Infusion Coffee & Tea Crafters

Infusion sits in midtown Tempe off 8th Street with a shaded brick patio out front for the cooler months that are just around the corner. Walk inside and the place rocks a rustic industrial vibe. Reclaimed wood panels. Concrete floors. Vintage coffee gear mounted right on the walls like trophies. It is cozy and maybe even a little cluttered but cluttered in the way a workshop is cluttered. Everything there earned its spot.

The room breaks into pieces instead of one big open space. There is a main counter packed with retail beans, a bar section with cutouts looking into the sample roasters (the big roaster lives next door) and a separate side room with extra tables for working or catching up. With how many people were there, the whole place stayed surprisingly quiet. I could lose a few hours here with a laptop and not notice the time. And the power outlets back that plan up nicely!

I will be honest about something. Infusion is a serious coffee shop first and a cozy hangout second. Parking is tight. Seats fill fast at peak hours. Prices sit higher than your average chain stop. None of that is a complaint. It is just what you are signing up for when a shop goes this deep on sourcing and craft.

And this one goes deep. Dozens of single origins. Six manual brew methods at the Brew Stand, which might be the only spot in Arizona offering Chemex, V60, Aeropress, French press, Moka and Ibrik all under one roof. Barrel aged cold drip too for when you want your coffee to have spent some time thinking about its choices.

At the counter they will always have two espresso options ready and each pulled on its own grinder. One is the house blend called Gobsmacked, a mix of Ecuador and Colombia built for the daily grind. The other rotates and on my visit it was a washed Burundi from the Rubagabaga station in Rwanda. The Burundi is grown on small farms at high altitude in mineral rich African volcanic soil.

My regular readers know my style. Sure, that blend brings deep cocoa notes from Ecuador and crisp plum from Colombia. But single origins win every single time... and this Burundi is way too good to pass up!

So I ordered the Burundi as a latte in the small size. A piece of advice always get the small. Both sizes get the same double shot of espresso so the large just drowns the espresso in extra milk. The small is the better calibrated version and it delivered. Hazelnut and grape up front, a little brown sugar underneath with the bright acidity softened down by the milk into something creamy and comforting. A 10 out of 10 cup with my only nitpick aimed squarely at the size menu.

I also tried the Falling Star off the seasonal list. Its a creamy foamy latte with a blueberry note that stays subtle instead of shouting. A good drink and a nice contrast to how serious the rest of the menu gets.

Infusion also operates as a roastery, a training facility and a full coffee lab. It was the first Specialty Coffee Association training academy in the Americas. Baristas and roasters travel here from other countries just to study. You see the passion for the craft everywhere (especially with the baristas). They know exactly what they are doing. For food, they offer sandwiches and snacks. The gluten-free bagel seems to be the quiet favorite of the regulars.

Places this obsessed with coffee are rare. Take your time and enjoy the craft (and consider your afternoon plans officially sorted).