To understand café life, sit in a café for an hour or two, enjoy a cup of coffee, cappuccino, tea, and your favorite pastry, then listen and watch what happens. You can enjoy the company of another or sit by yourself. You can sit and listen to the music or just enjoy your coffee.

Every café has a life of it’s own. Where we have our coffee often reflects our tastes for color, design, the vibe, as well as our favorite flavor profile for coffee. Often, its where we feel most welcomed.

One might ask if it’s the barista, the way the sun works its way around the room, the music? Is it the clink of porcelain on marble that brings us back again? Each of us usually finds we are drawn back again and again to our favorite café.

The design elements chosen for Espresso Cielo are from European and Traditional design, in essence, because they are timeless. The French 19th Century clock is our reminder that in a café time stands still. Cafes have a timeless and enduring nature to them. They become our home away from home, where we all feel a sense of community and belonging.

It was important that the end result be from the heart and felt by everyone. In our search for the artisans to participate we found some very special people with a passion for history.

Most of the elements and applications used in the creation of Espresso Cielo have their roots in antiquity. The carrara marble, black milk paint, the antique style gold leaf rosettes, the reverse painted glass technique, European patterns, the antique clock and colors were chosen for their long and enduring history.

Our friend and artist, Richard Davis, who specializes in restoration and antiquities, carried out our goal to bring authenticity to Espresso Cielo. His knowledge of authentic design and skill as an artisan is substantial. One only has to look at the outside windows of Espresso Cielo to see his reverse painted glass emblems to know that he understood our goal for authenticity.

Carrara marble, described as a cultural symbol of tradition and refined taste, was first used in Ancient Rome, is found on our counters and tables. Damask, first seen thousands of years ago, is found in the patterns in the tiles and wall art.

The ornamental rosettes found on the front panels were created by J.P. Weaver Company, founded in London, 1780. In 1914 J.P. Weaver opened in Glendale, California. These architectural rosettes are made from a formula first used in the 16th century and are applied with the same technique used for hundreds of years.

The black milk paint used in the cafe, was first used thousands of years ago in ancient artwork found on cave walls. It has been used for centuries because of its durability. Today it is still considered a natural, biodegradable product.

Espresso Cielo’s wall paint, a product from Farrow and Ball, founded in 1940, was selected because of their interest in restoration and historic color. Farrow and Ball paints are still made by traditional methods. Our colors, Chinese Blue and Skylight have given Espresso Cielo its ambiance and charm.

Espresso Cielo was imagined to be warm and inviting. It was felt that to create this, authenticity was necessary. We hope you find us to be just that, authentic, warm, and inviting, serving fresh and delicious coffee taken to the level of culinary art and served in a blue porcelain cup.

There are different accounts of when and where the history of coffee begins. The earliest account is 1000 BC. In 1000 AD the first investigation into the chemical make up of coffee was conducted and documented. In the 5th Century Monks began combining coffee beans with animal fat by rolling them, then eating these rolls. The effects were similar to eating an energy bar. The invigoration and energy felt after eating these coffee beans was transforming. After witnessing the effects of coffee beans, a certain monk felt this invigorating treat was against religious beliefs. He protested by throwing the coffee beans into a fire, thus roasting these coffee beans for the first time. The aroma was irresistible, even to him. This began the journey into the ways coffee would be consumed.

Many people in history have gone to great lengths to introduce the coffee plant, a fruit, into different countries around the world. Whether by trading, or stealing and smuggling, or gifting one to another, coffee traveled from Africa across the Red Sea to Arabia, then India, Europe, to the Netherlands, Indonesia, Martinique, and in then to Brazil where it was introduced to the Americas. Today, coffee can be found growing in at least 70 countries around the world, including the United States. It is estimated that the coffee industry employs 75 million people around the world. It is at least a $90 billion dollar a year industry.

The culture of coffee has gone through changes. Many of us will remember the time when coffee was purchased in cans and prepared in perculators at home. This was the first wave of coffee culture. Next, the second wave of coffee culture came with new cafes that got us out of the house, away from home to socialize. This Third wave that we are experiencing now, began simply with a passion for excellence.

Today, the Third Wave culture of coffee represents excellence in care given to serving the finest and freshest coffees found around the world. It is associated with providing not only quality but also fresh coffee. From the sourcing and purchasing of green coffee beans, to roasting and packaging the final product, third wave coffee roasters are passionate, always striving for perfection and excellence in every respect. At Espresso Cielo, excellence is a core value and we strive to serve you the best, always.

Of the most important factors often overlooked by the home barista, water is king. A proper filtration system is absolutely key to making coffee on any scale, small or large. Mineral deposits effect flavor. This is true in both extremes; too many will create a harsh, acrid coffee, whereas too little will result in coffee that is bland and flat. Add scale deposits which can effect an espresso machine or drip coffee brewer, and you’re in for a ride. It’s not too difficult to decide if your filtered water is alright to use for coffee. Chances are, if it tastes alright to drink, it’ll be alright for coffee. Your taste buds are more trusty than you’d think.

Still, it’s incredibly important to keep up with maintenance with part of the coffee process. Buildup can happen relatively quickly, and severely effect the taste and even consistency of coffee. This is true with filtration, but especially so with anything – literally, anything – used to make coffee. Filter baskets, vacuum pots, steaming pitchers and wands, the portafilters on your espresso machine (especially those with splitters); all of these can retain smatterings of coffee or milk that will then be transferred to the next coffee they’re used to make. These components must be kept clean and tidy to ensure your drink stays tasty. Who wants to drink the old, stinky fragments of someone else’s cappuccino? Not I.

There are an insane amount of intricate details that can effect the flavor of coffee. Even something so simple as the temperature of the water used for brewing can bring out a coffees true flavors, or turn it sour. An inconsistent grinder can cause coffee to be both under and over extracted in the same cup. Poor storage, room temperature/humidity, and handling can alter coffee flavor drastically. The length of time between grinding and brewing is one of the most common missteps with novice coffee handlers, and one of the most heinous.

Truly, crafting a wonderful coffee experience takes more than just excellent coffee. The bean helps, but knowledge rules.