?

Comments

    • Antoinette – I personally feel that 99% of coffee outside of Starbucks in Argentina is disappointing. I never found an independent cafe with a satisfying brew or espresso but I spent more time in Patagonia and Mendoza than BA.

      Cafe culture was on the rise; however, so perhaps this will not always be the case?
      Jeff Bartlett recently posted..Autumn Snow

  5. I believe Upper Cup Coffee in OTE has this chemex thing… but I think they call it “pour through”. Anyway, looks like your photo of chemex. I had a cup one day and it was very, very good.

  6. Seeing as Subway serves ‘Seattle’s Best Coffee’, it obviously has competition – I just didn’t realize it was this much!

  7. Wow, this all looks delicious! I try to only drink coffee a couple times a week, but I’ve definitely downed an entire pot in times of dire need.

    If you’re ever in Atlanta, I bet you’d love World Peace Cafe. It’s a buddhist cafe with a great atmosphere and great drinks (and it’s volunteer run, to boot!)

  10. I must say that I’m more of a tea person. But every time I go to a coffee shop I’m always amazed by everything about coffee. A few days ago I just took a friend from Hong Kong to try the world’s most expensive coffee: Kopi Luwak. Have you ever heard of it? I think they did a show on Oprah once about it.
    Bama recently posted..A Taste of Home

    • You definitely need to make the trip to Seattle if you’re going to be that close (for many reasons more than coffee). Although the Chemex seemed expensive, it was enough coffee for two (or even three) people. Definitely worth trying. You should be able to find it at any specialty coffee place, not just Seattle. I have noticed some places in Columbus have it.
      Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Coastal Maine: A Photo Essay

  19. Yeah, there really is a plethora of good places for coffee here in Seattle. But to be honest, there are even more mediocre ones. So much of it depends on the roast as well as the skill of the barista.

    Portland is another great town for coffee. They hosted the Specialty Coffee Association of America conference (http://www.scaa.org/) earlier this year. Free samples of espresso from all over the globe in one convention hall. We did not get much sleep that weekend!
    MikeRussellFoto recently posted..Sounders Set Timbers Ablaze in Front of 66K

Shares