So a friend at work who happens to be a pretty skilled barista told about Condaxis, so I sauntered…read moreover there at lunch on Monday. I mistakenly thought that they serve drinks on addition to providing whole bean coffee, but that wasn't the case. And that's totally fine, cause I was there for the beans anyway.
A nice lady came out, I asked what the best blend was for a countertop espresso machine, and she recommended the central blend.
So in my opinion, these guys get good marks for the facility, the whole bean selection, and merchandise, the friendly service, and the longevity of the business.
And at the end of the day, they also get really good marks for the coffee itself...... nice fresh beans, great aroma, smart blend, and it pulled a great shot first time through the Gaggia.
But this is where it falls off the deep end - the bag that the beans came in was not sealed, as the picture shows. What?
I don't know whether this was an oversight for just this one bag, because I neglected to check it while I was at the store. But the whole purpose of a one-way gas valve on a coffee bag is so that CO2 can escape but no air gets in..... if the bag is not sealed, then the whole mechanism of freshness is defeated.
These beans had been roasted just four days prior, and I used them the next day, so the coffee translated to the cup very well.
But I'm really hoping this was a mistake, and that the bag that I purchased would be the only one that goes out the door unsealed. Otherwise, that's a real head scratcher in the coffee business.
Taste is exceptional. Seal the bag and you get 5 stars.
