Press Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Press Coffee Roasters
Location Reviewed: Tempe, in Nexa Apartments
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It takes a lot of hard work to get legitimate national repute for excellent coffee. While there are tons of criteria that set great roasters apart from good roasters, I would cite two factors as most important: an adherence to consistent quality and an adaptable ingenuity that rolls and develops where opportunity allows. Having a good eye for design also helps (people do like books with nice covers).

Fourtillfour

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Fourtillfour
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Car aficionados love coffee, so it's only natural that Scottsdale, with its rust-free climate, would have a car-focused coffee establishment. Opened in 2016, Fourtillfour is a cozy garage-like coffee shop that not only boasts a superb patio, but also hosts monthly porsche nights as well as a similar night for off-roading vehicles.

The Mine Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Mine Cafe
Location: Jerome, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Not since watching the aerial shots of Minis Tirith in the Lord of the Rings have I seen a town as married to a hillside as Jerome. In the high places of Arizona exists a curious municipality with levels instead of avenues and winding streets exceedingly fun to navigate (except when there's ice). Yet despite its unorthodox layout and engineering challenges, Jerome still stands pretty much the same as it has these last hundred years, albeit a little less populated now then in its heyday.

Talking Irons Coffee Saloon

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Talking Irons Coffee Saloon
Location: Pearce, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While most excellent coffeehouses reside in cities and heavily-populated regions, occasionally there exists outstanding coffee a little off the beaten path. I found myself in one such instance as I was driving through Arizona, from the storied Tombstone streets to the old mining boomtown of Pearce. Heading northeast, my journey began typically enough on a rural road through the desert, until I found myself being directed by Google Maps onto a road called Ghost Town Trail through Dead Mexican Canyon. After making the turn I soon realized the word "trail" was not just a linguistic flourish, as the empty dirt road seemed better fit for a wagon (or at least a four-wheel drive truck) than my tiny sedan. Nonetheless, I persisted for a solid half hour, watching torrential storms a mile to the right and every mile or so, a road sign warning that the trail floods heavily in rain.

Cartel Coffee Lab

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Cartel Coffee Lab
Location: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Terminal 4
WiFi?: No
Rating: 5+ [see key]

If I've said it once, I'll say it ten trillion times: every major airport should have a solid coffee presence. Some cities get it, awarding space to high-quality coffee establishments able to provide weary and gastro-curious travelers with a delicious cup of coffee. Other cities, like my home airport of PHL, don't seem to see the opportunity to make their coffee options memorable and delicious, but are more content to settle upon tired and typical outlets.