Technological advances are at full throttle these days. My camera phone was the most exciting invention since the pager - for a couple seconds. It, like the elliptical machine I'm so fond of, seems almost archaic at this point. I find myself incredibly jealous of the many lucky folk that have full-blown computers and televisions on their phones. Yesterday I exercised on a machine that works you out by simply vibrating while you stand there and do nothing. Afterwards I sat in an infrared sauna. The advancements in coffee brewing methods move at the same supersonic pace as everything else.

A couple months ago I had a cutting-edge coffee encounter with the Clover at Cafe Corsa, a small coffee shop in West Los Angeles. I was a bit perplexed by the three dollar price tag on a cup of coffee. I asked the owner why this was. He explained that the coffee was brewed in this magical brewing contraption called the Clover.

With this elevated brewing device I could expect my coffee to be freshly brewed by the cup in under a minute with all the undertones boldly present. The Clover controls every step of the brewing process, from the water temperature to the coffee grind to the coffee to water ratio and brew time.

The prior owner of Cafe Corsa had high hopes for this brewing method and paid $15,000 for it, which helped to explain the inordinate pricing on coffee. The current proprietor explained that fanatical customers drive all the way from Orange County for a prodigiously smooth cup of coffee from the Clover.

I ordered my cup with high hopes. I was told that if I didn't like it I would be reimbursed. I liked it. It was smooth, it was fresh, it was made just for me - all fine things. Perhaps I'm a coffee traditionalist because, although it may take longer (3 to 4 minutes) I prefer the french press. I like my coffee to be nuanced and akin to silk, don't get me wrong, but I also like to witness the artistry of the barista preparing my coffee, and I like it with some sediment floating in it. A little grittiness just feels right.

The owner of Cafe Corsa claimed that this was one of the only Clover brewing machines in California, but I went to Lamill Coffee in Silverlake later that day and saw that they had a couple of them. Starbucks, who in 2008 bought the Coffee Equipment Company, whose first product was the Clover, offers the advanced brewing system at many locations in the Orange County and Los Angeles area. So, for those who don't like their coffee on the dirty side, not to worry:

Los Angeles and Orange County Coffee Shops with the Clover Brewing System

Cafe Corsa
2238 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 746-2604

Lamill Coffee
1636 Silver Lake Boulevard
Los Angeles, Ca 90026
(323) 663-4441

Starbucks
3997 Irvine Blvd.
Irvine, California 92620
(714) 734 – 9757

800 West Olympic Blvd. #102
Los Angeles, CA 90015

5757 Wilshire Boulevard #106
Los Angeles, CA  90036
(323) 931 – 1013

7624 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 852 9690

4264 Lincoln Boulevard
Marina Del Ray, CA 90292
(310) 578 6832

117 West Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena CA 91105
(626) 577 4622

12170 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 762-9368

8595 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659 -1856

Upon entering Lamill Coffee in Silverlake it was like we were anticipating having coffee with titans. I don't think I've ever encountered such decadent decor at a coffee shop. It was a bit of Grecian opulence with ornate gold fixtures, a bit of Asiatic influence with deep red walls, and a tad of flamboyance with dark teal alligator skin chairs. The shelves brimmed with different brewing contraptions, some of which I had never seen before. It was a foreshadowing of coffee explorations and the decadent behavior to come.

My husband and I were having a leisurely day of strolling, which meant that I was dragging him into random home decor shops and he was going along with it to keep me from bitching and whining. He's not a big fan of being yanked into coffee shops either - he tends to protest a bit. I think he secretly likes it. He ordered a latte just the other day - this from a man who thought coffee came from AM/PM.

When we sat down and looked at the menu we were stunned by the copious brewing options. We could have our coffee brewed by a siphon, the hand drip method (also done iced), a french press, the clover (it's a whole other entry, and it's coming soon), an Eva Solo, a Chemex or by the Japanese hand drip. I was excited if a coffee shop even offered a french press. This was sheer coffee madness. The selection of the beans were also striking. Each one had a paragraph that detailed the coffee like a sumptuous wine.

We ordered the Organic Black Onyx, which is $16.50 per pound. Lamill coffee roasts all their coffees themselves. They offer them wholesale to other boutique coffee houses. The menu touted a deep and richly intense coffee with hints of dark chocolate, smoky notes, and a finish resembling the flavors of caramelized sugars.  When sniffed, the brew was redolent of chocolate, earth and smoke. The smooth, luscious enveloped our tongues and the full-body and richness of the cup rendered profound and penetrating flavor. It's deepness and chocolaty notes gave we warm-fuzzy memories of drinking Guinness on a cold winter's night. I began to crave chocolate and re-called my propensity for hiking in lush forests all at once. It was pretty intense.

