Tips for Dining, Eating and Food Shopping in Ontario (including Toronto and Ottawa)
Start New ThreadI know there's been a lot written on the best cafes/best espresso in the city, but what about straight up brewed coffee. I notice a lof the cafes in the city now don't even do brewed coffee. So I'd love to know where to find the best brewed (non-espresso) coffees in the city. For instance, Balzac's has terrific brewed coffee.
By jmeggs
on Jul 4, 2011 01:50 PM
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Good post!!
I like the Moon Bean in Kensingon Market though not enough to say it is the "best" I have had in Toronto. I don't get there as much as I like but when I do, it has had reliably good brew and I buy my fresh beans from them for the week.
(I seldom drink espresso but are we doomed to convert with the espresso exclusivity happening?)
I have had so many bad drip coffee's our there, I am coffee-shy and buy beans for grinding and brewing in my Chemex glass drip brewer at home. I brew 90 % of my own coffee now.
The great brewed coffee accessibility is getting me to consider getting a bean roaster unless we hear from some chowhounders... (pretty please!)
I will try Balzac's soon. Looking forward to other poster's flushing out some great drip out there!
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Recently addicted to Starbuck's Sumatra. If you ask nice, they'll grind it fresh and make you a french press since it won't likely be pre-brewed. Not a fan of the chain, but love that coffee...
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do the starbucks here in toronto use the clover brewing machine? i don't care for starbucks extra dark roast, but that machine is capable of some very fine brews.
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None of them yet, that I know of. Crema Coffee does though, amd maybe Manic?
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Crema
3079 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6P1Z9, CA
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The Starbucks on Yonge just north of Bloor has a Clover. There's also a Clover at the Crema on Bloor, east of Yonge if you want to do a side-by-side tasting.
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Crema
3079 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6P1Z9, CA
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Do you happen to know what Starbucks is charging for their Clover in relation to its normal brewed coffee?
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BTW, In the lower level of the SLM (NW corner) you can get Sumatra Mandheling and also buy beans (at $14.95/lb which is IMHO heinous), but it is a very good jolt to enhance your shopping pleasure.
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My fave spots to buy beans for home brewed coffee are Te Aro, Balzac's and iDeal coffee. I've had good coffee, both brewed and espresso-based, at all of them. The common thread? All roast their own beans.
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Te Aro
983 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M1K2, CA
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I'm definitely more of an espresso/americano drinker myself BUT the one kind of brewed coffee I really like is the one from Merchants of Green Coffee. I've never been to their store but the coffee they serve at the Brickworks Farmer's Market has a really deep, rich flavour - this weekend, I particularly enjoyed it alongside the churros from the churros competition. They roast their own.
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SB has Clover at York Mills and Leslie and Forest Hill Village.
I am hooked...prices fluctuate for the Reserve blends, but they will brew you the regular hooch for less
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According to Starbucks' website, the following have Clover machines:
York Mills & Lesmill
Yonge & Davisville
Spadina & Thelma
Bloor just north of Yonge
According to their nutritional info, the Venti has 415 mg of caffeine, 15 miligrams more than the regular brewed coffee!
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