Comments on: A New Contender for Best Coffee in Town?

By: emma d.

emma d. — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:41:44 +0000

Another vote for Qualia, my favorite coffee place when I’m springing for the good stuff. Also, a vote for Pronto, from Annapolis. I hear Room 11 serves their beans, but haven’t tried it there (don’t usually go to Room 11 for coffee, you know?).

By: m.e.

m.e. — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:21:36 +0000

i’m not much of a coffee drinker, but i like Illy, and i LOVE THE CANS!!!

By: StanleyKubrick

StanleyKubrick — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:31:28 +0000

As a side note, Georgetown cupcake seems to serve Illy coffee, or atleast they do at the Bethesda Georgetown Cupcake – shouldn’t that be Bethesda Cupcake? – and it was pretty non-remarkable.

I’m not a coffee expert, but a regular coffee drinker, and I think good coffee is a function of (1) when the beans were ground, (2) when the coffee was brewed. Filter and the Illy above get this right – haven’t tried qualia. Brew when the coffee is ordered. Starchumps gets this really, really wrong, plus their beans suck.

By: dkh

dkh — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:28:19 +0000

Qualia is the most legit coffee house in the city. They’re friendly (unlike Chinatown and Big Bear), clean (unlike Big Bear),absolutely have the freshest beans and the best personality around.

By: ET

ET — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:26:06 +0000

Personally I think one of the reasons the coffee is so bad is not the coffee itself or even that it sits (because considering the amount of coffee we go though can’t be that long) but how it is brewed.

I switched to an electric percolator from a drip. Percolator brewed coffee is ten times better IMO. I will never buy a drip again. Ever.

By: caballero

caballero — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:56:38 +0000

I’m not fussy about my coffee (for me, it’s the caffeine that matters), but I do appreciate a good cup once in a while. Qualia’s “happy hour” is great: you choose the bean you want, and they grind it and drip brew it for you. It takes a few minutes, but wow, does it taste good!

By: Skip West

Skip West — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:17:09 +0000

I’ve never been there, but will try it. For my own personal use, I buy raw coffee beans and roast them myself! Incredible and delectable!

By: Russell Upton

Russell Upton — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:20:19 +0000

Illy is solid. Favorites are Chinatown Coffee and Mid-City on 14th. Another contender that no one seems to ever mention in the coffee wars is Patisserie Poupon in Georgetown/Burleith. They use Illy coffee, but the quality of their espresso drinks is excellent. The food’s good too.

By: pkwd

pkwd — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:53:07 +0000

A 6th vote for Qualia, they rock. Amazing selection of beans roasted that day or the day before. I make all kinds of coffee at home, drip, french press, espresso (machine), toddy. I haven’t found a better bean in DC.

By: aj

aj — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:42:35 +0000

A fifth vote for Qualia. The coffee is fantastic. That’s where I buy all my beans.