Riding Coffee’s New Wave

According to a March 26th article in the New York Times, Starbucks has recently bought the Coffee Equipment Company of Seattle, the producer of the Clover coffee brewer, in “an effort to concentrate on making better coffee.” This innovative machine –– with controls to customize temperature, water amount, and brewing time to each particular bean and cup –– has been a favorite of the independent café scene. But all of that may soon be changing. Stumptown Coffee, of Portland, Oregon is now boycotting the machine as an active protest against Starbucks’ dominant industrial presence in the coffee world. This protest is part of a larger theme in independent coffee shops throughout the country: the Third Wave movement.

Third Wave is defined by the other two “waves” that come before it. The first wave of coffee is primarily about consumption. This is the early morning coffee drinker who needs a fast caffeine fix. The second wave describes consumers who also have a demand for quick coffee, but are interested in taste as well as caffeine. These are the people who buy specialty coffees from Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks (orange mocha frappuccino, anyone?). The Third Wave is all about quality, a devotion to coffee production from the growing of the bean, to the pulling of a perfect espresso shot or the brewing of a perfect cup. Third Wave producers often roast a single bean allowing for purity in flavor that is nuanced without the addition of sweet syrups or extra beans to create bolder flavors. Another major aspect of the Third Wave is social. It encompasses ideals of fair trade and sustainable farming practices.

The menu at Ninth Street Espresso — a Third Wave coffee purveyor in alphabet city — is as un-muddled as the shot they pull. You can order only traditional drinks like an espresso with a ring of natural crema, an americano, a macchiato, a cappuccino, a latte, a mocha, or a cup of fresh house brewed coffee. Although they do serve decaffeinated espresso, it’s always frowned upon — decaffeination is another process that taints the subtle flavors of the pure beans. Like all Third Wave producers Ninth Street Espresso strives for excellence. Fresh beans are ground and fresh milk steamed for each individual cup. The baristas take time making each drink carefully, a quiet protest again to the increasingly fast paced society that doesn’t have time to enjoy their coffee in a “for here” ceramic cup.

My suggestion: sit down and enjoy a sip of the Third Wave third wave – you wont think twice about a caramel macchiato again.