Curated
Coffee Cycle interior

Coffee Cycle

Closed
opens Mon 6 AM
Neighborhood
Pacific Beach
Roaster
In-house
Food
Coffee only

Curator’s note

The espresso is pulled by hand on a two-group Londinium spring lever, and the shop's Decent machines are programmed to mimic that lever's pressure and flow rates. Bringing in newer equipment and then teaching it to copy the manual machine is a plain admission of which one this bar actually trusts.

The coffee

The company roasts its own coffee, a program that began in the fall of 2021 on a Diedrich IR-5 with a Quest M3 for samples, worked out through an arrangement with Acento Coffee Roasters in Point Loma. The retail lineup names its lots, a Honduras Finca del Carmen, an Ethiopia Arsosala Natural, a Kenya Gachatha AA and a Colombia Peñas Blancas Mossto, and not one of those listings prints a roast date.

The beansCurrent lineup
  • Honduras Finca del Carmen

    Honduras, Marcala · 1600 m.a.s.l.

    Varietals
    Parainema, Catuai
    Process
    Washed
    Producer
    Martin Turcios, Finca del Carmen

    Dubai chocolate · white chocolate · juicy pear

  • Ethiopia Arsosala Natural

    Ethiopia, Uraga, Guji · 1800–1900 m.a.s.l.

    Varietals
    Heirloom Ethiopian Varieties
    Process
    Natural, raised beds 8–20 days
    Producer
    Arsosala Washing Station, ~1,200 smallholder farmers

    fresh jasmine · stone fruit · cooked berries

  • Indonesia Flores Bajawa Eko Heto Washed

    Indonesia, Eko Heto, Bajawa, Ngada Regency, Flores

    Varietals
    Linie-S795
    Process
    Washed
    Producer
    Smallholder farmers, Eko Heto area

    dark chocolate · caramel · subtle dried fruit

  • Colombia Peñas Blancas Mossto

    Colombia, Bruselas, Pitalito, Huila · ~1,820 MASL

    Varietals
    Caturra
    Process
    Double Fermentation Anaerobic Mossto Washed
    Producer
    Peñas Blancas processing center, Jhoan Vergara and Nestor Lasso

    tropical fruit · fermented sweetness · cocoa

  • Kenya Gachatha AA

    Kenya, Muthuaini, Thiriku, Gachenge, and Kianjau villages, Nyeri · 1800 m.a.s.l.

    Varietals
    Batian, SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11
    Process
    Washed, Kenya's traditional double-washed method
    Producer
    Gachatha Farmers Cooperative Society

    cacao and burnt sugar · savory accents · crisp apple

  • Dark Roast Honduras

    Honduras, Marcala

    Roast
    Dark
    Varietals
    Paraneima
    Process
    Honey
    Producer
    Juan Urquia

    baking chocolate · toffee · vanilla

  • Decaf Colombia Huila

    Colombia, Huila

    Process
    Sugarcane processed

    mixed nuts · dark chocolate · toasted wheat

The room

The whole cafe is 450 square feet, doors open at six on weekdays and shut at two every day of the week. Pretty magnificent is the owner's own phrase for it, which is more affection than a room that size usually gets.

The work-test
WifiSolidReliable for most tasks
OutletsSomeSome along the walls
SeatingRoomyComfortable room
NoiseModerateEasy conversation level
LaptopsLimitedWelcome outside peak hours

The vibe

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