Why a $15 Cup of Coffee Isn’t Crazy

Equator Coffee released a $15 cup of coffee in San Francisco this February, and understandably the Internet lost it emotionally. Buzzfeed, who broke the story, reported it was "better than Keurig." The SFist joked "After tasting their excellent work, I have come to think of them as family, the kind to whom I would willingly donate an organ." And SFWeekly retorted, "This isn't the most expensive cup of coffee I've ever heard of."

While not everyone is willing to blow $15 for a cup of coffee, is it actually too much to ask for a cup of high-quality coffee? How much should we be willing to pay for a cup of high-quality coffee that offers complex yet smooth flavor in addition to fair wages, living conditions, education, and heath care for its farmers, something this cup promises?

For many, value is in affordability. Yet with exposés like The New York Times's Price of Nails, which uncovered the problematic reasoning manicures are so inexpensive, it can be difficult to swallow the tradeoff between humanitarianism for profitability. It's so much easier just to ignore it! Without context, this particular tale of the $15 coffee seems outlandish. But in this coffee story going viral, it paved the way for more informative, educational articles and potential market shifts, as the demand for ultra fair-trade coffees grows.

The incredibly high elevation and unusaul harvest times of the Finca Sophia coffee add to the merit and price of the coffee. But as a 20-something who casually enjoys artisanal roasts, I find the sustainable angle and flavor more compelling than the subtleties of the farming itself.

So here's the background. Finca Sophia: the Panamanian finca ("farm") is named after the the Greek goddess of wisdom, Sophia. Owned and run by Equator Coffee, its "initial plan," according to Akaash Saini, the community engagement manager for Equator, was to experiment with growing the best coffee possible. That meant using the most reknowned coffee and the most sustainable and humanitarian practices. This micro crop took eight years to grow and mature, before it was ready for harvest and roasting.

The inaugural harvest sold-out online ($75 for eight ounces of coffee) in a record 18 hours. Equator locations had a pound of the coffee to sell by the cup, but with the $15 price point, no one at Equator expected that many sales. They figured any leftovers could be used to enter in pour-over competitions. However, Devorah Fralach, who has over 10 years of experience in high-end coffee shops, helped Equator put together the A-frame sign that marketed the $15 cup of coffee in the sketchy crust of the Tenderloin neighboorhood of San Francisco, and it successfully drove customers inside after their "What the heck?!" response to the price.

I stopped by the Market Street location in San Francisco to try the $15 coffee myself and to ask what intrigued customers most about it. Akaash said, "Just that. It's intriguing." Once customers are indoors, expecting answers, baristas take the opportunity to explain what makes it "so special." Unlike your average, often rushed coffee shop visit, a $15 cup of coffee evokes slowing down and soaking in, and it seems the articulate baristas are happy to oblige. There are no secrets kept — the baristas brew the coffee precisely (down to the exact gram and 1:15 coffee to water ratio) and answer any questions a customer may have, from the do-gooding to tasting notes.

After a theatrical display, is this the best cup of coffee on the planet? I found Finca Sophia to have a robust cocoa scent with a hint of jasmine. The coffee doesn't have a thick mouthfeel or rough, bitter finish like many coffees. The smooth, almost slippery finish is a surprise — an almost too-pleasant surprise. I slowly sipped the contents out of a ceramic mug outside on Market Street and felt momentarily transported to this small Panamanian farm. I could almost zone out the religious zealot on Market Street who was screaming at the top of his lungs (normal for the Tenderloin).

Yes, I'd say Equator does fulfill its mission of making an exceptional cup of coffee. Sure, it will cost you $15, but consider it win-win. You get a great cup of coffee and the bonus of supporting ethical practices. Recognizing it takes these farmers a painstaking eight years to grow one vintage of coffee, one cup of coffee yields less than $2 a year. The price suddenly seems more affordable when you look at it that way, doesn't it?