Since there was an additional menu of caffeinated concoctions that more than spurred our palates, we felt it was completely necessary to also order the Orange Infused Cappuccino with Cacao, one of Lamill Coffee's signature beverages. It was a tough choice between this drink and the Coffee and a Jelly Donut, a brilliantly layered cappuccino carefully crafted to resemble the flavor profile of the quintessential yet fatty morning treat. But after much deliberation which ended in busting out eenie menie miny moe, we chose their artfully orange infused cappuccino.

Our retinas bulged as we spied a Coffee and a Jelly Donut being brought out to another table. It was absolutely gorgeous, and our mouths salivated slightly, but it was small. It looked like an expensive shot a desperate dude would buy for a hot, drunk chick in a high-end club. We we're elated that our cappuccino was of more substantial proportions. We were ready for massive quantities of caffeine.

As we slurped and swirled coffee and espresso reminiscent of silk, our senses became heightened, our pulses raced and our imaginations surged. It was a sort of celestial experience, much akin to drinking coffee of the Gods.

Lamill Coffee is located at:
1636 Silver Lake Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca 90026 Phone: 323.663.4441

I'm a frequenter of Viento y Agua, a coffee shop, art gallery and local music venue in Long Beach. This isn't just because I live down the street, it's also because I'm extremely particular about my coffee and espresso based drinks - or really anything I consume. I can't handle going to coffee shops where they don't do things right. When I do go to other coffee shops in the area I find myself frequently fighting the urge to jump over the counter and yell, "For the love of God, just let me do it myself!" In Long Beach the local, privately owned coffee shops all do a fabulous job with atmosphere, but the coffee - not so much. This is due to inconsistency - you just never know what you're going to get.

Viento y Agua is at the pinnacle of Long Beach coffee shops because patrons can rest assured that they're going to get the same quality beverage every time. Angie Evans, manager of Viento y Agua, knows than in order to provide quality and consistency you have to have ample training and set high standards for your baristas.

Evans teaches her coffee-making crew to treat traditional espresso drinks with the respect and care they deserve. She emphasizes the "seven part" process in which shots are tamped properly and continuously timed. Evans also makes baristas memorize the definitions of traditional espresso drinks and has them encourage guests to drink them out of a mug.

In reference to the training process, Evans says, "I give them skill. They've worked at other places, and then they come here, and I like wreck their world." Evans had worked at another coffee shop before coming to Viento y Agua in 2005, but her coffee knowledge, too, was limited.  She studied the craft of coffee making through You Tube, various books and internet research. She was determined to do it right. "It's like playing soccer with your hands. You know you can't play soccer with your hands. So why are you playing soccer with your hands?" says Evans.

Like the game of soccer entails a lot more than just kicking a ball, Evans contends that making espresso-based drinks is an art form. According to the menu, "all drinks are made with organic espresso and love." Drinks like the mexican mocha made with real chocolate and spices, rather than a pre-packaged powder, the cafe con leche and the espresso cubano serve to express craftsmanship. To make the process more distinctive as art, Evans does pour art with rosettas and etchings. She has taught her staff to do this, too, but doesn't require it. It just needs to look pretty - like some love went into it.

The bar is also set high for the coffee. All of the coffees offered, with the exception of a flavored coffee, are both certified organic and fair trade. The baristas at Viento y Agua refer to the Vienna Roast as the "more than fair trade roast" because it is sold by volunteers to ensure that all of the profit goes to the farmers in Chiapas, Mexico. 

Viento y Agua strives to be as eco-conscious as possible. They are one of the only coffee shops in the area that recycles. Instead of using disposable stir sticks, silver spoons are provided. Drinking your beverage in for-here cups is encouraged. All employees are trained to be water conscious. All trash that can be composted is donated to the Long Beach Gardens, so there is almost no waste. A 10% discount is given if you bring your own coffee mug or glass or if you ride your bike to the coffeehouse, instead of driving. Evans explained that the eco-friendly habits are a reflection of how the employees live their lives. The coffee shop's goals stem from the values of those who help it thrive. This is how it should be.

Working in coffee shops for many years, I believe it isn't just about the coffee. It's about the people - the more colorful and eclectic the better. A coffee shop is hub to the bohemian lifestyle, filled with art and music. These things are what makes a coffee shop a community staple. Viento y Agua fulfills these needs through its ever-changing art gallery and frequent live music shows. They also offer coffee the way it should offered: with heart and imagination.

Viento y Agua is located at 4007 East 4th Street Long Beach, CA 90814 and can be reached at 562.434.1182.

Upon arrival at Spring for Coffee in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District I was a little taken back. I wasn't expecting it to be such a small space, but when I went inside I found it to be adorable. They didn't let the size of the shop deter them from doing some bold decorating. With an opulent chandelier hovering above and playful prints of movie cameras, the atmosphere felt jovial and lighthearted.

