Stereo Coffee Roasters (Coffee Shop and Cafe Reviews - TORONTO)

OVERVIEW

If you haven’t heard of Stereo Coffee Roasters yet, turn up the volume!

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Stereo Coffee Roasters, a local Toronto based coffee shop and roastery located near The Junction. Stereo is operated by Geoff Polci, who brings with him over 15 years of experience in the coffee business (and that’s not counting his years before as a coffee aficionado).

What intrigued me most about Geoff was the genuine enjoyment he had when discussing the craft of coffee creation, from bean to cup.

He doesn’t just make coffee. He makes excellent coffee. From speaking with him, I learned that he actively seeks out information about specific coffee beans, and specific coffee production methods, in order to create an optimal and consistent product.

This knowledge, coupled with hands-on roasting and brewing experience in Toronto and Costa Rica (using the Gaggia espresso machine and the Costa Rican Chorreador brewing method, which, oversimplified, involves pouring hot water over a cloth ‘sock’) is what led to Geoff operating multiple Toronto based cafés/ roasteries, before eventually opening Stereo by himself in 2018.

Essentially, what began as a humble home setup with a used Gaggia espresso machine (a gift from a friend) crescendoed into the impressive roastery and coffee shop you see today. It’s safe to say that Stereo is the culmination of many years of expertise and experience. All of that is evident when walking through their doors, and tasting a cup of coffee (whether brewed in-house, or with beans at-home).

Read on for more specific thoughts and details about this must-see coffee shop!

Basic Info

Owner: Geoff Polci
Roastery Location: Toronto, ON
Café Location: 40 Cawthra Avenue (near The Junction)
Hours of Operation: 9a.m.–3p.m. (Tues-Sat)
Online Shipping: Yes (Canada and USA - free for all orders over $40.00)

The Coffee Shop

The café portion of Stereo has a clean, and minimalist design throughout. This aesthetic works well, as it allows the main focal point to be the roastery itself. It is visible through large glass windows towards the back of the café, which invite you to take part by peaking in.

The colour palette is mainly shades of white and grey, with occasional pops of colour. It is very chic, and feels like a trendy place in which you could easily bring friends, or a date (even a date with yourself - grab a book or a journal, and you’re set).

At the moment, there is limited seating, but Geoff did tell me he plans to add more space to sit and gab in the future when current pandemic measures ease further. Keep an eye out for that!

Geoff has a keen interest in music (hello, Stereo…), and told me that he would like to plan some after-hours music-and-coffee soirées.

A record player, a cappuccino in hand, and a good conversational partner… I mean, what else could you want!?

If part of your café-hopping enjoyment involves taking aesthetic photos to post on social media, then you won’t be disappointed by the interior of Stereo. Obviously, be mindful of other patrons when snapping photos, but rest assured that the interior and the coffee art will always be pleasing!

The Coffee

This is the coffee art he created while being filmed. Need I say more?

An attention for detail has been put into every aspect - check out the consistent colour and style palette throughout the coffee paraphernalia and apparatuses.

Despite drinking far too much coffee for one day (honestly, I didn’t sleep until 4:00a.m.), I was still able to take a moment to just enjoy the myriad of flavours in the cup.

The smell of the ground beans themselves was enough to get me excited to try them. Proof provided in following photo:

I mentioned Instagram and TikTok lovers above: allow the below photo to be proof that you will have very enviable coffee art on your feed!

The roastery

If you’re unable to have a cup roasted at Stereo, I would strongly advise you to buy some of their coffee beans for your home setup.

These roasts prove that passion and expertise are truly the key ingredients in a good bag of beans. This is evident in the final product. Each of the coffee beans that I have tried have their own unique taste profiles that, frankly, were far more complex and delightful than I was expecting.

As a roastery, Stereo prides itself on bringing out the best from each individual coffee they produce. Although I may not be as skilled a barista or coffee producer as Geoff (major, major understatement), the symphony of flavours I am able to produce from the cups I brew at home are undeniable.

Geoff took the time to explain the roasting process to me. However, as I am not a roaster myself, I fear I will butcher what he said - SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE CAFÉ AND ASK HIM IN PERSON ABOUT THE ROASTERY OVER A CUP OF COFFEE 😉 .

What I will say is great care is put into ensuring that each bag of beans is consistent, and optimized for the best possible flavour. Geoff and his team make a point to highlight each coffee bean to it’s fullest potential.

The notebook wasn’t a prop. I actually wrote notes! A lot of notes (clearly from the amount I’ve written in this post…).

I had the opportunity to recently try out a number of coffee beans from Stereo.

My favourites that I encourage you to try are the Ethiopia Koke (Honey Process) and the Kenya - Ndundu (AA). The Ethiopian coffee was intensely fruity, and the Kenyan had gorgeous floral notes. The Kenyan one in particular reminded me of the some of the geishas I’ve tried (and not nearly as expensive, mind you).

For those with alternative coffee preferences to myself, Stereo also has various blends, dark roasts, and a Colombian Decaf available. The decaf uses a sugar cane decaffeination process, which Geoff mentioned he preferred as it was more eco-friendly. As a consumer, I did really appreciate his ethical and eco-conscious attitude to coffee production. Throughout our chats, it was evident he cared about where and how the beans were sourced and produced.

I was very impressed with the amount of thought put behind the design of each bag. Geoff supports local artist (huge plus!) by commissioning them to create the designs which he believes best represent each coffee bean. All of them are inspired by music, and honestly, look fantastic!

I will admit I am biased when it comes to companies, especially coffee producers, making an effort to create unique artwork and titles for their wares. Yes, the coffee beans themselves and not the design is what ultimately matters. However, I think the design speaks to a vertiable passion and enthusiasm about the product, which oftentimes equates to higher quality. After speaking with Geoff after the bags and the labels, I definitely think his case is the latter.

Look at these fabulous labels!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Stereo Coffee Roasters is an impressive coffee roastery in Toronto. In my honest opinion, it easily holds it’s own with some of the so-called ‘best cafés’ in the city.

The big draw is Geoff - he is the driving force behind Stereo, and his love of the café and the craft of coffee production is evident in everything he does. From the design of the café interior and coffee bean labels, to the coffee beans themselves, Stereo is a magnificent establishment that I highly encourage any coffee fan in the GTA to check out!

Make sure to head to their website for more info.