The following review and photos have been contributed by Todd Welfelt: I had the chance to visit Intatto coffee today. I have wanted to visit for a while, but I hadn’t actually been there before. It is located next to Safeway on the corner of Greenway and Tatum. I was worried that it would be hard to find (based on posts I’ve read here previously), but I found it without any issues. I wasn’t able to see the shop from the street, but once I was driving through the parking lot of Safeway I spotted it immediately. I was greeted by our very own Jason and by Leslie, one of the owners. The shop has a nice feel inside. There are a few café style chairs in the center of the space, and a few larger chairs and seating areas along the side. They do have WiFi access in their shop and I can easily see myself tucked away in a corner of the shop ‘getting work done’ while not being in the office. I got the unofficial tour and was introduced to both Bruno and Bertha, their LSM espresso machines. Bruno is a recent addition to the café as Bertha is undergoing some upgrades and repairs after being in use for many years. Soon Bertha will be back up and running and Bruno will serve as a backup (I still have some open counter space in my office if you need a place to store it for a while!!). Bertha – a work in progress Bruno – ready to rock Behind the counter you will see their two grinders (one for ‘full octane’ coffee and one for decaf) and their LSM machines. In a separate room across from the coffee preparation area is the roaster. They purchase Certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee and roast it on site. They roast for shop use and also offer their coffee to individuals for home use. Their coffee is stored in large plastic bins labeled with the type of coffee and a ‘born on’ date indicating which day the coffee was roasted. This is a refreshing change from many other coffee shops that don’t seem to know when their coffee was roasted. Intatto often has several different brewed coffees from around the world available in vacuum pots. They provide sample cups and encourage people to try the different coffees to determine which one they like the best. I really liked this aspect of the shop – educating the customer on how coffee changes flavor from one region to the next. I tried several offerings and was pleasantly surprised. Most of their coffee is roasted fairly dark (Full city+ if I had to guess) and the fresh beans were shiny with exposed oil, but the flavors in the cup were surprisingly bright, clear, and sharp. I normally prefer my coffee roasted between cinnamon and light city to preserve the origin tastes of the coffee, but this darker roast was extremely satisfying. I’m going to have to learn how they profile their roasts to achieve this…… On top of their coffee offerings, Intatto also serves food. I wasn’t able to try any during this trip, but the food looked amazing. They also have a collection of coffee and tea gear for home use. This ranged from a beautiful Chemex coffee pot (if you have never seen one of these, you must go check it out – they are works of art) to artsy coffee and tea mugs. Their equipment was good quality and the prices were very reasonable. Overall, the shop had a very nice, comfortable, homey feel to it. The people were very friendly, and the cappuccino I ordered was excellent. I’ll be back. Todd Welfelt – Raising the bar on coffee for the home barista Intatto Coffee Roasters 4847 E Greenway Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Phone: (602) 992-6760 Directions: In the Safeway shopping center, southeast corner next to Monty’s Music.
James Cook Nice review! Especially like that final close-up shot. It makes me thirsty. I want to go. 0 Reply June 10, 2008
Psyd Somebody give us and update on ‘Bertha’. How long do I have to wait to take a trip to Phoenix? 0 Reply June 20, 2008
Leslie Terrill After a long search of trying to retro fit new steam wands on Bertha, we have success!! We are hoping to have her back on line this Monday. But check before you come in ( lots of plumbing and electrical ) Cheers, Leslie 0 Reply June 21, 2008
Psyd Yay! Next scheduled foray to the concrete desert is in September, though. It was next Wednesday, but I have to teach a class… 0 Reply June 27, 2008
Leslie Terrill Thats right, she’s baaaaack! She hisses like a serpent, and steams milk like no other machine I have ever owned. Give me a call before you come by and we can arrange some time to play on her. Friends, Leslie 0 Reply June 27, 2008
RJD I visited for the first time yesterday. Well done. Barrista definitely knew how to pull a shot of espresso. They also grind ‘per shot’. It is summertime and was the afternoon, so I opted for an Iced Mocha. It was very good. I will be back. 0 Reply July 10, 2008