After checking out their website, I was drawn to Spring for Coffee because they offered coffees from companies like Equator and Intelligentsia. These Companies have strong coffee ethos and equate coffee to a fine wine. They are cognizant of their responsibilities to the environment and to the coffee farming communities. I was also impressed by the videos Spring for Coffee has on their site that cover things like coffee art, the cupping method, roasting coffee, etc.

I was elated to find that they had traditional cappuccinos (A cappuccino on a smaller scale that is prominent in Europe)  on the menu. The traditional cappuccino is not easy to make, it requires the barista to steam and free-pour a very small, yet perfectly proportionate amount of milk and foam. I promptly ordered one from an amiable barista named Alex.

I chatted with Alex as he made my drink. I asked him if they did latte art. With a doleful look on his face, he told me that they tried, but didn't really know how to do anything fancy. His face then broke into a smile as he informed me that they were going through an extensive coffee training program and would become certified baristas later in the fall. This will transform them into confident latte artists.

Alex started telling me about his friend who is a barista at a coffee shop down the street. He busted out his phone with apparent fervor and started showing me pictures of his friend's latte art.

I took a look around the store for clear signs of coffee connoisseurship, and sure enough, it was right under my nose. The glass of the chemex brewers glistened on the counter and the gold filters nestled in white holders shimmered intensely - at least in my eyes. It made me especially happy to know that no paper filters were being used, because for God sakes, no one wants a pulpy, papery taste in their coffee. This is how it should be in all coffee shops: nothing but pristine, untainted coffee. It's a beautiful concept. As I gawked at the chemex filters, many customers came and went. The little coffee shop is quite popular. It's good to know the locals have taste.

After saying goodbye to Alex and taking my freshly concocted traditional cappuccino, I sat down at a small table in front of the shop and took a sip. It was perfection. I gazed at the laborious architecture of the historical buildings and watched the freaks, business men and the cultural array of people saunter by. It was a perfect afternoon coffee break. I peered down into my little cup and thought about how it was a metaphor for Spring for Coffee. This beverage, although tiny, had made a tremendous impression.

Note: If you live in downtown Los Angeles you're lucky because Spring for Coffee delivers coffee and pastries!

Spring for Coffee is located at 548 s. Spring St. Los Angeles 90013 and may be reached at (213) 228-0041.

Before Los Angeles was bombarded by the massive influx of Starbucks coffee there was the Groundwork Coffee Company. Founded in 1990, Groundwork was the first certified organic coffee roaster in Southern California. Their coffee isn’t just certified organic, it’s also fairly traded and kosher. While the organic concept has become a consumer fad – especially in Los Angeles – Groundwork has remained a beacon for locally roasted organic coffee since Dylan and Brenda first hooked up on 90210.

They had me at “locally roasted,” so on a Friday afternoon I dragged my husband to the location in Venice to investigate what the veteran roasters of Los Angeles have to offer. If you roast your own coffee and care enough to make all your coffee certified organic, fair trade and kosher, the likelihood that you’ll require your baristas to adhere to high standards is pretty good. I ordered a latte with soy and hoped for the best.

It came out looking glorious. The latte art was not extensive, but it looked lovely nonetheless with its perfectly steamed creamy layer of foam. I took a sip. The flavors were perfectly balanced.

Normally, I would put half a packet of Splenda in my latte for a little sweetness, but it wasn’t necessary this time. I believe this may be due to sweetened soy milk, which I’m typically not a big fan of.

I had my husband, who is not big on coffee nor espresso based drinks, take a sip. He was impressed, and he raised his eyebrows with utter approval.

I asked the woman at the counter if I could sample a couple of coffees. I tried Black Gold, which is their signature espresso and Bitches Brew. They were both excellent, but I was partial to Bitches Brew, as I prefer a dark roasted, full-body coffee.

I enjoyed the ambiance at Groundwork. I loved the idea that I was surrounded by coffee bins and bags full of freshly roasted beans. On the wall above, various coffee brewing vessels were prominently displayed, many of which were old and rather archaic. The diminutive coffee shop’s overall motif resembled a general store out of a wild west flick – only with coffee.

I eyed the jars in the center of the shop filled with homemade pastries that were made in the shop. The jar filled to the brim with animal shaped cookies had me awfully excited. I was also smitten by the idea of alternating between dipping an almond anise biscotti and a raspberry pistachio biscotti into my latte, but I decided to be on good behavior

I noticed that most of the jars were labeled with a list of ingredients. They were simple ingredients like eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and flour. It put things into perspective for me. These pastries were pure and made with love, just like the coffee.