Starting out in downtown Iowa City in 2006, Capanna Coffee used to share a space with The Wedge Pizzeria, adjacent to the Public Library. Anyone who has lived in Iowa City longer than a four-year degree has seen plenty of businesses come and go, but after trying out a couple of Coralville spots, Capanna is happily nestled in North Liberty off of West Penn Street and Highway 965.

Mike and the staff at Capanna have been the friendliest of competition when it comes to sharing resources between our shops. With his experience running a coffee shop for thirteen years, Mike has always been accessible to answer questions and let us borrow equipment or even baristas– there was a stretch of time when you could catch Marge at both shops. We even discover our own guests as patrons to both shops from time to time, but we’re happy to have an #IowaCoffee community that shares the wealth.

If you’ve never been to their current location, there is a drive-thru window for the java drinker on the go. The cafe is spacious and great for a quick scoop of their house-made Gelato or to sit for a while with a coffee and computer. Not too far down the road is where the beans get roasted and their operation is much smaller than what we just saw at Kickapoo Coffee in Viroqua.

As one of our three roasters, Capanna delivers us fresh coffee weekly, including the espresso beans we use for lattes. To cut down on cost for us and the environment, the beans come in reusable jugs so no packaging gets wasted for the ten-minute delivery. Their utilitarian roasting space is just enough to house storage and their small-batch American-made roaster. Capanna roasts three days a week and you can find their beans in other shops like Press Coffee, or the shelves of Hy-Vee and the New Pioneer Coop. Beans even get shipped to an office in Atlanta and through a coffee subscription box in Colorado. A few times a year Mike has someone stop by and pick up beans for a coffee truck that sets up shop at things similar to RAGBRAI, like the Indiana Covered Bridge Festival.

On my journey learning about coffee roasting, Mike has been gracious with answering all my questions. On my recent visit, I got to witness beans go from green to brown, hearing the first crack while watching the previously roasted beans swirl round and round as they cooled. While they roast, the beans are monitored to watch for the color to change and as they turn yellow they begin to lose moisture. Mike tells me that’s how they know the beans are drying and goes on about how the sugars are reacting inside but the science of it all is still something that goes over my head.

Airflow, heat, moisture content, and the even rotation of beans are vital to the roasting process. The amount of heat and the length of roasting varies with each crop and finding the right recipe for each roast comes from trial and error. Capanna doesn’t have the technological advancements of an operation like Kickapoo, with a monitor nearby that tracks the levels of multiple things and special goggles that reveal moisture content. Instead, it takes patience along with a pen and paper. Despite having directions, keeping a sharp eye while the drum spins is important since a sudden storm cloud, like on the day I stopped by, can change the pressure and affect the process.

If you’d like to taste what Capanna has to offer, you can order any espresso drink at Press Coffee, or a French press of the Kenya, Mexico, Sumatra or Decaf Guatemala options on our menu. If you do pay a visit to Capanna, look for a new roast from Yepocapa Coffee in Guatemala. Mike got connected with a farm cooperative through Direct Trade which means that he is making sure the farmer gets a good price.