Product Review

We developed this espresso blend for our cafŽ on Mint Plaza in downtown San Francisco. This is a pleasant, consistent espresso Ð enjoyable without being demanding Ð plump with unremarkable complexity. What is remarkable, however, is the sweet simplicity owing to the fact that we reverse-engineered a blue-collar Italian espresso blend (yes É robusta!) and substituted higher-end organic coffees. Our goal was a robust, crema-heavy, unpretentious coffee. If the Hayes Valley espresso can be like consuming a volume of In Search of Lost Time in liquid form, then the 17ft ceiling is like flipping through the New Yorker Ð edifying without being taxing. The baristas at the cafŽ updose massively, set the PID two or three degrees hotter than the Hayes Valley espresso (typically 202 F on the GB5), and pull leisurely, avuncular 35 second shots, often skipping the first few drops. Served with a water back, of course.