In The News

The Sam James Coffee Bar, one of Toronoto's most well-loved espresso haunts is celebrating its1 year anniversary. As reported by Torontoist the Harbord Street coffee shop, run by well-known Toronto barista Sam James (winner of the 2009 Eastern Regional Barista Championships), has earned a place "at the top of many minds, hearts, and palates of the Toronto espressorazzi" for its superb espresso and inviting atmosphere.

"For James, quality over quantity isn't just in practice, but fundamental to how he came to do what he loves. Take the infamous siphon brew; James discovered the nineteenth century manual grinder when he learned French press with a Magic Bullet�esque machine. Let's just say that you can't make coffee and guacamole with the same equipment. Instead of getting a nice, consistent grind ("There's only one coarse particle size you need for French press"), he used a sieve to separate the coarse from the fine. Still in search of a better way to brew, he came across the siphon in his research. "This is like the deliciousness of French press coffee, but the hands-on approach of an espresso, where you're involved in the whole process." And if there's one thing he can't stand about the plethora of coffee equipment amidst a coffee industry boom, it's the automated machines. "I think old-school grinders, like manual doser grinders, can produce consistency. I'm not going with the trend of automating my equipment; I swear by my doser grinders."

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original source Torontoist