While the name of this thing has Columbus in it, we are too cosmopolitan to restrain ourselves to the cafes of just one city. So when we were in Zanesville, Ohio, we stopped in at The Java House Cafe to see how they do it on the old National Road.
The Java House Cafe
1405 Maple Avenue (rear)
Zanesville, Ohio
1405 Maple Avenue (rear)
Zanesville, Ohio
Small in a cozy way, the Java House is really in an old carriage house at the rear of a larger, grander house. This works to the cafe's advantage in terms of atmosphere, which is quaint and comfortable. The coffee itself was not so great. We ordered an Americano and an iced Americano. The barista did not follow proper procedure as the following breakdown will show.
Equipment: Bunn Express espresso machine.
Beans: Caruso's, Brecksville.
Did Not Do:
Tamp espresso grounds (he used a tamp, but didn't apply an initial 5lbs of pressure followed by a tap on the portafilter and finished with around 30lbs)
Purge group
Clean portafilter
Grind per shot
Things That Should Not Have Happened But Did:
The Americano came with three shots. The barista pulled the first double shot with fresh grounds and pulled the third shot simply by re-extracting the shot he packed for the double. The same grounds were used twice which, along with loose tamping, resulted in a limp, underextracted, watery Americano.
The shots for the iced Americano were poured directly over the ice. Science does not provide a reason why this is bad (possibly something to do with ascorbic acid) but when it is done the result is bitterness instead of icy sweetness and depth.
While we were pleased to see a place serving locally roasted specialty coffee in a small, relatively remote town, the drinks themselves were disappointing. The necessary elements for a great experience were in place, but the Java House would do well to invest in a barista training course to tie it all together.
Equipment: Bunn Express espresso machine.
Beans: Caruso's, Brecksville.
Did Not Do:
Tamp espresso grounds (he used a tamp, but didn't apply an initial 5lbs of pressure followed by a tap on the portafilter and finished with around 30lbs)
Purge group
Clean portafilter
Grind per shot
Things That Should Not Have Happened But Did:
The Americano came with three shots. The barista pulled the first double shot with fresh grounds and pulled the third shot simply by re-extracting the shot he packed for the double. The same grounds were used twice which, along with loose tamping, resulted in a limp, underextracted, watery Americano.
The shots for the iced Americano were poured directly over the ice. Science does not provide a reason why this is bad (possibly something to do with ascorbic acid) but when it is done the result is bitterness instead of icy sweetness and depth.
While we were pleased to see a place serving locally roasted specialty coffee in a small, relatively remote town, the drinks themselves were disappointing. The necessary elements for a great experience were in place, but the Java House would do well to invest in a barista training course to tie it all together.
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