French Press Coffee

My favorite brand of coffee is Intelligentsia. They roast out of both Chicago and LA, and run coffee shops in both areas. Their coffee is good, really good. They have won numerous awards, including Roast Magazine’s 2007 Roaster of the Year. Their baristas participate in both reigional and world competitions.  Even better, they work directly with coffee farmers, including visiting plantations. Their coffee, labeled Intelligentsia Direct Trade™, pays the grower at least %25 above Fair Trade prices. So when you buy Intelligentsia, you not only get quality coffee, you’re also supporting the coffee producers.

Intelligentsia’s online store has a great selection of single origin coffees.  They also sell coffee wholesale for coffee shops and other businesses.

Intelligentsia’s newest coffee shop is in Venice, California: It’s just you and your barista at Intelligentsia Venice. In the article, there is a slick photo of a souped up La Marzocco, which was originally used at the Pike Place Market Starbucks in 1972.