Case Study Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Case Study Coffee Roasters
Location: Portland, OR [NE Sandy Blvd shop]
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Long, long ago in the pre-smart phone days, I would use the hunt-with-my-eyes method of locating coffeehouses. Essentially I would do minimal research when visiting a new place and wing it, hoping that in wandering the right neighborhoods, I would spot the diamonds in the rough. Clearly an inferior method, I rarely use the tactic primarily anymore, but still from time to time my eyes can't help but scan the horizon for an uncharted gem.

Mugged: 3fe

Subject: 3fe Coffee
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Nicaragua Finca La Escondida: Perla Negra Red Catuai 5+
- Bolivia Finca David Vilca: Yellow Honey Caturra 6+

Long have I yearned to visit the ancient streets of Dublin. Possessing both rich Irish ancestry and an ardent love of European history, a visit to the Emerald Isle has remained out of my grasp. In the meantime while I plan my foray across the pond, I was recently able to experience the next best thing: fresh, whole bean coffee from one of Ireland's better roasters, 3fe Coffee.

Endgrain Coffee Bar

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Endgrain Coffee Bar
Location: Pitman, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Update 11/16/2022: Coffee roasting and bar skill is definitely worth a visit.

Update 11/14/17:
In the past two years, Engrain has started roasting their own coffee and offering a growing line of different coffees, ranging from light to dark. 


It's no secret that small towns on the east coast have a devastatingly small amount of great coffee. Chalk it up to the high cost of real estate, or to the low patronage from the give-me-drive-thru-or-give-me-death majority. Whatever the cause, it remains a daunting task to find a quality brew outside of major city limits.

Lineage Coffee Roasting

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Lineage Coffee Roasting
Location: Orlando, FL
WiFi?: the East End Market has it I believe
Rating: 6+ [see key]

In my early life, indoor markets were a constant presence. Always a deal seeker, my mother would drag my siblings and me to a local mart known for its lackluster decor and bottom dollar prices. Needless to say, this impressed upon me that such bazaars were doomed to be poorly lit, suspicious spots where cheap goods were peddled and greasy sandwiches were hocked. But the older I grew, the more I have come across a greater diversity of indoor markets that actually offer superb products in increasingly beautiful spaces.

Torque Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Torque Coffee
Location: Vancouver, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

No matter how long I'm in the area of Portland, I always make time for a stop in lovely Vancouver. Sitting pretty along the Columbia River, and but a pebbles skip from the expanses of Portland, this border city of Washington has a lot of gems definitely worth mining.

Mugged: Driftaway Coffee

Subject: Driftaway Coffee
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:

- Profile 1 (Fruity): Rwanda Gitesi 6+

- Profile 2 (Classic): Brazil Fazenda do Serrado 4+
- Profile 3 ( Balanced): Nicaragua Las Nubes Co-op 5+

- Profile 4 (Bold): Honduras San Vicente 4+

It's no secret that there are different types of coffee drinkers. Some like the beautiful nuance and vibrant flavors of a lightly roasted African coffee, brimming with fruit and luscious chocolate. Others like their coffee a bit stiffer and thicker, a brew with a mellow sweetness and smatterings of different flavors. And then there's some folks who like their coffee to bathe their tongue in bitterness and smoke, favoring the dark roasts bearing European country names. 

United By Blue

Subject: United By Blue
Location: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Early autumn mornings around a youth group campfire taught me the necessity of good coffee amidst outdoor excursions. While some nights yield a perfect nights sleep under the starry sky, others are met with surprises (such as bears or torrential rain) that cause for a less fulfilling slumber. When you wake up cold, wet and/or exhausted from bear hide-and-seek, who wants to face the upcoming day with a cup of sludge? No one.

Coffeehouse-Five

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Coffeehouse-Five
Location: Portland, OR
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Saturday mornings are the best time to get out and experience a city. It's one of the few windows in the week where many businesses are open, yet the crowds are mostly sleeping off their prior late-night adventures. Especially if I'm traveling, I can usually get in a full four hours before the streets get crowded with the brunch hordes.

Viora Lid

As I have learned in the past years, there are legions of coffee lids out there for your paper cups. Back in my early coffee days where I cared more for the caffeine than the flavor, I recall life with the crummy fold-the-lip-back flat lids that more often than not proved one tear away from an epic spill. Then when I began frequenting quality establishments, I graduated somewhat exclusively to the Solo Traveler, a fine top that offered more drink stability, though it took some time to master little things like not positioning the spout at the cup seam, and how to use your tongue tip to control flow.

Mugged: Coffee Boys

Subject: Coffee Boys
Coffee Mugged: Not Actually Sure
Rating [see key]: 4+

There are a ton of coffee delivery services out there these days, and it's harder and harder for new cats to distinguish themselves from the pride. Some companies market themselves as having an extensive variety of roasters and beans new each month, while others trumpet their staunch consistency to the same beans forever. A handful of folks focus solely on gorgeous, effective branding; some champion the coffee quality above all; and a precious few do both well. In general, no matter the approach it seems that whatever your style, there's a coffee subscription for you.